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Have a Lionel 0-8-0 steam engine (with upgraded valve and drive rod assembly) from a starter set. Only real complaint with this conventional engine is it's an anemic smoker so I want to replace it's o.e. puffer smoke unit with a fan driven one. Anyone already do that to this engine? Would appreciate recommendations (including part number) for a fan driven smoke unit that would do justice to this fine engine and be the best fit in the loco body requiring the least least installation hassle and modification to the locomotive?

BTW, though I've considered adding tmcc and cruise control to this engine but there's no immediate plan to do since its current tender with RailSounds RTR sound system (steam chuffing, whistle, bell, and user-activated crew dialog scenarios) is adequate.

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Looking for advice and observations from anyone who's converted this model engine to a fan driven smoker.

Thanks. 

Last edited by ogaugeguy
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I've attached a PDF with some small Lionel smoke units that may be appropriate for your task.  I'm looking into similar possibilities for a couple of small locomotives.  These are the smallest models I could find at Lionel.

 

You will most likely have to at least change the resistor in a couple of these, but they seem to be the pick for fan driven small units.

 

 

 

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Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:

Funny thing about that Dennis.   I decided to take a look and see what the smallest ones I could find at Lionel looked like.

 

Hmmm, I know of at least 2-3 TMCC Engines that I would want to convert. Along with a gaggle of conventional engines that i want to convert to TMCC and Fan Driven Smoke if possible!

I have both a scale 0-8-0 with TMCC and a semi scale version. Their construction is very similar. This is smoke unit used in the scale engine.

 

 

Regardless of which one you select you will have to fabricate a bracket and also modify the circuit. This one is a "semi smart" unit but can be dumbed down for conventional use by replacing the resistor (as noted above) and bypassing the smoke drive circuitry. Depending on which unit you use you might also have to fabricate a 3-5V DC  circuit to drive the motor.

 

Pete

Smaller is usually better. I was actually a bit surprised this big unit fits in an 0-8-0 but it does. The starter set does included the lever mechanism to move the piston and that takes up some real estate in addition to the puffer unit itself. The super puffer would be icing on the cake if the OP decides to go for it.

 

Pete

john, those lionel fan motors on those smoke units always seem louder than the mth one you show. they seem to to be cheaply made compared to the mth fan motors.

I had a brand new lionel engine recently that was very loud. cant recall the diesel model right now,but I oiled the smoke units fan motor bearing under the impeller. with a drop of oil. still loud as all get out.

I carefully removed the back of the motor with the brushes. I put a small drop of oil on the end plate and reassembled the motor and that did the trick. now it runs very quiet.

would you happen to know why some lionel fan motors are loud like this from the factory? all my mth fan driven steamers are almost whisper quiet.

maybe its just a by-product of cheaper motors that lionel uses compared to mth.

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