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Lionel Roadside Diner Smoke Unit?

7K views 16 replies 5 participants last post by  gunrunnerjohn 
#1 ·
My son has one of the Lionel roadside diner's that were built with a 9500 series MPC passenger car shell with a smoke unit in it. We had a problem with it where the 1 ohm resistor that is inline with the ground side of the smoke unit got VERY hot:eek: It was so hot that it melted the bottom of the car and also damaged the base that the diner sits on where the wires attach. Both light bulbs were burned out, and now the smoke unit does not work. I checked the smoke unit with an ohm meter, and it read 30 ohms. I placed power to it, and it started to smoke, then the resistance continued to increase, but no longer smoked. When I gave up on it last night, it was reading over 450 ohms. I know that resistance will increase with heat, but something went very wrong with this thing. Does anyone have any experience with these? Do you know where I can get a new smoke unit? The resistor is in a ceramic block about 2" long X 1/2" square amd was glued to the bottom side of the car shell. I imagine it was designed to get warm, but not like this. It fused some of the wires together that were adjacent to it. I need to locate new bulbs, (I think they are the same for the 9500 series passenger cars, and I need bulbs for several of those anyway, and a new smoke unit. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

Steve
 
#3 ·
If you get the MTH smoke unit from a PS/1 locomotive, they use track voltage and regulate it for the fan. They also provide modulation for the smoke resistor so it isn't cooking at high voltage. Just stick 12 volts AC on one of these and it'll work great and pump out great quantities of smoke! :D
 
#9 ·
Steve, I feel your pain.

I have the Lionel BBQ Shack, which I like, but fan driven smoke is not realistic.

I recently bought the I 12 smoking caboose. The gent at the shop said they have had them come in with the side of the car melted.

Mine did not smoke worth a darn. They gave me some new fiberglass packing, and it smoked better, but still gets too hot.

I like the car because, it is B&O and very nicely detailed. Besides, I got if for a good price.

This a smoke generator I have on one of my buildings

http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/667-117E

It produces a good amount of smoke without being fan driven.

My bucket list includes replacing the smoke generator in the shack with one of these.

If you are still interrested, I'll post a video of the unit in a few months.

My layout is covered and apart as I create "Dave's Train Experience".
 
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