I am still doing some work on my steamer, so I didn’t take the time to put the shell back on before making this video of my newly rehabbed smoke unit.
The EPA has informed me that the loco violates the Clean Air Act.
Oh yeah, so what, I love the smell of Smoke Fluid in the morning.
Just click on the photo to see the video.
Enjoy,
Rich
WOW !!! That is so cool! As Jim Carrey would say… “SMOKIN”!!
It’s chugging up a storm and smoking as good or better than any I have seen before.
Nice job!
Great job!
Jim
Wow! Nice job, smokes great! Beware of Al Gore and “The Clean Air Police”!!!
Cobrabob.
About 7 years ago, when I was was a 60 year old, the thought of trying to repair a 55 year old engine was more than daunting to me. Seven years ago, when I first pulled this engine out of its 40 year old storage box, the engine wouldn’t even run so I put it back in the box.
Lat January, with the help and encouragement of people on this forum, I got the engine up and running for the first time in nearly 50 years.
Recently, when I realized that the smoke production was woefully inadequate, I again turned to the folks on this forum and with their encouragement and help, I was able to rehab the smoke unit on my own.
Now, the engine runs perfectly and smokes up a storm.
What I hope others take away from this whole episode is that repairs on your old American Flyer trains can be done by yourself, quite competently, if you just ask for help. And, I should note that I had no prior experience doing this kind of work, and this was my very first effort.
Good luck to all who try.
Rich
Rich looks terrific nice job.I too am looking at my first smoke unit repair.Can you tell me your proccedure.I found an old article in CTT from 1992 about smoke unit repairs but would like to know what aftermarket kit you used and the difficultly.Any suggestions would help.I am currently looking to return smoke to a 290 and 293 which look similiar to your frame.Thanks…Russ
Russ,
Thanks.
Take a look at this link,. It is my post last week describing the replacement of the smoke wick and coil. If you need more info, let me know and I can give you more detail on the repair.
http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/forums/t/182049.aspx
I purchased the smoke wick and coil for $4 from Portlines and followed the instructions on their web site. It was a lot easier than I first thought. Make sure to buy the threading tool for $3.50. That made the job a whole lot easier than trying to pull the smoke wick through some tiny holes without it.
Rich
Hi,
Being a Lionel guy, I am quite familiar with the unique smell of the old Lionel smoke pills. Does AF have a similar or unique smell, or are the odor free?
A word of caution. If too much smoke is produced on a modern engine, you can reduce or turn off the smoke. You can’t turn off the smoke on the older engines. You may have o leave your train area by an engine that smokes too much.
Earl
mobilman44,
American Flyer has an intoxicating fragrance about it. (Notice that I didn’t use the term “odor” which is reserved for smelly Lionel trains - - LOL). The fragrance produced by the smoke fluid sold today is the same as that produced in the good old days.
Rich
Leave the train area, Earl? Heaven forbid ! One simply cannot get too much of a good thing.
Correct me if I’m wrong, guys; but the “smoke” that comes out of the smoke stack isn’t especially carcinogenic. It isn’t a burnt product; it’s a vaporized product. That said, it’s about the same kinda idea as aroma therapy when some tool puts a eucalyptus oil-soaked rag on the steam jet in the sauna at the local health club. Or maybe some on this forum can identify with this: it’s the same as when your Mom used to put Vicks Vapo-Rub in the Vaporizer at night in your bedroom when you were a kid with a cold. So, breath deep and often of the vapors of life. LOL
Disclaimer: what do I know!
Anyone want to weigh in on this thinking! Fact? Fiction?
Regards,
Timboy