We recently purchased a Lionel Chat and Chew diner. Great condition, looks new, but when powered up, the lights and smoke start off well, visible steam of smoke starts immediately, but the smoke trails off to nothing visible in fifteen or so seconds, with nothing visible thereafter. Turn off the power, wait a couple hours, repower it, and smoke starts again. For fifteen seconds. Is this normal? We weren’t expecting it to belch smoke all day, but is a continuous little stream of something visible is too much to ask? Options? Is this normal for the little smoke unit in these buildings?
I’ve had mine since it was brand new in 1995, and it works the same as yours. I’ve never really liked it.
I’ve had my Lionel “Moms” diner for about as long as Redfire’s had his. The smoke unit on mine just plain died, so I yanked it and replaced it with a Seuthe smoke unit wired directly to the 14 volt accessory lines.
Works just fine, but I wouldn’t suggest anything so drastic in your case unless the unit’s totally failed.
By the way, the lamp circuitry died on mine as well, so I relit it with lamps and sockets from Radio Shack.