Okay, so I have a slight (LARGE) problem; my New York Central System 4-4-2 steam locomotive (from the #31940 start set) was flooded with smoke fluid. I read somewhere that you should turn the loco upside down for an hour on a cloth to let it drain. Well after about 55 minutes (close enough), I picked up the loco, wiped it down, and put it on the track. So I power it up, and after a second or two, it pours out plumes of smoke! Well, it started sparking, and about five seconds into the run, a huge flame (for inside) a foot or so just blew up!!! (my guess is that the extra fluid dripped on the tracks and short-circuited between the middle and outside rail [O scale]). I immediately turned off the power, and took the engine off the track. It is currently sitting on the plywood table, still smoking (this happened less than five minutes ago). What should I do? Should I turn it upside-down again? Should I just try it on the track again? I am actually heading up to my hobby shop to pick up another engine, should I take it to them, and see what they can do? Any one with experience in flaming engines (this has never happened to me before) please comment and share your story.
Wow, you must have really flooded that engine with smoke fluid. If it were mine I would pull the shell off and wipe down the innards and let it sit for a day to dry off. Longer if necessary. Then I would carefully search for any pinched or shorted wires. Finding none I would run the thing without the shell first then carefully install the shell. Hope it works
It could have been the smoke heating element that caught fire. Usually to much fluid will cool them instead of the intended want for more smoke. But it could have burned out or shorted. As stated above open it, dry it, assess the damage or take it to a repair station.
Man, what kind of smoke fluid do you use… Ronsonol?
Seriously, I didn’t think that smoke fluid could flame. If there was actual fire, I feel it likely was not just the smoke fluid, but a component or something on the track. Perhaps the fluid found its way to the reverse board and caused a short. Have a look inside and see what’s up. Be sure and keep us informed as to your findings.
I suspect when you take off the locmotive’s shell, it ain’t going to be pretty inside. The bottom of that flame is where you are going to see the heat damage.
I had a problem with the smoke unit in a 1993 Santa Fe 2-6-4. There was a gap between the top of the smoke tube and the shell. When the engine would start up, the smoke fluid would bubble from the push of air and would overflow the top of the tube. It would then run back along the wires to the circuit board which caused eratic operation. The engine continued to be a bad performer until the smoke fluid residue was “burned-off” the boards through normal running. I never saw flames though! Yikes!
"What should you do? " Right now all you have is a candidate for a top 10 thread for 2011. I say you should pyramid on your accomplishments:
With a fire extinguisher, video camera, & script writer on hand why not try to reproduce your achievement.
Post the video on UTube and then link a thread on as many model RR forums as you can.
Tip off the mass media of your video and see if it goes viral.
Finally, see if you can reproduce that scene in a few more hobbies. Who knows? With a good Hollywood agent you may even be able to spin off the ultimate 21st Century achievement: your own reality show! [bow] Fame & fortune will surely follow you on the Discovery Channel.
I have kept the engine upside-down overnnight, and no smoke has been produced. Good! Well, maybe not. I have put smoke fluid back in the loco, and still no smoke. From the underside, the loco looks soaked in fluid. Well, I went to my dealer today (to pick up my Metra F40PH, I LOVE IT) but didn’t take the steamer. I’m trying to work it out on my own. It works fine it all respects. I’m not too worried about it. If it happens again, then I’ll take it to my shop.
Sounds like the smoke unit burned up. I had this happen to a 2-4-2 I own. Lots of smoke. Probably a few seconds from flames. When I say lots of smoke I mean a lot like a a propane torch but instead of flames just smoke. When I disassembled it the smoke was the culprit. Apparently the heating element shorted and ignited the whicking and residual fluid that was left in the unit.
Did any of the trains on the Adams Family catch fire? Sounds like your layout needs a full time fire department and you need a 1:1 fire extinguisher in the room. The modern Lionel engines are not too hard to take apart and clean. You could film a good scene for youtube: you with engine walk out into the kitchen, your wife is busy looking down cooking food.
Your wife says: did you have fun running the trains?
You reply: yes I had a smoking good time.
Your wife looks up and sees your hair blown back and singed, your face and clothes covered with soot and a big smile on your face. She replies what happened to you?
You reply: I tried juniors smoke fluid he made in science class. I think it might be a little too potent.The flame from the stack was five feet high!
Your wife: we’ve got to find you another hobby, your mom told me you were dangerous with toy trains.
Sounds like you burned a smoke unit out. These things had a crappy design, heating element in a plastic housing? Seriously Lionel? Mine hasn’t smoked in 10 years, we did have to reroute the wiring for the headlight so we could disconnect the smoke unit because it kept shorting everything out. My Lionel Mikado Jr. also blew a small flame out the stack when it’s smoke unit burned out. It smoked beautifully for the two seconds I had it powered up before the smoke unit went out.
A foot high flame? Regular smoke fluid doesn’t burn. In fact, too much fluid diminishes the smoke output. It cannot cause what you describe. Even with your smoke unit shorting out, I don’t understand what could possibly cause a foot high flame shooting out of the stack.
I believe that smoke fluid is actually mineral oil. From the Wikipedia article on mineral oil: “It can be used in some model trains as a substitute for the ‘smoke fluid’ or ‘smoke oil’ that simulates steam coming from a steam engine.” Here is the MSDS for mineral oil: http://msds.farnam.com/m000712.htm It is flammable, but it doesn’t burn in normal operation.
I say this is a matter for America’s favorite mythologists Adam & Jaime of Mythbusters to resolve. It should make for a fun episode, them smoking & blowing up PW & circuit board locomotives. [;)]
Wouild make for some great publicity for the hobby and forum too. [:-^]
Haven’t been on CTT in a while. Great story! Only problem with that, is I would be the Junior! Haha. I’m only 13, but haven’t tried making my own smoke fluid. Maybe someday… Anyway, I would just like to say that when I did call my parents down to see the flare up (when it initially happened) that a rag that happened to be laying too close the the track did get a little singed. Haha. Well, in the next hour I’m gonna head down to the basement, find the instruction manual for the steamer, and with video camera overhead, I’m gonna disassemble it. Should make for some great tutorials! I don’t have a Youtube account for my trains yet, but hopefully that will change. I’ll post the link to the video when I can. Whatever. Time for lunch… [:D]