I was wondering if anyone ever heard of using “clipper oil” ( also known as “cutter oil” and is used to lubricate barber’s hair clippers) in the smoke stack units in place of the standard smoke fluids on the market. I have mostly Bachmann Steam Engines and also a few steam engines from other manufacturers and I am trying to find a “universal fluid” for use in all. It seems that when you buy, you only get about 2.5 oz. and the cost is about $7.50-$8.00 a bottle plus shipping of about $5.00.
No, I’ve never heard of using clipper oil, but I have heard several times on the Garden Railways forums that mineral oil can be used as smoke fluid. That’s what we use on an HO scale club layout in a Micro-Mark fan-driven smoke generator for our IRS building on fire. Mineral oil seems to produce just as much smoke as the more expensive “hobby” smoke fluid, and doesn’t smell nearly as bad.
A quart of mineral oil at a local pharmacy costs less than one of those small vials of smoke fluid.
But we have the IRS building fire smoke generator set up so open house visitors can hold in on a push button switch to make the building smoke. Other than during open houses, we never use the smoke generator and don’t allow smoking locomotives because all smoke fluids are oil based and leave sticky, oily film on track, scenery, and everything else in the room.
Breathing fumes from smoke fluid can be harmful to your health, and some people are allergic to it. I never attend trains shows that have Lionel displays with smoking locomotives simply because I don’t like being around them and the fumes irritate my eyes.
I would be hesitant about using an oil that could be flammable. Wouldn’t want the fire in the stack instead of in the firebox.
Check with loco manufacturers, see what they have to offer. Obviously checking with a smoke fluid manufacturer would get a strong recommendation for their product.
Have an early 50’s Lionel with a smoke unit. Have heard that I should only use the Lionel type fluid. (That didn’t come from Lionel.) Would hate to damage it, though it is seldom run these days.
Good luck,