Just like some its coal/deisal smoke…for me its old oil/grease…
I’m tempted to bring up that old song: “She wore Gree-eee-eeen Vel-vet!” (hopefully no one has explored the potential lyrics too intensely!)
Bill Petitjean’s proprietary list of railroad lubricants included these; probably since the demise of the Texaco specific steam-cylinder-oil formula the best performing tribology for their purpose.
You might also be trippin’ on older tallow-based grease lubricants as they age, although I think the best place to ask a question like this is over on RyPN where literally hundreds may share both the experience and the opinion on ‘sweet smell’.
Mmmmmmmmm…!!! C R E O S O O O T T T T E!!
When the odour flags, I wet a small rag with some creosote oil and lay it on the framework of my HO layout. [:P]
I don’t know, when I want interesting smells on the layout I’ll try different “flavors” of J-T’s “Mega-Steam.”
“Field and Forest,” “Grandpa’s Pipe Smoke,” “Cinnimon Bun,” or my favorite, “Coffee!”
It really does smell like coffee! [C] Amazing!
Although creosote on a rag does sound interesting…