Smoke Oil.

[rugbyboys]

I am thinking about fitting a smoke unit to one of my locos but I have been told that it leaves a oily sticky film on the souounding parts of your layout,, has anyone have any experience of this problem or is it safe and ok to use smoke oil.. thanks.

[2e0dtoeric]

First off - is this for an analogue or a DCC loco?

DCC decoders do not have enough output power to drive a smoke unit. You would need to develop some sort of electronic switch that the decoder CAN operate, and find the room to install it - but then you will have the 16v track voltage going to a device meant for 12v.

So - assuming you meant analogue, firstly you've posted in the wrong thread!, and secondly, oil is oil, and the smoke is vapourised (not burned) oil, which will settle on everything within range.

This, as you say, will make everything oily, including the loco, track, all the surrounding decor, and the room walls, which you will then have to clean off before it 'sets'. Should you over-fill the unit, it will spit globs of oil out like a frying pan of cheap bacon! If it is allowed to run dry, and still has heat, it will burn out.

Plus, of course, while the loco is 'parked' in a siding or at a station, there will be no volts going to the motor, and no volts going to the smoke unit, so it will stop smoking!

Is it worth the hassle? That's for you to decide.

[rugbyboys]

Firstly, yes it is DCC thats why I posted in the DCC section,,,,,,,,  but I think that the info that I have  regarding the oily film must be correct so I think that i will give it a miss.

[Chrissaf]

Wise decision. There are a lot of technical hurdles to leap over to operate a smoke unit on DCC. Eric has intimated some of them in his considered reply. Which in my view is one of the main reasons why UK based DCC model manufacturers steer clear of offering factory fitted smoke units in steamers. It can be done by the DIYer, but you really need to have an understanding of exactly what you are doing. Irrespective of the oily film and sticky grime issue.

.

There are many posts on here where the inexperienced have just wired in a smoke unit with complete disregard for the written decoder and smoke unit operating specifications and then wonder why their decoder has burnt out when they switched it on.