oorail Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 For those of you who would like to see the old synchrosmoke units in action:http://youtu.be/DzGUf8MpzsAA timeless classic from Hornby, ca.1966... :)Enjoy!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 The only problem I can see is that the smoke oil isn't of the correct seuthe type that was made for the smoke unit and it may cause long term damage to the smoke unit. Classic models still running today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Agree with SOT (for once). American model railway locos usually use a different type of smoke oil than the Seuthe units, as this website explains. http://www.toytrains1.com/lamp_oil.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oorail Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 The information is a bit sketchy. I've found mention that Seuthe made smoke units for awhile for Tri-ang but then Tri-ang developed the synchrosmoke units as the Seuthe ones were too expensive. The megasteam smoke oil seems to have the same viscosity as the old tri-ang oil, it doesn't appear to be any heavier. The link suggests lamp oil could clog up the seuthe units over time. Looking at the inside of the synchrosmoke unit after heavy use with the megasteam smoke oil, not seeing any residue at all. The smoke oil seems to boil off.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Patents dear boy, patents. Tri-ang wouldn't have been able to copy Seuthe units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oorail Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Looks like you might have been wrong to agree with SOT this time, too bad since its rare :)The folks who manufacture the megasteam smoke fluid were nice enough to explain that it was designed with the correct viscosity so that it does not gum up the smoke units. They explained that they have many customers who have used the product long term as well as their own testing that shows there are no ill-effects.This is consistent with what I was seeing comparing the megasteam and hornby oils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted May 4, 2012 Share Posted May 4, 2012 Did they specifically mention Seuthe smoke units? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oorail Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 poliss said:Did they specifically mention Seuthe smoke units?Yes they did, they also forwarded me a copy of a review from Railway Modeller as well.This is exactly what they said:"our product is safe to use in the Seuthe units due to our viscosity being the right consistency so that it does not gum up the works. We use a very high-quality petroleum based oil that is safe in all units. Some hobbyists prefer to stick with the manufacturer's brand as the operator's manual always suggests... although that is not necessary as long as the product is of high-quality." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 I would still err on the side of caution for now, what did they sat about impurities in the oil? Some smoke oils that are said to be Seuthe compatible contain impurities that eat into the smoke unit elements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poliss Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 If they named Seuthe by name, then I'd say it's fine. It's the other way round now. Don't use it an most American locos. :-)Did you know Seuthe is pronounced something like Zoyta? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oorail Posted May 5, 2012 Author Share Posted May 5, 2012 There are no impurities in the oil, they are a small company that relies on customer satisfaction and a very high quality product. They appear to do a considerable amount of testing and quality assurance to maintain a high quality product. They stressed that their product was of a very high quality to insure no damage occurred to customer's smoke units. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The son of Triangman Posted May 5, 2012 Share Posted May 5, 2012 Sounds very good, if it doesn't cause any damage and it works then it should be ok. The fact that they have tested the product is very reassuring, have they tested on Tri-ang syncrosmoke units?Some lookalike pure smoke oils have impurities in them that attack the casing of the syncrosmoke smoke unit element wire and eventually eat through the wire causing premature failure.Baby oil is about the worst for causing damage, the impurities in it cause a lot of damage to smooke unit elements. I have even see car engine oil used! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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