226E

[ScaleCraft]

Well...the old Spaulding NP line that came up, and is being used here to rebuild this NP line came with a 226E loco. He had already traded me the cast long tender, so fix up the original drawbar, and all set. Lubed and ran it on the section of the line with GarGraves high-speed switches, and worked. Tuesday tried it on a section with newer GarGraves, and no way. Lead truck shorting, twisting.

Nice cast lead truck frame, but had PT-1 freight truck wheels loose on some hairball axle.

Found a set of wheels and axle, installed, and geez I like it. Not quite as smooth as my 225E's are, but re-lube and run it a bit...

Whistle even works, but I can tell it needs some oil.

Interesting firebox glow. Never had one with that feature before.

Cut out the 2343's and try this in revenue service this weekend and see how it works.

[Roy]

Those are purdy. Of course, their shell is the basis for the 726/736's, and 2046/646's. I wonder how much difference there is between the 226 and 2046 mechanisms - besides the Magnetraction?

[ScaleCraft]

Those are purdy. Of course, their shell is the basis for the 726/736's, and 2046/646's. I wonder how much difference there is between the 226 and 2046 mechanisms - besides the Magnetraction?

not sure. Have to look nto that.

BIG boiler difference on 226 and 726 was caused by the original hot bulb smoke unit. 226 has smoke stack lined up with cylinders....726 does not.

[Roy]

BIG boiler difference on 226 and 726 was caused by the original hot bulb smoke unit. 226 has smoke stack lined up with cylinders....726 does not.

You're right, 226 wins out, there. I like the '46 Berk, because it lacks the ubiquitous e-unit slot on top of the boiler. (It has a horizontally mounted e-unit with a return spring.) The Berkshire was the top-of-the-line, yet, it had a big fat e-unit slot right in the middle of the boiler. I'm picturing a strafing run on a WWII Nazi train, that takes a hit and blasts steam miles into the air. Can you imagine trying to run a steam locomotive, with a boiler hole the size of an e-unit slot? Flyer, of course, got away from the boiler slots and reverse levers.

[HONDO74]

The 226E has a back head in the cab with limited detail and a red bulb in front of the back head that simulates firebox glow. The 226E and the 46 726 had machined turned hand rail station. After that they used cotter pins to hold the rails. The motor for the 726 fills the cab.

At one time there was a kit available to eliminate the smoke bulb to the later smoke unite with a regular bulb. I don't know if you can even get the smoke bulbs. They didn't last long.

[ScaleCraft]

The 226E has a back head in the cab with limited detail and a red bulb in front of the back head that simulates firebox glow. The 226E and the 46 726 had machined turned hand rail station. After that they used cotter pins to hold the rails. The motor for the 726 fills the cab.

At one time there was a kit available to eliminate the smoke bulb to the later smoke unite with a regular bulb. I don't know if you can even get the smoke bulbs. They didn't last long.

I used to do a LOT of Lionel repairs. I even had (have?) one of them there first run 726's with the dimpled horizontal mount bulb.

Do you know how corrosive old smoke pellets were?
Eats up the enclosure, the twist-in bulb holder....all of it.


My smoke unit went into the trash in the early 80's. Followed by removal or disconnecting of all remaining smoke units.

[HONDO74]

Do you know how corrosive old smoke pellets were?
Eats up the enclosure, the twist-in bulb holder....all of it.


My smoke unit went into the trash in the early 80's. Followed by removal or disconnecting of all remaining smoke units.

Going back to the 70s I have never run smoke in any of what I have, even the more modern engines. Makes a mess of everything including your lungs.

If I am not mistaken they have banned the smoke at all train shows ??

I have 2 or 3 bottles of smoke pellets. They are strictly collector items

[ScaleCraft]

Going back into the 70's.....I had engines with smoke. Moved here 42 years ago, took over an upstairs bedroom, with literally six foot ceiling. Had to walk around the light fixture.

One day I decided to see if the smoke worked, as I had put in some of those conversion elements for liquid smoke.

The smoke started building up on the ceiling, and when it got down to eyebrow level, I got a migraine that would not go away.

Could I have just stopped putting fluid in? Yes. But that nichrome wire heater element still got very hot, and robbed some power, so I started clipping the wires at the e-units.

Later I went in and removed then...and the stupid clappers....and oh, lord, the engines didn't "clank" any more.

Then I found a pile of 225E boilers, and the 675 boilers got removed...and there ain't no room in a pre-war 225E for a post-war Lionel smoke unit, and I didn't care any more anyway.

So it's been what, 40-42 years with no smoke units? I have a partial 675 I picked up for the motor block that may still have one in it, but not to be used. Have another 225E boiler, bead blasted, painted, feedwater heater ground off (only my original 225E still has that) that needs this motor block.

[Roy]

I don't like breathing the smoke, either. But, I remember the trains at Disneyland and Knott's. It turns out, most of their "smoke" was actually steam. It would be cool, if I could get O gauge steamers to puff steam. Or, possibly use fog "juice". I want my engines to appear to puff smoke, but I don't want to breath crap.

[ScaleCraft]

Ah. Fog Juice. Like for concerts?
Church we USED to attend decided it would be "cool" to have A) music loud enough to mandate leaving the building or using ear plugs, B) flashing lights enough to set off epileptic seizures, and C) Fog that immediately set off allergic and respiratory malaise in some older folks.
So, no "fog juice" for me!

Lakewood.

I remember that area.

Used to drive from Anaheim to Inglewood on Artesia (before the freeways in that area)...and when it rained, the intersection of Artesia and Lakewood Blvd was so deep in water you had to creep through to keep the fan from dousing the ignition, then drive for several miles riding the drum brakes to dry them out.

[ScaleCraft]

I just realized, looking around in the basement, this 226E is probably the only engine down there that says "Lionel Lines" on the side any longer.

[Roy]

To be clear, my first preference is straight steam. Not so much, as to make one's train room uncomfortable, or to compromise electronics. Just enough to give a short-lasting puff from the stack.

[Neil]

I agree that smoke is something to be used on occasion or not at all. Inhaling vaporized mineral oil cannot be good for your lungs (not to mention your heart and blood vessels). If nothing else, will trigger asthma and other pulmonary reactions in those who are hypersensitive to environmental pollution. Those who say it's safe are just not familiar with lung physiology.

On the other hand, steam is just water vapor and doesn't usually cause any reaction in the airways. If anything, many folks find that water vapor is healing and useful when the respiratory tract is irritated by dryness or infection.

[ScaleCraft]

Real steam is seen with some combustion residue in the general atmosphere.
Wood, oil or coal.

Stage Fog's MSDS shows low toxicity, too low to measure, yet has cautions.
Depends on WHICH stage fog it actually is.

Glycol....not wanting to inhale that sheeet.

[Neil]

Absolutely, the only safe "steam" or "fog" is pure water vapor. Anything else has the potential for inflammatory or allergic reactions, or worse. Not many people outside medicine are aware that disastrous things like heart attacks and strokes are often precipitated by inflammation, which leads to thrombosis (clots where you don't want them).

Parenthetically, and contrary to much popular bullshit lore, this is the primary reason we need to transition away from coal, which makes the most dense, particle laden crap human beings have ever invented to breathe, probably about the same as burning wood. Not good for your lungs. Natural gas is much less polluting and dangerous to your lungs, and there's plenty of that until we get to the point when solar, wind and tidal power provide largely non-polluting (at least to your lungs and heart) power.

Stay clean my friends, in terms of the air you breathe.