Lionel 2036

[ScaleCraft]

Two comments on 2036 smoke:

" A 2036 can have a regular smoke unit installed. All you have to do is find a pilot assembly from a 2037 with a notch in it for the smoke unit lever and you're in business."

and:

"The 2036 can not have a smoke unit installed, as the shell is missing a small lip that is required to hold the lever in place. "

I think the second is addressed by the first.

I used to have stacks of these things....fixed them up for Christmas and shipped them out.
No more.

[SantaFe158]

The smoke pills basically sublimate, which is to say, they go pretty much straight from solid, to vapor. If you put too much liquid in an un-converted pill-type smoke generator, it will leak down to whatever is below it.

The good news is, there are conversion units available, which will allow you to use smoke liquid in your pill-type smoke unit. I don't know if you can continue to use pills, in such a converted unit.

FWIW, the fluid conversion will not stop leaking down to stuff below the smoke unit. All that changes in a conversion is the heating element and the top cap. The reservoir bowl isn't replaced and is the same size.

I highly recommend AGAINST converting any pill smoke unit to the fluid type. The fluid types must be kept wet at all times or the resistor can easily burn out. The pill units (when cleaned out) can utilize fluid with great results. New batting is often needed below the heating element which allows the fluid to soak in better. I've used fiberglass insulation for that. The postwar heating elements are much more robust and don't necessarily need to be kept wet.

My unconverted 736 Berkshire smokes better than almost every engine I own, modern or postwar, on fluid.

[Roy]

The smoke pills basically sublimate, which is to say, they go pretty much straight from solid, to vapor. If you put too much liquid in an un-converted pill-type smoke generator, it will leak down to whatever is below it.

The good news is, there are conversion units available, which will allow you to use smoke liquid in your pill-type smoke unit. I don't know if you can continue to use pills, in such a converted unit.

FWIW, the fluid conversion will not stop leaking down to stuff below the smoke unit. All that changes in a conversion is the heating element and the top cap. The reservoir bowl isn't replaced and is the same size.

I highly recommend AGAINST converting any pill smoke unit to the fluid type. The fluid types must be kept wet at all times or the resistor can easily burn out. The pill units (when cleaned out) can utilize fluid with great results. New batting is often needed below the heating element which allows the fluid to soak in better. I've used fiberglass insulation for that. The postwar heating elements are much more robust and don't necessarily need to be kept wet.

My unconverted 736 Berkshire smokes better than almost every engine I own, modern or postwar, on fluid.

Hi Jake! Good to see you again.
Thanks, for clearing that up. I've never done a pill-to-liquid conversion, so I made unwarranted assumptions. I know that postwar smoke units are safe to run dry, unlike MPC and later units. Postwar Lionel's liquid smoke units are even made of plastic, but they'll run dry all day, every day, without igniting, or burning out their nichrome heaters. No need for off switches, or constantly adding smoke fluid.

[ScaleCraft]

and the genuine lionel conversion units I did all those years ago were plastic topped also. if I recall.
have to see if I still have some.
oddly the old pellet units seemed to be nichrome heaters also.
far easier to cut them all out.

[christopher2035]

Same as John said - I use fluid in all my PW engines with no issues. Just don't overfill

[rogruth]

Was it possible to use fluid in the original smoking ones that had the bulb?
Seems as if the answer would be no.

[SantaFe158]

Was it possible to use fluid in the original smoking ones that had the bulb?
Seems as if the answer would be no.

I may or may not have done that as well...

It does work, although not as well as the later element units obviously. You just really have to be careful that you only put a couple drops in as the bulb dimple can't hold nearly as much. It's probably not good for the bulb, but I haven't had any issues the few times I've run smoke fluid in mine.

[jwse30]

Was it possible to use fluid in the original smoking ones that had the bulb?
Seems as if the answer would be no.

I posted a thread on here many moons ago about adding some tiki torch wicking (or fiberglass insulation?) to make a "nest" above my smoke bulb in my 2020 turbine. It smokes really well with this set up, but it uses up the fluid rather quickly. I made this Youtube video way back when:

https://youtu.be/M8EiOc20mn0

J White

[healey36]

Wow, like a lightening bolt from the past...where've you been, jwse30? Very glad to hear from you...

Healey