I’m looking for a smoke unit for my battery powered K-36. I don’t care if its synchronized to the chuff, I’m just looking for something that really puts out the smoke. Any thoughts on this?
The only smoke unit I know of “that really puts out the smoke” is an MTH unit. This one is in a USA Hudson.
Not certain if applicable to your needs or scale, there is this from Harbor Models - http://www.harbormodels.com/site08/main_pages/smoker.htm
Here’s a discussion on an O Gauge forum - http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/harbor-models-smoke-generator?reply=26067524196710143
Since you’re battery, you probably wouldn’t get much smoke/run time. Perhaps stick it in a trailing car with it’s own battery and some type of flexible tubing to the smoke stack.
Well you did say you wanted a lot of smoke! 
p.s. here’s a discussion on the other site - http://www.mylargescale.com/Community/Forums/tabid/56/aft/114036/Default.aspx
A while back someone had posted info on an aftermarket unit that put out a huge volume of smoke; I’m thinking it was Larry Mosher, but not certain. Old-Timers is starting to take it’s toll on my brain cells (or was it the 60’s?).
Here’s Larry Mosher’s. It is a Harbor Models unit. In another USA Hudson
Just trying to figure out how the Harbor Models unit would work with my 14V battery system.
What about the USA trains smoke units. I bought a couple with the intent on putting them in my locos to work with my QSI. I haven’t done it yet.
Ray Manley is offering MTH O scale units he’s beefed up some. $50 I think. go over to his G Scale Train Forum.
Train Li makes a great unit much like the newer USAT’s stuff. I had MTH and there’s was in the garbage after 1/2 hour of use. I can’t as someone that really used the stuff Recommend it.
I would recommend Ray’s stuff too. He can help with advice. I have MTH smoke units running for over ten years without problems. Of course, you have to add fluid…
John Bouck said:
Here’s Larry Mosher’s. It is a Harbor Models unit. In another USA Hudson
I bought Larry’s Old Hudson and as he gutted it for battery power, I put it back to track power as battery power was useless in the loco.
Harbor freight smokers are cool, but use a lot more juice then the battery boys usually can do.
I had a Zimo installed with a Train Li smoker works well.
I have a MTH smoke unit I put in my Pacific and it works GREAT! Been in for a couple of years now. Does use a lot of fluid. My MTH Hudson and Challenger’s smoke units work just as well.
Bob, I don’t currently have any of the G scale MTH smoke units available but I am trying to procure them. What I do have on hand is the smaller O units that are USA Trains sized. If you’re looking for chuffing I dont believe the Harbor Frieght unit will work with any level of satisfaction because you won’t likely be able to quickly stop an impeller/fan of that size and diameter but since it sounds like that does not matter then it looks like it may be an option for you, but I would agree it likely will consume a good amount of power so expect shorter run times if you run on battery power. Since you are running under battery power I would probably just go with a smaller O gauge sized unit and call it good. Will be more of the right balance between performance and power consumption/draw on your batteries.
The MTH smoke units are without a doubt the most robust on the market. Both the fluid reservoir and and fan impeller assemblies are die cast metal so they won’t melt if they get too hot and also draws away some of the excess heat created. Fan motor is BIG and the impeller equally large so you can get high air volumes but not so large or heavy so as still be able to stop the motor for chuffing. Small O gauge size units (which make up most of all the other smoke units produced for G scale USA trains, etc) will work but you will be limited on what you can get out of them because of their small size (fan, motor, reservoir) and get too hot if you go beyond a certain point. This will be particularly true with small smoke units made of plastic. You will only get them so far before you risk melting the plastic assembly. It’s not to say they won’t work within certain normal operating limits, but I would be careful in expecting small plastic smoke units to provide continuous output as i’ve seen in some videos and expect them to hold up.
My website is www.rayman4449.com if you ever needed to contact me for anything.
Ive had 11 units installed and they all failed in a short period of time, While the installer has a web page, I did not know that MTH does not recognize his participation with there product so no warrentie at all. Carefully look at those who claim to be experts and are really not.
12 grand of M-h in various locos proved to be a joke until I educated myself and not listen to the hype of owners that own one or 2 and not 11 ??? Remember that this manufacture
has not produced a product for large scale in a long time unlike the hype would tell you it’s on there list.
Stick with proven product, my advise.
With todays market and prices, Education is prudent to be successful and happy in the hobby.
So Nick, you units failed because of poor installation, if I’m reading this right. That could be true with any product improperly installed. Install a Phoenix board, hook it up wrong and poof. Does that make Phoenix boards junk? I have personally fried 2 Phoenix boards and 1 Airwire board due to my mistakes. I still use the products.
Just sayin…
John Bouck said:
So Nick, you units failed because of poor installation, if I’m reading this right. That could be true with any product improperly installed. Install a Phoenix board, hook it up wrong and poof. Does that make Phoenix boards junk? I have personally fried 2 Phoenix boards and 1 Airwire board due to my mistakes. I still use the products.
Just sayin…
Installed by a so called expert that says he’s authorized now on his site,??? Back then I was far from knowing anything about this stuff but now DCC and how it’s the future of the hobby have me learning. MTH has seemed to learn that with Proto 3.
Live and learn John Live and learn…
I stick With USAT’s and AML now that ive been educated in the the ways of old school…
Thankfully thats becoming a thing of the past. Hook and Loops Baby. hooks and loops.
check out my video’s at Youtube. 12ns12 little to no smoke for long.
P.S.
I have to add that though I thought that puffing smoke was cool to watch, Ive grown to not run it much more at all including shows as it’s not that relevant to me anymore. I just want to enjoy running my trains with other and watch them go. So all the bells and whistles have become a little
more than old school Lionel. Run your trains and enjoy for what they are. A hobby not a Heart attack. and remember that Nicky Luvs all G scalers the same…
Hello Ray good to see you post.
i have used the Mikes accessory smoke units for over 8 years here is 3 i put in over 8 years ago. they are about the size of the o gauge and the TSA units. have not burned one out yet.
and this one i did late last summer
i run battery 14.8 still get close to four hours
Richard
I’ve got nearly fifty of them. None have failed for me?
Ooops. more than fifty. Ray has done some of them them too.
He’s even done and installed a modified Lionel one with MTH resistors into a G gauge USA for me.
Any product miss-used can be made to fail. Neglecting to add fluid and running it dry, burns the wick and eventually fries the resistors.