 Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,319 Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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So I picked up the 2016 Christmas locomotive so I can have some train fun and a mini diorama around the tree and main room. Its my one and only steam loco - picked up the 7226 smoke generator that goes with it and a bottle of the Märklin/Seuth smoke fluid. Loco runs fine (except for some odd clacking in the R1 turns at one end... but that's another post). I know the smoke generator needs to be positioned just right for the wire to contact the loco internal contact plate. That said, I looked down into the smokestack and saw copper, so I pushed the 7226 generator into the smokestack as far as my finger can press it (flush down). I then used the red pushpin that came with the 7226 to push a hole into the top of the red cap for the fluid (otherwise I have no idea what that push pin in the 7226 kit is for as the cleaning wire is separate thing). Seems the hole was too big, as tipping the bottle succeeds in getting fluid all over the outside of the loco, not sure how much if any made it into the 7226. I'll have to get the train off the floor and under lights and magnifier at table height to see whats going on. So my questions are: 1) How do I know I get the 7226 seated properly? Activating it, I thought I'd feel the smoke generator feel hot against my finger if its conduction (this was before fluid may or may not have made it in). Not sure I felt heat. With fluid in it, no joy to smoke (could be no fluid, too much fluid, or the generator isn't properly installed). The out of the box wire alignment on the bottom of the 7226 was an L shape. 1a) Can I just pull the 7226 back out again by its rim and look to see its seated? I"m hoping the orientation concern the loco manual depicts will be visible if I better look down the smokestack.... 2) Clearly I need to forget the small hole in the red cap on the fluid and get a separate syringe to apply the smoke fluid into the unit. The instructions seem to say 1-2 drops. Other sources say 1/2 full or less. Whats a good quantity?   |
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Joined: 11/05/2013(UTC) Posts: 488
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5 drops seems to be the limit and you are correct about using a syringe applying the fluid otherwise it is a pain and a mess. I am not familiar with your lok but if are running digital you may have to turn on a function key.
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 1 user liked this useful post by SteamNut
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Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,319 Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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Yeah, its a function key, I had that turned on so I know I did that part right. Beauty of having had pet rodents and birds, I've got lots of syringes of various type laying about ... time to dig those out. And get my face closer to the stack when putting in drops, and turning on the lights to make sure I can see better, and pulling out the generator to be sure I plugged it in with the angled wire facing the right way...
So what is that push-pin for exactly?
The description is clear on the rest, a spare central tube, the tweezers to pull and replace said tube, and the wire to clean out the center of said tube (when removed)... but NOTHING on what that push-pin is intended to do.
Is there an way to electrically measure (via a voltmeter) that the unit is installed such as a voltage at the central tube vs the outer rail voltage? |
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,444
Location: DE-NW
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Hi! Originally Posted by: Minok  ... but NOTHING on what that push-pin is intended to do. The needle is simply obsolete. Seuthe smoke generators in a Seuthe bag include a syringe. 0.2 ml is the maximum dose you should fill in. Seuthe smoke generators in a Märklin box come without syringe, but may include the obsolete needle. IMHO it is a good idea to get at least one Seuthe bag to get such a syringe. The CS2 can show you the track current. You should see a difference when you turn the smoke generator on. The track current meter of the MS2 with only one decimal digit is not suitable. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS  |
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Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC) Posts: 3,997
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yes, you can pull it out again.
push a voltmeter probe down to touch the copper contact and measure if you are getting voltage between that and the running rails when the loco has the function ON
Ensure wire on bottom of unit is towards the upper side of the copper contact.
yes the green pin is to open the sachet of oil
The lubricant for brass instrument called Blue Juice is a MUCH cheaper alternative and is said to be the same stuff.
yes a syringe (best with stubby tip, not sharp tip) and a few drops will half fill it. If it is too full, the oil wont heat up properly, draw some out with a syringe. |
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1 user liked this useful post by DaleSchultz
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,444
Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: DaleSchultz yes the green pin is to open the sachet of oil In the glorious past, the 7226 came with a sachet of oil - and the pin could be used to open and close it. The sachet is not longer included, but you still get the pin. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS |
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,277
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You can test hold the finger around the chimney and it feels hot,it works.
If there is not smoke,you have fill up too much oil.
Turn around locomotive upside and down and shake oil out from the smoke generator.
Start turn on the smoke via digital function and see if smoke generator react by start "puff" sound. |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,319 Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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I think I will need the needle syringe as the plastic stubby is too fat it's as wide as the opening.
Don't have the oscilloscope avail just the digital voltmeter. Track shoes 19v ac between the center and rails, 5 v DC. That's the issue with reading non pure DC or 50-60hz AC signals with a voltmeter.
But no voltage to the center of the smoke unit to the rails. And it doesn't get hit to the touch so I'm thinking the wire at the bottom isn't touching the plate inside the loco. As most of the 360 degrees of possible alignment are wrong I'm sure I got it in there wrong.
So given its in there how do I get it back out?
Disassemble the loco I assume ; remove the chassis from the frame per instructions. |
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Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,319 Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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Pro tip. Don't set up your first steam loco with smoke generator on a carpet bahn. Impossible to see and work on. Do it on a bench top environment where the track and loco are at eye level and well illuminated.
I always realize the obvious AFTER the fact. I'm stupid like that. |
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1 user liked this useful post by Minok
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Joined: 15/10/2006(UTC) Posts: 2,319 Location: Washington, Pacific Northwest
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Originally Posted by: H0 Originally Posted by: DaleSchultz yes the green pin is to open the sachet of oil In the glorious past, the 7226 came with a sachet of oil - and the pin could be used to open and close it. The sachet is not longer included, but you still get the pin. So leave it to Märklin to produce a kit with a pin in it where the kit doesn't contain the part anymore the pin is for. What is that about?! If you take out the sache of oil take out the pin for Christ sakes. I should write a letter to Märklin telling them my kit is defective as my pin has a red plastic ball not a green one as the factory picture indicated. ;) Actually, reading the side of the box it says the part is a "seal" whereas the German translated to English says "sealing pin" so the pin must be intended to seal something. Maybe to push into the smoke generator when your done to keep remaining fluid from evaporating? Doubt it as the pin is too thick to fit in the tube. So what is the pin supposed to seal. So what does the sealing pin seal? |
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 Joined: 18/11/2008(UTC) Posts: 495 Location: Oakville, Ontario
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Quote:So what is the pin supposed to seal. So what does the sealing pin seal? Old School "Seuthe Lok Dampf" supply:  Note the pin is the requisite green colour from circa 1965! Harold.
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Joined: 16/02/2004(UTC)
Posts: 15,444
Location: DE-NW
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Originally Posted by: Minok Track shoes 19v ac between the center and rails, 5 v DC. That's the issue with reading non pure DC or 50-60hz AC signals with a voltmeter. That's the issue with reading non pure DC or 50-60hz AC signals with a cheap voltmeter. Measure twice with the AC range (once with red on the centre, once with black on the centre). Cheap voltmeters just tell between "power" and "no power", ignore the values shown. The wire on the smoke generator could show in the wrong direction. Check this first. There could be paint somewhere between loco body or loco frame preventing ground contact. This should be checked in the second round if the problem persists. |
Regards Tom --- "In all of the gauges, we particularly emphasize a high level of quality, the best possible fidelity to the prototype, and absolute precision. You will see that in all of our products." (from Märklin New Items Brochure 2015, page 1) ROFLBTCUTS |
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Joined: 12/08/2006(UTC)
Posts: 9,277
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Originally Posted by: Crazy Harry Quote:So what is the pin supposed to seal. So what does the sealing pin seal? Old School "Seuthe Lok Dampf" supply: Note the pin is the requisite green colour from circa 1965! Harold. I remember this for about 20 years ago. They was awful and horrible to fill up in the generator. |
H0
DCC = Digital Command Control
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Joined: 10/02/2006(UTC) Posts: 3,997
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by 'stubby', I mean the syringe with a metal needle but the end of the needle is not sharp. It is truncated like the end of a pipe.
Take the loco cover off, push the smoke unit out from underneath, while it is open check if you are getting power to the smoke unit contact. Actual voltage readings are not important. |
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1 user liked this useful post by DaleSchultz
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Joined: 05/12/2008(UTC) Posts: 1,802 Location: Crozet, Virginia
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Originally Posted by: H0
The sachet is not longer included, but you still get the pin.
Wow - now that is strange. I can see how people new to these kits could easily get confused about what to do with that pin.  |
Regards,
Jim
I have almost all Märklin and mostly HO, although I do have a small number of Z gauge trains!
So many trains and so little time. |
1 user liked this useful post by dickinsonj
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