Hi all

I have a question concerning smoke generator.
I've bought (ebay) a very fine steam loco, series 86.
I'd like to add a smoke generator. It seems not too difficult: just a hole to make in the plastic (chimmey not open).
As the chimmey is slim, I've to buy a Seuthe 24, and solder a second wire to the generator body.
My question is: Can the plastic chimmey whistand the large smoke generator temperature without melting???
Thanks in advance for your answers!

Fred

A normal smoke generator will melt the chimney.

I am not satisfied with the insulated (#100) one. You will completely have to remove the old chimney and replace it with a metal one. This one has to be glued to something that isolates it from the body of the lok,te keep of the heat. The smoke generator itself has shrinking material over it,but this also hardly can withstand the heat generated.

My advice; don't do it!

I did it with my Fleischmann 86 another way. I drilled the chimney. And then drilled deeper in the frame of the loko. There I mounted a M 7226,deep enough that it wouldn't touch the plastic body of the loko. Filling it is done by a hollow needle. Maybe this is also an idea for your lok.

See pictures



Bart

Hi Ron and Bart,

Thanks for your answers.
The 86 chimmey is very slim, and a 3.5 mm diameter for the smoke generator is really a maximum. So, from a mechanical point of view, only Seuthe #24 would fit.
As you said that in that case the chimmey would melt, the Bart solution sounds very attractive. Unfortunately, in my Maerklin loco, there is not 24 mm available to fit the generator. A solution would be to saw it to 16mm lenght or so. Do you think it is possible to do so and still have a generator that is working ?

Fred

Hi Fred, Forum,

no problem!!! (as usual)

I equipped both of my BR86's with smoker already quite some time ago.

You need either Seuthe #22(16V, for analog or switched digital) or #23 (22V, for Delta or unswitched digital). The chimney diameter is slightly more than 5mm, so you need to drill carefully. I just drilled as much as needed such that the smoker can still be "squeezed" in and holds in the loco body by itself. I never had a problem with a melting body (yet); Märklin uses different (higher quality) granulates than most other companies.

As you can see, with my old 86 173 (#3096) I also replaced the old bajonet bulb with a bi-pin lamp (and socket) which gives enough space for the smoker. The light intensity of the upper front lamp will be a little bit less because of the smoker body (didn't disturb me much). I also replaced the (stiff) original Seuthe wires with more flexible ones; be careful when soldering near the smoker - too much heat might destroy the heating coil at the inside.

Since both my locos run digital, I use f1 of the 60904 for the smoker and f2 for the telex; f3 is still free for a cabin light, etc. It's just very much fun playing with these models now.

Attached are a few pics illustrating the conversion. Have fun!

Why drilling 4,5mm, Fred?

The small section of these smokers only have 3,2mm max., which leaves
almost 1mm on any side.

No problem at all with the magnet and the telex.

The only "disturbance" with all these BR86's is the increase of the engine "sound" when tightening the body screw to hard; actually it is rather "rough" - but that's indeed still the real Märklin sound!

Factory delivered #22 and #23 have indeed a larger diameter, due to the (black) isolation around the smoker. I didn't mention that I had cut this away in the small part. As said earlier, until now this did not cause any "melting" problems but helps alot for drilling a corresponding smaller hole.

Everything has already been said, yet an additional tip:
http://www.x-train.de/extern/rg_BR86.htm

Enjoy!


Steven

Very useful link.

Hello all

Thanks for some useful tips. Sorry to see that, Fred

Maybe is best to use #23 (22 volts) even for switched digital operation? Less current should give less heat. Of course also the amount of smoke is smaller, but maybe still enough?

I have installed a M# 7226 through the plastic roof of a heating car (NSB type Fdeo no. 19955, Heris 14610, used in combination with passenger cars if the locomotive didn't have enough heating capacity to heat up the cars on cold winter days/nights). This is controlled by a 60902, f1. I have one where I once fried the motor output. f2 = interior light.

To reduce the heat transfer to the plastic roof I installed a brass "clamp" under the roof, to get a bigger cooling surface. This clamp also serves as electric conductor to the generator housing and to prevent the generator from jumping out. So far no problem with melting during my tests.