AboutFrank Edgcombe Expertise I CAN NOT DIAGNOSE equipment problems or ESTIMATE DOLLAR VALUES of your equipment, by email. I have been active in model railroading for forty years. I can answer, or find answers, to questions on most aspects of model trains, railroad equipment or buildings. I have a good knowledge of prototype railroads. I have been employed by five model railroad equipment manufacturers/suppliers and worked for a prototype railroad. I have served, twice, as the president of a local model railroad club. I have been employed as a Reference Librarian, at a university, for the last fifteen years and am used to tracking down resources for patrons.
Expert: Frank Edgcombe Date: 6/29/2008 Subject: Bachman HO steam engine
Question Dear Frank, Can you pleae tell me what type of oil I can buy from a hardware store to use in my Bachman HO steam locomotive to puff smoke? The oil purchased directly from Bachman is very expensive and I believe there must be a safe, less expensive hardware store equivilent. Thank you very much!
Answer Hi! Kevin. Thanks for your question. I'm sorry I'm not a chemist, so my first response is I know of no "hardware" substitute to Bachmann smoke oil. I would also suggest that the electrical elements used in the smoke producers are pretty delicate and the use of the wrong mixture may have disastrous results. Remember your dealing with an inflammable liquid and you don't want to start a fire and burn down your house with the use of the wrong stuff, at least burn up the locomotive. The delicacy of the components could also mean that the substitute will ruin the component. I have ruined one or two in the past by just letting them run dry. Other manufactures of smoke oil were Lionel and American Flyer. There maybe still be dealers that stock oil for these makes. Another manufacture is Seuthe, which is imported from Europe and very expensive in little capsules. I found this ad on the web. http://www.nextag.com/train-smoke/search-html
One last word of warning. Smoke from model locomotives is probably as bad for you as smoke from tobacco, although it may not contain nicotine. It certainly can smell pretty awful, as the smoke from locomotives would testify. It maybe hazardous to your health if you breathe in too much, especially if you experiment with a product not designed to be used in a Bachmann locomotive. I'd play safe and go with the Bachmann product. I'm sure that's been tested and proven somewhat safe. Another problem with HO and N gauge(my smoking locomotives were mostly N gauge) that I ran into was that the residue from the smoke got onto the tracks and made them dirty and slippery, necessitating much more cleaning. Hope this helps. Frank.
