Specifications of a Bachmann Smoke Unit

Overview

• The smoke unit sits below the locomotive's smoke stack. The unit consists of a heater element in a small tub. An oily fluid is placed in the tub and, when heated, causes steam vapor to rise from the unit. The heater can become red hot and reach above 900 degrees Centigrade. Because of the high temperatures, the unit can wear out quickly.

Steam Oil

• The smoke unit works by burning a special oil sold for this purpose. There are many types of steam-generating fluids from which to choose. LGB and Bachmann offer the fluid. Some hobbyists use lamp oil. Bachmann fluid is almost odorless while Department 56, Magic Smoke, is less expensive but releases an odor.

Climax Smoke Unit

• The smoke unit in the Climax locomotive has a voltage regulator that maintains a constant voltage. The regulator is mounted atop a circuit board attached to the smoke unit. It keeps the unit from overheating and this helps to improve its useful life. The smoke unit will operate at 12 volts but doesn't give off very much steam. At 14 volts, it is operating at full tilt but the locomotive will be moving at a fast speed. There is no happy medium where the locomotive is moving slowly and giving off steady steam. The smoke unit uses 150 milliamps (mA) while running at 14 volts.

Heisler Smoke Unit

• The Heisler locomotive comes with the standard Bachmann smoke unit. It has a control switch behind the smokebox door. The steam unit can also be operated with the Bachmann remote control decoder. With 10 drops of steam Magic Smoke oil, the unit can generate steam for 10 minutes. Results may vary depending on the brand of fluid used.