# Piko smoke solution for USA trains



## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

I wonder if anybody has experience regarding the smoke solution. I tried to generate smoke from my USA train using Piko smoke solution but it didn't work. What I observed was boiling liquid in the smoke chamber but not smoke.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

None of the Smoke generators make smoke, they all vaporize oils. None of the fake smokes are black, closest I came was Blue smoke...from the tender... oh the woe. 

I don't bother trying anymore.... 

John


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## Dan Pierce (Jan 2, 2008)

Which USA train? Newer models have a fan driven unit, older models just used a wick and that needed to be less than 2/3 full to enable the wick to work.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Also, how many drops did you put in? 

Greg


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Thanks for help. Mine is the Virginia and Truckee model.


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Greg, I used about 10 drops. The liquid was still way on the bottom of the smoke chamber.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Should be ok, can you tell which smoke unit you have? If you have the fan driven ones you should be able to hear the fan. 

Also, if it is the earlier one, with no fan, you can usually see a slender thin white "stick" with the wire wrapped around it. 

Interesting, the "boiling" usually indicates the older type, non-fan driven. They do not hold a lot of fluid, try 20 drops additional. 

They don't work very well, be sure you are running at a high enough voltage, over 12 volts. 

Greg


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## mymodeltrain (May 14, 2013)

Thanks for help, I could generate smoke for my USA train using Piko smoke solution now. Greg is correct, 10 drops of solution is the optimal condition, more than that didn't produce effective smoke.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, the ones that are not fan driven are very dependent on fluid level. 

This is basically because of the very simple design, and you can "drown" the heating element. 

The more sophisticated units have a fan, and usually a larger fluid reservoir and a long wick to pull the fluid up to a larger heating element. 

Regards, Greg


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