More Authentic Smoke - is it possible?

T

Trainman 864

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This question is not so much about steam locos - more about diesels. It's been my experience that pretty much all the smoke generators I've seen in action do a very poor job of replicating authentic looking smoke - they look more like a smouldering cigarette. This might not be much of a problem on a steam loco, but on a diesel it just looks so wrong that I don't use them on mine.

It seems there are two issues ....

- Colour - most diesel exhaust have a blue/grey tinge to them and I would have thought, given all the various colours available in emergency/signaling/entertainment applications, that some better colour could be found.

- Speed - full size diesels blast their exhaust out of the pipe at high speed, reaching several feet before starting to disipate - so I was thinking along the lines of fitting some kind of air fed ejector made up of a 1-2mm bore copper tube in the exhaust pipe to impart the needed velocity - much like the blast pipe in the smokebox of a steam loco. One problem is to find a compressor small enough to fit in the silencer body of an Aristocraft class 66 - maybe some kind of diaphragm compressor out of a fish tank aeration system - or a scroll saw dust blower could be modified to fit?

Thoughts anyone?
 
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Yes, that's crtainly one of the better steam replications I've seen, although there's still that 'smouldering cigarette' look between the chuffs. The diesel one is not as convincing I'd like to see from later stage/tier emission standard locos - and I'd really like to retain and modify the Aristocraft factory fitted unit if at all possible.

Anyway - many thanks for your suggestion .... :)
 
So you need a fan, and to control the speed with the motor drive voltage, perhaps?
Getting the colour right might be a problem. You *could* use real diesel, I suppose?? Though 'eelf and safety might send you gnome!
 
For the diesel smoke why not take a look at the liquid used in fog generators, as seen in clubs (or discos for us oldies) it isn't as dark as the stuff shown in Muns' videos and not toxic like PhilP suggested. :nerd:
 
Go to youtube and search vaping!
 
Fit a mini diesel motor....... :blush:
 
Been there, done that, got the T shirt, shot the video, written the book..................

Smoking!.jpg
 
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