This might a strange question but...

Is there an easy way to make smoke in a static (i.e. display) steam locomomotive without a) causing any damage and b) making a mess.

In two weeks a local musuem will be holding a railfans photography weekend. I've volunteered to help clean up two steam locomotives that are normally stored under a parking garage. They will be washed with a pressure washer and generally cleaned up. The man cordinating all this wants to pose them for photos after they are cleaned, and asked if there was an easy way to make smoke for photographs.

My idea was to put oil-soaked rags in a coffee can, place it inside the smokebox, and light it off with a fusee. Someone else suggested using a coffee can half-full of oil, but I'm thinking that will be a major pain to get burning, and probably not give off much smoke anyway. Any suggestions?

Jeff Terry


jterry618@msn.com

I would check with the local stage equipment place and see about renting a smoke generator. You might also be able to hook a steam cleaner up to the boiler to make it seem like it is under steam.

Tom

Go to your local theatrical supply house and rent a RoscoFogger. You can aim it up the stack.

Dave

irondave@bellsouth.net

Both good ideas, but I'm not sure there is an electrical outlet nearby. I'm guessing a fogger would need to be plugged in.

Jeff

In the Utility industry, 'Smoke Candles' are used to generate smoke for purposes such as looking for leaks in air ducts, tracing underground tunnels, etc. The 'smoke candles' are lit with a wick, just like any other candle, and if a sustained release is desired you can tie several together end-to-end. The smoke tends to be grey or white in color, rather than black. The local train museum once used one to simulate smoke in a static engine.
There are a couple of caveats;
1. The smoke is relatively harmless, but like any other smoke it can be irritating in large doses, or suffocating if in a confined space.

2. The smoke is relatively heavy, and does not readily blow straight up the stack. It is more likely to spill out of the stack and form a cloud on the ground around the front of the engine.

3. I am not aware that the smoke is corrosive to metals, but it would be good practice to completely air out the smoke box afterwards.

There are several sources of these things, but here is a link to one source I have used.
Dan

Smoke Generator Candles
dan-rohrback@cox.net

> Both good ideas, but I'm not sure there is
> an electrical outlet nearby. I'm guessing a
> fogger would need to be plugged in.

> Jeff

Ask around to see if somebody has a power inverter that hooks up to a car battery. Next time I see my Dad, I'll ask him where you can get one and maybe a price.

J.T.

jtjjtb@aol.com

Did this with a shay once, for TV cameras. We dropped a smoke bomb down the stack, and had someone with a CO2 fire extinguisher hide behind the main engine and shoot "blasts of steam" frequently. Worked pretty well!
S'
David D.



djdewey@cncnet.com

> This might a strange question but...

> Is there an easy way to make smoke in a
> static (i.e. display) steam locomomotive
> without a) causing any damage and b) making
> a mess.

Put a smoke bomb in a coffee can and set that on the exhaust nozzle right under the petticoat pipe. After a minute or so, it'll start billowing out the stack, looking like the engine is simmering.

If you're in a state that outlaws fireworks, you may have trouble getting a smoke bomb. Here in SC, though, they're quite easy to find in an assortment of colors.

The South Carolina Railroad Museum
mconrad@compuzone.net

> Put a smoke bomb in a coffee can and set
> that on the exhaust nozzle right under the
> petticoat pipe. After a minute or so, it'll
> start billowing out the stack, looking like
> the engine is simmering.

> If you're in a state that outlaws fireworks,
> you may have trouble getting a smoke bomb.
> Here in SC, though, they're quite easy to
> find in an assortment of colors.

You might want to check with your local volunteer fire department ... I do believe they use smoke bombs for some of their drills.


lamontdc@adelphia.net