TEAMYAKIMA Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Hi I have just bought two diesel locos with smoke units - hoping to "WOW" them at our next exhibition, but some of my team are disappointed that the smoke is not black. Is there a way of producing black smoke from a loco - excluding the rather obvious funny response Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Hodgson Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Shouldn't that be blue smoke? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 Yes there is, but it involves burning unsaturated hydrocarbons, and that smoke is not something you want to be breathing, so making black smoke is a particularly bad idea. Jon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffP Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 The black would be the very particulates that we have spent an age trying to avoid making, or to clean up, with good reason. Best to stick with what you have. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 2 hours ago, Michael Hodgson said: Shouldn't that be blue smoke? Nah, black please, especially for Alco engines!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delticman Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 White smoke is ok, you just need lots of it!!!! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Trainshed Terry Posted February 6, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 6, 2022 I would say that smoke from stream locomotives is more of a dark gray when the foreperson chucks a shovel of coal on the fire. Terry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hroth Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 Flame would be authentic too... But yes, I don't think stuff like that would be healthy in an enclosed environment! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 7 minutes ago, Hroth said: Flame would be authentic too... But yes, I don't think stuff like that would be healthy in an enclosed environment! I'm not in any way joking here or being sarcastic, but my layout is 'exhibition only' so I'm thinking that two locos with smoke running once around for approx 20 seconds (in the scenic section) every 10 minutes or so wouldn't be a problem in a large exhibition hall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Geep7 Posted February 7, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 7, 2022 All joking aside, I know i've seen (or should I say smelt) scented smoke, but not coloured smoke. The thing is, I think you might be up against a chemical issue, rather than a practical one. You could try adding some black food dye to the water or oil you're using, but I suspect that as it's a vapour that's being created, the droplets would be so small as to not be able to hold any tint. I stand to be corrected by a proper scientist of course..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hibelroad Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 If you short circuit a DCC chip you get grey smoke, I don’t suppose that helps 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 38 minutes ago, Hibelroad said: If you short circuit a DCC chip you get grey smoke, I don’t suppose that helps In my original post I did say ignoring the obvious funny response! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamThomas Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 I would be very, very careful. A few years ago a friend of mine (who is normally so laid back he's horizontal) was in a large exhibition hall for a weekend where there were a couple of G1 meths burners in occasional use. Unbeknown to him it affected his judgement to the point he was involved in a road rage incident driving home, when he got out of his car he had trouble standing & the other driver (thinking he was drunk) called the police. Of course the breath test was negative. He was almost home so left his car & walked the rest of the way. Turned out the fumes had a delayed effect on him (well, that was what the doctor said), but he also said that not all people would be effected. I dread to think of the legal wrangle that would have ensured had they been any form of accident. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 5 hours ago, TEAMYAKIMA said: I'm not in any way joking here or being sarcastic, but my layout is 'exhibition only' so I'm thinking that two locos with smoke running once around for approx 20 seconds (in the scenic section) every 10 minutes or so wouldn't be a problem in a large exhibition hall. No - live with white smoke, or better still ditch the smoke generators all together, this is A REALLY DUMB IDEA. Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 I have never seen a smoke generator produce convincing smoke, even in larger scales (live steam would be the exception I suppose, but then they don't use artificial smoke) smoke doesn't scale, like water. My philosophy is that if you can't model it convincingly then leave it. Something badly modelled destroys the illusion for spectators and becomes a distraction. John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted February 7, 2022 Author Share Posted February 7, 2022 4 hours ago, jonhall said: No - live with white smoke, or better still ditch the smoke generators all together, this is A REALLY DUMB IDEA. Jon Thanks Jon OK, end of discussion as far as I am concerned - black smoke idea dropped, 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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