andyman7 Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 After years when these were relatively easy to obtain, the little smoke fuses for the Tri-ang Synchrosmoke generators now seem to be getting pricey - £12 to £20 each is the current going rate on ebay. This doesn't auger well for the surviving Synchrosmoke locos so does anyone have any idea how difficult it would be to get them re-manufactured? The last batch I bought were from Blackwells of Hawkwell in the 1980s and I am now running out Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
roythebus Posted June 13, 2013 Share Posted June 13, 2013 It's part of the government campaign to make you give up smoking.... Try some very thin fuse wire or resistance wire. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted June 14, 2013 Author Share Posted June 14, 2013 That's my plan B but wondered if anyone had any tips on the gauge and best way to make up the new elements. I've a couple of burned out ones and was thinking of trying to 're-wind' it as I then have a pop-in replacement. In any case, I can't help thinking tht this is a classic 're-made' part that the collectable spares industry could cook up, a bit like the trade in X67 brushes. I see the notoriously fragile 'Princess' motion bracket is also being re-made these days.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted June 14, 2013 Share Posted June 14, 2013 I solved this problem by disconnecting the smoke unit. Apart from the weak smoke effect (more like diesel fumes!) the oil affects the finish and the heat from the unit doesn't do the plastic any good - my R259S shows the effects inside her boiler - caught in time luckily. I don't know what happened to the wire - it fell out and got lost. I suspect it is a length of Nichrome wire, but have no definite information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nichrome Do Seuthe have any suitable replacements? http://www.gaugemaster.com/seuthe.html I can remember being very annoyed when Tri-ang introduced this (useless IMHO) gimmick around 1962 and the prices of the affected locos increased by around £1, a considerable sum in those days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 I have few locos with working smoke units maintained for novelty/entertainment value - I agree that it is more trouble than it is worth to have them fitted generally. The ones you describe are the early Seuthe fitted units with the little 'smoke pipe' that would often drop out and get lost. The synchrosmoke unit is much better for avoiding melting/heat damage, indeed I have never seen a heat affected synchrosmoke loco, and the heating element resembles a small fuse (which is in fact what I believe it is - the only difference is that it is designed to run just below the rating at which it would blow, generating enough heat to vaporise the oil) . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyman7 Posted June 18, 2013 Author Share Posted June 18, 2013 I've now got 10 of these on their way from Australia....after postage and exchange rates they are working out at around a fiver each. Hopefully that will see me out..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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