Smoke Unit Cover
Wick in
Poor
Condition
Wick in
Good
Condition
Sounds
In this mode, sounds are pretty much automatic. If you're moving, you'll hear
chuffing sounds. If you increase or decrease the throttle quickly, you'll hear labored
or drift chuffing, respectively. Of course, if the engine has been sitting for a while,
the engineer may open the steam cocks and release the moisture, don't worry, he
never forgets to close them.
When your sitting at idle, there may be some maintenance done. You could hear
someone dopping the siderods or checking the water level in the tender and
filling it if necessary. Don't worry, all of this and more is just a normal part of
everyday operations.
When your moving at a pretty good clip and you reduce the throttle quickly, you may
hear the brakes squeak and squeal as the engineer applies them. Of course, they'll
stop when the engine does.
If things get too noisy, just
locate the sound volume pot under the hatch on top of
the tender
and adjust the volume from maximum down to off, whatever suits you.
Turn it counterclockwise to reduce the volume or clockwise to increase it.
Smoke
There is also a potentiometer for smoke
control (exactly like volume control). To
increase or decrease smoke volume,
simply use a Phillips head screwdriver to
turn the potentiometer clockwise (increase
output) or counterclockwise (decrease
output).
When you turn the smoke on, just give it a
few seconds to warm up. It doesn't start
instantly. Once you see smoke gently
streaming out (or not if you prefer) snap
the hatch back in place and away you go.
Once on, like the sounds, the behavior is
fully automatic. The model will puff out
smoke in exact synchronization with the
chuffing sounds and driver rotation at 4
per revolution. Amazing!
When the output begins to diminish
significantly, add 10-12 drops to recharge
the unit. Again, give it a few seconds to
warm back up. The cool fluid slows the
action for a few seconds. Also, watch out
for bubbles that may block the stack. You
may need to gently blow down the stack
to clear it.
Add Smoke Fluid
Smoke
Potentiometer
Volume
Potentiometer
Running the engine without
a primed smoke unit may
cause damage
14
M.T.H. HO 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone Steam Engine
