Smoke and Steam in 1:32

[ebtnut]

Check out this youtube item from Germany.  The display is 1:32, which is standard gauge models on Large/G scale track.  Would like to know what they are using to generate the smoke. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v+q3L3omzOxjQ

[ebtnut]

Sorry, got the address slightly wrong.  This should work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3L30mzOxjQ

[jsmvmd]

Dear Nut,

Very cool !  Love that kind of smoke. Too, did you see the libation that gent was drinking ?

Best Wishes,

Jack

[Jim Banner]

Watching the video, I was left wondering if they were using cold steam (water turned to vapour by ultrasonics.)  It seemed to dissipate more like steam than oil smoke, but maybe that was just to my eyes.  It sure produced "smoke" and "steam" in great quantities; quantities large enough that I would be worried about my layout and my lungs if it were smoking oil.

However they did it, it gave a nice chuffing effect up the chimney and a nice cylinder blow down effect.  The latter, I felt, went on a tad long - I kept waiting for the engineer to close the cylinder drain cocks.

Jim

[Doneldon]

It looks like the smoke effects on the Thomas the Tank Engine
videos. I don't know how they get so much output. Large scale
does offer enough space for a "cold steam" generator, but at
what energy demand? I suppose the steam by the cylinders
could be limited by a solenoid-controlled valve. That would
leave even more steam for the chuff.
                                                                 -- D

[TouchCab]

I am the maker of the video and the proud owner of one of the steamers in the video. The solo engine, which is also the second one in the consist. I noticed the sudden surge in visits from this forum and I figured I'd call back.

Hi all.

The locos are brand new models from the German manufacturer KM1 Modellbau. The steam is made using regular steam fluid by the same manufacturer, but other members from my club use Seuthe or similar. I stick with the original brand, since they say it provides better steam development, but that could be marketing speak, of course.

I know the cylinder valves are open for too long, but we got carried away. This was the first run, and we were very excited. But hey - it could be a modern day German photo excursion. The drivers almost always leave the cylinder valves open al the time ...

It was a great day. I bet everyone in the hall heard or smelled those engines.

After 40 years of gauge H0, I have now sold most of my rolling stock to buy the BR50 in gauge 1.
I do not regret it for a second 

Best regards
Jens Vesterdahl
Denmark (where the video is shot - for the record)

[mabloodhound]

Jens,
Thanks for the reply and a fine job on the show.

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jens,

Very fine video.  Love that smoke !

Perhaps this is off subject, but what kind of beer were you drinking ?

Best Wishes,

Jack
Altoona, Pennsylvania, USA

[TouchCab]

That would be Carlsberg draught beer 

Jens

[rogertra]

That would be Carlsberg draught beer 

Jens

But it doesn't taste anything like the Carlsburg sold in North America which is "brewed to North American tastes"

[TouchCab]

But it doesn't taste anything like the Carlsburg sold in North America which is "brewed to North American tastes"

You mean it tastes like making love in a canoe ?



Anyway - about that BR50:

I got involved in the gauge 1 club by chance because they were using my software - TouchCab - to run the trains. I spent at day with the club at a show in 2009 and completely lost my heart to gauge 1. So I decided to switch to the larger scale, not least because I don't have room for a layout and I never get around to completing one anyway once the track is laid, and it just sits there.
So I figured if I got myself a gauge 1 loco and joined the club, I could drive trains 3-4 times pr. year when the club is attending a show and those times would be all the more enjoyable. So far I have been right.

I was checking out the other club members' locomotives to figure out what to get. Steamers are my "thing". I noticed that most 3-cylinder engines sound a bit strange at higher revs. I think it's because the sound track is a 3-stroke repeated twice per revolution. It does not sound right, so I decided to go for a 2-cylinder engine. All things being equal, the bad sound should at least occur at higher revs than for a 3-cylinder engine.

Now, my favorite steam engine is the Danish class N, which in fact was a converted BR50. A total of 10 were in service, bought from Belgium after the war. I never got to see them in action IRL and they are all scrapped by now, but I have converted quite a few BR50s in H0 scale.
Lo and behold, KM1 - a rising star on the European gauge 1 scene - had just announced the BR50 at a much lower price than normal due to the fact that parts of the loco (the boiler, I think, and perhaps more) are made from zinc and not brass.

The choice was a no-brainer.

I am extremely happy with the locomotive. It looks good, it smokes spectacularly, the cylinder steam is great and the sound is awesome. I have noticed that it does switch sound tracks at high revs - you can also hear it in the movie - but even the high rev sound is 4-stroke, so it never gets to the point where it sounds silly.

For the conversion I need special parts such as a new air pump and safety valves which are not readily available. Fortunately, one of the major local suppliers of H0 die-cast parts has recently started making gauge 1 parts, kits and RTR models, and I know he will be attending a joint club layout meet in February not far from here, so I hope to persuade him into making the parts.

Jens

[rogertra]

But it doesn't taste anything like the Carlsburg sold in North America which is "brewed to North American tastes"

You mean it tastes like making love in a canoe ?


Jens

Exactly!

Like all American beer anyway. 

[mabloodhound]

Jens,
With all that smoke from the stack and cylinders, do you see a lot of residue on the track from the oil?
I've read all the problems with smokers on a layout, leaving heavy oil residue from the smoke and causing problems.
This engine certainly would be the test model of that.

[TouchCab]

Practically none.

KM1 claim that their smoke fluid leaves very little residue, which is another reason why I want to use it. As far as I'm concerned, they are right. I just don't see any residue, neither on the club layout nor on the desk at home during test runs.

At the show, we ran practically all day, half the time with the double header, and we had no problems at all.

Jens

[jsmvmd]

Dear Jens,

What is the operating system ?  Could you please provide a website ?  Thank you.

Jack, an experienced canoeist !