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Locomotive rec with no smoke or smoke switch?

Started by shrug, November 21, 2024, 02:29:18 PM

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shrug

Hi there, complete neophyte here looking to get back into the hobby. 

I love the steam locomotives, but I'm reluctant to buy one with a smoke unit for safety/cleanliness issues.  Anyone have any recommendations for a steam locomotive with no smoke unit or at least a switch to turn it off? 

I liked the festive color of the Bachmann 50402 HO Smoky Mountain USRA 0-6-0 Steam Locomotive w/Tender #99 or USRA 0-6-0 w/ Smoke & Slope Tender - North Pole & Southern® #25. 

Any guidance is appreciated!

jward

I've got several of those USRA 0-6-0s. The smoke units on them are easy to remove as they sit in a cavity in the chassis just below the smokestack. Loosen the screws holding the frame halves together just enough to get a small screwdriver in there and the smoke unit pops right out. On the ones I have it wasn't actually wired to anything, and worked off of small electrical contacts against the frame halves making it very easy to remove.
Jeffery S Ward Sr
Pittsburgh, PA

Len

Adding to what Jeff said, if you ever decide to go with DCC the empty smoke unit cavity makes a nice place to stick a hardwired "N" or "Z" scale decoder. Just be sure it's rated for at least 1 amp and it will work just fine in an HO loco.

Len
If at first you don't succeed, throw it in the spare parts box.