Making "steam" from an atomizer for making mist

[-steves-]

Are Temu reliable? I've always avoided them because they seem to sell so much varied junk at ridiculously low prices that I assume they are scam/rip off merchants.

No, absolutely not, they are 100% reliable, I have ordered lots of things from there and they all turn up. If the item is damaged, or wrong, they just refund you, after a picture of course. Same as Banggood, AliExpress etc, probably all the same company under the covers, lol

They do send you a lot of advertising emails though

[Phil.P]

Are Temu reliable? I've always avoided them because they seem to sell so much varied junk at ridiculously low prices that I assume they are scam/rip off merchants.

They do send you a lot of advertising emails though

So do the others..

Phil.P

[Keith S]

Some of you must, by now, be aware of the models being built and modified by Kyle of TRS Trains in Wales. His "smoke" installations using miniature atomizers on OO scale trains, steam AND diesel, are absolutely brilliant.

He's presently working on a cylinder draincock effect to go along with the whole thing.

Honestly the lack of smoke/steam on electric-powered models of steam engines is a real problem for me. I am quite aware that a properly-fired locomotive doesn't necessarily always have a visible exhaust, but I would argue that most of the time when we are in a position to observe one, a locomotive has something coming out the chimney most of the time.

This guy's work is absolutely brilliant. My only railway modelling is with live steam, and is a part-time hobby at best. I wonder, if this technology had been available when I was younger: would I have stayed involved with small-scale railway models? I rather think I would have.

I challenge anyone not to be impressed by this.

https://youtu.be/IsoADduIsVk?si=7KWfp0WXqkfPo10H

[-steves-]

I wonder, if this technology had been available when I was younger: would I have stayed involved with small-scale railway models? I rather think I would have.

When I was young (roughly 46 year ago) I had a 00 loco that you used to drop oil into the chimney, it heated it and it used to puff out smoke as it went along, not sure if it was Horby, Tri-ang or some hybrid of the two. My memory is not all that good

[philipy]

A year or so ago, there was a series on UK Tv about Hornby ( in its current iteration) and one of the items showed a 00 King ( I think ) loco with a 'real' smoke effect that looked very similar to this. I don't know how they did it though.

Many years ago, although I wanted one I never managed to get one of the loco's that Steve referred to. However, not quite so many years ago ( about 40?) I built a 00 model of a Great Western Railway manure wagon. In real life these were purpose built to collect the huge quantities of 'waste' left behind in the cattle ferries coming over from Ireland to Fishguard. In our case, it had a load consisting of chopped sisal string and PVA glue, suitable painted, sitting on a bed of fine ali mesh, and underneath it was one of the Seuthe smoke units wired to pickups on the metal wagon wheels. At exhibitions we just left it in one of the sidings with that section switched on and it just sat there and gently 'steamed' as the smoke worked its way out through the pores in the load. The actual smoke was produced by dripping diluted glycerine into the smoke unit. The only problem was that the glycerine did tend to condense and leave a sticky film which had to be cleaned off from time to time.

[drewzero1]

When I was young (roughly 46 year ago) I had a 00 loco that you used to drop oil into the chimney, it heated it and it used to puff out smoke as it went along, not sure if it was Horby, Tri-ang or some hybrid of the two. My memory is not all that good

I had an HO scale Bachmann USRA switcher that did that, some time in the 90s. Unfortunately the body was made of plastic, so eventually the chimney melted, and some time after that the heating element melted. It did make nice smoke though when it worked.

[dudeface]

This guy's work is absolutely brilliant. My only railway modelling is with live steam, and is a part-time hobby at best. I wonder, if this technology had been available when I was younger: would I have stayed involved with small-scale railway models? I rather think I would have.

I challenge anyone not to be impressed by this.

https://youtu.be/IsoADduIsVk?si=7KWfp0WXqkfPo10H

I'm impressed! Steam outline electric locos might just be ok with me now.

I too have a USRA switcher with smoke (bought new a couple years ago). The smoke never did work very well though.

Veering slightly off topic is there anything I can use besides smoke fluid for those smoke units?

[ge_rik]

Presumably, as it's atomised water make real steam, it will be even more effective in the garden on a chilly windless day?

Rik

[Old Man Aaron]

Bit late to the party here, but to say you've outdone the commercial larger-scale offerings at so little expense, is quite impressive.

[gregh]

I have ordered a couple of these atomisers. Will give me something to do indoors during hot summer days, experimenting.
IF you don't hear from me again, I have atomised myself.

[GTB]

Presumably, as it's atomised water make real steam, it will be even more effective in the garden on a chilly windless day?

The 'steam' from these devices is an aerosol and it is generated cold. It can't cool and condense to form a thicker cloud in cold still air, as steam will. Although like the exhaust from a live steamer, it will disperse rapidly in warm dry air, or on a windy day.

It's that time of year again and the local shopping centre is full of temporary stalls selling all sorts of knick knacks. The one in front of the supermarket the other day was selling scented candles, aromatherapy oils, etc., and one of the items was a ceramic vase shooting out a stream of mist. Presumably it had an ultrasound device inside forming the aerosol and a fan to drive it out of the neck of the vase. It was going straight up for about a metre before dispersing.

Still just a pale imitation of the fireworks from a VR NA class lifting a full load up Emerald bank on a cold day.........

Graeme

[Phil.P]

Next challenge:
To imitate a railhead treatment train grinder, or a Yeoman on 3% slip, dragging a ballast train out of the quarry..

Phil.P