OK guys and gals.......

When I was a lad I used to train spot all over the London regions and was addicted to steam engines and .. the smell of oil.. the smell of steam.. the heat from the locos.. the whole steam atmosphere.

I have been interested in model railways for longer than I care to remember, but, have never been able to totally recreate the atmosphere of real steam railways.

So, here's a challenge. How do you get that real steam atmosphere without breaking health and safety rules and invalidating your house insurance.

Bob Austin

Personally, I fire up the Hornby OOLS engines !

Nothing like sending an LNER Pacific around the track, chuffing the steam out 

Quote from: MikeDunn on April 11, 2014, 07:46:32 PM
Personally, I fire up the Hornby OOLS engines !

Nothing like sending an LNER Pacific around the track, chuffing the steam out 

Ok.. give us a clue. What is an OOLS engine to the uninitiated?

Bob

Quote from: austinbob on April 11, 2014, 07:50:47 PM
Ok.. give us a clue. What is an OOLS engine to the uninitiated?

OO Live Steam - they licensed the technology in the 90s and released a range of A4s and a pair of A3s (using the recently-retired moulds, I believe).  Quite expensive at the time; when they were retiring the range a few years back you could get them for a lot less; pretty much eBay only these days, and the prices tend to be on the daft side !  I think Papyrus has the record, over £700 ... 

But you can still pick a Mallard set up for about £300-£350 with patience ...

I guess having an old oil can in the train room might help but a few sweaty firemans shirts hanging around could be even better   failing that an open window and bonfire in the backyard may help.

Like you I grew up with British steam an need a hit of reality.

Quote from: MikeDunn on April 11, 2014, 07:58:00 PM

Quote from: austinbob on April 11, 2014, 07:50:47 PM
Ok.. give us a clue. What is an OOLS engine to the uninitiated?

OO Live Steam - they licensed the technology in the 90s and released a range of A4s and a pair of A3s (using the recently-retired moulds, I believe).  Quite expensive at the time; when they were retiring the range a few years back you could get them for a lot less; pretty much eBay only these days, and the prices tend to be on the daft side !  I think Papyrus has the record, over £700 ... 

But you can still pick a Mallard set up for about £300-£350 with patience ...

I guess there's no chance of similar in N gauge!!

Bob

Quote from: longbridge on April 11, 2014, 08:02:09 PM
I guess having an old oil can in the train room might help but a few sweaty firemans shirts hanging around could be even better   failing that an open window and bonfire in the backyard may help.

Like you I grew up with British steam an need a hit of reality.

Can you get sweaty firemans' shirts on ebay??

Bob

LOL !

Well, even if you shrunk the electronics, you have the boiler holding a very small level of water; let alone the steam pipe diameter issue !

Quote from: MikeDunn on April 11, 2014, 08:23:16 PM
LOL !

Well, even if you shrunk the electronics, you have the boiler holding a very small level of water; let alone the steam pipe diameter issue !

Sounds like a small detail to me... LOL

Bob

I use a Suethe 117 smoke generator filled with coal fired steam perfumed smoke oil in a tunnel that the locos trigger when approaching.

Bought both the perfumed smoke oil and the generator from Peter's Spares, he's on both eBay and has his own website, here's a link to his website but also search on eBay as he has other things on there that are not on his website, http://www.petersspares.com/megasteam-smoke-oils-wtih-smells.irc



And  a video


http://youtu.be/GseHwh30jnY