A: Michael, Williams uses Seuthe smoke units in its locomotives. They are not fan-driven (there is no tiny motor to push the smoke upward), so the smoke output isn’t as strong as the fan-driven units used in many Lionel, MTH, and Atlas O locomotives. Also, in our experience, Seuthe units smoke best when the throttle (voltage) is turned up most of the way, which in many cases is too fast for locomotives unless they are pulling a heavy train.
What usually happens is that an operator, when seeing no smoke, adds more fluid. But, when running at a lower voltage, the resistor within the smoke unit doesn’t have enough voltage to heat up all that fluid, so the unit doesn’t smoke or smokes poorly.
Seuthe smoke units need to use Seuthe fluid or, as in your case, Williams smoke fluid, which is specifically created for Seuthe units. Seuthe fluid has a slightly different chemical makeup than Lionel or MTH fluid. If Lionel or MTH fluid is used in a Seuthe unit, it won’t heat up properly and the unit won’t work.
Other fluids should be interchangeable for MTH, Lionel, and other brands of non-Seuthe engines, but read the labels first.
Train America Studios sells a type of fluid that can be used in Seuthe and in Lionel/MTH-compatible units. Our editor has tried it and says it works fine.
One caution: Don’t use liquids like lamp oil in smoke units. In a worst-case scenario, it could cause a fire. Spend the few extra dollars on the right fluid.
How do you know what kind of smoke unit a particular locomotive has? We’ve noticed that the Seuthe units always have a small prong in the center of the stack, when looking straight down. Other brands generally do not.
The 4- or 5-minute duration between smoke refills is about normal.
