I have the Bachman Alco 2-6-0 locomotive. I wondered if it was smoke ready, or do I need to get a smoke box installed.
I don't believe that this engine is in any way ready for a smoke unit installation.
However, allow me to tell you about smoke units in models, opinions coming not only from myself, but many other experienced modelers on this forum.
The smoke itself does not in anyway look realistic, the physics of smoke cannot be scaled down to HO scale. The smoke resembles more an output from a cigarette inside the engine rather than a real locomotive.
The smoke generated carries a fair amount of oil along with it as it drifts through the air. It will settle on everything in the room over time, leaving a film that has to be cleaned. Of course, with a train that is rarely operated that won't matter much, but you need to know.
And lastly, it's just something else that can break and not work right.