I have to look for that paint.  Most of the other tanks have the wrong style tops (they have overhangs) but there are several possibilities that may work if the shiny paint works.

By Rogers comment, there seems to be more than one type of smoke generating fluid.  How many are there and what are their drawbacks?

Quote from: M1FredQ on December 26, 2013, 11:51:41 AM
Once again I wouldn't be concerned about the smoke residue from the above mentioned ingredients in the smoke liquid.
The heat element in the steamer has already caused the break down of the liquid to water, carbon dioxide and other minuscule elements.

This is nice to hear, but also a bit confusing.  I have heard so much of how the smoke residue from steam engines deposits an oily residue on the tracks, buildings, rolling stock, ceilings and everything else in the room.  If the smoke is only water vapor and carbon dioxide, where is this residue coming from?

When I got back into model railroading several years ago, I started right out with DCC.  I started with the Dynamis, but always had problems with it.  Each of the two train clubs I belong to use different DCC systems.  I was able to get hands on experience with both of the other two systems, and after finding the plusses and minuses of the three, decided to purchase one of the other two and sell the Dynamis.  

The system I currently use I am happy with, but, like most, it does not have the ability to change names, only short and long addresses.  I can see a use for attaching names, especially if you have several locos of the same type and road number, as Bachmann doesn't have a wide selection of road numbers in most cases, so you can give each a unique name to identify it with instead of remembering which loco of the same road number is 1234 and which is 1235.  The obvious response to this is change some of the road numbers, but that is not always as easy as it sounds and still have them all look the same.

Quote from: Doneldon on December 17, 2013, 07:25:32 PM
rb-

How about a piece of PVC pipe? Put a top on it and you're
in business. It comes in many, many diameters.
                                                                        -- D

Your idea has merit, but it would be difficult to polish like a stainless steel tank would look like ... however, your idea has brought me to consider doing what you suggest with a small piece of either chrome sink drain pipe or stainless steel pipe which can be polished.  A 1.1/2" diameter piece of chrome drain pipe would be right around a 10'-10" diameter tank if I'm correct (1.5" * 87 / 12" = 10.875 ft.).

Thanks,

Bob

I am looking for some vertical food grade type storage tanks for the Tropicana Juice Plant I am modeling.  I can find fuel tanks, oil tanks, water tanks and grain storage tanks/silos everywhere, but not the smooth looking seamless stainless steel tanks that are used at Tropicana and other makers of mass produced food items.

Anyone know of any tanks Bachmann or any other manufacturer of these types of tanks makes before I start to try and make them from scratch?

I agree! Don't do it.  The smoke generator doesn't produce "Smoke", it heats oil until it turns into smoke.  The trouble is, after the smoke cools, it returns to an oil residue and settles on everything, walls, scenery, televisions, radios, electronics and track.  This oil film then collects and holds dirt like a magnet.  If you only use it once or twice a year to impress a child on rare occasions, that's one thing, but you won't!  Sure, the retail stores will tell you they don't have these problems, but they don't run smoke hardly at all, only to show a customer it works, and their store is much larger than the room in your home.

Again, don't do it!

I started out that way, first try to convert a 4-6-4 Hudson to DCC was weak at best.  Took a lot of work only to find I spent more money doing the conversion than a new locomotive would have cost and it did not run near as well as a new locomotive does.  Next came sound!  That's a whole different set of challenges to say the least.  

When adding sound to a diesel, it is very difficult to find a space for the speaker and the light system is usually a problem as well. 

Adding sound to a Steam Engine is easier as you can put the card and speaker in the tender, but then you need to either install a plug between the Engine and the Tender or just live with both units being married all the time, as is the case with my 4-6-4 Hudson.  Even converting DCC to DCC/Sound is an extra cost as the DCC Sound Board replaces the DCC Decoder that came in the locomotive to start with.

I have, as a result, decided to only purchase DCC/Sound equipped locomotives.  They may cost a little more up front, but believe me, they wind up being cheaper in the long run.

Last night I tried cleaning one of my rail systems with 50% denatured Alcohol in my CMX Tank Car, and after running for about 30 minutes, my NS track was simply beautiful!.  I could feel no residue at all, the rails felt clean and slick and smooth and when I ran my finger down the rails, I picked up not even a hint of a black line on my finger.  After that, I ran the McKinley Explorer train on that rail system, and not one of the passenger car's lights even hinted of a flicker, while before, after using the Woodlands Scenics Tidy Track rail cleaner, they seemed like flashing light bulbs and I could feel the residue on the rails.  They were not really sticky, but it felt like I was running my finger across rubber, not metal.  I am absolutely certain from now on, Woodland Scenics "Tidy Track" track cleaning solution will never see my rails again, and I am 100% satisfied with denatured alcohol.

I have reviewed the past posts regarding track cleaning, and they don't seem to answer my question directly.

I have the Bachmann track cleaning car, and it works OK I guess.  After running it for quite some time, I always still notice a black residue on my fingers if I run my finger across the tracks.

I recently purchased the CMX Clean Machine brass tank car track cleaner.  It is extremely heavy and seems to travel well, but it does take some real horsepower to pull, due to it's weight plus the drag of the track cleaning pad.

I tried to use Woodland Scenics track cleaning solution, but it seems to work like crap.  It Left a residue on the rails, and the engines are constantly loosing power with the rails.

Looking on line, there is more cleaning fluid solutions the Carters Pills.  What cleaning fluids do you use and how do you rate them.

Quote from: jbrock27 on November 20, 2013, 01:03:23 PM
...I did read once or twice, how they do sometimes have some problems

Well ...... you do have a point there.

Joe,

I don't follow much of what you just described, but, they already make a 18" R - 30 Deg turnout with roadbed, and I'm sure they can do the same with a 22" R - 22.5 Deg section as well.  It would be an exact track section replacement for a 22" R section of track and it will fit very well into a standard Bachmann 22" R curve instead of trying to insert any other turn out they have into a 22" R curve.

If others can make the turn out, then Bachmann can as well, then all they need to do is put a chunk of plastic that looks like roadbed under it!

I'm sure it can be done, and they would definitely sell enough of them to justify the cost of production, unless you are saying no one buys Bachmann turn outs.

Sounds like the best of both needs. 

Quote from: jward on November 19, 2013, 10:19:02 AM
other  items to consider:

how about a redesign of the 18r switch, so that the arc of the curve is 20 degrees rather than 30? most publiched track plans which call for 18r switches are designed for the ones with a 20 degree arc, in many cases having to use 40 makes the plan unworkable.

What ever they do, it is very important to make the curved section of rail the exact same length as the curved sectional track they will replace or, if it is smaller, have a small piece of sectional track to suppliment it, or you still will have difficulty inserting the turn out into an arc or circle.

Is there any possibility of Bachmann developing a 24" radius track section?

Also, what about a 22" radius turnout similar to the 18" radius turnout.  I do not like to use 18" radius curves if possible and it is very difficult to make all of my turnouts on straight sections of rail.

Currently, I need to use another brand of track for these functions and it would be less difficult if Bachmann had these rails to select from.