Model railroad smells

[Dave V]

Posting in N scale for maximum visibility...

This comes up periodically and we always come back to the "Olfactory Airs" products that were advertised in Model Railroader some decades back.  My understanding from folks that bought them is that they were a dismal failure.  However, the idea of simulating smells in the train room (other than the ones produced by 1:1 railroaders in the room) is an alluring one, and given how many of us operate with sound, really represents the next level of realism.

I have several of the plug-in scented oil devices that give off a pine smell under the layout.  The effect is actually quite realistic when you're watching trains traverse an HO scale version of the San Juan National Forest.  Anyone who's camped in the Colorado High Country knows that smell of pine is everywhere....and delightful.

That said, more than once I've surveyed a gathering of steam locomotives in Ridgway or Rico and have wished that I could smell that distinctive smell of coal smoke and lubricating oil.  I also wish my locomotives had smoke units although I also don't (I understand the smoke oil reside can wreak havoc on electrical conductivity and traction on the railhead...and I suspect smoke is so successful in O scale because the shear heft of the locomotives overcomes this).  So, how to incorporate that distinctive smell of coal-fired locomotives?

During Saturday's Railwire virtual beer call, I asked the question, and I don't exactly remember who mentioned it, but JT Mega Steam makes a smoke oil that is alleged to smell like coal smoke:  http://megasteam.com/page2.html

So, of thee, I ask these questions three:

1)  Can anyone vouch for the smell?  Does it really smell like coal smoke?

2)  Can this stuff be put into an essential oil diffuser without starting a fire and/or poisoning the entire household?

3) ...and is this the dumbest idea I've ever had or a stroke of genius? 

[Chris333]

Well when I saw my buddies steam loco fired up for the first time it was also the first time seeing a steam loco that was running. And they thing I wasn't expecting was the smell. It was cool 

But as far as smells overall. You only notice a smell for so long. Like my resin printer, I can't smell it at all, but when I first walk in the door I catch a whiff of it. Same thing with those Glade plug-in thingies and scented candles.


Edit: I looked it up and you get used to smells after about 3-5 minutes.

[John]

And don't forget the soot in your eyes

[pdx1955]

I  mentioned  JT's  in the meeting. All of their  scented smoke fluid is pretty authentic  so I think that should be pretty close. I sniffed my bottle of "Frying  Bacon" (perfect for the Railwire) and you can pick out the grease and the bacon . It's just mineral oil, so smoke is just vaporized mineral oil. Whatever  you put this into just needs  to be hot enough. Frankly ,  you could do a DKS  and put a smoke unit attached  to a engine house vent or boiler house stack and let it smoke away. One of these going for awhile will fill a room up, until the wife complains that it stinks!

[C855B]

... I sniffed my bottle of "Frying  Bacon" (perfect for the Railwire) and you can pick out the grease and the bacon . ...

Dirty words in our house at the moment. We picked-up a package of store-brand "maple syrup-flavored bacon" last week 'cuz it was all they had left. Cooked it up for breakfast - I think it was Tuesday - it was OK-ish, maybe a slight aftertaste. However, five days later I can still smell the very chemical-ish "maple" fragrance in the house. Even after cleaning/sanitizing the kitchen three or four times. The stench aroma is friggin' everywhere.

Lesson here is the oil-based synthesized fragrances can permeate fabrics and living-area foams, hanging on for days and days and days and days... . So be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

[narrowminded]

It's funny when you guys say all of this because the lingering smell would be a concern to me, especially for those not fully appreciative of the glories of coal smoke smells in the house. 

We rode the Georgetown Loop a couple of years ago and at the Silver Plume Station there is a souvenir shop in the station, which is right next to the rails, which has the doors wide open in warmer weather.  My lady friend liked a light, fancy sweatshirt style jacket with the Georgetown Loop logo embroidered on it and purchased it.  The day after she found she couldn't wear it for the coal smoke smell that continued to emanate.  It was still strong a couple of weeks later when we arrived home and it took a run through the washer to get rid of it.  All's well that ends well but I would be very slow to fill any room in the house with a smell that might not be appreciated by all and for a while.

[wm3798]

Sorry I missed that discussion. 
For me, the aromas of the MODEL trains are plenty!  Give me a freshly opened box of cork roadbed, some slowly decaying lichen and that unique smell of white glue diluted with a bit of dish soap, wrap it all up in a hazy overcast of ozone emitted by a bunch of noisy model locomotives, and I am off to paradise.

Some of my fondest memories involve the smells of sawdust, cigar smoke and National Beer...  along with the all of the above, as that was the clear evidence that the Old Man was laboring on the Christmas garden... his seasonal triumph of trains, terrain, and twinkling lights.

Lee

[wazzou]

I thought this was a thread about crowded train shows.   

[Dave V]

It's funny when you guys say all of this because the lingering smell would be a concern to me, especially for those not fully appreciative of the glories of coal smoke smells in the house. 

We rode the Georgetown Loop a couple of years ago and at the Silver Plume Station there is a souvenir shop in the station, which is right next to the rails, which has the doors wide open in warmer weather.  My lady friend liked a light, fancy sweatshirt style jacket with the Georgetown Loop logo embroidered on it and purchased it.  The day after she found she couldn't wear it for the coal smoke smell that continued to emanate.  It was still strong a couple of weeks later when we arrived home and it took a run through the washer to get rid of it.  All's well that ends well but I would be very slow to fill any room in the house with a smell that might not be appreciated by all and for a while.

Interesting...and yes, lingering smells are a concern of mine.  Especially if it turns out to be annoying.  That said I do need to be the "well, ackchyually" guy on the coal smoke at Georgetown Loop.  All their steam locomotives are oil-fired...but I'm sure the smell is just as persistent.

[Iain]

I've considered putting pine scented oil in my chip hoppers.


One of my favorite smells is that scent you get when you first crack the steam stop coming off the boiler.

Interesting...and yes, lingering smells are a concern of mine.  Especially if it turns out to be annoying.  That said I do need to be the "well, ackchyually" guy on the coal smoke at Georgetown Loop.  All their steam locomotives are oil-fired...but I'm sure the smell is just as persistent.

mmmm, bunker oil exhaust.

(I actually don't find the smell of bunker oil or coal smoke unpleasant, but I am not a fan of bunker or diesel exhaust)

[peteski]

I've considered putting pine scented oil in my chip hoppers.


One of my favorite smells is that scent you get when you first crack the steam stop coming off the boiler.

Or the smell in the air after a quick shower on a warm Summer day. 

[CRL]

Smells are good for triggering memories, but long term exposure to any odor, good or bad, causes you to loose the ability to detect that odor.

Bad idea.

[mu26aeh]

Nothing like spray bombs and rubbing alcohol.  Oh wait, that was my basement this weekend after ballasting work.  Wife came down this evening and said about the alcohol. I turned and said I hardly notice it.

[C855B]

Or the smell in the air after a quick shower on a warm Summer day.

Especially in the Western deserts - the sagebrush aroma is fantastic. I haf'ta have a bottle of that.

Nothing like spray bombs and rubbing alcohol.  Oh wait, that was my basement this weekend after ballasting work.  Wife came down this evening and said about the alcohol. I turned and said I hardly notice it.

Robyn and I have competing smells sometimes - she uses genuine turpentine with her oil painting.

[randgust]

If you've ever been out to the Grand Canyon railroad with 4960 post-conversion to biofuel, you could do just as well with a couple McDonalds french-fry containers (used) in the room.   The joke 'does it really smell like french fries?' is absolutely true.

Sawmills have a very distinctive odor - particularly hardwood in the northeast that is cutting Red Oak.   It's distinctive and not at all unpleasant.   I've always wanted to experiment with a bucket of that sawdust under the Hickory Valley when I take it to train shows and see if I get a reaction.

On the other hand...the tannery....