A look inside
Body Removed from chassis.
Click on images for larger view
AF-Lionel
Docksider
A
look
inside
Body
Removed
from
chassis.
Click
on
images
for
larger
view
 The Smoke unit has had a lot of engineering done to it but it still comes up short primarily due to it's tiny size and poor heater regulation. There was enough room in there to design a larger unit that would both chuff so you could hear it and put out volumes of smoke. The unit's piston has two "O" rings for a seal and it does puff as well as it can given it's small size however the orifice is so small that it's chuff volume at best is a squeak. |
The
smoke
element
is
a
16
ohm
resistor.
I
measured
a
maximum
of
4
volts
at
the
element
with
18
track
volts.
Normal
running
voltage
of
8-10
volts
only
shows
a
couple
of
volts
at
the
element. There is a microprocessor controlled regulator board for the smoke unit to keep it hot at all track voltages but it does not seem to be doing the job very well. The Smoke unit It can be easily overfilled and that will stop the smoking. If you take the smoke unit apart be careful not to cover the inlet air hole in the smoke chamber with the wicking when re-assembling. I may try replacing the smoke element with a higher resistance type used in the AF smoke units, modified to fit, as they are better at wicking the fluid and can use full track voltage. |
| There
is
a
smoke
pipe
with
an
"O"
ring
that
runs
up
the
smokestack
so
the smoke fluid does get to the unit when filling The blue/white LEDs have to go on mine to be replaced with golden/white ones once I figure how to remove them. I intend to convert to TMCC and Sound ASAP. |
 |
 |
The
chassis
is
very
nicely
done
and
the
pickups
are
a
great
improvement.
The
stall
current
is
only
.7
amps.
It does run very smooth although geared a bit fast. |
| The
smoke
piston
gear
is
driven
by
the
middle
driver.
The
Fly-wheeled
Motor
is
geared
to
the
rear
driver. The Reverse unit is designed especially for the Docksider. The Smoke board is rubber banded to the motor to keep in place. The headlight wiring plugs into the reverse unit. |
 |
 |
Coupler
springs
are
as
stiff
as
a
board.
Needs
to
be
replaced
with
an
AF
Geep/Alco truck spring, part number 640-8153-075. Easy fix The
original
stiff
one
is
shown
on
the
left
and
the
replacement
is
installed. |