Choo Choo! What exactly IS liquid smoke for model steam engines?

Factual Questions
1

Damn, I hate having to fork over money for liquid smoke for my model railroads. I don’t even want all the smoke, but the engines I have shouldn’t run dry or the smoke element will burn out (so I’ve heard).

I run O gauge Lionel engines, and I can’t let my steam engines run and run or they’ll go dry and the smoker element will burn up, and when I’m out of the stuff I have to get some from the local hobby shop (inconveniently located) and pay money for something which I suspect is just basic crap I have around my house packaged as something fancier.

So, what is the ingredient that is the clear liquid that I add to my steam engines anyway? Can I find it around my house or buy it somewhere other than a hobby shop?

(Use this as a referecnce: Pool and Spa stores charge high prices for fancy “alkalinity increasers” that are nothing more than repackaged backing soda. I have a hunch that engine smoke fluid is some common oil I have in my home being sold under new packaging and inflated prices)

2

I had a cheap larger-scale toy locomtive which used cooking oil; a few drops into a small orifice in the smoke-stack.

3

Why not just disconnect the smoke elements, or even better install a switch (so you can have smoke or not depending on your mode - install the switch on the bottom frame, or perhaps on the pilot somewhere (assuming it’s not a 0-x-0 locomotive).
I guess us real model railroaders can assume you’re not using DCC (sniff, sniff - oh those peasants) :smiley:

4

It sounds kinda like Fog Juice to me. I don’t know if it’s actually the same stuff, though, having never played with a cool train set. :frowning:

5

Same here. The instructions also state that you can use household silicone oil as an alternative.