I've done this to both the Docksider and the new Northern to improve the
smoke output. Got this from a Lionel repair station repairman. Bypass the
resistor, wire straight through to the smoke unit via the on/off switch. I have
done this with excellent results, especially the Docksider. Either cut the
wires leading to the resistor or unsolder. You may remove it altogether or
leave strapped in. The resistor board is covered with black heat shrink and is
strapped to the Docksider motor and to the Northern brass piston chamber.

[NOTE from Carl Tuveson: If you bypass the smoke regulator for more smoke you should change
the smoke element to a 27 ohm unit. The original is only 18 ohms. If you apply track voltage to the 18 ohm unit
directly, bypassing the regulator, it will be toast in a short time.
Use Lionel Smoke Element 27 ohm (Lionel Part 600-8141-055), or equivalent. ]

In the case of the Northern, replace the wick material with either MTH
wick material or the wick material used in Flyer smoke units.
Pack the heating element area but don't overdo it. ANormal1 smoke fluid
works best, but you can even use Super-Smoke fluid.
To quiet the "chirp" and improve the smoke piston pressure, take a
packing peanut and cut it in a rectangular shape a little larger than the opening
in the top of the smoke unit and about 1/2 inch deep. Carefully wedge it
into the opening, this will cut down the chirp sound drastically and push out
more smoke.

PLHS NOTE: The "chirp" in the Northern smoke units can also be corrected by reversing
the smoke unit baffle (a flat metal plate with a hole in the center......
the flange around the hole points in the wrong direction in the early production models), although this is not easy to do without destroying the baffle.

Here's a link to Carl Tuveson's excellent "clinic" about this same topic:
http://www.tuveson.com/NorthernSmoke/improving_the_smoke.htm

And finally check our Clinic #31A, which shows how to install a Gilbert smoke unit in a Flyonel Northern.

PARTS AVAILABILITY:
   Smoke element (solid type): $2.00
   Smoke wick, prewound: $4.00
   An1 smoke fluid (cedar): $11.00 (4 oz bottle)
   Super-Smoke fluid (cedar): $7.50 (2 oz bottle)
   Super-Smoke Christmas fluid (balsam): $8.00 (2 oz bottle)
   Funnel: $1.50