Am I correct that LionChief engines are actually Radio Control as opposed to the way DCS, TMCC, and Legacy do things, i.e. via track current?
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Correct! To my understanding anyway.
Both Lion Chief and Lion Chief Plus locos are radio controlled, with the Plus models also being able to run on conventional power simply by changing a switch on the loco. When in "radio controlled" mode, they must have constant voltage on the rails, which can be AC or DC. Since DCS, DCC, and TMCC all operate with full voltage on the track at all times, a LionChief or LionChief Plus loco can also operate independently (using it's radio handheld) on tracks running those systems without affecting (or being affected by) the command control. The power can also come from a variable or fixed voltage power supply, as long as the voltage is set to the proper level (18 volts or less).
in my opinion, this type of control is really the way to go, because it is so much simpler to operate than command control.
Bill in FtL
If that is true, do they use those large batterys like RC cars do?
Is a large amount of recharging required?
Seems this is the future of model railroading, but i would hate to imagine someone having to trickle charge their Hudson for several hours!
No the engines use the wall wart or transformer power, only the remote uses the batteries, I think it was 2 or 3 AAAs or AAs. Sorry, did my Mikado LC+ and forget it has been awhile, LOL>
The LC and LC+ locomotives use constant voltage track power like other command locomotives. They can run with TMCC/Legacy or DCS on the same track at the same time. Only the remote uses batteries, not unlike all our other remotes.
Originally Posted by gunrunnerjohn:
The LC and LC+ locomotives use constant voltage track power like other command locomotives. They can run with TMCC/Legacy or DCS on the same track at the same time. Only the remote uses batteries, not unlike all our other remotes.
Thats awesome!
Just place a LC train on any track regardless of whether its TMCC, or DCS and its good go?
But not Conventional,?
Correct?
If you have a conventional track and transformer, you need to advance the voltage to 14-18 volts and run at constant voltage, then the LC or LC+ locomotive will run using the matching remote. The LC+ locomotives will also run in conventional mode without the remote, just switch it to conventional operation.
I've run the LionChief Polar express with as little as 7 volts, the lights on the engine are kind of dim at that setting though, but the anouncements, horn, whistle and smoke showed no noticeable difference. If you crank up the voltage all the way on the remote you can use the transformer to control the speed of the train in a single direction, but you would have no direction control or horn and whistle.
I am currently running three LC+ locos on a layout powered by a single CW-80! Three steamers with smoke, four lighted passenger cars, one lighted caboose, five lighted buildings, a rotating beacon and a lighted bumper. Pretty good for just one CW-80, and it doesn't get warm. The LC+ locos are obviously efficient in terms of power demand. I run the CW-80 level just past vertical, so around 14 volts.
Ken-Oscale
That's what we have done too!!
We have a couple of CW-80's and we run our LC-pluses on them they DO deliver the power!!!
