Can I run Lionel Thomas conventional?

Depends on which Thomas it is.  If it is the older conventional before LionChief then yes you can run conventional, if it is the LionChief one then you need the Thomas Remote.

The LionChief Thomas and James I have here have a dot and 2 half circles on the top of the cab indicating it is the radio version that needs remote.  Later Lionchief Thomas has blue tooth, but the early ones won't run with the Phone App.

Jim

Not sure if Lionel offered a conventional version. My daughter's is Lionchief which requires the dedicated handheld remote in order to operate. I think the Thomas engines are all Lionchief.

If it's a recent Thomas LionChief, will have Bluetooth as well as LionChief,  and can be operated on your DCS layout in command mode using the free Lionel app and a smart phone/tablet.

Definitely will not run conventional unless it's a conventional only loco.  If you have the original instructions and/or box, will give you that information.

@Bluegill1 posted:

Can I put Thomas on my track (conventional) to check it?

she said Thomas turns on, makes noise but the wheels don’t turn.
any help is appreciated

Short answer is : yes, all it needs is track voltage as speed and reversing are controlled via the remote. (or the bluetooth app)

Make sure batteries in the remote are good.

sorry, I should've note that it is only a year and a half old, has the blue remote, I assume bluetooth?

@raising4daughters posted:

Not sure if Lionel offered a conventional version. My daughter's is Lionchief which requires the dedicated handheld remote in order to operate. I think the Thomas engines are all Lionchief.

Actually, the first Thomas Set from Lionel was conventional. It was Thomas, Annie and Clara bell. It was Set No. 6-30069 and it came with the CW40 transformer.

I got mine in 2007.

Thomas is a really useful when you read the instructions for the particular locomotive.

@Sean007 posted:

Actually, the first Thomas Set from Lionel was conventional. It was Thomas, Annie and Clara bell. It was Set No. 6-30069 and it came with the CW40 transformer.

I got mine in 2007.

Thomas has been around in the Lionel line for quite awhile longer than that set.  The first sets came with tubular track I believe in the mid to late 1990s but I believe was offered as separate sale items before that.

That being said, as stated above, the remote would be necessary to test the locomotive if it's a Lionchief equipped variation unless it is bluetooth equipped.  If you load the Lionchief app on your phone or other smart device, it'll become quickly apparent as to whether or not it's equipped with bluetooth as it either will or won't show up in the available locomotives list.

Seeing as you have the Lionchief remote available, you simply need to give the locomotive a constant 18 volts on the track and it should function with the dedicated remote when the remote is switched on (are the batteries good in the remote?).  It only needs 18 volts to the track and the included remote to function, so it doesn't matter if you have the MTH or Lionel control system.

@SantaFe158 posted:

Thomas has been around in the Lionel line for quite awhile longer than that set.  The first sets came with tubular track I believe in the mid to late 1990s but I believe was offered as separate sale items before that.

That being said, as stated above, the remote would be necessary to test the locomotive if it's a Lionchief equipped variation unless it is bluetooth equipped.  If you load the Lionchief app on your phone or other smart device, it'll become quickly apparent as to whether or not it's equipped with bluetooth as it either will or won't show up in the available locomotives list.

Seeing as you have the Lionchief remote available, you simply need to give the locomotive a constant 18 volts on the track and it should function with the dedicated remote when the remote is switched on (are the batteries good in the remote?).  It only needs 18 volts to the track and the included remote to function, so it doesn't matter if you have the MTH or Lionel control system.

Thanks Jake - my mistake.

David,
Do you have the product number for the Thomas engine? That could quickly help determine what guts are inside the loco (Bluetooth or non-Bluetooth) and what is the best plan of action.
Bryce

Some of these answers overcomplicated the situation. More concisely:

Yes, since you have the remote (as you mentioned at the very beginning), you have the version that’s dependent on the use of the remote.

Set Thomas on the track, turn your transformer voltage up to no more than 18 volts, and then turn on the remote. It should respond to the remote’s functions.

If it doesn’t, change the batteries in the remote.

If it still doesn’t work, something has gone wrong with Thomas electronically.

@Bluegill1, Jim R. has it right.

One more thought: You were told when the loco is one the track powered, the wheels don't turn. Try turning it upside down and manually seeing if you can turn the wheels. There is the possibility that a piece or grit or something has gotten into the gears. Take an old toothbrush or small still bristle paint brush and try to wipe out the gear teeth. I've done this one in the past and it has worked for me.

So often I see videos and photos of folks trains, where they have extra engines not on the track, but sitting directly on the floor. Or worse yet, carpeting. This is a great way to get foreign substances, like dirt or grit, into the gear teeth.

If Jim. R.'s advice doesn't work, or if it isn't clogged gears, then mostly likely you'll need to have the board or remote replaced. Unless you swap out the LC board with a older convention type F-N-R board, but then they'll need a transformer in place of the wall wort. And of course, you will lose the sounds. Or you could strip the boards entirely, and run the loco on DC current with a power pack. Again, you lose the sounds and will only have F-R operation.

Personally, this is the one thing I don't like about LionChief, is that it's harder to diagnose and fix a problem. You have a remote, which if it's bad, means you'll need to replace it most likely with the Lionel Universal Remote.

And in the loco, you have only one circuit board that does everything. If something goes wrong, you most likely have to replace the board, which means going to Lionel direct. And that board may or may not be available.

I had one of these on a layout and it would respond to the whistle/bell/talking buttons but it would not move when the knob was turned. I opened the remote  which isn't exactly easy - remove the knob and remove the nut under it and then you have to pry apart the two halves which are basically held together by tabs on the sides. It wasn't meant to be disassembled!

I noticed that the rheostat (the drum that the knob attaches to) needed to be tightened up by pushing down the tabs that hold it together. This got him running again.