LionChief+ and DCS Remote Commander Compatibility

Thanks.  This is a very good comparison.  The advantage of the radio control on LC+ is that you can run it when Legacy and or DCS is running too (or other LC+ on the same track, too, of course).  I love it and wish Liionel would offer it on ever loco.

Also a thanks for the excellent comparison. Good information here.

I'll jump in on this and add:

Very detailed and good comparison;

I run DCS and the Lionchief Polar Express on the same track.

No problems with either system, they go together well.

Now the Questions:

Are you saying the Lionchief + holds speed in the curves? Mine does not and it bugs me. Everyone notices it.

Does the Lionchief+ offer volume control? Standard Lionchief does not.

Yes...LC+ has tremendous speed control. Glass smooth operation. Running it side by side with a PS2 or PS3 engine, I'd be tempted to say the LC+ engine even performs better!

LC+ offers volume control, one of the many "perks" to LC+ over plain LC. 

This is good information to know.  I have an MTH Imperial NS waiting to be opened by my son on Christmas morning.

Thanks SJC

Now I really wish the 10th Anniversary PE was LC+.

May have to get an LC+ Steamer and swap guts but hate to lose the sounds.

Just to see if I have this correct:

LionChief + will run on your layout at the same time (same track) as your MTH DCS engines? 

You can control each separately with their own controllers only? 

Does that mean that you can also run TMCC and Legacy with their controllers separately?

Art

Let me add to that.  My grandson can bring over a LionChief + engine and run it at the same time on my layout along with us running DCS and Legacy at the same time?

Art

Yes to all.

I can stand behind RTR and confirm his statements. I ran my LC+ Mikado at a recent National Capital Tracker event - and will run it at many more with the heavy holiday schedule. Running the same loop as a DCS and LEgacy engine, it didn't have any issue. It totally ignores the command signal. 

Russell - Get one! That is the best I can put it. Unfortunately, I had to go through two LC+ Chessie Mikados to finally get a good one (#3). In addition, poor service and treatment buy two Forum Sponsors in the process. Last time I'll use them. Thankfully, #3 was a winner and is on the layout now. Only issue is the smoke unit fan stopped working due to my fault. At above mentioned show, I accidentally overfilled the smoke unit and the fan stopped working at the same time. My fault but I'll get it fixed eventually despite me not using smoke units these days. Operationally it runs beautifully both with remote and a Z-1000 throttle. For someone like me that doesn't have the $$$ for a Legacy engine and Legacy command system nor the room to run your big Legacy engines, this was an ideal choice and my first "modern" Lionel purchase that wasn't a 4-4-2 train set engine with an air whistle!

With my affinity for Chinese steam locomotives and the Mikado having strong roots in China, I've been day dreaming about one painted up as a "fantasy" Chinese 2-8-2.........(Hey Lionel....ya' listenin'?)  

This is very cool. Any chance Lionel is offering kits to upgrade existing locos to Lionchief plus?

I asked at York and got a "no...... but you never know what the future may bring"

I doubt that will come anytime soon.  I suspect it's in the same pigeonhole as Legacy upgrades.

Is it the LionChief + only that will run with DCS and Legacy or will regular LionChief also run?

Art

Art,

I just got the LC+ NYC Hudson.  First off I love it as does my son.  So far I have run the LC+ and Legacy engines off the same ZW handle @ 18v but on two loops that are electrically connected.  What I have not done yet, that I think can be done, is run a Legacy and LC+ engine on the same loop.  

Any LC or LC+ locomotive will run on the same tracks at the same time as TMCC/Legacy or DCS.

Guns,

   You got to admit this kind of technology is way cool, let me add to the mix and say you can also run conventional engines at the same time, thru the DCS TR and control all the different types of old and new trains together, when you are set up correctly.

Seriously cool stuff at Christmas time!

PCRR/Dave

Thanks guys.  If I sounded a little unsure and having a hard time getting it through my head, it is because I asked a similar question on another thread and got an opposite answer.  I may have asked the question wrong before or misunderstood the answer, but what you have just said is very clear to me.  Thank you again.

Art

John - This is what I greatly appreciate.  A clear, concise, and easily understood answer.  Thank you.

Art

Watch THIS VIDEO. In the first shot, that is my LC+ Chessie Mikado running with all of the Legacy and DCS engines. As you can see, it runs beautifully. In the last shot, Thomas is an LC Thomas engine. Closely following him is my Amtrak Dash 8 with PS3 running with DCS. Again, no problems. 

All the LC and LC+ locomotives need is about 12 volts or more on the track.  The control from the remote is an RF transmission directly to the locomotive and doesn't affect any other command system's operation.

I've run my LC+ engine at far less than 12 volts and didn't see any degradation in performance or response but then again, I wasn't doing it for more than 10 minutes or so....

You guys are the greatest!  Thanks to you and this forum, I can ask a potentially dumb question, repeat it, and get a very quick, clear answer without being made to feel like a dummy.  How great is that!

SJC - Great video and falls into the picture is worth a thousand words category.

Thanks again.

Art

Lion Chief or Lion Chief + = Yes to all, same as above. I almost added that to the above post.

They are basically the same thing as far as their operation with TMCC/Legacy & DCS. The + in Lion Chief + means it can also operate in conventional mode. They have an added switch to change modes from remote to conventional that plain old Lion Chief does not have.

I've never tried to run them on a lower voltage, and since I don't actually own one, it's only been stuff I've had for repair.  Since the LC+ runs conventional, most of the electronics must run on 6-7 volts.