Lionchief Plus Remotes?

I would call Lionel Customer Service and explain the problem.  Seems to me shipping you a new remote would be a much cheaper alternative than sending back the whole locomotive.  

Try Hitting the coupler button twice in rapid succession to operate the coupler..once for the bell

What voltage are you putting on the rails? LionChief Plus locos are tolerant of a wide range of input voltages, and the train will run on just about anything below 18 volts, but the couplers may not be reliable on less than 14 or 15 volts. My Mikado will run on as little as 10 volts, but the couplers won't work at that low of a voltage. Also check your wiring to the tracks, using too small a diameter wire may cause voltage drop under high draw conditions (like when firing the couplers). Also, if your layout is big enough, you may need additional feeder wires to the rails on the other end of the layout from where your power is connected. It also could be poor contacts in the coupler button of your handheld.

 

Bill in FtL