Question about original Lion Chief operating system.

Hi Manny, with the original Lion Chief, you need to have a constant 18 volts on the track. So, you wouldn’t be able to run a regular conventional locomotive. I once removed all my conventional engines from my layout, and as an experiment, ran my Lion Chief Polar Express (not plus) on my conventional layout, once I jacked the transformer up to about 18 volts, with the remote. I was also able to run it with Blue Tooth from my phone. My conventional engines would have flown off the track at the first curve!

I hope this helps.

Thanks very much for that info.

I have one BEEP that only runs at a medium speed when the transformer throttle is cranked up to 18 volts, so that would be the only conventional engine that would stay on the tracks with a Lion Chief loco, and I guess its speed would be totally constant.

Too bad that Lionel didn't make any 2-4-2 locos in the upgraded versions of Lion Chief.  I know that they make the little Dockside Switchers, but I fear that those are too short to pass over twin sets of switches etc. without significant hick-ups or pauses.  (Which really bug me.)

Thanks again,

Mannyrock

You’re welcome, Mannyrock. Let’s hope Lionel will see the light, and build one.

Artie

@Mannyrock posted:

Thanks very much for that info.

I have one BEEP that only runs at a medium speed when the transformer throttle is cranked up to 18 volts, so that would be the only conventional engine that would stay on the tracks with a Lion Chief loco, and I guess its speed would be totally constant.

Too bad that Lionel didn't make any 2-4-2 locos in the upgraded versions of Lion Chief.  I know that they make the little Dockside Switchers, but I fear that those are too short to pass over twin sets of switches etc. without significant hick-ups or pauses.  (Which really bug me.)

Thanks again,

Mannyrock

While the LionChief engine is designed to optimally operate at a constant 18v, it will still run at a reduced voltage. Indeed, when I am running my LionChief 0-8-0, I will turn it down to as low as 3v or a little less when I want fine, slow-speed control.

Yes, my conventional 0-6-0 stalls out on switches, 90-degree crossings relatively frequently. This can be remedied by locking the reverse unit in forward, though that is not ideal. I think that any hiccups with the LC+2 0-6-0 would be minimal, if you had them at all.

The LC+ 2.0 0-6-0T locomotive will have issues on certain switches, I have two of them and they will stall if I go slowly over the Ross Double-Slip-Switches, and my switches are relay switching the power based on the path.  If I'm going faster, say around 20 scale MPH, the 0-6-0T will make it across the switches.

Matt is correct, you can run the original LC stuff at pretty low voltages.  Of course, it's speed will vary based on the voltage and the remote settings since it doesn't have cruise control.  Try it and see if it works for you.