990 Base Issues

Have you tried regular ( disposable) batteries to see if it will still function?

I couldn't tell you if my version 1.4 base charger even works. I never even bothered with it. I shut off the charger and recharge the batteries in an external charger or use disposables. Having said that, its operated flawlessly.

Yea I know" you payed for the recharging feature, so it should work". I personally don't like the idea of leaving the base powered up all the time when I'm not running trains.

It seems like a bad idea, especially this time of year when thunderstorms can cause a power loss and the risk of a surge is greater.

not understanding what you mean by that statement.

Greenrail,

   Sorry for you troubles, just got mine back a little while ago and have not tested it as of yet.  Hoping mine fairs better than yours.

PCRR/Dave

Sorry to hear about your troubles, although it makes me know I'm not the only one having problems with my Legacy. My handheld just stopped working for no obvious reason. At first I thought it was the rechargeable batteries, so I replaced them with regular ones, still would not work. Then tried the base with a spare Cab L I purchased and found the base does work. So I now have to send the Legacy Cab2 back to Lionel for repair. Does anyone know what they charge based on experience of having a repair done recently?

nothing.  and if a veteran free shipping.  just speak to the correct person.

Warranty repairs are typically shipped on your nickel to Lionel and on their nickel coming back.  As stated, if you're a Military Veteran, they will pick up the shipping to Lionel as well.

Well, have obtained an RMA from Lionel. Shipped to their Service Group in North Carolina. While I am glad it is covered under warranty, I am somewhat disappointed in this turn of events. I purchased this for List price at my Local Hobby Shop. As such, two major failures within three months is frustrating to say the least.

I know $400 doesn't seem like much in the world of Toy Trains, but good golly, its a major hit to my budget any way you look at it.

I am curious as to what the failure rate was for earlier versions of these units?

Well, we have one at the club that flakes out at times, we're using a different one now.  That one has to get fixed at some point...

I have two that are a few years old, both went back for the charging issue, but no other failures.

i have had no trouble with mine except for the lightning strike close by that fried it.  had read somewhere about not surge protecting it.  can't remember why.  surge protected now (as i see lightning flashing out my window).

 central florida - lightning capital of the world!

My Legacy base and handheld was NOT UNDER WARRANTY and LIONEL still fixed it for FREE; just paid shipping to them in NC.

I don't think we can blame Lionel for lightning damage!

Well, the 990 is back. 10 day turnaround, not bad service.

According to the paperwork enclosed with the unit. They replaced the PC Board in the base unit. New Remote .

I am hoping this will last. So far all works as it should.

Well, that didn't last very long. I am extremely frustrated with this whole situation.

After 10 minutes of running, now, the remote has quit working correctly. When touching the main keypad, the remote shuts down completely. Checked with new batteries, cleaned contacts, batteries are fully charged. Now this doesn't work at all.

While, I appreciated the quick turnaround on this "last repair," I am extremely frustrated. This is costing me about $20 every time I send it back. Now I am facing a third time at having this unit fixed.

About two inches from bailing on the whole thing and selling everything off. That's how ticked off I am. If I have to send this back in again for a third time, I would suggest someone at Lionel needs to fully test its operation and make **** sure it works right before sending it back to me. Shoot!

I think since it doesn't work after the repair they should pick up the shipping this time.

Sorry to see you're having so much trouble.

Ron

I feel your pain, I had my base for a month and had to send it in, but I couldn't wait 3 weeks with out running trains so I brought a back up base.  Then I brought a zw-l that worked great for a month and now it's in warranty. Now I am back to using my post war zw, but I have to rewire the breakers into it...... If the price isn't high enough, why can't it work???

Greenrail,

I'm not familiar with the 990 but I am very familiar with electronics so have some thoughts..

When your sending the 990 in, are you sending everything (including the power supply)?  If so, did Lionel test the power supply?  When you got it back, did you place the remote on the base unit to charge?

The fact that both of the components were basically new (and thus you have experienced failures on 2 systems) leads me to believe there could be a power issue.  If the power supply is bad, it could be providing inconsistent voltage to the (sensitive) components in the base.  And if you place the remote on the base, that could be passed along to the remote.  And that could be what is cooking your components.  It would be worth asking Lionel if they used your power supply to test or they used a bench supply to test.  (and then look into testing yours).

Lionel should pick up shipping both ways for boomerang repairs.  I'm pretty sure that's the normal procedure.

I had the power supply with my NAS controller, they replaced the controller twice & I finally told them it was the power supply.  It was getting hotter than normal.  Knock on wood everything is good now.

Ken M

NAS Controller?

NAS controller is a back up for my PC

Ken M

I can certainly relate to your anger. 

When I owned a camera shop we sublet our repairs. We used a couple different vendors over the years. Nothing made me madder than to drive an hour round trip to pick up repaired cameras only to find out they weren't repaired properly when I got them back to the shop.

It seemed that the mechanical problems were usually repaired properly, but the electronic

problems not so much. I'm noticing the same with trains.

the battery's are loose under the cover on the remote.

Glad to hear it's on it's way back. Seems like 

Lionel is dedicated to make it right. 

After studying your video, it seems possible the problem can be a few different things. But thankfully there is a video to help diagnose . Here's hoping it comes back working as expected!

Got, my email from Lionel Service this morning. The Legacy System is on its way back via UPS> Keeping my fingers crossed.

Legacy 990 system arrived yesterday. SO far everything is working. Had it for about a week. Notation on the work papers in the box, mentioned the unit had "boomeranged," 3 times now. SO lets hope all problems with this are remedied.

I love this when it works. Not so much when it doesn't.

GREENRAIL,

    I am very patient with this stuff because I understand the foreign companies play business games with our US companies like Lionel, they supply faulty chips to our US Companies on purpose all the time, quality control in these foreign countries is almost impossible to really control, in fact Lionel has a complete repair shop here in the USA just because of these foreign companies doing business in this manner.  In reality it's not Lionel fault, I am grateful Lionel fixes the problems as they do.  The problem is the next set of chips installed in your unit may have been bad also, they have to keep replacing then until they get good chips installed, the chips can be good when tested and still have to be replaced after little usage, these foreign companies have this down to a business art form.   Lionel is combating this QC sham as best they can, unfortunately to the purchaser it makes Lionel seem like it was their fault from the beginning.  I have to admit Lionel has one heck of a serious repair shop, with talented knowledgable employees.  Their shipping policy for Veterans is known world wide, a class act all the way.  Lionel's business cost because of these foreign companies illegal business practices, must be staggering, the shipping contracts alone must be worth millions. 

PCRR/Dave

those companies are big enough to call the shots Lionel is not.  if lionel complains to loudly the place lionel uses could tell lionel to go some where else.

I went back to the less complicated Cab 1L. It does not have all of the bells and whistles of the Cab 2, it also does not have all of the problems. It looks very much like the original TMCC set and the only problem that I have seen is that in doing a lash-up using ERR Mini 2 the headlights and sound units do not work as they should. I also do not need to pull out the manual after not using it for the summer season. Of course I am not one of the young computer wizzes and maybe a little brain dead.

Ray

Gentlemen,

   BigdodgeTrains is absolutely correct about the bigger companies, many of them have their own engineers on every foreign company sight to keep this problem down to a minimum.  Small to medium size companies cannot afford to do this and still make a profit.  So as Lionel does they have a serious repair department here in the USA to combat the problem.  

Ray you are not the only guy I know who sees the repeat problem and corrects it as you have done, using simpler proven equipment.   It took me a long time to purchase the Legacy unit because of the repeat problems I saw, I finally added it to my DCS layout after a few years, thinking most of the problems had been worked out.  Most have but these foreign companies are a serious criminal business bunch, heck Samsung a respectable multi-million dollar company renigged on supplying a wireless Camera Security System, after millions of us purchased the base unit, and on top of it Sams would not take back the Samsung base unit, and return our money.  So we all ended up with a Security Package using wired base Cameras.  Nothing could be done about it, because Samsung's Corp HQ is over in one of these foreign countries.  This was not Sams fault, however they should have stood behind the original sale as Lionel does with their product, and let us return our Security Systems, the problem was Samsung would not take the equipment back, even from Sams and Sams could not afford that kind of a multi-million dollar business loss.  I say again Lionel's business policy of standing behind their sales, even after the corrupt business practices of many of their foreign suppliers, is top shelf.  Remember this also, Sams has some incredible purchasing power and Samsung still played the corrupt business game with them, even the big companies can be taken advantage of in todays business climate.

You bet I will keep purchasing form Lionel, they stand behind their products.

PCRR/Dave 

Dave, I do agree with your assessment of Lionel, they have been great with the way that they stand behind the Legacy. I also continue to purchase their products and as a matter of fact I am part of the reason some folks in our club "BSG" have gone to the TMCC/Legacy system. These systems have made running trains so much more enjoyable.

Ray