Need advice from Hallmark Toymaker Santa Express rtr set owners or those with other LionChief 0-8-0 rtr steam loco sets

I don't have that loco, but I do have several other modern-era Lionel General-type locos.  They are not super powerful.  I would say that with the six extra cars you bought & the three or four included in the set (depending on if you count the tender) you are on the verge of "topping out" on pulling capacity.  You may have to experiment by pulling off a car or two when you run it, then change them out for occasional variety.  Also:  that Santa bobbing head car is very nicely decorated as it.  Will using a gloss coat going to help much?    Up to you, of course!  Enjoy!!

I have the Toymaker Express (0-8-0-) and have added 3 extra cars with no problems what so ever. Now with some of the cars you have listed they may take some power from the loco because they work on track power ??????????? Just add some cars and see what happens. I was hoping Hallmark would make an add on car myself. Get yourself one of the Lionel Personalized Christmas cars as I did and I am sure you will love it.

I also have a Lion Chief plus loco Mikado and it pulls 15 cars on my layout.  

I purchased the Toymaker Express this past December for my family.   I have one Christmas car, besides the Polar Express, that I added with no problem.  I also have an MTH snowplow that I had the Toymaker push with no problem.  Beyond that, I did not try to add any more cars to see what it would do.

Lionel has added a 72-watt wall pack as an additional item - provides about double the power than the wallpack that comes in the starter sets - good for pulling more, or for larger layouts:

We sell them:

http://mariostrains.com/index....uemart_category_id=8

Mario's Trains

540 868 0025

joe@mariostrains.com - (email)

My son likes to run every car he can get his hands on. Sometimes the caboose touches the engine on our 10x10 square layout.  Thomas has the same motor as the set you are asking about and is often pulling 14 cars some of which are the heavier metal postwar dump cars, log cars, SP type caboose, etc that have considerable resistance in the wheels compared to the newer cars. 

I do not have a LionChief 0-8-0 but do have the NYC Flyer 0-8-0.  I'm guessing the engine is the same minus the remote control.  He consistently pulls 20+ random cars on a level fastrack carpet layout with the Flyer 0-8-0. Haven't smoked a board or motor yet in several years of "Christmas" use with "Christmas" starting in December and running through March, the trains going hours a day (rum 'em if you got 'em!).  We've worn locomotives out with hours of play per day, brass showing through the wheels, gears worn, motor "bearings" worn out.  I quote "bearings" because most if not all of these can motors have oilite bronze bushings. I contest the "maintenance free" claim but that is for another thread. 

With a few powered cars in your lineup, you may top out the LionChief power supply and need to move up to a decent 10amp power supply or convert the lighted cars from incandescent to LED (if they are incandescent, I didn't look them up).

Mario's Trains posted:

Lionel has added a 72-watt wall pack as an additional item - provides about double the power than the wallpack that comes in the starter sets - good for pulling more, or for larger layouts:

We sell them:

http://mariostrains.com/index....uemart_category_id=8

Mario's Trains

540 868 0025

joe@mariostrains.com - (email)

 

Thanks Radionron, Balto, Mark B, Grampstrains, and Andy for the personal accounts of your experiences and insights. Joe, the point you mention is one I hadn't given thought to but should have since when I bought a FlyerChief Polar Express set last fall and added two extra PE add-on cars created for it, the loco had difficulty handling them until I called Lionel's service department and they sent me gratus one of those 72 watt wall warts to replace the original wall wart which came with the set. Since then I've had no problems with it pulling its five passenger cars.