Can you MU LionChief locomotives?

You can only MU them if they are the same LionChief locomotive.  Each LionChief locomotive only responds to its own matching controller.  So any  LionChief Pennsylvania flyer 0-8-0 will run from any Lionchief controller for that set, but they will not respond to any other controller (such as one for the LionChief Polar Express set).

What I do not know is how well calibrated the speed control is for the LionChief locomotives.  That is largely a function of the quality of the motors that Lionel uses in these locomotives.

Stuart

Stuart has it right.  We have double headed the Area 51 RS3s and it is fun.  However, at one point only one of the sound systems responded.  Given the types of sounds the Area 51 RS3s can put out, this may not have been entirely a bad thing!

Ed Boyle

If they're close, they will even out as the slightly faster one will push or pull the slightly slower one.

You can MU as many dissimilar LC locomotives as you have hands for. Just out of curiosity, I MU'd my LC 0-8-0 with my LC RS-3, with one controller in each hand. When they moved off together in perfect unison, it was one of those uncontrollable diabolical laughter moments.

I believe that OGR reviewers MUed two of the alien locomotives together if I remembered right and it worked.

Sinclair,

That we did.  It was fun! (See earlier post in this thread).

Ed Boyle

I have run a LC+ Hudson and Pacific on the same track, separated by about 12 feet, and after 20 minutes of running, no difference in separation.   These two have essentially the same power chassis (motor, drivetrain, drivers).   So I have no doubt that MUing two of the same steam locos would be feasible with very closely matched speeds.  Thanks Ed for reporting that two RS3s worked well together.

As I mentioned earlier the problem is that you can't control two different LionChief/Lionchief+ from one controller, which is what the original poster wants to do.

Stuart

If you have the same model, you're in good shape.

Sorry for the confusion, I should have made things more clear.  Actually, I am planning on doing the double Alien RS-3 MU.  I have all the add-on alien cars.  The thought of two small can motors with plastic gears pulling it as one train, seemed like a formula for disaster.

Thanks for the replies!   

Now I'm thinking I could also run the engines separately, each with it's own consist.   And if I start them at opposite ends of the same track loop, I would not have to worry much about collisions.   I might have to ballance the cars to get them to run at approximately the same speed.