LAST LIONMASTER CHALLENGER QUESTION

You can operate that lokie w the Cab-1L for sure. It is not still under warranty but it probably just needs a reset (done w a Cab unit, under command control) to get smoke operational again. Many times they won't smoke in conventional until they've been reset in command mode. Enjoy! Joe

They don't emit copious amounts of smoke; not like some of the newer ones.  Which is all right with me because I turn the darned stuff off anyway.  It clouds up my room and is generally unpleasant.  If you use a cab-1 or other command device you can crank up the smoke above the normal setting.

Mine puffed a bit the first couple of laps around the track.  Then nothing.  Seems too quick for it to be broken.  I am going to order the Legacy Lite when it becomes available.  I like the loco more than I thought I would and would like to test out all the features.

To get her smoking you may need to do the following mods to the smoke unit.

Enlarge the air intake hole to 3/16"

Replace the stock 27 ohm heater element with an 18 ohm.

Trash the stock wadding and replace it with tiki torch wicking.

 

Pre-2006 Lionel smoke units are notoriously bad smokers.

 

Rod

Its a pain to get the fluid down into the smoke unit on these lionmaster challengers. The smoke funnel makes a bit of a zig zag down to the unit. I recommend a good ten drops then gently blow into one stack and hold your finger over the other, then let sit overnight so the fluid can make its way down to the wicking.

 

These are notorious for trapping fluid in the funnel so a regular blowing into the stack will help performance.

 

If generous fluid, blowing and sitting overnight does not improve output, some of these locos had defective smoke unit regulators that do not allow the resistor to heat up properly.

 

If thats the case your beyond the warranty period, having said that, Lionel still does "out of warranty repairs" for a fee, or I imagine there are some knowledgable folks here on the forum that could help.

 

I suppose the PW transformer and/or conventional operation could be causing poor smoke output as well.

Not to take issue with what RickO has said, but my Lionmaster Challenger 6-38021 has no smoke unit voltage regulator.

If yours is a later version it may have the regulator.

 

Rod

The last (and all other) Lionmaster Challenger is a beautiful locomotive - my favorite locomotive to operate on O72.  I wish Lionel would make more of them.