LC+ ATSF is truly transcontinental

Wow, sorry you had bad luck.  I have five LC+ steamers and all were good, even after I took a couple apart and modified them!

Well, ... Returned last weekend home from an overseas trip, and Lionel had returned my LC+ ATSF Mikado.  Same one as I recognized the well traveled box.  Enclosed report said replaced board.  Ran fine a couple of nights.   Tonight, grandson is over, my wife delivers my belated father's day present, a new Lionel swivel stool, we put the sucker together ... And sit down to run our Lionel trains.   The Mikado runs for about 30 minutes as we assemble the new chair, and then stops dead, headlight on but that's it.  Can't tell if the odor of burnt something is from this time or the previoS incident, but ...

1.  Lionchief Penns flyer keeps chugging along, as does the LC+ UP GP7, although it seems to sometimes want to jump the switch with its second truck on a RH fastrack 036 manual switch ... 

2.  So calling Lionel in the morning.   Last shipping cost was almost $30 bucks.   Keep in mind I have shipped this thing twice now (once to Ro, once to Lionel), so I don't think I will be unreasonable if I ask for them to eat the shipping cost this time, and maybe even send me a different, new ATSF Mikado?  If a lemon law applied to model trains I think I would qualify ...

3.  Didn't know a hobby could be so frustrating ... Just want something that relieves stress and headaches, doesn't cause them.

The woman at Lionel was very nice, and provided a UPS return shipping label without me asking.

She asked about voltage.  I have an MTh Z1000, and the voltmeter shows 18.5 on the track.   The other locomotives haven't had any problem.  So, pretty sure high voltage isn't  the culprit.  

Do this LC+ locomotives (or Lionel locos in general) have any type of internal voltage regulator or limiter?

What is sad is that you can buy the electronic board for $50 and the smoke

unit for $25. so if it fails out of warranty and you haven't thrown it through

the wall you can save those shipping charges.

I had A LC+ hudson the smoke element burned out. Replaced it and it lasted

a week. On the bright side these unit are pretty easy to take apart...

Lionel will make it right, but I also feel you pain my brother....

"I have an MTh Z1000, and the voltmeter shows 18.5 on the track."

Actually, it might be a good idea not to operate these LionChief and LionChief Plus locos at maximum voltage on this or any other transformer.  It's unnecessary (14-16 volts are plenty) and it may be that your transformer is putting out more voltage than this particular loco's electronics likes.  Just a thought.

Well, China to Boston, Boston to Topeka (original purchase), round trip Topeka to Boston (repair #1), round trip Topeka to Concord NC (repair #2), round trip Topeka to Concord NC (repair #3), and ... It is now running around on my layout, smoking up a storm.   Wish I could get FF miles on this thing!  I really like the LC+ concept, just wish QC was a little better.