Lc Christmas express switcher waaaay too fast

Electronically slow it down I couldn’t tell you but do you have any heavy cars to put behind it maybe die cast? 

My set arrived Wednesday, and yesterday marked the first chance I got to run the entire train. Yep, it’s fast, but it’s slow-speed running improved after a break-in period.

The gearing on this postwar-heritage model has always been toward high-speed running, even conventionally under lower voltage, so there isn’t much you can do short of redesigning the works.

So, if your concern is to limit top speeds when the kids are at the throttle, I suggest putting stops on the remote control itself. A simple piece of masking tape at the point you want to set the top speed should suffice.

For yourself, you realize, I assume, that you can set the top speed electronically using the Bluetooth function and the app on your phone. If I recall correctly, it’s under settings.

Use a variable transformer and just dial down the track voltage.  You'll find a spot that will keep it from jumping the tracks.

I believe if you set the speed and momentum using the app, that these restrictions will then transfer to the remote. The set has bluetooth so I think your in luck. Even at max speed which is where it usually runs my Penn Flyer has never gone off the track. 

Oldmike

OldMike posted:

I believe if you set the speed and momentum using the app, that these restrictions will then transfer to the remote. The set has bluetooth so I think your in luck. Even at max speed which is where it usually runs my Penn Flyer has never gone off the track. 

Oldmike

No. They don’t. Not for LionChief. 

I was contemplating getting one of those sets for the tight-radius inner circle of track under my tree (Polar Express is on the outside loop). But if the switcher can't be slowed down to a reasonable speed, I may need to go with some alternative. Could always use one of my Christmas trolleys, but I would prefer a short train.

It can easily be slowed to a reasonable speed. You simply get that result at the crack of the throttle. 

Here’s mine running at the club yesterday with the remote about a quarter inch in the forward direction and the ZW-L transformer set to 15 volts. 

Here’s another video. The speed is fine. Just don’t expect crawling speed. This loco has never been built that way. 

Actually you can use the Lion Chief app to change max speed, momentum and all other settings and then disconnect and use the remote if you wish and the settings will stick.

What power source are you using? I found older transformers ( LW ) start at 6 to 8 volts on low,

to high for some of the newer engine. Jim R. is running fine on a electronic transformer, that start at a lower voltage.

I had a similar problem with a train I bought for my grandchildren, bought a cheap newer transformer, problem solved.

I bought the same set as the OP to use for my Christmas layout. It refused to smoke so I repacked the smoker (not worth sending back to Lionel) and upon testing it on the test rollers I found more smoke came out of the smoke pump piston than came out the stack. Also the plastic drive gears are loose and wobbly. If it makes it through the season it will be a miracle.  Mine goes slow just fine though using the supplied wall wort and the Bluetooth phone app and the  supplied remote.   

Thanks for all the replies folks.  Sorry I didn’t get back to this thread earlier, I have been traveling.

 I had the power down to 9 volts, through the variable output of a dcs channel.  I have the top speed damped down by using the app.  But this thing has no slow speed at all.  As soon as the throttle is an 1/8” of the center for n the remote it wants to take off at a high speed.  I don’t remember it being as big a deal last year.  At that time it was still running off an mth brick, but through a z750 controller is instead of the dcs. 

It sounds like a smaller power supply, lowering the voltage and playing with the app are all good options for curtailing the top end, but no notes on getting it to start and run slower.