Legacy Base Battery Charger NG

The best fix is to call Lionel and send it in to be repaired. Second choice is to use an external rechargeable batteries and charger. Third choice is to use only good name brand alkaline batteries such as duracell units.

Energizer Lithium batteries work real good for me

Ken

Send to Lionel and get fixed.Be careful with replacing the batteries with other rechargeables, Lionel is very specific about the ones to use. If you send it back to Lionel make sure the original batteries are in the CAB-2

When mine was broken I used the Energizer Lithiums, worked great or use an external recharger

Energizer Lithium are the best!  They last FOREVER!!!

I have tried them all!!

Fredstrains

Shut off the base and use either rechargibles with an external charger or alkaline batteries. Lithiums work very well also. 

I find the alkaline a I use will last for weeks with almost every day running. The best bet is to look for sales of the alkalines in large packs like 20, 40, etc. 

The legacy base is not worth the trouble getting the charger fixed, poor design and the fix is well just a fix, it may work but most likely will not over the long haul. 

While my Legacy base charges now, it gets the CAB2 hotter than I like during the process.  I have turned off the charger in the 990 base and I use the 993 charging cradle to charge both remotes.

If you don't have a second remote with the charging base, I'd consider either the external charger or the lithium batteries as well.

I sended my Legacy and remote twice for repairs, the last time they sended me a new remote and few weeks later the battery charger (in my base) fail, so, I have my own battery charger with rechargable batteries (2600mAh) and problem solved.

I gave up on the charger and just buy the 40pk of AA Alkaline and they last a couple months at a time.  Easy enough and not worth the charger hassle.

Thanks for the advice.  I just bought a pack of batteries.   I recently saw some information about newer software for the Legacy, 1.5 I think.  Can this be loaded into mine, or do I have to send the base back for that? 

Once you have 1.2 or later, all the software updates can be loaded without going back to Lionel.  It was only the early 1.0 units that had to go back.  If an old unit has been upgraded, it will have a silver dot on the bottom.

I have 1.2, and I recall it had to be sent back.  Thanks.

like john stated above, does your 1.2 have a sliver dot

You're good to go.  You'll have to get the 1.3 modules to upgrade from 1.2, then you can use the black modules to do any future upgrades.  If you have someone local than can write the black modules, you won't have to do the first step.

I've never tried to load 1.51 directly into a 1.2 unit, I've always done the 1.3 step first.  I don't know that it's a problem, just making an observation.  When you registered your base, you should have received the 1.3 modules from Lionel.

Anything with 1.2 is ready to upgrade and does not need to go back. There will not be any silver dot on a unit shipped with 1.2. The silver dot was only for modified 1.0 units