LionChief Plus+

 

Would you be so kind as to post that flier on here?

This is good news indeed.

 

Art

I will when I get a chance (it's several pages), but for now, the part I was looking at said:

 

"But what if you prefer to use your current conventional transformer?

 

Lionchief Plus has you covered. With a flip of a switch you will be up and running in no time with your transformer of choice. So take your pick and enjoy expanding your engine and controller assortments with LionChief Plus."

This sounds like great news. Not only can new members of our wonderful hobby enjoy command control at the entry level, but they can continue to use those same locomotives with any route that they choose to take in the future. Also, those not wishing to use command control for whatever reason can also use these locomotives. Well done Lionel! 

Sounds like the closest thing to universal command control/conventional control/remote control in the three rail segment, and at the least expensive price point at that.  I'm expecting that the under $200 MSRP of some of the sets likely will do extraordinarily well this Christmas season.

 

We will add on in outgoinging orders

A nice selection of GP's for LionChief+.  I wonder if this will eventually trickle down to the American Flyer line.

 

I thought I read somewhere that in order to run LC+ under conventional, you still need the LionChief controller in proximity set on full blast.

 

Rusty

 

The American Flyer Polar Express is going to ,I believe, have Lionchief Remote Control..

Good news but is there some way using win 7 and IE that I can make these scans larger so they're readable? Does the Polar Express set loco have this switch???

I just might be in for a mikado and a geep. These engines look good and my impression is with fan driven smoke and this new controller they just may be a hit.
Any word on prices of these locos yet?

 

I will be in for an Alaska Pacific, if they are scale size and in the $400 price range, give or take.  I need some more Alaska steam.  I'm up to my ears in diesels.

The Pacific's appear to be 2055-based.

 

Rusty

Bummer!  I pretty much need scale size steam to go with my diesel roster, which is all scale or darn near close.  At present, all I have in Alaska steam is an MTH 0-6-0.

 

Could have some of the eight or so Southern steam locomotives I have repainted for Alaska, I guess.  Worth giving some thought to before I sell the lot.

right click on the image and when it opens in a new window you should be able to make it larger.

At that price range Realize you get an engine with controller. I have legacy already so I can buy a diesel for just around that price.
This may change my mind.

Sample on display in the Lionel booth was actually an uncataloged Case Cutlery Pacific that used the tooling that was newly created around 1999.

 

After studying the photo in the flyer, it appears that the Pacifics may in fact be based on the newer 1999 tooling.

 

 

If I can really run this in true conventional, not having the remote anywhere near it or turned to max or the like, even without batteries, then these locomotives and sets would be great buys.  I'd get a GP7 for my son.  He likes high hoods for some reason, but it'll need to be true conventional to work on the layout.

i've back ordered the silver bell and polar express.  will they have the "plus"?

Thanks for posting Marty.

This is great news!  I am looking forward to this system, and will purchase a couple of locos (perhaps one in a set).

Say what, Charlie???????  

Does anyone know if the Peanuts Halloween steamer or the Area 51 Rs-3 has the Lionchief or the +? 

Were these demoed? How are you going to fire the electro couplers?

 

 

this makes me a happy camper!

Dave

There is some additional information on the new locomotives on the latest Lionel blog entry. 

So, if I understand it the choice is; operate in command with the Lionchief controller or flip a switch and operate in conventional.

 

Any other options?

Hey Guys,

 

Just did a youtube video with J Don Reese At York TCA Show. Hopefully this answers many of your questions.  

 

www.youtube.com/trainworldtv

I just ran a large Lionel Thomas and Circus theme display for 2 full days at our local train show.

 

We let the little kids 2-100 year olds but mostly the small ones handed them the Lion Chief remotes for Percy, James and Thomas and let them run the trains they loved it and was easy and great way for them to run trains without being in the layout area or touching transformers.

 

To keep them from going to fast we set transformer volts to these loops of track low enough to keep the engines (at full Lion Chief throttle setting from going to fast)

 

However the Lionel Chief + has one feature that would not be good for the kids and that is the coupler release!

I could not use one of these engines as the kids would trip the rear coupler release and dump the train to create all sorts of problems!

 

Perhaps Lionel might consider a switch to turn off the coupler opening feature. If the kids hit the Whistle button it is bound to come open!

 

Otherwise sounds great.

We now run all three Lionel Chief engines on the big layout with DCS and TMCC on at the same time and they work well.

 

Only problem is that they controls are really slow to respond to speed setting so really easy to fly right past where you are trying to stop.

 

Ken thanks for the video! Love the trainworld tv yotube channel very much!
The engine in the video looks different than the on pictured in the brosure. If these are the baby hudsons and pacifics of years past they maybe a winner.
There was no mention of speed control either in the broshure.
Jaydon mentions in the video that these have a cruise feature of some type. Is this correct? If so these may be worth the money after all. Engine and remote for the prices mentioned with upgraded sound,speed control,fan driven sincronized smoke and chuffing plus the six anouncements may just be a home run here.
This looks to be lionels answer to mth's remote commander. They may have just hit a home run.
Any one know who developed this lionchief plus package. Was it jon Z. If so cudos to his team. This is what lionel has needed for a long time in there mid range price line.
After seeing this video I may be in for a jeep and the steamers. Cant wait to see these in person to make the final judgement.
Thanks again to you and you father ken!

Can anyone conferm that these lionchief plus locos have cruies control?

They do.

The demo I saw at York had the engine crawling up a grade at constant speed. There must be something in it.  Very impressive in person.  BigRail

Thanks marty! Lionel needs to promote this in there brosure.

Also how do you activate the second coil coupler on a diesel?

Jaydon said to activate the ones on the steamers you press the horn button twice. I am curios as to the diesels with two couplers.