Lionchief plus Berkshire

Sounds are amazing. 

https://youtu.be/Ihy2NJ7mpOM

Don't know that specific engine, but have 2 LionChief+ (LC+) engines: NJC K4 Steamer and NH FAs (Diesel).

Love the simplicity of the LC+ remote units, which my 6 year old grandaughter enjoys using, as do I.

The Steamer is all metal, and substantially heavier than the Diesel, so the Steamer is a much better puller.

The prices ($400 to $500 range) are OK for the quality, which is very good IMO.

The smoke and sounds are very good.

I worry about the difficulty of getting them repaired after the 1 year warranty. Had 2 problems with one of the engines during the 1 year warranty period. Lionel did a good job fixing them relatively promptly, and paid for all the shipping.

I'm delighted that I have these 2 LC+ engines, but don't plan on buying any more.

I run them sparingly for my granddaughter and other visitors, in order to minimize possible future repairs, especially when the warranty expires in a few months. Arnold

Dave, I have a couple of LC+ diesels which I think are cool.  But when I got the LC+ Mikado, I was blown away.  It sounds great.  It smokes great.  Of course, it's metal as opposed to the plastic diesels so like Arnold mentioned above, it pulls great.  Sorry, I'm not directly answering your question since it's not a Berkshire but based on my experience with the Mikado, I would have no qualms buying a Berkshire.  In fact, I'm in the market for one.  I'm waiting for a great deal (has to be less than $350 to the door).

Being a big 726 pw fan I really like the looks of the new Berkshire w/Bluetooth. I guess they compare in size to my railking steamers also, do they? 

Dave

David, I have the Pere Marquette Berkshire, NYC Hudson and B&O Mikado...all are BT equipped. Have had the Berk for a year and attached a couple of short videos from last Christmas for reference. The Mikado video will give you a comparison of the whistle differences...IMO, the Berk is superior in that department. The NYC Hudson is right behind the Berk and slightly better than the Mikado...but I don’t have a video for it...

LC+ Berkshire

LC+ Berkshire

LC+ Mikado

Dave, I’m a big fan of the PW Berks as well. Our first Lionel was a 736 for Christmas as a kid and I’ve since collected several variations of the 726/736 through the years.  I bought a 726 LionChief Berkshire at York this past October and do not regret it. Great smoke, great sounds - it will look great under the tree this year. The casting is crisp as is the lettering. The big tender looks fantastic.  Gone is the screw head in the feed water heater for the boiler front.  The bright silver paint under the cab is a bit distracting IMO. And yes, it would be right at home along side your RailKing steam engines.

david1 posted:

what are your thoughts on these engines, sound, looks, operation.

Dave

The one thing I do not like about this engines is Lionel's tetherless design.  I applaud the technology used, IR, etc.  The box part to house the components is gaudy looking and takes away from an overall good looking engine.

Steve

I bought this engine last year for my Christmas layout; my first Lionchief+ engine.  I love the engine.  Great price for what you get.  Sound is great.  Detail is great.  No complaints.  I'm ready for next week Friday to get the Christmas layout up and get it making laps around the tree.

Sounds are good, looks FANTASTIC, but mine isn’t the best runner. It wobbles a bit and the motor makes a loud whirring noise at track speed. I pulled the Lionel tires off and put on some thinner MTH tires, but the wobble stays.

I've got a Lionel Lines LC+ Berk. I've been, overall, pretty happy with it. I've had repeated issues with the sound cutting out. Sometimes it is everything, sometimes just chuffing, etc. Bell, Whistle, Announcements always work. Mine is in, yet again, for repair to hopefully cure this issue once and for all.

A friend of mine also bought the exact same engine, after being really impressed with mine. He has also had issues with the sound cutting out since taking it out of the box.

As a Legacy guy it's the only LC+ loco I've considered. 

Side Track (forum sponsor) has the Pere Marquette and Nickel Plate versions still.  They are $369 -10% sale AND free S&H.  So $332.10 delivered.

I'm gonna get the 726 version of this engine as soon as I can. I think they did awesome job.

Thanks for the candid answers here. I have a WBB 726 conventional Berk replica of the original 726. I was going to sell it and buy an LC+ but think I will just upgrade it with ERR TMCC.  I love the concept of LC+ but worry about repairs. ERR components have been bulletproof.

I have the 726 Berkshire.   Great running engine .     Smokes is great. Same with sounds

I was out of the hobby for about 12 years, and just re-entered this year. I was happy to see the Lionchief series, as they were not available when I left the hobby. I bought the SF Berk recently, and was amazed at the progress and simplicity of the unit. To me, it's great the have remote control, with sound and smoke,without the complicated upgrade to Command Control. It made me want to buy more Lionchief engines, and I look forward to running them on my layout. I'm finally getting to finish it this year.

Dmaxdeere87 posted:

I'm gonna get the 726 version of this engine as soon as I can. I think they did awesome job.

Of course I know of the 726 version, but what makes it desirable ?

Dan Padova posted:

Of course I know of the 726 version, but what makes it desirable ?

I think the 726 was the first new die-cast steamer made after WW2 in 1946-47 with all new tooling.  

raising4daughters posted:

Dan Padova posted:

Of course I know of the 726 version, but what makes it desirable ?

I think the 726 was the first new die-cast steamer made after WW2 in 1946-47 with all new tooling.  

Nope. The 726/736 used the boiler casting modified from the pre-war 226. The 646 and 2046/2056 baby Hudsons used the same casting.

The 675 and its O-27 counterparts used the modified boiler casting from the pre-war 225. (and compromised the looks, IMHO).