LionChief Plus (possibly also just LionChief models) Volume Control.

The volume only adjust with Lionel Chief Plus engines.   I have several sets that are lion chief and their volume does not adjust.   My Lionel chief plus engine are adjustable.   Check the engine on Lionel's website to see if it is a Lion Chief vs Lion Chief Plus.   Also, Lion Chief plus engine have speed control.  If you engine slows down on hills or at curve, it is a regular Lion Chief. 

I do wish all lion chief engines had volume adjustment feature.

Hi Chris,

Ugh, you're right, I tried on my Silver Bells LC set -- which is so loud that the sound is distorted and defeats the purpose of a Christmas musical train set -- and it doesn't work. It does work on my LC+ Lackawanna and LC+ Erie Camelback locomotives.

Thanks!

I'm unsure which LionChief Plus engine your have, but the instructions to adjust the sound volume have been printed in the manuals for every LC+ engine I have.  This feature is only available in the Plus engines, you can't change the volume on the regular LionChief engines.  

Short version of instructions, hold down whistle and bell for several seconds, turn knob to desired volume, let go of whistle and bell buttons.  (Quickly return knob to center position so the engine doesn't take off.)

JGL

Thank You, all good info.

Is it possible to add a small potometer to adjust the volume?

RRaddict2 posted:

Is it possible to add a small potometer to adjust the volume?

Maybe?  To prevent any chance of damaging the amplifier in the LC engine, I would look at using an L-Pad instead, which is pretty much a special potentiometer with a second resistor inside, designed to maintain the same impedance on the amplifier.  

For low-power applications these are not particularly expensive, around 5 or 6 bucks, but they are a bit larger than a typical potentiometer, perhaps 1 3/4 inch diameter.  I think there would still be plenty of room in the tender of most LC steam engines, but I'm not sure about diesels.  

I wouldn't use a normal potentiometer on one of my engines, but if you decide to give it a try, you'll want to use one that is "audio-tapered" not linear-tapered, if you want a smooth sound adjustment from one end to the other.  I'd also avoid turning the volume down all the way here, as depending on what sort of amplifier is used it could damage the circuit.  All around the L-Pad is probably the right choice as opposed to a normal pot.  

JGL

The obnoxious and grating volume on Lionchief engines is unbearable. You end up angering family members, giving yourself a headache, or waking people up. Could you just imagine if GM sold cars without a switch to turn down the radio stuck on high volume?  

So, I did what Lionel should have done from the very beginning. I bought a cheap potentiometer pot from the Lionel parts web site, drilled a hole in the bottom of the frame, and installed a volume control. Done. Works fine. All the talk about L-pads, or "audio-tapered" potentiometers is nice, but something like this doesn't need to be overplanned or overthought. 

Greg,

Can you post a link to where you purchased the potentiometer? I've got to lower the volume on our Polar Express.  My son loves the train but he tells me the railsounds that he enjoys hurts his ears.

Thank you

Chris

GregR posted:

So, I did what Lionel should have done from the very beginning. I bought a cheap potentiometer pot from the Lionel parts web site, drilled a hole in the bottom of the frame, and installed a volume control. Done. Works fine. All the talk about L-pads, or "audio-tapered" potentiometers is nice, but something like this doesn't need to be overplanned or overthought. 

Well, if it works, it works, but as I said, I wouldn't go that route.  A 'standard' pot will do the same job as an audio tapered one, the audio taper just makes the volume change smoothly through the full rotation of the pot.  

JGL

Go to Lionel's Replacement Parts section of their Support site. The potentiometer is part number 6918040T41. The screw to hold it on is part number 6SP8036T38.

First time doing this for me. To a Polar Express loco/ tender. How do I wire this in? As in, which wires do I connect to the pot? Do I add it to the loco or the tender? Pictures would be a great help if possible. Thanks!!! 

So I got the MKT version they just put out...it's the Bluetooth one...but cannot adjust the volume with the control per the instructions. Seems to not want to go into adjust mode...any suggestions? 

Can't you adjust volume via the app?

gibson man posted:

So I got the MKT version they just put out...it's the Bluetooth one...but cannot adjust the volume with the control per the instructions. Seems to not want to go into adjust mode...any suggestions? 

Hi Gibson man, what is the Lionel part number of the locomotive you are talking about here? All LC and LC+ BlueTooth engines should allow for volume adjustment via the hardware remote and using the App, independent volume adjustment of the whistle, bell, speech and background sounds.

Railsounds posted:

Hi Gibson man, what is the Lionel part number of the locomotive you are talking about here? All LC and LC+ BlueTooth engines should allow for volume adjustment via the hardware remote and using the App, independent volume adjustment of the whistle, bell, speech and background sounds.

Even though he mentioned BlueTooth, I wonder if he meant the issue for the regular LC remote instructions that comes with the engine, as discussed in this thread.

I had my first LC+ engine (Presidents) and stumbled into the manual error defined there.  (though I admit I didn't try the alternate instruction yet, I assume it will work).

-Dave

Thanks for the reminder, Dave. That could be exactly what's going on. I will check with our documentation folks and double-check that our current manuals include the correct info.

GregR posted:

Go to Lionel's Replacement Parts section of their Support site. The potentiometer is part number 6918040T41. The screw to hold it on is part number 6SP8036T38.

Since you won't have access to a high impedance location for a volume control, you'll actually need a much lower value wirewound pot to simply cut down the speaker volume, I'd start around 50 ohms.  I can't see any way you're going to wire this pot into an LC locomotive for volume control.

...we just placed painter's blue tape over a portion of the speaker in the bottom of the car - not too loud anymore...

the above was for the LC locos, the LC+ have volume control through the remote, as was mentioned previously.

I was wondering the same thing but haven't had time to dig the manual back out.  Thanks!

OC Patrick posted:

...we just placed painter's blue tape over a portion of the speaker in the bottom of the car - not too loud anymore...

 

the above was for the LC locos, the LC+ have volume control through the remote, as was mentioned previously.

Same, only I used a little black electrical tape. While this may not be the best option, it certainly is effective!

I too have some sets , and do not understand why Lionel would not make all sets adjustable. For what is being charged it should be a no brainer. 🙄

Joe Gozzo

You can adjust the volume in the app.