LionChief Remote problems

The batterie covers on the Thomas remote is tough to come off and the thin plastic piece can break very easy. Not sure about a fix for that. I'm thinking if you cut back on the voltage to the track that might help from launching one of the Thomas series engines off the track.

My grandkids and I love the Remote Thomas, but I am not certain the remotes are up to the abuse young kids' enthusiasm can place on them.  Exposure to my grandkids left them much the same as yours.  I glued a tab on the remote and its knob to limit travel past "full." The battery cover seems much more robust - almost too perhaps, but then we've never had the batteries fall out (good thing).

 

Although not central to the major problem you reported, I second the suggest made above - turn down the power to the track to limit speed when really young (two and a half) kids are using it.  This will only work for you if you have a CW-80 or adjustable DC supply as made for HO, etc.: Thomas and James, etc., run on AC or DC just fine - he doesn't care, but if you limit voltage to above 12 V instead of 18 he just won't go as fast.

kj356,

I concur with Lee on limiting the voltage. I didn't do this until my 2 1/2 year old grandson launched Thomas off of a curve. Thomas needed some buffers, the coupler and some TLC after that. Kids will be kids, so I don't know what you can do about roughnecks that want to twist the knob off. The stop limit sounds good also. He is an engineer.

 

Keep taking the trains to people!

 

 

I am joyfully awaiting the F/E truck today, bringing our Thomas Christmas set, so

this is interesting news.

 

i will put Thomas' LionChief thru it's paces then. BTW, my LHS guy tells me to never

use rechargeable batteries in these r/c devices due to the fluctuation in charges.

 

also, I have used that scotch double back tape and/or Velcro to solve broken latch

problems on those easy to pop off plastic latches.

I run Thomas, Percy James on different tracks but all connected to one of the lower powered Lionel Transformers (CW80 is overkill for the power they use)

(looks like CW 80 but lower amps)

 

Yes I do when I run the trains put the throttle down so they do not come off the track.

But when kids run them on the home layout that can be an issue when on a standard DCS/TMCC part of the main layout.

 

The thought I had on putting a limit thing on so the knob could not be rotated to far was so they would not damage the controller like the kids did with James.

If they turn the knob to far and to hard it seems to get past the stop thing that keeps it from turning to far.

 

I use these the Lionel LionChief remotes for the public train shows (better a kid handling a cheap remote then handling a full transformer or TMCC Or DCS expensive controller with lots of buttons)

 

They need to be kid proofed I guess to so they do not break.

 

The problem again with the battery cover tab is that it looks in so well that after you remove it a few times the plastic will start breaking away from the back.

 

 

 

The battery cover should be held with screws because:

 

1.  It is more robust.

2.  Kids cannot take the batteries out and eat them!

Try using regular batteries, you might not have to open the cover as often.

Jim

Hmmm, Maybe I am not remembering correctly but just installed the batteries in the Area-51 and Silver Bells Lion Chief Sets, I for some reason I remember a Phillips screw!