Has anyone noticed that, by and large, positive reviews of LionChief come from those who have LC and negative comments from those who don't.
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I suspect it's mostly that folks who have Legacy/TMCC and who haven't operated Lionchief or LC+ don't like the idea of a separate control system and don't realize that there is absolutely no problem with operating them together. It's like getting a "free" cab-1 or cab-2 (albeit with more limited capabilities) with each LC or LC+ purchase. Obviously if you only operate alone, that may not be a big advantage. However, for those who like to share the hobby with others, it's a bonus/plus. For those who like to operate 3 or 4 trains with a single remote, LC and LC+ may not be a plus and may seem a disadvantage compared with solely TMCC/Legacy locos. Fair enough. Just don't buy them 
. LC and LC+ are not primarily designed for the same market as Legacy (and before that TMCC), so I don't understand the concern, but there it is.
To be fair, a few have reported some LC or LC+ problems, but probably par for the course as Lionel sells a lot more LC and LC+ locos than Legacy by far given the set volumes, for one thing.
Future LC+ (and possibly LC?) will be 2.0 and operable by TMCC/Legacy remotes/systems it seems, so the issue has become moot.
Well, I've tested the Flyer version (FlyerChief) which is essentially LC+ and have found it a pretty nice way to run trains, even for a Luddite like me.
One thing I noticed about LC+ 2.0 in the thick book we can't talk about until Wednesday, controllers are no longer included. If you're not going to use Bluetooth or a Legacy controller, you have to buy the Universal Remote separately.
Rusty
I can only say that my layout is built around TMCC/Legacy, but have run LC and LC+ at the same time with TMCC/Legacy with no problem, just as @Landsteiner wrote earlier.
Our little train club has a 12' long x 5' wide x 30" high layout we have for an annual trainshow for all scales. We run LC or LC+ exclusively because we let the kids have the controllers and run the trains themselves, with us club members giving the kids a quick tutorial and, the only bad part, thanking one kid for helping run the train to take the controller and pass to another anxiously awaiting youngster.
Some kids were so shy, that we even took a couple tables the show provided, put an oval of fastrack on it, have a Dora inexpensive train on it, and just let the LC controller sit on the table. This allows a lot of these shyer youngsters try with only the help of their parent(s).
When we set up a train to run, we use the transformer handle(s) (ZW for main layout, CW for side layout) to set the max speed the trains can run at to prevent high speed corner derailments.
We also have some accessories on the main layout that the kids operate themselves with doorbell buttons. A switch tower, a gateman, two crossing gates, a water tank with moving spout, and a "computer assisted" Lionel version of Gabe the lamplighter - we added an Arduino computer with a little unique circuitry to make Gabe climb and drop all with the use of a single doorbell button - also controlling how the solenoid is energized (on and off time enforcement) so that the youngsters don't make the solenoid burn up helping Gabe the long climb to the top.
