Lionel 18045 Commodore Vanderbilt, Built for speed...or not.

I had one bought new back when they were released and I remember similar performance issues with mine. Also had several of the 700Es when they came out (I had a Hobby Shop then) and the one I kept was a very poor runner. The handsome K-Line scale heavyweights had recently come out so I paired the Hudson with the 6 cars set and it really couldn't pull them. No power, as the motor would struggle and couldn't even spin the wheels!

The Commodore had a great whistle! 

If it is the one I think it might be, my local dealer then would NOT sell it to me.  This was a set engine and three passenger cars.  The dealer told me it would not even pul the cars that came with in on a perfectly flat/level track.

Really wanted a scale Vanderbilt.

Ron

I have this engine as well.  I love the way it looks even though it is the wrong color.  The whistle really is great.  Unfortunately, as others have posted it is a dog when it comes to pulling even three passenger cars.  I have never been able to ascertain what the problem is with engine when it comes to pulling power.  Maybe someone will chime in on this post and recommend a solution.  Regardless, I'm going to keep it just because of its looks.  I run it light sometimes just to watch it make a circuit and listen to that marvelous whistle. 

Ron,  I don't recall it being a set locomotive but Lionel did produce a set of heavyweights to go with it at the time. They were nice but had only silhouettes and then they had the audacity to produce extra cars for it!  Lol. 

A couple of fellas here, Mario (NY Central Fan) and Pete (Norton) have built some amazing locomotives from this basic model. Hopefully, they will chime in with updates on their projects.

I bought one of Pete's awhile back that he had with a wireless tender and upgraded RS package that I plan to finish someday. Also came with an extra chassis with a different set of drivers.

The cure for the lack of power is as Derek noted above, install a can motor.

Well I for one would love to be the group that finally solves this mystery. I think it's either the motor itself or the boards that control it. I will say that with a ZW-L it sure likes to be pushing the edge of 20 volts. 

Imagine how many of these engines would see some serious track time if we could get this solved. For 1996 it was an amazing locomotive and that whistle still is is the top ten nearly 22 years later. 

Ron, Sam,

it was never a set, engine and passenger cars were each separate sale.

Lionel made 10 passenger cars for it. 

Mine could not pull all ten because the engine and cars would pull 13 amps popping the breaker on my Z4000.

it could pull 6 but you were still pulling 8 amps. 

It did have the best whistle Lionel has ever done. 

Dave

I had two, the 18045 and later dark 18063. I never tried to pull a long train with them but the Pullmor motor is the problem, not lack of weight, nor driver adhesion. It easily pulls 12 cars now.

Here is the thread I posted on the upgrade. Near the end of the thread is a video of it at work.

Pete

c.sam posted:

Ron,  I don't recall it being a set locomotive but Lionel did produce a set of heavyweights to go with it at the time. They were nice but had only silhouettes and then they had the audacity to produce extra cars for it!  Lol. 

Sam and others, the SET local deal would not sell to me was in-fact a set in a large set box with picture of loco and passenger cars on it.  As I stated he would not sell it to me because it would not pull the set cars on his min 072 test/display layout.  The mid-90's seems like the correct time period.

In a parts breakdown, the Commodore's motor is identical to the 783 Hudson motor, which runs well. So my money is on the LCRU board. It is starving the motor of the power it needs.

I've wondered about the LCRU board as well. While a custom setup like Norton has is great, I'm not sure if many of us have the resources to pull this off. I can't imagine that this locomotive is all that different. Maybe an LCRU swap is in order.

Its been over 20 years but if I remember correctly the large outer box for the locomotive did have the catalog artwork of the CV pulling cars under a bridge.

The cars were Pullman green and separate sale.

Notch 6 posted:

I've wondered about the LCRU board as well. While a custom setup like Norton has is great, I'm not sure if many of us have the resources to pull this off. I can't imagine that this locomotive is all that different. Maybe an LCRU swap is in order.

Before trying a different driver, just wire the motor directly to the tracks. If that makes a difference then probably and ERR AC Commander would be the best option if wanted to keep the Pullmor with TMCC.

Pete

It was never sold as a set. Yes the engine came in a box with a picture of it and some cars on the box.

All the cars were sold separately. 

Aparently Ron the engine he was running on o72 had a problem because out of the box I could run 6 passenger cars without any problem. 

Btw it came out in 1996

Dave

What's the minimum curve for this engine? I have 036 and really want to get it. 

Not mine...

https://ogrforum.com/...mmodore-vanderbilt-1

thanks,

- Mario

Mine was perfect out of the box and easily pulled 5 MTH Madison passenger cars. I also have a 704 warhorse Hudson using the same drive mechanism. It ran poorly out of the box. The problem was the motor shaft alignment with that of the gearbox worm shaft. I put the engine on small blocks of wood lifting it off the rails for stationary testing. After removing the boiler I loosened the motor mount screw and applied some power. I did not change the voltage and when I slightly lifted the bottom of the motor the drive greatly increased its speed. I experimented with several thicknesses of styrene pieces placed at the bottom of the motor mount to obtain that corrected alignment. I tightened the motor mount screw and the drive ran perfectly. I have since remotored both engines with mid size can motors so I could install ERR cruise. I put the original LCRU and railsounds in the tender since the original railsounds are great. The ERR cruise lite fit in the boiler.