Lionel Lionchief Plus Hudson sound problem.

Check the tether, the speaker is in the tender, and the sound is created in the locomotive.  Look closely at the contacts in the tether connector, and then check the individual wires, sometimes there's a bad solder joint.

Thank you gunrunnerjohn. I will look into this possibility. I'm afraid the electrical gremlins have attacked my layout and currently have me absorbed in a puzzling problem at the present time. Perhaps you can provide me with some advice. I power my conventional layout using 2 Lionel postwar ZW transformers. My layout is divided into 5 separate "blocks" and a small yard. The first transformer, Transformer A,  controls 4 mainline blocks, the second transformer, Transformer B, controls the 5th mainline block, signal voltage of 12 volts for the entire layout, accessory voltage when needed, and yard voltage when used. Normally the accessory and yard voltage is off. Lately when a train enters this fifth block, and the signals are activated, (a 450 & 252),  the breaker trips on Transformer B and shuts down the train in the 5th block and all signals throughout the layout....and not every time!  And this is when using just the D and C posts (block 5 & signals). My layout is 12 years old and this is happening now? Could the resistance wire in the ZW be faulty. When they get old are they more sensitive or unreliable? I would appreciate any advice you may have on this exasperating problem. Thank you.

gandydancer1950

Happens to all my lionchief Hudson's loss of sound, I have 031 and 036 lower track with my smaller steams, up and downs tons of curves and bridges. No problem with my mikados or pacifics. My upper tracks are 072 for my larger steams, big boys, challangers AC9 and new Niagara. No problems only the Hudsons. Always the draw bar or wires at draw bar no matter what I do still problems, had them repaired at the train shack in burbank and it happens again within about 15 or 20 laps. It will eventually short out the boards then off to lionel it goes. I found they last longer if you use a tiny zip tie to hold tight the draw bar together where it connects to the tender. Bad design I decided, just have to deal with it, part of the pain stakeing hobby I guess, it's terrible to spend $300.00-$400.00 on bad design, only other option I found is stay away, get MTH smaller engines

Look at the ground connection on the trailing truck of the locomotive. I had a similar problem with my Lionchief Plus and that was the cause of the sound problems.

EricaAnn posted:

Look at the ground connection on the trailing truck of the locomotive. I had a similar problem with my Lionchief Plus and that was the cause of the sound problems.

What EA said and maybe check the pickup roller to see if it is aligned with the middle rail on a curve track.

I had exactly the same problem on my LC+ Hudson.

The culprit was a loose wire on the locomotive part of the draw bar.

To fix it, I removed the locomotive body (4 screws, no linkage disassembly) and re-soldered it.

Cool, I'm taking mine apart right now. It just happened to one new one I got last week, maybe 1 hour of useage. Thanks alot.

I'll post again if that's the problem

Kevin Thompson

Keep on rollin

Its usually the Tether , I’ve repaired many. 

Alex 

Thanks

I'll check and let you all know

Good advice Alex,

Thank you

Kevin Thompson, keep on rollin

I installed leds in all 4 of my army helicopters o so cool, attached one helicoptor to a super skinny byfolding 18" arm just inches above the upper track that harbors my larger steams so it just clears the trains, slight angle totally looks like it's flying, painted the byfolding arm same color as my drywall, ran wire inside of drywall and used a fishtape to pull it through to my location to tiny holes in wall, can't even see the byfolding arm or wires, look great world war 'll design layout.

Keep on rollin

I installed leds in all 4 of my army helicopters o so cool, attached one helicoptor to a super skinny byfolding 18" arm just inches above the upper track that harbors my larger steams so it just clears the trains, slight angle totally looks like it's flying, painted the byfolding arm same color as my drywall, ran wire inside of drywall and used a fishtape to pull it through to my location to tiny holes in wall, can't even see the byfolding arm or wires, look great world war 'll design layout.

Keep on rollin

Kevin, please post a pic or two. 

Kevin,

Three years later now......

I was running a brand new still in the box LIONEL 6-84964 ANGELA TROTTA HUDSON LIONCHIEF PLUS STEAM ENGINE from 2018. After maybe an hour of use it started to lose sound then lost it completely.

I read you post from 2018 and jiggled the tether and it worked till it hit the curve. Then, thought the power was off and touched the connection with a small screwdriver spark and now nothing. No power to the engine. Think I shorted out a board???

Found the board on Lionel.

Are you still having the same problem? Have you found any solutions?

The teather, drawbar on Lionel is out of stock…thinking they maybe replace the part with a new one. My North Pole Central Pacific from the next tear, 2019 had a completely different tether, drawbar.

Greg

Greg, thanks for the post!  Completely forgot about the teather; have not run my 2 Lionchief engines for years; am about to make my Christmas floor layout; will pay  attention to the teathers.