Mine have been perfect. What is going on with yours?

Not a big fan here.  Too many issues.  I'll stick with regular TMCC that works great.

For example, I prefer the postwar style TMCC FM trainmaster much more than the Legacy version.  Goes for the Legacy hudson vs my PWC hudson as well. I haven't seen or run a Legacy Geep yet, but I'm a big fan of the TMCC ones.  I don't need all the extra tower talk either.  Of course, everybody's tastes are different.

Mike,

A member of our club had an issue with the Penn Vision Line where he was pulling a consist (not a very big one) and the motor failed....He spoke with Lionel "off an on" and the resolution was that they refunded the cost of the Penn version and sent him the Santa Fe one at a discounted price....I believe he said that Lionel's response was that the Penn version was considered a "yard switcher" and not intended to pull consists...and that's when he came out of his shoes/blew his top....in the end Lionel resolved the issue and the customer was happy.

Nick B.

For me. the more automated gimmicks you have on a locomotive, the more things can go wrong. I believe that good sound, control, smoke and bell completes the features that I want. I don`t even run the smoke most of the time because frankly, it is toxic.

First I sent it back last November, the coupler would open when pulling more than 3 cars.  Then this May, it just stopped smoking, got it back and it didn't more, got it back and no sound, got it back last week and no speed control.

I had a simular problem on the 4006 Big Boy. The more you ship them the more things get knocked loose inside. As many times as these things get shipped around it is amazing anything works when you get it. The electoinics are great but if you drop your cell phone and pick it up it works, why can't the boards in these engines (all manufactures, not just Lionel) be encased in potting to protect them from impact? All you do is R&R them anyways, there is nothing to "fix".

Well said!!!

I have 2 Vision line locos the ES44AC and The UP genset. The ES44AC gave me trouble from the outset, smoke, fans and sounds. It went back twice . It worked a awhile then stopped working again. The dealer offered a refund of which I agreed to. Now the UP genset has been perfect since day 1, no problems, runs and sounds great. I also have many other legacy units which also has been perfect. So 1 bad one out of all the others I have bought is pretty good. Love the legacy locomotives so all is good. 

Of course, like anything else in life, Vision Line locomotives are not perfect.

They are, however, the greatest thing to come to model railroading in my opinion.

Please check out my video of Lionel's Vision Line Challenger and see for yourself.

That is one great looking and sounding locomotive!

Scrapiron,

Pretty cool engine...not to mention the layout's pretty nice too!..

PS: You might want to think about replanting that tree before the Barbacue joint.

Check out 3:24 and 4:30 of the video you posted...that Challenger almost uproots it!...well at least made it spin... 

Nice job and nice loco.

Nick B

A wise man once told me, "never buy the first of anything because they haven't gotten the bugs out yet". The 0-8-8-0 and 2-10-10-2's seem to be the most problem plague VL engines holding true to this statement. I think the nature of our hobby,who can create the most realistic locomotive in every aspect in 1:48, leaves us modellers with more "firsts" than anything. Having said that the VL hudsons have seemed to be very reliable runners and as the VL feataures have begun "trickling" down into the legacy line  they seem to work better and more reliably than when first offered i.e. whistle steam is nearly as standard as stack smoke.

Whats the calalog number for that challenger?

Well, I'm almost 100% sure they wouldn't just destroy them!  I don't know what they do with them, but in these economic times, that would make no sense!

"The 0-8-8-0 and 2-10-10-2's seem to be the most problem plagued VL engines holding true to this statement."

This is what I have heard, however my 0-8-8-0 has been problem free (until today?).

Uncle Mike said he would take care of me if she falters.

Sorry, I do not know the catalogue of that Challenger.

Lionel.com should have it, however.

Each of the Vision challengers sound like that.

I also have the Clinchfield.

"PS: You might want to think about replanting that tree before the Barbacue joint.

Check out 3:24 and 4:30 of the video you posted...that Challenger almost uproots it!...well at least made it spin...   "

Nick  .  .  .  .   I saw that after I processed the video which, by the way, took a long time. I decided to leave it in. Provides some "charactuh !"

Eliot

Do you have the item number for the engine.  Lionel vision line is not working on their site.

They are the best i love mine

Lionel 6-11211 O Vision UP 4-6-6-4 Challenger 'Greyhound' #3976 w/Oil Tender

Thank You!!!