My Lionchief Plus 1856 Pulling 32 scale reefers and caboose up 2.25% grade around a curve

Lee

That is quite an impressive train.

a throw back to the 40's for me, when reefer trains were a common sight.

Lee, thanks for posting that video. That answers my last question. I will be ordering next month.

 

Bob

Great video Lee! Thats also a testament to how well those Lionel reefers roll as well.

 

 

In case you have any doubts, Mike Reagan demonstrated this in similar fashion at Lionels "Red Carpet Event" as well. A few less cars than Lee but it looks like there were several diecast hoppers and flatcars mixed in. The inside loco is pulling 15 or so autoracks.

 

Looks like it has some real pulling power.

Nice pulling power Lee, your engine will certainly out pull my scale 1800 Class ATSF Prairie.

  

 

 

WOW. Very impressive.

That is really impressive.  I am amazed that a smaller steam locomotive like that can pull that many cars up a grade.  

That is a gorgeous engine - I love the 1800 class.  Bashed LC+ that it is, mine is about 3/8 inch short of scale length, a tiny bit thin in the boil area, has a driver wheelbase about a scale foot too short, etc., but I love it anyway and it was a lot of fun to make.  The LC+ locos are very heavy which helps them pull, but they have good motors and drives too.  

 

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It will actually pull more.  I have 8 scale PS4 flatcars I put on it for a total of 40 cars plus the caboose.  It will pull them up and around, too, but . . . as it rounds the last of that uphill curve, but the train behind it is still wrapped all around the curve, it is at the point where it is working hardest.  With 40 cars, it breaks traction just as it (the loco) reaches the straight above the curve, and starts to spin its wheels.  The train slows slightly and it continues out for about 20 feet spinning its wheels, but continuing to pull the still-moving-if slower train.  It gets it up and around but I figure that is abuse.  These 32 reefers and caboose are the most it will put up and around without wheelslip, and it is right on the edge of it at that.  

Lionel impressed everyone at York with these engines.

I finally opened and ran my new LionChief Plus Mikado yesterday.  It might be additive to mention the slow speed start up and ease of use of the controller.  The smoke system chuffs.  I thought it smoked well and I tried the Lionel Premium fluid.  It had a low odor which my wife appreciates.

 

I liked the way it ran through metal bridges and no signal issues.

 

Downside was I thought the sounds could be better.  A little noise in the back of chuffing and whistle is kinda cheap toned.  I do realize they can't make a $300 engine have "all" the bells & whistles of a Legacy loco.

 

All in all, I love the way it runs and smokes and runs quickly out of the box with no programming.  Great controller for kids.  Labelled for the loco.  And the loco beeps when the controller is not on.  Nice size and easy buttons.  

 

This could be the way to lure conventional only people to take a different approach.  If they can hold up for a few years LionChief looks like a bargain to me.

 

I would love to see it in small scale steamers.  And I'd pay a bit more for better sounds. 

The sound is okay to me.  What I have noticed about the sound is that the Hudson has better sound than the Pacific, or I imagine, the Mikado - because it has a bigger tender (about 1 1/4 inch longer) which has six trucks rather than four wheel, too.  I think the greater internal volume of the tender helps.  When i bashed the Pacific, I changed out the tender for an even larger one (its the same length as the loco, actually) and the sound is even deeper and more dynamic now).  

Does the normal Lionchief pull just as well?  I apologize, but I'm still trying to learn the differences between Lionchief and Lionchief plus.

Lee,  The LC+ is the control system.  The engine and motor are probably the same as the 28000 series TMCC engine of the 2000 time frame.

 

My 28030 TMCC Hudson of that time period has a Mabuchi 385 motor.  The pulling power is similar.  The engine is about the size of the PW 2046/56.

 

Marty, if your Scale engines can't pull that, there must be a problem with them.

 

Towdog, the normal LC is the smaller engine with the smaller motor, and won't have the same pulling power.  They are the less expensive starter set engines.

 

The LC+ are the $429 MSRP engines which equate to the semi scale stuff.  Beefer drive train, besides the extra LC features.

 

To me LC is just the less expensive TMCC engine with features suitable to folks that don't like Command layouts but are ok with remote control for the engine.  G

At York Mike had me move the cars that the LC was pulling. They were heavy, no way an equivilant postwar engine could move them, I bet many modern engines couldn't either

Very impressive, with the LC+ remote I have no hesitation recommending these sets.

GGG = I expect you are right.  I figured the Lionchief Plus locos are just remote versions of other old locos, but I don't know for sure: I've seen some small motors in starter-set locos and I didn't want to misrepresent my results as applicable to similar looking locos Lionel might put a smaller motor in etc.  I doubt they have, but . . .

 

Towdog - I don't know about the Lionchief (nonplus) -  I have not actually checked that. 

Right on. Nice!

 

-Eric Siegel

You guys should be ashamed, teaching this older dog a new trick,

but I really thank you, now I'm interested in LIONCHIEF,

 

Great show fellers.

 

Lee, what a train show, super job, thanks.

 

Rod

I think L is spot on with Lion Chief Plus.  Can run with its own controller, transformer, TMCC Conv., DCS conv.  Lionel's answer to Williams!

Pulling power is motor torque, gearing and traction.  The electronic throttle while having an effect on how power is applied to the motor is not a miracle for pulling power.

 

If so, pull 40 cars with the PE LC or the 0-6-0 LC.

 

If Legacy engines can't do it, time to make it obsolete and go LC+ all the way.  G

I'd like to test mine on level track with 50 cars: I am fairly certain it would pull them.  Unfortunately I don't have 50 cars and i don't have level track on which more than about 40 can run long enough to see if I can start a train that long.  But pulling 32 uphill and around that bend is certain more work.  Its a good loco. Of course any of my Legacy locos will do that, but then for the money, they should. 

Lee, I fully agree, I just thought from early post some folks were being lead to believe the only reason the engine pulls that many cars is that it has LC+ inside.

 

LC+ is the convention remote brother of TMCC midgrade or semi scale engines.

 

My semi Scale Hudson's and Pacific's with TMCC from 1999-2001 can do the same.  They were the heavier and slightly larger engines with die cast tenders.  Large Mabuchi motor.  They pull like mules too.

 

I haven't seen one yet, but I would like to compare it to my 28030 Grey NYC Hudson.  G

Impressive, I might need to get one!!!

I have a lot of other locos including many Premier and Legacy locos, but these stay on the layout and get run alot.  They are just that good  . . .