My new Lionel A-6 UP Steam Locomotive arrived - PICTURES ADDED

Smoke that doesn't smell like your smoke fluid is never a good sign. If it were mine I would open it up but more will tell you it will void the warranty. You might try turning all the smoke switches off then see if it will start normally.

Pete

Norton: I did shut off the smoke switch and the locomotive will not respond to Legacy commands at all when powered up - sounds start and will not move.

Return it. There is nothing you will be able to fix in there if the smell was as described. 

Sounds like a return to Lionel...

Martye & Rockstars1989: Thanks, I agree it has to go back.

I’ve sent 4 locomotives to Lionel this past year. They paid shipping both ways and all came back fine.

I received my new Lionel Legacy A-6 Illinois Central a month ago and it has been running fine in Legacy.  I also checked out its Bluetooth and Conventional operation and both were ok.

If I were you, I'd do a bit of troubleshooting as follows in order to isolate what the issue might be.  Whatever caused the smoke (fried resistor?  too much smoke fluid? etc), might have caused the loco ID to drop off.  So, with smoke switch in 'off' position, I'd switch to PGM and try to reprogram the loco again via your Legacy controller.  I've had locos with somewhat intermittent PGM/RUN switches that would lose their ID after programming, but self-healed themselves after five or so switch movements from RUN to PGM and back again. 

Next, I'd check the loco for Conventional operation.  Next I'd check the loco for Bluetooth operation. 

Upon trying these several troubleshooting steps, you'll better understand what may or may not be going on with your loco. 

Tom

I have had some funnies when programming a new engine.  What Tom said.  Have even had to remove a loco from the track first, then enter the loco info and number into the legacy remote, then set the loco switch to pgm, then placed the loco and tender on the track, then pressed the set button on the legacy remote, then the loco responded with its whistle; then removed the loco from the track and set the loco switch to run.

Thanks for the replies:

I did not add any smoke fluid to the engine before initial (actually 2nd power up) testing that resulted in the huge plume of smoke event with associated burning smells. 

I then turned the smoke switches to off ("no smoke"). 

I did slide the switch to PGM (program mode) and powered up the track. Railsounds engine sounds started immediately and the engine did not respond to programming. I had planned to reset (reprogramming to restore features) but wasn't able to get that far.

Other than engine sounds, the engine is unresponsive to all commands.

Even if it were to run in conventional or if Bluetooth worked, I would still have to send it to Lionel for repair.

UPDATE 2/24/2020:

I contacted (called) Lionel service and promptly received via email an RA on 2/5 with a prepaid return shipping document; Lionel received the engine from me on 2/10, repaired and shipped it back to me on 2/20 and I received it here today 2/24. So their turnaround was only really 10 days.

It works great and came from Lionel service with a nice note stating that the seal on the box meant that they tested it before it left their hands originally..I know that Side Track Hobbies also tested it before they shipped it to me. I suppose that it somehow was damaged from shipping to me (in CA) from MD but was okay from China to NC and then to MD. 

Parts replaced include an RCMC board, a smoke unit motor and smoke unit batting.

Am I happy that I received an engine that didn't work right? - no, BUT I am now pleased with my 70th birthday present to myself and glad to know that Lionel is ready to do what it needs to do when things like this happen.

Good result, and Happy Birthday!!  

Stangtrain,

     Good news now how about a video.

JohnB

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Congrats!!  I have had the same repair experiences with Lionel techs on 5 steamers that I have returned for warranty service - my latest was the Penn E6 - came back in pristine shape and no issues.

Here are a couple of pictures of the new engine on the upper level:

Nice looking Locomotive!

Al