New Union Pacific VISION LINE Challenger - Help

I am running Lionel Fast track in my pool room on carpet.  I am using 072 on all curves on the outer of my three 27 x 18' loops  I have both MTH and Lionel Legacy control and on the outer loop I have the Lionel 180 brick for power.  My inner loops have a rebuilt Lionel 275W Transformer. I have also just started running a cleaning car on the system and I have wired each loop with a 14 gauge power drops every five feet to a terminal block for each track loop.  The 2019 Challenger is running smoothly throughout the length of the track. The tender now remains dark. I hope to hear back from Lionel next week. I am also using the Lionel Lock on box with a fast circuit breaker on the outer loop.  In the inner loops I have installed fast circuit breakers for each loop in front of the older transformer. The tender stopped working as I was giving commands to the engine.  There was not any short in the system and non of my protection systems saw any problems. I have been running this track system for about three years as I build up different engine consists. Both MTH and Lionel are in communication and set up for WiFi. However at the time the tender stopped I was only using my Legacy controller.

Grandfather in Training!

I had a plug come loose from the tenders boards.  The factory uses a zip tie to bundle the cables.  I had to pull a little extra wire from the bundle to re-plug it.  It worked fine since then.  

You could carefully unscrew the tender shell and have a look.  Push all plugs down into their sockets. Shipping vibrations could have eased a plug out of place during shipping.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

My Lionel 1931260 Challenger #3985 just returned from Lionel for the sound Articulated update and now I have NO ASH PAN GLOW or FIRE BOX FLICKER.  I was running my older VL Challenger #3967 in the dark past the new #3985 when I noticed the older engine's ash pan glow and fire box. When the #3985 passed by there was no light for either ash pan or fire box.  

I will have to call Lionel for a second RA to have the LED for the ash pan and fire box replaced.  My Western Allegheny H-10 #85 just came back from Lionel for a burned out LED Cab Light.  The LEDS were supposed to last forever, but I have now had four engines that needed them to be replaced.  This is not a complaint, but rather a statemen of fact.

Model Railroading is fun.  Model Railroading is fun.  I will have had my Challenger for one week and Lionel will have had it for twelve weeks when it returns again.  Now I am complaining.  Do you see the difference?

Sincerely, John Rowlen

John:  You've spent more than enough money to be able to air your grievance, IMHO.

You deserve better.

John Rowlen posted:

My Lionel 1931260 Challenger #3985 just returned from Lionel for the sound Articulated update and now I have NO ASH PAN GLOW or FIRE BOX FLICKER.  I was running my older VL Challenger #3967 in the dark past the new #3985 when I noticed the older engine's ash pan glow and fire box. When the #3985 passed by there was no light for either ash pan or fire box.  

I will have to call Lionel for a second RA to have the LED for the ash pan and fire box replaced.  My Western Allegheny H-10 #85 just came back from Lionel for a burned out LED Cab Light.  The LEDS were supposed to last forever, but I have now had four engines that needed them to be replaced.  This is not a complaint, but rather a statemen of fact.

Model Railroading is fun.  Model Railroading is fun.  I will have had my Challenger for one week and Lionel will have had it for twelve weeks when it returns again.  Now I am complaining.  Do you see the difference?

Sincerely, John Rowlen

John just to save you a little headache the 3985 is a oil burner, meaning no need for an ash pan as there are no ashes. So henceforth no ash pan detail or ash pan glow. As for the the firebox same deal, with a oil burner the big swinging doors are removed with a cover and a “small” probably 3” hole to light the fire. To my knowledge no oil fired steamer from Lionel has a firebox flicker as it’s a solid cast detail and I think most the time the hole stays covered anyway. 

Haha....too true.  I took John's post to simply mean X worked before it was sent in....and now it doesn't.

That's what I get for posting late at night and not thinking.  Thanks.  Forgive me.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

John Rowlen posted:

That's what I get for posting late at night and not thinking.  Thanks.  Forgive me.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

Not a problem as far as I am concerned. Actually the lack of any ashpan glow or firebox illumination in the models of oil-fired Challengers was an issue with the first run of VL Challengers. I noticed it with my 3985 but pretty quickly thereafter it was explained that Lionel omitted the relevant lighting because it was deemed non-prototypical. Various videos were posted to show that this was not quite correct but they obviously followed the same protocol with the second run VLs.

John Rowlen posted:

That's what I get for posting late at night and not thinking.  Thanks.  Forgive me.

Sincerely, John Rowlen

No worries!  When you spend over 1600 bucks, you're allowed to forget stuff.