No movement or sound on Lioncheif Polar Express Locomotive

Nope, short of opening it up, I don't see a simple solution.  I'd just send it back.

I had the same problem with my LC+ 4501 after a derailment.  I sent mine to an OGR advertiser.  I do not know what they did but it was quick and inexpensive.  They also serviced the engine.

I still dislike the offending flat car

I see you have it running on a recent video. Did you fix it?

romiller49 posted:

I see you have it running on a recent video. Did you fix it?

No that was another LC locomotive I had with its tender.  

Are there any switches in the cab that control whether it is conventional?

LC (not plus) doesn't have conventional mode.

I have the LC Polar Express set bought in 2014 but haven't unboxed and run it since; vaguely remember 2 switches in the cab - one for smoke, the other for ?

Are you sure the remote is the correct one for that engine?  Maybe try a Universal Remote.

Odenville Bill posted:

I had the same problem with my LC+ 4501 after a derailment.  I sent mine to an OGR advertiser.  I do not know what they did but it was quick and inexpensive.  They also serviced the engine.

I still dislike the offending flat car

I have the same problem with my mikado as well. Who did you send yours to? Also, if the controller is incorrect to the locomotive then the locomotive would be chirping or make a beeping sound. Since the locomotive is not responsive then you can’t tell if it is the right remote because there is no sound. 

Trainmaster04 posted:

Odenville Bill posted:

I had the same problem with my LC+ 4501 after a derailment.  I sent mine to an OGR advertiser.  I do not know what they did but it was quick and inexpensive.  They also serviced the engine.

I still dislike the offending flat car

I have the same problem with my mikado as well. Who did you send yours to? Also, if the controller is incorrect to the locomotive then the locomotive would be chirping or make a beeping sound. Since the locomotive is not responsive then you can’t tell if it is the right remote because there is no sound. 

Could be a remote issue as well.  Still worth a try on the UR.

RickM46 posted:

I have the LC Polar Express set bought in 2014 but haven't unboxed and run it since; vaguely remember 2 switches in the cab - one for smoke, the other for ?

Don't know what the second switch is for, but it's not for conventional operation, I can tell you that for sure.   It's probably to turn the chuff off, I believe that's the second switch.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

RickM46 posted:

I have the LC Polar Express set bought in 2014 but haven't unboxed and run it since; vaguely remember 2 switches in the cab - one for smoke, the other for ?

Don't know what the second switch is for, but it's not for conventional operation, I can tell you that for sure.   It's probably to turn the chuff off, I believe that's the second switch.

From what I can remember of my set, John is correct.  One switch for smoke, one to shut the chuffing sound off.

I can't remember what the guts of a Lionchief engine are like, but I seem to remember hearing about locomotives in the past with similar issues that simply had a plug connection that wasn't pushed in all the way on a circuit board inside.

Just had the same problem with a LC+ locomotive. A PRR 2-8-2. This particular engine has been a Lemon.  It has had the board replaced and repaired. It died again, and Dean in CS said sorry, no more boards available for the engine, just get a different engine. Well that was disappointing. while the engine was old, it was hardly run. 

Chuck Sartor posted:

Just had the same problem with a LC+ locomotive. A PRR 2-8-2. This particular engine has been a Lemon.  It has had the board replaced and repaired. It died again, and Dean in CS said sorry, no more boards available for the engine, just get a different engine. Well that was disappointing. while the engine was old, it was hardly run. 

Hmmm... I wonder if the Santa fe's are lemons too, since mine basically died on me as well. I have been tempted to get a cheep LC+ mike and swap shells. The thing is, is it going to be more expensive to get it repaired or get a loaner loco.

Are these boards not repairable? Who might be able to do this? Pat B

lpb007 posted:

Are these boards not repairable? Who might be able to do this? Pat B

I make no promises. I've seen my fair share of flaky and dead Lionchief boards. In fact, even a LC+. The fundamental issue in most of these cases involves the solder joints between the vertical boards that poke through the main board and then are more or less solder blobbed together. But here's the catch- the worst offenders are where when they made this board, they made that slot extremely tight (it has to be for the solder to bridge) but this scrapes one of the traces so that it removes or damages the copper trace so it doesn't stick through. Then the solder blob either has extremely limited contact patch and poor soldering that breaks or becomes thermally and vibration intermittent. It's a situation where it might pass the assembly check, the board bench test- but when jammed into a plastic bracket and then jostled in a loco- the connection fails completely or fails intermittently. The workaround (because this is not a fix) is to then desolder and remove the vertical board, determine if the trace has failed- reverse engineer and locate a connection point, use a jumper wire, and resolder the board assembly and add this jumper wire. The success rate on repair is less than 50%

Also, another known issue and joint section to fail is the radio module edge contacts to the mainboard. They are barely soldered at the factory, and then the drop of glue offers no protection when the assembly is snapped into the board mounting bracket. It's double fault because the bracket design can put stress and touch the radio module trying to pry it away from the mainboard, and the poor soldering and mounting the radio board itself and the glue is just asking for failure.

So the symptoms are:

Radio failure- you get sound and lights, either beeping it cannot find the remote or in engines without the beep- just the remote light flashing as the remote cannot find the engine. Again, no motion, but you also know the radio isn't working.

The motor board contact failure- you get the remote to connect, all sounds, lights, and smoke or whatever works, but no motion or worse, motion that works for a while until the board warms up and just dies on the track.

All of these repairs require skills and good soldering equipment as these connections are extremely tight/small and if you short them with solder bridging or mistakes- there goes the boards. Basically, I started gathering a stack of dead boards, take them apart into sub boards, label what I know to be good and bad, and then use them on repairs- but a 50% less success ratio- the average person with limited soldering skills is better off just going to Lionel parts and getting a board. Like I mentioned, also be very careful when putting the new board into the plastic bracket. One false move and the radio card rips right off taking the traces and any hope of using that board again.