Review: Lionchief Plus gets an A+. Lionel gets a C.

 . . . . I'm also surprised you didn't repaint it already as well . . . 

Thanks for sharing!

Actually, that is soon.  I plan to remove and replace the cab with a "scale" cab - the roof on it now is about a foot too low: that change and a few other minor things will look more like the one on the Atlantic, then repaint it ATSF.  It will emerge from that process looking more scale, about the scale and all of a scale Atlantic.  

The price is very reasonable. I just recently paid right at 300 for a Railking GP9 with PS3 and with no remote. So the pricing seams competitive to me. I wish MTH would take a page from this and offer a simplified DCS remote. One with just the basics. There are too many buttons for my grandson, and me too. Not a complete system, just an additional remote for people with the DCS system. The DCS remote comander, and the remote comander, remotes are (IMO) junk.

But I shouldn't jack Lee's thread. Nice review. And I really like the concept of this system. It looks perfect for the novice, young or old.

I've had remote several remote Thomas locos for well over a year and checked out a Lionchief loco before sending it off to grandkids, but I wanted to check out Lionchief plus.  A Lionchief Plus NYC 4-6-4 (6-81301) arrived this afternoon. I played with it for about an hour just now.

The loco is a nice semi-scale loco.  It is very heavy: loco and tender are metal and it feels very substantial and solid.  Its fairly nicely proportioned for a semi-scale loco, with good paint and printing, good cab detail and figures, etc..  Reasonable mid-price detail: it falls far short of a Legacy scale loco without a lot of "separately applied parts," no real cola load, etc.s, but then it should, considering the price.  Good sound.  And as you will see in the videos, great smoke.

I will get the C grade for Lionel, and all the negativity in this review, out of the way now.  Within three minutes of my mounting it on the track it started giving intermitant short circuit stalls (red light on the transformer, everything stopped).  The front pilot truck kept jumping the track.  I couldn't find the problem at first but the loco made it obvious the next time I mounted it and trying to run it: a wheel fell off and the opposite side of the rear axle on the front pilot truck just tumbled off in the photo below.  It had obviously been loose for some time.   With the axle removed the loco runs great.  But shame on you Lionel, for exceedingly bad quality control: I now have a 2-6-4 instead of a Hudson!  (I'll put the axle and wheel back on it tomorrow)

Anyway, once I got the shorts out of the way I first tested it in conventional (using a ZW-L).  It runs very sweetly.  Nice, slow, smooth start, good control down low, sound synchronized very well with wheel motion, great smoke!.  Here it is running in conventional about as slowly as I could get it to go.  Maybe it could go a tad slower, but not much . . . 

I next when to Lionchief Plus, and just in cas, I actually opened and read the instructions.  But it was mindlessly simple, as it should be.  In the video below, I first bring the power up to 18V,  The light comes on and the loco begins beeping as it tries to find the signal from the remote.  Then you see me switch on the remote: the loco "syncs" with the remote (which has the loco's number printed on it, by the way), stops beeping, and begins chuffing.  I run it forward a bit in the video.  It runs nice and smooth on start up - seems to have a "momentum function" to start and stop gradually - near the end of this brief video I adjust it down to its slowest speed step: it runs slower in Lionchief Plus mode than I could get it to run in conventional.  The remote controls some crew talk and the other sounds and, if you tap the bell twice, etc. the front or rear couplers.  All this worked well. 

My conclusion: Lionchief Plus is great.  I love it. It runs locos slow and stead enough for grandpa and is definately simple enough for a four year old grandson.  Perfect!  And there's the backup conventional running.  

I also think Lionel is on a roll and I cannot understand people who think their products are overpriced and that they are ignored the low and mid market.  Setting the axle incident aside (I've had similar problems with ever other manufacturer at some time), I think this is quite a bargain.  Price at modeltrainstuff was $319 - only $20 more than a WBB semi scale loco at that same site.  For that $20, you get a similar sized semi scale loco with at least similar if not better detail, with great sound, great smoke, and that runs a lot slower and starts smoother in conventional (at least compared to the WBB steamers I have), with a remote that makes it even better to run!  That is a lot for $20..  

It sounds like they have 2 chuffs per revolution instead of four.  I assume with LionChief/LionChief plus this is hard-coded and not user-selectable?

Looks like a promising product, but once again the quality control is not what it should be.  If the front truck is falling off out of the box, what can the consumer conclude with respect to the overall quality of the product?

In any event, thank you for taking the time to post the review.  For those of us interested in this product for our kids, your time and effort is appreciated.

Shawn, sorry to hear of your disappointment.  That just leaves that much more Lionel for the rest of us.  Lionel has provided a lot of "middle class" items IMHO.  I believe everyone on this forum has the right to 2 things......an opinion and choice of trains.  Thanks for letting us know your opinion.

Steve, Lady and Tex

Hi Shawn, first, I don't buy my trains for "collectability", I purchase them to have fun.  Who says "sales are going to fall"?  Another opinion or do you have inside info.  Again, an opinion is just an opinion, nothing is set in stone.  I believe LionChief Plus and other mid-range items Lionel offers will be a big success.  IMHO!

This is a great thread and I think we should be making comments on the information Lee has provided for us.

Steve, Lady and Tex

Here's my view from smack-dab in the middle of the middle class:

I have a completed 12' by 12' "L" shaped layout.  Scenicked, with lots of accessories, tubular "O" track, and TMCC/CAB-1.

I have not sprung the $300+ for a CAB-2/Legacy set.  Why?  Because after 16 years of running TMCC I found I used it for nothing other than running a train.  I like the lighted switch controllers and I like Accessory buttons placed around the layout where everyone can play.  So blowing another 300+ for a controller that does essentially the same thing is not on my list of priorities.

HOWEVER, my old CAB-1 is wearing out, and I would like a new remote to run my O-31 locos.  I can only run two engines at a time, so having two remotes actually makes my life easier, NOT more difficult!  No dialing in an ID every stinking time I want to blow a whistle, change a speed or make a bell ring on "the other" engine.  Just pick up the other unit and voila!

On top of these positives, Lionel is delivering essentially "LionMaster" features for half the price.  For this middle class guy, this is a great thing!

Jon

Lee,

Why do you feel that "the roof on it now is about a foot too low"?

To me it looks fine and well in proportion to the rest of the loco. Could it be that the tender instead sits higher than it should?

Here's my view from smack-dab in the middle of the middle class:

I have a completed 12' by 12' "L" shaped layout.  Scenicked, with lots of accessories, tubular "O" track, and TMCC/CAB-1.

I have not sprung the $300+ for a CAB-2/Legacy set.  Why?  Because after 16 years of running TMCC I found I used it for nothing other than running a train.  I like the lighted switch controllers and I like Accessory buttons placed around the layout where everyone can play.  So blowing another 300+ for a controller that does essentially the same thing is not on my list of priorities.

HOWEVER, my old CAB-1 is wearing out, and I would like a new remote to run my O-31 locos.  I can only run two engines at a time, so having two remotes actually makes my life easier, NOT more difficult!  No dialing in an ID every stinking time I want to blow a whistle, change a speed or make a bell ring on "the other" engine.  Just pick up the other unit and voila!

On top of these positives, Lionel is delivering essentially "LionMaster" features for half the price.  For this middle class guy, this is a great thing!

Jon