Should I Open Up a Vision Line Challenger

One suspect for the Odyssey issues is a loose flywheel.  If the flywheel isn't tight, you'll see symptoms like you are suggesting.

There's no special reason not to take the shell off, they're not any more difficult than any other large steamer.  It's been several years since I had one apart, but I didn't experience any particular issues popping the top.

NOT ME, I have one of these that I purchased a few weeks ago, new in an unsealed Carton.  Although it runs fine, everything works ok, but, I am going to take it to my repair station for a regular service and lube job....Although it's a VisionLine Locomotive, not under factory warranty, I think my hobby shop can do the job....I would take your engine to your nearest trustable Legacy repair station, even if it meant a 2 or 3 hour drive....That's me.....Good Luck...

No returns. From what you say, the seller has misrepresented the product. Other than that take the engine apart. You have no warranty or prayer of returning the engine. Beware of unknown sellers. If he is a regular contributor here we need to know his name.

Rod Miller

I have occasionally had an issue or two with auction items. Most frequently is something advertised as new that wasn't. Fortunately, nothing major. Regardless of whether they offer returns or not, I always contact the seller first. I take photos of areas showing wear, etc., and state that the factory didn't pre-install certain screws (accessories, not locos). I also state that I have not yet left feedback. I don't make demands or anything threatening, just point out that the item was billed as new, but was in fact used.

EVERY time the seller has responded with a fair (IMHO) price adjustment offer. Since the items still worked OK, I accepted, and everyone was happy in the end.  Sellers, for the most part, want positive feedback.

I'll also ignorantly assumed that you used PayPal to close the transaction - regardless of whether the seller offers returns or not, PayPal will frequently side with the seller if you document your case sufficiently.

But first step should be to contact the seller.

If it were mine, I would send it to Lionel for re[air.  I got one with a lot issues like yours and talked to Lionel about repairing it.  The starting price is around $100 for labor plus parts needed.  since most of the repairs need were labor intensive and few parts were needed, I got the engine back running and smoking like new for a total of $135.  I felt it was money well spent.

I would only send a vision product back to Lionel.

Good luck,

Don

Good suggestions above. If this is the bay, they are very stringent on siding with you in a seller misrepresentation. Contact the seller or open a"case" as appropriate. 

I'm a little late to the conversation but, I have had every vision loco apart on my desk. The Challenger next to the centipedes is by far the easiest to take apart. The CC2 is probably the biggest pain with all the wires.. almost every time I pinch them.

Sounds like the Speed control Encoder might be on its way out. But that's if the flywheel is not loose like gunrunnerjohn says.

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your advice.  I don't mind spending the money to get it running like new, but with the box in the condition that it is in, I'm very concerned how it would make the trip to Lionel and back undamaged.  I'm also not afraid to open one up and do the repairs myself, as long as I wouldn't make things worse.

I figured the locomotive would not be perfect, seeing how old it is and it was listed as used.  But I was quite surprised at its condition.  I'm not sure why someone would get a locomotive at this price point and not take very good care of it.  It seems like a very nice horse that has been ridden very hard and put away wet.  I want to give her a little TLC.

Does anyone know where I might find a replacement for the Styrofoam box insert?  Does Lionel even make those available?

Jon

As Hokie71 wrote, I don't think it matters what the seller's return policy is. If he misrepresented the item, open a case with EBay.
You may find that your great deal isn't so great when you have to ship the engine to Lionel, pay for the repair, and pay for the return shipping as well.

If you are going to open a case, don't do anything to the locomotive.
IMHO, once you do anything, you have accepted the item and have no grounds a case.
There have been a few times I should have sent items back instead of messing with them. Oh well.

You've asked whether you should open this VL Challenger up yourself. I can speak from experience of trying that and I'd have to say, very definitely, "no."

In fact mine had some of the same symptoms as yours straight out of the box - especially the anaemic smoke output from the front stacks and dynamo ports. When I opened up the stack smoke unit it was like nothing else I'd ever seen - especially the way that the smoke wadding was arranged in the chambers, which did not appear to me to be user serviceable. It went back to Lionel and for a relatively small price was put back together although the smoke has never operated the way I have seen in other people's videos. This is a VL model and rather than embark on a steep learning curve yourself I'd either get Lionel to do the necessary or see if one of the experts here on the forum will take on the repair job. 

I can't speak to whether you'd get any redress through the auction site as I have never tried that. But in your position I'd be more concerned with getting the engine running as right as you can.