Too many chiefs not enough indians

LionChief = locomotives that are strictly radio-controlled, taking their power from the track instead of batteries.

 

LionChief Plus = A late development that adds convention control capability (via a switch) to LionChief locomotives.

 

Not sure what TrainChief is, though.

 

---PCJ

There is no longer a "Train Chief".  It was replaced by Lion Chief shortly 

 after the RTR catalog was printed.

Those of us in the Philadelphia area are waiting for the Chief Halftown version.

I concur with RailRide and Grampstrains:

 

LionChief = TrainChief = radio-controlled locos, with railsounds.  Remotes are keyed to a specific loco by frequency.

LionChief Plus adds a switch to better support conventional operation, and the remote couplers.  Cab lights mentioned for these locos.

 

So far, no multi-frequency "universal" remote.

Yes, this is something I'm chiefly concerned about also.

 

Jerry

will these locomotives have the correct 4 chiefs per revolution?

 

Jerry

Sounds like our Government!!

You're not lion 'bout the chiefs, are you?

I shure hope they have the correct chuffs, but I highly doubt they will.
One can only ask so much at that price point I guess.

This thread is super, chief!

 

Jerry

Ok. So after all of the Chiefs, I think that we need a few Indians to balance things up. 

 

I think that once they are on the market you will find that all of the boards inside the engines are the same. Maybe the same thing with the controllers with the exception of the individual frequency matched to a particular engine.

 

Why reinvent the wheel, add SKU's not to mention engineering and production costs to have multiple control boards.

 

Does anyone besides me remember the original TMCC control boards prior to installing electrocouplers on the engines like the original NYC or PRR GP9's with Command and Railsounds.

 

When you hit the  "F or R" on the CAB1 you would hear the sound of the uncoupling! You could then install aftermarket electrocouplers and connect the wiring to the board.

 

I think this will be the same with any of the "Chief Controller Engines" regardless of whether they are the "Plus" versions or not. They might all have the same boards and if they do you will be able to add electrocouplers and perhaps the switch to allow conventional operation.

 

Then again I could be completely wrong but it is an interesting theory.

 

 

 I saw several of these at York but just couldn't justify the $100 plus price tag on them, great looking boxcar tho.

 

 

Jerry