Universal Remote / Basic Remote

The short answer is that you can only have one remote paired to a particular engine at any given time.  This can be the remote that came with the engine, the 'universal' remote, or for 2017 and newer models it can be the bluetooth app on a smart device.  

Both bluetooth and the more basic radio protocol used on earlier "second generation" LionChief engines work by being paired.  Before a remote is turned on, the engine sits there yelling "Hey everyone! I'm engine number 12345, look at me!"  When someone goes to program a universal remote (or bluetooth app)  the remote listens for engines barking out their identity, then responds to the first engine it hears with a command something like " Hey engine 12345, I hear you.  Shut up now, and listen to me.  I'm remote number 43210".  At this point the engine only listens to commands from remote 43210 and ignores anything else.  The original remotes go through the same process, but the engine they will command is hard coded into them, so they do not have to listen to learn the name of an engine.  So in the end, once any one remote is paired up to an engine, no other remote can control that engine.  

It is just barely possible that a "first generation" LionChief engine would try to listen to commands form two remotes, but even if it did I suspect you would get erratic results as each remote tells the engine to move at a different speed.  I don't have access to two of the same engine to test, but I wouldn't be surprised if these early engines simple pair up with the first remote they talk to, and ignore other remotes.  

As an entirely separate subject, it IS possible, though a bit of work, to build a 'piggy-back' control system.  You could hand the kids/visitors a remote that functions like a LC/+ remote, but that talks to a bridge computer instead of talking directly to the engine.  Such remotes could also be used to control TMCC/Legacy engines if one wanted, giving visitors basic control of just a single engine.  The control system could be programed with basic rules like speed limits and such, or it could rely on a user to oversee things and use their cab1/2 to take control if needed.  The nuts and bolts is pretty complex, but the finished set-up could be pretty simple.  

JGL

I think the best way of stopping overly fast locomotive speeds might wind up being turning down/restricting the voltage on  the tracks where  you are operating the LionChief and LC+ locos.  May require some fiddling to find the voltage where most locos cannot go so fast as to derail.  Just a suggestion.

Landsteiner, 

Adjusting the voltage to the track should work out fine with regular LionChief engines, but it will not typically work with LionChief Plus engines.  The engines actually require very little power to reach top speed and the cruise control in Plus engines will adjust to run them through most or all of the speed steps even on 8 to 10 VAC if the engine is not pulling a very heavy load.  

Even with regular LC engines, they appear to be tuned so that they will make it around O36 curves at top speed...just barely, so lowering the top speed may not having much benefit.   

JGL

So John, you add the track cleaning car to the consist, it provides the load and maintains the track as the kids run!  Job done.

Me Doug will excitement with it the next kids program... I think lowering the voltage might help, we have never let the kids run off transformer power but brick power

I tried my LC+ Camelback, at lower voltage it had decidedly lower top speed.