@Dave Olson posted:It sounds like yours will need to come in.
There are still plenty of known bugs with the APP, but the engine/tender getting out of sync was fixed. So yours likely has a hardware issue.
I'm reluctant to try the 4 digit Cab 3 addressing with my Triplex incase it fries a circuit board.
@Dave 69 GTEL posted:I'm reluctant to try the 4 digit Cab 3 addressing with my Triplex incase it fries a circuit board.
HAHA, never heard of that happening from using a feature.
Better to find out now if there is an issue and get it fixed, then 5 years from now when you can't get it fixed and can't sell it as fully functional.
@Alabama Joe posted:Dave? Sean needs to send in his engine to Lionel for repair, even if it works great with 2 digit addressing?
Yeah, seems crazy.
No way to fix it later, no over-the-air fixes for this stuff.
@Sean's Train Depot posted:HAHA, never heard of that happening from using a feature.
Better to find out now if there is an issue and get it fixed, then 5 years from now when you can't get it fixed and can't sell it as fully functional.
I suppose you're right. I'll grit my teeth and try it.
@Dave 69 GTEL posted:I suppose you're right. I'll grit my teeth and try it.
Look at it this way. If it does break it, it's because of a design flaw, and it has to go back to Lionel to get fixed anyway.
@Dave 69 GTEL posted:It's my understanding that Legacy and below are 1 year and Visionline is 5 years.
Visionline models are 2 years according to Lionel's website.
If I got this right, an operator needs the latest (as of Nov. 12) Cab3 upgrade to run the Triplex using 4-digit addressing; however, with the 990 (CabII) the engine will run fine so long as an operator uses 2-digit addressing.
In Sean's case however, the latest Cab3 (as of Nov. 12) upgrade did not fix the issue of engines running out of sync using 4-digit addressing, but it does work using 2-digit addressing, yet Dave Olson suspects hardware problem and recommends sending it back in.
I cringe at this thought: are the odds favorable that there's a hardware issue with every single triplex and therefore a total recall would be prudent and ethical? While it's anecdotal, the only method I can think of to prove otherwise is if someone reports successful out of the box (meaning not sent back to Lionel) operation using 4 digit addressing via the latest Cab3 (as of Nov. 12) update. Thus far, no review that I've read as reported this success. I honestly hope someone can prove me wrong.
So if this is the case that Sean’s Triplex has a hardware issue that was only discovered using the Cab3, how do you detect the issue without a Cab3? I do not have a Cab3, only use Cab2. Does that mean it runs fine for me (all functional) but if I sell it to someone with Cab3 using 4 digit addressing, it does not have full functionality?
@Paul Kallus posted:If I got this right, an operator needs the latest (as of Nov. 12) Cab3 upgrade to run the Triplex using 4-digit addressing; however, with the 990 (CabII) the engine will run fine so long as an operator uses 2-digit addressing.
In Sean's case however, the latest Cab3 (as of Nov. 12) upgrade did not fix the issue of engines running out of sync using 4-digit addressing, but it does work using 2-digit addressing, yet Dave Olson suspects hardware problem and recommends sending it back in.
I cringe at this thought: are the odds favorable that there's a hardware issue with every single triplex and therefore a total recall would be prudent and ethical? While it's anecdotal, the only method I can think of to prove otherwise is if someone reports successful out of the box (meaning not sent back to Lionel) operation using 4 digit addressing via the latest Cab3 (as of Nov. 12) update. Thus far, no review that I've read as reported this success. I honestly hope someone can prove me wrong.
Without something like a full recall and certificate of repair, it's going to make the resale market a crapshoot on these Triplexes (and maybe other 4-digit addressing locos) as the problems are uncovered by only those that have a Base3.
@John Hon posted:So if this is the case that Sean’s Triplex has a hardware issue that was only discovered using the Cab3, how do you detect the issue without a Cab3? I do not have a Cab3, only use Cab2. Does that mean it runs fine for me (all functional) but if I sell it to someone with Cab3 using 4 digit addressing, it does not have full functionality?
You can't really. Like I said in 2D mode it works perfect, and I have run it a lot. So, you wouldn't know.
Not sure what the hardware issue could be, but it is not fully functional in 4D mode at this point, so I am waiting for Lionel to respond to my TalktoUs e-mail I sent saying the update did not work and get a return auth.
@Sean's Train Depot posted:You can't really. Like I said in 2D mode it works perfect, and I have run it a lot. So, you wouldn't know.
Not sure what the hardware issue could be, but it is not fully functional in 4D mode at this point, so I am waiting for Lionel to respond to my TalktoUs e-mail I sent saying the update did not work and get a return auth.
I am totally confused. 2 digit addressing works, 4 digit does not. Software or Hardware? Send it in or not? I asked Ryan Kunkle to provide an official communication, is this a software or hardware issue? Do all Triplexes need repair or just some? We need a an official response as to how to move forward.
@Alabama Joe posted:I am totally confused. 2 digit addressing works, 4 digit does not. Software or Hardware? Send it in or not? I asked Ryan Kunkle to provide an official communication, is this a software or hardware issue? Do all Triplexes need repair or just some? We need a an official response as to how to move forward.
I agree. How would we determine if it is not functional if we don’t use (have) Cab3 ( 4 digit addressing) ? Running with Cab2 is fine. We normally would test run an engine and if something doesn’t work correctly we would send it in for repair. This is a bit different because all of us don’t have Cab3 to operate it.
I am so glad I did not buy one of these. You would think the price they are now charging this stuff would be caught. I am so glad I have most everything I need because prices are out of my range on new stuff.
Was Lionel able to fix the 4-digit addressing issue?
@sahan posted:Was Lionel able to fix the 4-digit addressing issue?
Mine was sent to Lionel a few weeks ago. I will not get mine to test until after Christmas. But Dave Olson was confident it will be addressed.
@sahan posted:Was Lionel able to fix the 4-digit addressing issue?
Mine was sent to Lionel 10/18/24. It is still there.
Mike
@LT1Poncho posted:Mine was sent to Lionel 10/18/24. It is still there.
Mike
Mine arrived at Lionel on November 18. A month after you.
Sent mine back and did not use four digit addressing Didnt even change the address Used it as 01 After running for about an hour the tender drivers stopped turning and the drivers under the boiler continued to turn Hit reset and it started working Then it did it again and again Ran it awhile longer and when I stopped the engine the boiler wheels stopped and the Tender wheels kept going
Is Lionel going to extend your warranty by the couple of months it's sitting for repairs?
Mine arrived at Lionel on Nov 19th. Still waiting. They have them stacking up I am guessing.
@rplst8 posted:Is Lionel going to extend your warranty by the couple of months it's sitting for repairs?
Extend your warranty? The Vision Line products have a 2-year warranty, I don't think there's any danger of it running out yet. 
I have only used 2 digit addressing.
Several days after I received it, I started getting the odd behavior described by others, randomly.
Since then it has worked with out any problems, and I run it daily.
Once Lionel develops a fix, I will send mine in.
I was hoping Lionel successfully repaired one and sent it back to the owner? I am beginning to think whether Lonel even have a proper solution to this issue? I saw comments on youtube that suggested that Lionel can't repair this problem. I am holding off buying one till someone can confirm that it was fixed properly.
@sahan posted:I was hoping Lionel successfully repaired one and sent it back to the owner? I am beginning to think whether Lonel even have a proper solution to this issue? I saw comments on youtube that suggested that Lionel can't repair this problem. I am holding off buying one till someone can confirm that it was fixed properly.
I'm sure someone will post a reply as soon as we get one back and test it out. But they told me they are at a 6–8-week turnaround right now.
My hope is they hold the Triplex freight set and make any updates before those are shipped out to suppliers/customers.
@bluelinec4 posted:Sent mine back and did not use four digit addressing Didnt even change the address Used it as 01 After running for about an hour the tender drivers stopped turning and the drivers under the boiler continued to turn Hit reset and it started working Then it did it again and again Ran it awhile longer and when I stopped the engine the boiler wheels stopped and the Tender wheels kept going
Were you using the latest APP update or a Cab2 with the Base3 or were you using the Base2 and Cab2 setup?
To understand, some of you guys have sent your Triplexes to fix the 4-digit addressing (despite that the engines ran using 2-digit addressing) and others have sent their engines back because even 2-digit addressing resulted in motors running out of sync.? Has there been any word from Lionel on what to do or is this DIY run them until they foul-up scenario?
Given that 4-digit addressing is a neat feature, has anyone reported success using this feature on the production Triplexes? Is this a logical train of thought or am I out in left field again?
I've been trying to get an answer from Dave Olson, but he's probably and understandably very busy this time of year, so I sent an e-mail to TalktoUs today to ask for guidance. I've yet to try our Triplex out yet due to layout disaster area, and I won't bother unpacking to later learn I'll have to pack it up anyway.
This is not good news for those of us who preordered this (my first VisionLine pre-order).
@Paul Kallus posted:To understand, some of you guys have sent your Triplexes to fix the 4-digit addressing (despite that the engines ran using 2-digit addressing) and others have sent their engines back because even 2-digit addressing resulted in motors running out of sync.? Has there been any word from Lionel on what to do or is this DIY run them until they foul-up scenario (which I've long suspected is the MO of the industry)?
Given that 4-digit addressing is a neat feature, I am of the opinion that unless factory production models are successfully being run using 4-digit addressing (to date nobody has reported success on this albeit sample population is likely small) then all Triplexes should be sent back for, what is it, board replacement, board re-programming, I cannot keep track of this nonsense. Is this a logical train of thought or am I out in left field again?
I've been trying to get an answer from Dave Olson, but he's probably and understandably very busy this time of year, so I sent an e-mail to TalktoUs today to ask for guidance. I've yet to try our Triplex out yet due to layout disaster area, and I won't bother unpacking to later learn I'll have to pack it up anyway.
This is not a good experience for my first VisionLine pre-ordered steam locomotive.
Not everyone had identical issue, but similar erratic operation. I have multiple videos of things going wrong so I could show Lionel. Wheels between tender and engine out of sync, running opposite directions, one set not turning at all have all been symptoms. Some like mine happened only in 4D mode, others in 2D mode.
I am not sure anyone knows the exact cause yet.
Just have to wait and see if it is resolved when we get them back.
I will say that if it is a board issue they certainly couldn't have had new ones made already, so could be an ongoing issue.
We will see!
Sean,
During your testing in 2D mode, were you using the Cab3 APP?
Did you see any issues if a person was using a Base2 with either Cab1L or Cab2?
@DaveGG posted:Sean,
During your testing in 2D mode, were you using the Cab3 APP?
Did you see any issues if a person was using a Base2 with either Cab1L or Cab2?
In 2D mine worked fine using both Cab3 App and With Cab2 Remote.
@DaveGG posted:Were you using the latest APP update or a Cab2 with the Base3 or were you using the Base2 and Cab2 setup?
I was using base 2 cab2
Sorry to hear folks are having problems. Hope they are resolved soon. But sobering disincentive to preorder anything vision from Lionel - too much aggravation for too much hard earned money.
I have 2 of these things. Both have hours of run time using a Base 3 and Cab 2 handheld with no issues so far. I don't like the app at all anyway because it is too tiny and not precise enough. The wheel spin as described in the owners manual does not work reliably and only works first time every time from a standing stop. It's not described in the owners manual and can only be done with a Cab 2 since Lionel has still not figured out how to use the Train Brake with the Cab 3 app as far as I know, since I don't use it. Please correct me if I am wrong. It wouldn't change my opinion of the app anyway. Using the boost button after waiting about 20 minutes to hit 25% fuel the locomotive quickly accelerates out of control and, for that, you might catch a a glimpse of a little wheel spin if you don't blink. Your main concern at that point is to prevent the locomotive from flying off the table. For a locomotive with a 10 MPH prototypical top speed that's unexpected but it's running on 3 rails to begin with so not surprising. I'm going to wait to see what Lionel does to fix these things and continue with 2D addressing. I think the whole thing with the triplexes and the Cab 3 app issues are a disgrace. 2 years or not the warrantee on these triplexes should be extended by Lionel by several years in the name of customer good faith. Also a full featured Cab 3 hand held, and not some joke of a Cab-1L, a 25 year old Cab-1 knockoff, should be produced after rigourous and comprehensive testing.
@Dave 69 GTEL posted:I have 2 of these things. Both have hours of run time using a Base 3 and Cab 2 handheld with no issues so far. I don't like the app at all anyway because it is too tiny and not precise enough. The wheel spin as described in the owners manual does not work reliably and only works first time every time from a standing stop. It's not described in the owners manual and can only be done with a Cab 2 since Lionel has still not figured out how to use the Train Brake with the Cab 3 app as far as I know, since I don't use it. Please correct me if I am wrong. It wouldn't change my opinion of the app anyway. Using the boost button after waiting about 20 minutes to hit 25% fuel the locomotive quickly accelerates out of control and, for that, you might catch a a glimpse of a little wheel spin if you don't blink. Your main concern at that point is to prevent the locomotive from flying off the table. For a locomotive with a 10 MPH prototypical top speed that's unexpected but it's running on 3 rails to begin with so not surprising. I'm going to wait to see what Lionel does to fix these things and continue with 2D addressing. I think the whole thing with the triplexes and the Cab 3 app issues are a disgrace. 2 years or not the warrantee on these triplexes should be extended by Lionel by several years in the name of customer good faith. Also a full featured Cab 3 hand held, and not some joke of a Cab-1L, a 25 year old Cab-1 knockoff, should be produced after rigourous and comprehensive testing.
Just to clarify, the wheel from a stop with the Train brake works every time.
After the fuel level drops below 25%, to make the wheel spin during motion and not have the engine speed up you just flick the boost button, not hold it. The wheels will spin, but engine stays at the same speed. Flick the boost, do not hold the boost.
The train brake does work from a stopped position in the Cab3 app, just not in motion (it won't stop the train).
It is on the list to be fix, so will be resolved.
@Sean's Train Depot posted:Just to clarify, the wheel from a stop with the Train brake works every time.
After the fuel level drops below 25%, to make the wheel spin during motion and not have the engine speed up you just flick the boost button, not hold it. The wheels will spin, but engine stays at the same speed. Flick the boost, do not hold the boost.
The train brake does work from a stopped position in the Cab3 app, just not in motion (it won't stop the train).
It is on the list to be fix, so will be resolved.
Thank you Sean. I probably was holding the boost button. I never thought about flicking it. My trplexes are put away right now but I'll try that train brake next time I have one out.
Ref questions on which controller being used when rear set of drivers behaved erratically.
I stated earlier I had the classic problems explained in this thread, for several days, but have not had any problems for maybe 3 weeks.
I use the Cab 3 app, Cab 2, and my Cab 1.
Right now, all are working fine with the Triplex.
When I had my issues, I was using the Cab 3 app and Cab 2.
I have only used 2 digit and never tried 4 digit.
@Jeff2035 posted:Ref questions on which controller being used when rear set of drivers behaved erratically.
I stated earlier I had the classic problems explained in this thread, for several days, but have not had any problems for maybe 3 weeks.
I use the Cab 3 app, Cab 2, and my Cab 1.
Right now, all are working fine with the Triplex.
When I had my issues, I was using the Cab 3 app and Cab 2.
I have only used 2 digit and never tried 4 digit.
Some that had issues were cleared up with the update Dave talked about to fix Triplex issues. It was a software fix. But he said if any are still having issues after that it is likely a hardware issue and need to be sent in. So perhaps the update resolved yours.
Thank you for the information Sean.
Once Lionel develops a solution I will try using 4 digit. Until then I will minimize any possible risk.
Can I ask a potentially silly question: why would someone care about 4 digit addressing as compared to the traditional 2? Are there folks with more than 99 locomotives?
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