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Can I use my Lionel controller?

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Can I use my Lionel controller?
Posted by the old train man on Saturday, October 24, 2015 8:16 PM

Well I bought a lionel Lion chief plus 2-8-2. Can I use my lionel cab 1L remote controller to operate mt Lionel Lionchief plus 2-8-2 engine & will I be able to get all the sounds & features?

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Posted by rogruth on Saturday, October 24, 2015 11:09 PM

the old train man

Well I bought a lionel Lion chief plus 2-8-2. Can I use my lionel cab 1L remote controller to operate mt Lionel Lionchief plus 2-8-2 engine & will I be able to get all the sounds & features?

 

the old train man

Well I bought a lionel Lion chief plus 2-8-2. Can I use my lionel cab 1L remote controller to operate mt Lionel Lionchief plus 2-8-2 engine & will I be able to get all the sounds & features?

 I don't think so. LionChief is radio control through the air.
The TMCC forms are electrical through the rails.

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Posted by dougdagrump on Saturday, October 24, 2015 11:47 PM

rogruth is correct in that the CAB-1 or 2 remote will not operate a LionChief equiped engine. However you can operate both systems on the same track at the same time, there will not be any interference between the two.

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Posted by Buckeye Riveter on Sunday, October 25, 2015 6:21 AM

dougdagrump

rogruth is correct in that the CAB-1 or 2 remote will not operate a LionChief equiped engine. However you can operate both systems on the same track at the same time, there will not be any interference between the two.

 

 
Doug is 100% correct, but as an operator of both systems, let me add a few things.
 
1. First there is a difference between LionChief and LionChief Plus locomotives.  Read the descriptions in the catalogs. 
 
2. Not only will a LionChief or a LionChief Plus locomotive operate on the same track at the same time, all the LionChief features will work perfectly such as the horn, whistle, crew talk, couplers, smoke, bell, etc. At the same time, all the TMCC or Legacy features will work too.  One neat feature about LionChief Plus is that the smoke turns off when the remote is set to neutural.  (Read the fine print in the manual.) 
 
3. This is my LionChief Plus B&O Pacific running on track that also will run all the TMC locomotives.  My layout is just one 200 ft dogbone loop without blocks.  The layout was designed to take advantage of TMCC and multiple trains on one track.  It works, and as the late Chuck "Blueberry" Mathews said, " On Frank's layout you really run the trains."   https://youtu.be/OdlI2snCXIM 
 
 
 
 

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Posted by the old train man on Sunday, October 25, 2015 8:48 AM

Thanks for info,how about my dcs system. Can I use it & how do you hook it up to run the lion chief plus?

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Posted by sir james I on Sunday, October 25, 2015 9:00 AM

Bottom line you Must Use the Lion Chief controller. 18 volts, it doesn't care what other remote system you have.

Or if you switch to convential you can run it with a controller that varies track voltage.

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Posted by the old train man on Sunday, October 25, 2015 3:40 PM

Sir James,so I have to use lion chief controller for lion chief but can I use my legacy with lion chief plus engine? also is there a way to adjust the chuff rate to a more prototpical 4 revolutions?

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Posted by sir james I on Sunday, October 25, 2015 4:02 PM

I'm not sure what else your asking.

The lion chief (with it's controller)will run on any control system that has 18 volts. You can run legacy or TMCC, or DCS all at the same time. I don't know about the chuff rate but I think it's fixed. Check your manual.

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Posted by the old train man on Sunday, October 25, 2015 4:57 PM

I appreciate it. One last question,which engine is more to scale,the lion king mikado or the mth imperial mikado?

 

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Posted by sir james I on Sunday, October 25, 2015 6:14 PM

The imperial Mikado should be closer to scale.

 

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Posted by the old train man on Sunday, October 25, 2015 10:40 PM

Thanks again.

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