LionChief Remote Control system reliability

[JIndy96]

Hello, I am looking into getting my young sons one of the Polar Express sets with the LionChief Remote control system and wanted to know the reliability of the system. I am aware that the remote and engine are specific to each other but outside of that what are the issue to be concerned about? I have several other sets and locomotives that are strictly transformer controlled but I am intrigued by this starter set. This is not be the first set for them either so they are both familiar with the normal transformer operation. That being said I am also looking at the normal transformer controlled PE set. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks, Jeff

[nblum]

I'd go with the LionChief or LionChief Plus for any new engine or set where it's available.  Greatly increases the play value and there are no indications of reliability issues.  Also less expensive than transformer equipped sets.

[Firelock76]

From what I've read in reviews of LionChief engines you can run them using transformer control (should you choose to do so)  by flipping a switch on the engine. 

[anjdevil2]

LionChief Plus is usable with transformer and remote

LionChief is not transformer capable

Ran my PE during Christmas for a public display....ran perfectly.  ZERO issues.

Found the quality to be excellent.

[Firelock76]

LionChief Plus, not LionChief, I stand corrected.

Thanks, Jersey Devil!

[jwse30]

Our modular club owns a Lionchief Thomas set. I run it almost everytime I run trains on our layout. I have noticed that occasionally on a very large layout that it does lose the signal if I am at one end and Thomas is at the other. It looks like the range is about 25' when it is being used in a commercial building with more metal  than most homes.  We have not made a layout that is more than 50' since we bought Thomas, so I just stay pretty close to center of the layout when running it. I would guess this isn't a problem for moost users, as they  would be using them in a house in a room quite a bit smaller than what I am describing. 

On smaller layouts (about 20 x 30 or so), we haven't had any problems that I am aware of, and the sounds are much better than the more expensive transformer controlled version that I have at home. 

As for the Polar Express set in particular, I think I would go with the 10th anniversary set, as the engine is a bit upgraded from the regular Lionchief set. It has wire handrails and I think it has more valve linkage/ siderods. 

Hope this helps,

J White