# What to buy??? LionChief or MTH



## Earl In Midlothian Va (May 25, 2014)

I have a good collection of Lionel and MTH locos and rolling stock and have been at this hobby for several decades. . 

I am contemplating purchasing a new LionChief Plus steam locomotive. The reviews are real strong--the videos seem to show an ample smoke unit, and they appear to look and run fantastic. Here is my issue, I have bought three Lionel sets in the past year---the Wizard of Oz, the Horseshoe Curve, and the Hogwarts Express, and I have had smoke unit issues with all three. Shipping them all back to Canfield Ohio was a pain---but to Lionel's credit--the customer service was outstanding, and the issues were resolved although the Hogwarts smoker does not work again after being returned to Canfield Ohio and having it work great when it returned. All three locos run great---but the smoker has been the consistent issue. 

I do not own Legacy locos or any of the real top shelf equipment for the record. 

For the LionCheif price point ($350 or less on the internet), am I better off trying a Lionchief or an MTH loco? 

Has anyone obtained a Lionchief and what do you think about it?

GO!!!!!

Earl Shaffer


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, I like Lionel stuff, and the Lionchief stuff has been pretty good. However, unless the Lionel has a fan driven smoke unit, I'd avoid it. Some of the LionChief stuff does, others still use the puffer.

You will rarely have any smoke complaints with MTH stuff, they all feature fan driven smoke with dual heaters, they are the smoke champs! The other nice thing about the MTH offerings is they're all full command models.


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## Earl In Midlothian Va (May 25, 2014)

Thanks John!

The LionChief Plus locos do have fan driven smoke---so this should be a significant upgrade over the puffer on the starter set lines.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Not all LionChief locomotives have fan driven smoke, but I know some do. I wouldn't be afraid of one that has a decent smoke unit. They may not smoke like the MTH, but you'll get good performance from them.

Truthfully, since MTH went to PS/3, I'm less impressed with their reliability. That's coming from a tech that works on many of their units. The PS/3 electronics are pretty fragile, and they're basically non-repairable for us as a rule. The PS/2 stuff was much more "tech friendly", especially the newer 3V boards.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

When its between any Lionel starter set, or an MTH starter set, its a no brainer, go with MTH, JMO. ............Mike


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## Doublet74 (Dec 29, 2013)

I have an original Lioncheif Scout set. I agree smoking could be better. Although when I stopped using Lionel smoke fluid (that stuff is CR#P) it was MUCH improved. The new Lioncheif PLUS unit diesels ALL have fan driven smoke units. I have the Burlington GP7 on order it is coming out in JULY.  The only thing I dont like about the Lioncheif sets is that Lionel hasn't said what units it will be producing in the future. Which kind of limits my layout planning. The are coming out with more powerful track supplies for the system though which will allow you to hook up lights and such. But I want to know if they are going to do a SD700 or GP series for it. I would REALLY HATE to invest in a transformer and a Legacy system if they are going to come out with modern diesels for Lioncheif. Hence my dillema. :-(


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## BigAl56 (Dec 14, 2011)

The new issue of CTT magazine features an excellent review of a LC+ locomotive. LC+ does include fan driven smoke and will operate both conventionally or with their specific remote.

http://ctt.trains.com/Operating/Product%20Reviews/2014/05/Lionel%20LionChief%20Plus%20Canadian%20Pacific%204%206%202%20Pacific%20steam.aspx

As for a comparison between MTH Railking and Lionel Lionchief there are tons of threads on the subject. Each has their pro's and cons. I like LC+ for a beginner that wants a locomotive that is better made than a typical starter set engine and will operate only a few trains because you get the control advantages without having to invest in a Legacy or DCS system. On the down side Lionel did not build in any compatibility to Legacy or the older TMCC so if you do grow into the hobby these locomotives will always be a one-off.


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## MuhThugga (Apr 2, 2013)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> You will rarely have any smoke complaints with MTH stuff, they all feature fan driven smoke with dual heaters, they are the smoke champs! The other nice thing about the MTH offerings is they're all full command models.


What's it like to have an engine that smokes?

My Blue Comet's smoker crapped out again....


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