Lionchief Troubleshooting - Lionel The Polar Express Owner's Manual

LionChief Troubleshooting

Problem: The power indicator LED on the terminal track is not illuminated.
Resolution:
If any of the wheels of the train are not properly positioned on the rails, a short circuit will occur and
the circuit breaker inside the transformer will prevent power from being applied to the track until that
short circuit is removed.
Remove the locomotive and all cars from the track. With no trains on the track check to see if the LED
is illuminated. If it is not illuminated, disconnect the track one piece at a time until the LED comes
on. If the problem is a section of track, the LED will illuminate when that section of track is removed
from the layout.
Now disconnect the barrel jack from the terminal section and place only one car on the track once
the car is on the track reconnect the barrel jack into the terminal section. The LED should be illu-
minated, if it does illuminate, disconnect it again and place another car on the track. Repeat this
process until the entire train, including the locomotive, is on the track.
Problem: One or more of the illuminated cars will not light.
Resolution:
The lamps in your trains are designed for easy replacement in the event they burn out over time. It is
possible that a lamp can become disconnected in transit; as such we suggest you first check the lamp
in its socket to ensure it is seated properly.
The lamps inside the cars and locomotive get their power from the rails. There are two wires con-
nected to the trucks on each illuminated car. One wire connects to the center rail collector (roller),
and one wire attaches to a contact for the axles that ride on the outside rails. Because the trucks are
able to pivot back and forth, it is possible that one or both of these wires may become disconnected
from these contacts and short out when they touch one another. The wires can be reconnected by hav-
ing an adult solder them to their contacts. You may want to take the item to a local Factory Trained
Authorized Lionel Service Station for this repair.
Problem: The train cars will not stay coupled to one another.
Resolution:
The couplers on each car come equipped with an uncoupling plunger, which allows you to uncouple
the cars using an Uncoupling Section. These plungers have a pin which holds the knuckle closed,
sometimes the plunger will need to be bent upwards slightly to ensure the pin holds the knuckle shut.
Use a pair of needle-nosed pliers to bend the plunger upwards slightly. This operation is shown in the
illustration below.
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