LionChief Controller

Script for controlling a LionChief train via Bluetooth

About

LionChief trains can be controlled via Bluetooth(BLE, not classic) from a smart phone using the LionChief app.

Android has a bluetooth snooping feature. Using this with Wireshark, I was able to figure out which GATT/ATT handle and value pairs to use to change speed, make noise, and more.

All basic commands use handle 0x25 (UUID 08590f7e-db05-467e-8757-72f6faeb13d4). Each command starts with 0x00, and ends with a checksum. Interestingly, the train doesn't seem to actually -check- the checksum, but it's possibly logged somewhere? I included the checksum calculation in the LionChief class, anyway.

Commands (excluding checksum and leading zero)

Horn start: 48 01
Horn stop : 48 00
Bell start: 47 01
Bell stop : 47 00
Speech : 4d XX 00
Set speed : 45 <00-1f>
Forward : 46 01
Reverse : 46 02
Disconnect: 4b 0 0
Set master volume: 4b <00-07>
Set steam chuff volume: 4c <00-07>
Set horn volume/pitch: 44 01 <00-0f> <fe-02>
Set bell volume/pitch: 44 02 <00-0f> <fe-02>
Set speech volume/pitch: 44 03 <00-0f> <fe-02>
Set engine volume/pitch: 44 04 <00-0f> <fe-02>
Set lights off: 51 00
Set lights on: 51 01

If the first parameter of the speech command is 0, the saying will be random. Otherwise each value corresponds to a specific saying. Not sure what the second parameter does.

Troubleshooting

• Note that the speaker for at least some (if not all) Lionel trains is in the tender; if it's not hooked up, the train will not make any sounds
• Some values like pitch are signed. Negative values are represented in 2's compliment

Usage

Demo usage can be found in demo.py. Make sure to change the MAC address

Requirements

Tested with Python 3.9. Not expected to work outside Linux
pygatt
pybluez

Helpful Links for Future Projects

The Practical Guide to Hacking BLE
How to sniff Bluetooth traffic on Andorid
About ATT and GATT

License

MIT