RailKing 30-1151-1 4-8-4 FEF Northern Steam Engine Operating instructions
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R AIL K ING
B y M T H E lectr ic T r ains
®
RAILKING NORTHERN
STEAM ENGINE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for purchasing the RailKing die-cast Northern steam locomotive. The engine’s die-cast body and tender are traditionally sized for operation on any O-27 or larger layout. The engine is compatible with any standard AC transformer, (see page 34 for a complete list of compatible transformers and wiring instructions) and is completely compatible with most other 3-rail locomotives, rolling stock and accessories.
The locomotive and tender are equipped with either an electronic whistle or the ProtoSound® digital sound and train control system which contains several deluxe features that are simple and fun to operate. Each feature is described among the following pages which should be read before the engine is operated. For those of you who can’t wait to get started, the
Quick Start Basic Operating Instructions found on pages 3 and 4 should be read so that you understand the basics of the operating system. Please note that some features are only found in the ProtoSound® equipped engines and are marked as such. Features not marked as ProtoSound® features are available in both versions.
Table Of Contents
QUICK START - BASIC OPERATION(All 3-Rail Models)
PROTOSMOKE™ UNIT OPERATION
PROTOSOUNDS® OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
ProtoSound® DCRU® Reverse Unit Operation (All 3-Rail Models)
Whistle Operation
Bell Operation
ProtoCoupler Operation
Enhanced Neutral Steam Sounds
Squeaking Brake Sounds
Tips On Using The Squeaking Brake Sounds
Freight Yard Sounds (FYS)
Activating and Triggering Freight Yard Sounds
Tips On Using FYS Features
Self-Recharging Battery Backup System
Replacing The ProtoSound® Battery
ProtoSound® Volume Adjustment
USING “RESET" TO PROGRAM PROTOSOUNDS™
Entering RESET Options
Setting The Engine Volume
Programming For A Separate Bell Button Controller
Programming For Squeaking Brake Operation
Programming For Whistle In Neutral Operation
Programming For ProtoCoupler Operation
Programming For FYS Operation
Activating Remote Lockout Control
ResettingAll ProtoSound® Options To Factory Default
REVERSE UNIT LOCK-OUT OPERATION
Locking The Engine Into Forward or Reverse
Unlocking The Engine
Locking The Engine Into Neutral
OIL & LUBRICATION INSTRUCTIONS
TRACTION TIRE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS
LIGHT BULB REMOVAL & REPLACEMENT
TROUBLE SHOOTING PROTOSOUND® PROBLEMS
ProtoSound® RESET Feature Chart
Transformer Wiring Chart
SERVICE AND WARRANTY INFORMATION
HOW TO GET SERVICE
LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
QUICK START - BASIC OPERATION
The RailKing Northern contains state-of-the art electronics with several built-in automatic features for incredibly realistic operation. Despite these advanced features, the Northern is easy to operate with any compatible standard AC transformer (see the compatibility chart on page 34). All models are equipped with an operating smoke system that should be primed
with smoke fluid before operating. Adding 15 - 20 drops of fluid through the smoke stack should be sufficient. If you choose to not prime the units
with fluid, turn the smoke unit switch located under the trailing truck to
the OFF position. (See Figure 1) This will prevent any damage from occurring to the smoke unit when running the engine without a primed smoke unit. For more information see the section on page 4 on Smoke Unit operation.
The Northern model is controlled by a ProtoSound® DCRU® electronic reverse unit. The reverse unit operates in the same manner that all reverse units function by using forward, neutral and reverse states that are entered each time the throttle is turned on and off or by using the transformer direction switch (if so equipped).
Plug Tender Plug Into
Boiler Socket At Back Of Cab
Figure 1: Plugging in the tender harness
The reverse unit is designed to ignore dirty track, dead spots on switches
Neutral or minor short circuits without disrupting the engine operation,
RESET Forward Reverse
Neutral even at slow, prototypical speeds.
Before the engine can be operated
Figure 2: ProtoSound® DCRU® Cycle Phases however, the reverse unit plug that extends out of the tender must be inserted into the receptacle at the back of the boiler cab as seen in Figure 1.
Once the plug is inserted, the throttle on the transformer can be advanced.
You will see that only the engine’s lights come on and that on ProtoSound equipped engines, two dings from the sound system will chime followed by the steam compressor pump sounds. The engine does not run. This is known as the RESET state and is explained in more detail beginning on
Page 6. The ProtoSound® DCRU® will not power the motor until the throttle is turned OFF and then ON again. At this point, the engine will now function just like any other electronic or mechanical E-unit.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
PROTOSMOKE™ UNIT OPERATION
The Northern contains a self-powered smoke unit that outputs a steady stream of smoke through the smoke stack on the roof of the engine. The ON/OFF switch located next to the trailing truck must be in the ON position in order for the smoke unit to function. See Fig.
3 below.
The smoke unit is essentially a small heating element and wick which soaks up and then cooks" a mineral oil-based fluid that omits a harmless smoke.
The smoke is then forced out of the stack via a small electric fan which runs at a constant speed. However, the smoke intensity can be varied by increasing the transformer voltage setting. The higher the setting, the more intense the smoke output.
For best results, we recommend that you add 15 -
20 drops of ProtoSmoke, Seuthe, LGB or LVTS fluid before you run the engine. If you dont choose to add the fluid, then the smoke unit switch should
Smoke Unit
On/Off Switch Location
Figure 3: Smoke Unit Switch be turned off. Failure to either add the fluid or turn the switch off could lead to damage to the smoke unit heating element and or wicking. Add the fluid through the smoke stack hole. After adding the fluid, gently blow into the stack to eliminate any air bubbles. Do not overfill the unit as overfilling can cause the fluid to leak out and coat the interior engine components.
When the smoke output begins to diminish while running the engine, an additional 10-15 drops of smoke fluid should be added or the smoke unit switch should be turned off. When storing the engine for long periods of time, you may want to add at least 15 drops of fluid to keep the wick soaked with fluid and prevent it from drying out. After removing the engine from storage, it is advisable to add another 25 drops of fluid, letting the wick soak up the fluid for 15 minutes prior to operation.
MAINTENANCE
CAUTION:
Operating the engine without smoke fluid and with the smoke unit switch in the ON position can damage your smoke unit wick, causing the wick to become hard, blackened and unabsorbant around the heating element. When this occurs, it may be difficult for the wick to soak up the smoke fluid resulting in poor or no smoke output. If that occurs, we recommend that you inspect and/or replace the wick taking care to not run the engine without fluid in the future. You can inspect the wick to see if it needs replacement by removing the smoke unit inspection cover from the body as seen in Fig.4. After removing the chassis and inspection cover screws lift the inspection plate away and inspect the wick. If the wick is darkly discolored and hard, it should be replaced.
Smoke Unit
Circuit Board
Mounting Screws
Smoke Unit Frame
Mounting Screws
Figure 4: Inspecting The Smoke Unit
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
PROTOSOUNDS® INSTRUCTIONS
The MTH ProtoSound® digital sound and train control system provides the operator with unprecedented realistic operation on your model railroad.
In addition to actual Northern engine, CD-equivalent 16-bit digital sounds, you get the following features:
*
Built-In ProtoSound® DCRU® Reverse Unit * Authentic Steam Whistle Sound*
Authentic Steam Bell Sound* Squeaking Brake Sound* Freight Yard Sounds*
Operating Remote Controlled ProtoCoupler™* Self-Recharging Battery Back-
Up System With Automatic Battery Shut-Off* Remotely Controlled Reverse Unit
Lock-Out* Remotely Adjustable Steam Engine Chuffing Volume* Authentic
Steam Engine Neutral Sounds*
Each feature is described among the following pages. Though the system is easy to use, we encourage you to read the instructions thoroughly.
PROTOSOUND® DCRU® REVERSE UNIT
As mentioned in the Basic Operating section, the engine is controlled by a
ProtoSound® DCRU® reverse unit that contains the standard forwardneutral-reverse states found on most reverse units. However, as described earlier, when power is first applied to the track, the reverse unit begins in
RESET or what seems like a neutral state. Power must be interrupted again to get the locomotive to enter the forward state. It is this first RESET state that gives ProtoSound® its unique, remote controlled functions. The system will enter RESET whenever power to the track is off for three or more seconds. NEUTRAL will be referred to as the state between Forward and Reverse.
ProtoSounds® is equipped with a microprocessor, that, depending on the amount of memory it is allotted, allows the user to utilize several remotely activated functions. In the simplest terms, ProtoSounds® has its own
“Computer" controlling these functions. In fact, the power of this microprocessor is the same as that of a 286 desktop computer! In order to access many of these remotely controlled functions, the user must be in the
RESET state to do so. RESET is entered anytime power to the locomotive has been off for more than 3 to 5 seconds. When the engine first enters
RESET, the microprocessor initiates a system check to determine if the system, transformer and engine are operating correctly. This takes approximately 2.2 seconds during which you will hear the engine’s compressor sounds begin. In order for ProtoSounds® to properly initiate
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
the system check, do not advance the transformer throttle past 10 volts when you first enter RESET, wait for the compressor sounds to begin and then slowly turn the transformer throttle to the off position and then back on again to enter the forward phase. Interrupting the power too quickly may cause the system to re-enter RESET (signaled by two dings of the bell).
Should this happen, wait longer before interrupting the power to enter the
Forward phase.
ProtoSounds® comes with several programmable functions, including remote Steam Chuffing Volume Adjustment, Separate Bell Button
Operation (pre-programmed at the factory), Whistle In Neutral Operation,
ProtoCoupler™ On/Off Control, Squeaking Brakes and Passenger Station or Freight Yard Proto-Effects. Each of these features are described in more detail later. You will notice that when in RESET, your engine will not respond to the whistle button with a horn blast or continuous bell ringing.
In fact, when in RESET and the whistle button is depressed, only one single bell chime will be heard each time the whistle button is pressed. If you don’t want to configure or change your locomotive using any of these programmable features, simply leave RESET and wait 2.2 seconds before interrupting the power to put the engine in forward. After you leave
RESET, your engine will operate normally in all the direction states of forward, neutral and reverse. Remember though, once power is turned off for more than 3 seconds, the next time power is applied to the track, your engine will be back in RESET.
WHISTLE OPERATION
Your Northern ProtoSound® equipped engine is equipped with a digital recording of a steam whistle. The whistle sound can be activated anytime the engine is in forward or reverse by pressing the whistle button on your transformer. The whistle will continue to blow as long as the whistle button is depressed. The whistle will not function in RESET and must be configured through a RESET option to allow the whistle to work when the engine is in neutral. See page 21 for information on whistle programming in the Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds® section of this manual.
BELL OPERATION
Your Northern ProtoSound® equipped engine is equipped with a digital recording of an actual steam engine bell. The bell can be turned on or off with any separate bell button, like the Lionel® Railsounds® No. 5906 Bell
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
Button, by simply pushing the button. If you don’t have a separate bell button, the bell can be controlled through your transformer’s whistle button whenever the engine is in NEUTRAL. The bell will never ring continuously in RESET (Remember NEUTRAL is the state between
Forward and Reverse). Once the bell is turned on, it will continue to ring when the engine is cycled into forward or reverse until you press the bell button or re-enter NEUTRAL and turn the bell off with the whistle button.
In fact, because of ProtoSounds® state-of-the-art design, the microprocessor remembers its last command. Therefore, unless you turn the bell off before you quit running your train, the next time you run the engine, the bell will come on. No matter whether you come back an hour later or a year later, the bell will begin chiming once the engine enters one of the three directional states.
To turn the bell on using the transformer’s whistle button, turn on power to the track and cycle the engine into NEUTRAL. Turn the throttle to 8 volts or less (any higher voltage will arm the ProtoCoupler™) and press the whistle button. The bell should begin chiming. To turn the bell off, press the whistle button again. If you want to keep the bell on while running the engine, simply interrupt the power with the transformer throttle or the transformer directional switch and enter forward or reverse.
PROTO-COUPLER™ OPERATION
Your Northern ProtoSound® equipped locomotive tender is equipped with a coil-wound ProtoCoupler™ for remote uncoupling action. Because the
ProtoCoupler™ is controlled through ProtoSounds® microprocessor, it doesn’t require an uncoupling track section or modification to your layout to function.
The three simple steps below are required to operate the coupler.
1. Put your engine in NEUTRAL and turn the throttle all the way up.
2. Press the transformer whistle button to “Arm" the coupler. (You will hear a “Clank").
3. After arming the coupler, press the whistle button again to open the coupler.
Put Engine In Neutral
At Full Power
H
Listen For The
Ca-Clunk Sound
Ca-Clunk
H
See The Coupler Open
And Listen For The
Cha-Chusshh Sound
Cha-Chussshhh
Press & Release
The Whistle Button
Press & Release
The Whistle Button
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
When the knuckle fires open you will hear the buzzing of the coil energizing and the sound of the air lines coming apart. It can best be described as a CHA-CHUSHHH sound. The coupler doesn’t have to be fired in NEUTRAL. Once the coupler is armed it can be fired in Forward, Neutral or Reverse.
However, you may find that the coupler doesn’t open when firing the coupler at high speeds. Reduce the voltage setting on your transformer if this occurs and run your engine at a slower speed before firing the coupler. If the coupler continues to open erratically, try lubricating the knuckle with light oil as indicated in Fig. 5.
Lubricate
Coupler
Knuckle
Figure 5: Lubricating The ProtoCouplers
ENHANCED NEUTRAL STEAM SOUNDS
The enhanced Neutral Sounds can be automatically heard whenever the engine is in neutral. The sounds, which include Steam Pop-Off, Steam
Blow-Down, and Steam Injector sounds occur every 2 to 30 seconds. Each of the three sequences will play at random intervals to eliminate repetitive and boring sequences. While the sounds are selected to play randomly by the microprocessor, there is no guarantee that you won’t hear the same message repeated twice or more times.
SQUEAKING BRAKE SOUNDS
ProtoSound® equipped engines feature the ability to play the sound of squeaking brakes whenever your engine slows in speed. There are two settings for activating the squeaking brake sounds. The default setting allows the brake sounds to play while the engine is in forward or reverse and the transformer throttle is lowered from a high setting to a low setting
(14 volts to 8 volts or less). The second setting requires that a bell
Throttle Down From
High Voltage To Low
Listen For The
Squeaking Brake Sounds button be used to “arm” the brake feature and is explained in
Squeeek more detail in the “Activating
Freight Yard Sounds” section
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
found later in this manual. The sound itself is a stored record on the
ProtoSounds® software chip and will always play the same brake sound for the same three second length each time the voltage is reduced from high to low. Some practice may be required to synchronize the playing of the brake sounds with the movement of the engine. It is not uncommon for the engine to stop before the brake sound is completed. Operators will find that by coordinating the movement of the throttle setting from 8 volts to off will allow the engine to maintain its movement while the brake sounds play.
Note: The brake sounds will not be heard if the transformer throttle is not set above 14 volts and/or not reduced below 8 volts.
TIPS ON USING THE SQUEAKING BRAKE FEATURE
Because the squeaking brake feature always plays for approximately 3 seconds, it is possible that the brake sounds will play longer or shorter than what visually seems prototypical. You will find that by practicing with the brake feature, you can quickly determine how quickly to throttle down and what speeds and voltage settings give you the most prototypical braking effect.
Typical users will find the feature to be a very realistic way to simulate the sound of an engine slowing down for curves, crossings or coming to a stop at a station, side track or switch yard. As mentioned above, you will find that initially your engine may continue to play the brake sounds once your engine comes to a stop or that the sounds stop prematurely before the engine comes to a complete halt. For example, if you simply run the engine and turn the throttle off quickly, the brake sounds will likely continue playing even though the engine has come to a complete stop. This annoying effect can be eliminated by simply practicing with the brake feature. In no time, you will quickly learn how to feather" the throttle to keep the engine moving while the brake sounds play and then turning the throttle off just as the sounds stop. Remember that once you stop the engine, you should turn the throttle to the off position if you dont want to activate the Freight Yard Sounds feature described later in this manual.
The ProtoSound squeaking brake feature also has the ability to simulate the squeal of wheel flanges when your train enters a curve at high speeds. The same brake squealing sound plays, but you dont need to reduce the transformer throttle to activate the squealing sounds. To play the squeaking sounds as wheel flange sounds, trigger the brake feature using either method 1 or 2 above.
Once triggered set the transformer throttle setting at 14 volts or higher. As your engine enters a curve (or anywhere on the layout) quickly flick" your transformer whistle button about half way. This flicking" action causes the transformer to release a short DC signal that ProtoSounds reads as an indicator to activate the brake sounds. The engine wont slow down even though the sounds play. This simulates the wheel flange squeal of a train travelling through a turn too quickly.
Note: Consistent activation of the wheel flange squealing is determined by the condition of your transformers whistle button rectifier disc. Older rectifier discs may need to be replaced in order to play squeaking sounds.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
FREIGHT YARD SOUNDS (FYS)
ProtoSounds® comes equipped with operator controlled Freight Yard
Sounds, hereby referred to as FYS. This easy to use feature plays digitally reproduced freight yard sounds whenever your engine stops on your layout and is parked in the Neutral position. No additional wires or modifications are needed on your layout to enjoy these amazing sound effects. The sounds themselves are randomly generated and randomly “shuffled” on the
ProtoSounds® software chip. This gives the system the ability to produce different sounds in a different order each time FYS is enabled. These different sounds are heard each time you cycle the transformer throttle from
ON to OFF to ON in the same manner that you would cycle the throttle to enter the various states of Forward, Neutral and Reverse. The entire FYS sequence is designed to simulate the arrival, loading or unloading and departure of a freight train in a freight yard. Each sequence is described in more detail in the following sections.
ARMING & ACTIVATING FREIGHT YARD SOUNDS
Your ProtoSound® equipped engine features an operator controlled freight yard sound set. Once activated, this easy-to-use feature plays the sound of freight yard activities whenever the operator places the engine in the
Neutral position.
ARMING THE FREIGHT YARD FEATURE
Before freight yard sounds can be heard, ProtoSounds® must activate the feature so that the next time the engine enters the Neutral position, the sounds can play. The Feature can be activated one of two ways.
Option 1: If you are using a separate bell button controller to ring your bell
(like the Lionel® Railsounds® number 5906 bell activation button or a transformer equipped with a bell button, like the MTH Z-4000), you can activate the Feature by holding down the bell button for three or more seconds (it doesn’t matter if you are in
Forward, Netural or
Reverse). You will hear
Put Engine In Neutral,
Forward or Reverse
Listen For The
Start Of The Bell Sound
Ding,
Ding
Psshhee the bell chiming turn on and if you listen carefully, you should
Press & Hold
The Railsounds® Bell Button
For 3 Seconds
Listen For The
Air Release Sound
After 3 Seconds
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
hear an air release sound effect after three seconds have passed at which time you can release the bell button. (Note: because the air release sound may be difficult to hear, we recommend that you count out a full three seconds before releasing the bell button
). The bell will continue to chime so if you want to turn off the bell chiming, simply press and release the bell button a second time. If you were in Neutral when you triggered the
Feature, interrupt the throttle to enter either Forward or Reverse to allow the engine to begin running. (Note: the Feature will only be activated for the first direction state you enter after leaving the Neutral position. You cannot interrupt the throttle to enter another direction state and still have the
Feature remain active.
) Once your engine begins running, you can trigger the sounds to begin playing whenever you enter Neutral.
Option 2: If you do not have a separate bell button on your layout (or transformer), you can still activate the Feature with your transformer whistle button. To activate the Feature utilizing this method, turn on the transformer throttle and get your engine into the Neutral position (not
RESET). Once in Neutral, set the transformer throttle at 8 volts or less and press and hold the whistle button for at least three seconds. You will hear the bell chiming turn on and if you listen carefully, you should hear an airrelease sound effect after three seconds have passed at which time you can release the whistle button. (Note: because the air release sound may be difficult to hear, we recommend that you count out a full three seconds before releasing the whistle button
). The bell will continue to chime so if you want to turn off the bell chiming, simply press and release the whistle button a second time.
Next, interrupt the throttle
Put Engine In Neutral
At Low Power
Listen For The
Start Of The Bell Sound
Ding,
Ding
Psshhee to enter either Forward or
Reverse to allow the engine
H to begin running. (Note: the Feature will only be activated for the first direction state you enter
Press & Hold
The Whistle Button
For 3 Seconds
Listen For The
Air Release Sound
After 3 Seconds after leaving the Neutral position. You cannot interrupt the throttle to enter another direction state and still have the Feature remain active.
) Once your engine begins running, you can trigger the sounds to begin playing whenever you enter Neutral.
ACTIVATING FREIGHT YARD SOUNDS
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
Once the Feature is activated, FYS will be played the next time the engine enters the Neutral position. In order for FYS to begin, power must remain on once the engine enters the Neutral position. At this point, ProtoSounds® has taken over control of your engine and disabled the bell and whistle buttons from any further operator actions. In addition, ProtoSounds® has reconfigured the way the reverse unit functions by disabling the reverse state during operation of the FYS feature. This forces the engine to leave your freight yard in the same direction it arrived in. The following operator controlled “events” control FYS’s actions and sounds.
Event 1 (Forward)
While the locomotive is running in forward (or reverse) FYS is activated by the operator pushing and holding the bell button down for three or more seconds. The locomotive bell begins chiming and can be left on or turned off without disabling FYS.
Event 2 (Neural Before Reverse)
The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle to stop the engine and put it into Neutral. If the throttle setting was at 14 volts or higher , ProtoSounds® will play the sound of squeaking brake sounds as the engine comes to a halt.
A. Upon stopping of the engine, the operator must immediately turn the throttle back on to keep the engine in the Neutral position. If the bell was not turned off after activating FYS, it now turns off automatically.
Note:
Failure to turn the throttle back on within 3 seconds of leaving the Forward phase will disable FYS and shutdown
ProtoSounds®. The next time you turn power back on your engine will be in the RESET position. See page 6 for more information on RESET.
Put Engine In Neutral
At Low Power
B. After entering Neutral, ProtoSounds® will immediately play an air release sound followed approximately 2 seconds later by
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
a man whistling and a freight car door sliding open.
Immediately following the man’s whistle, the sound of freight car doors can be heard opening, followed by the sounds of freight loading and unloading. At this point various freight yard sounds can be heard including the loading/unloading operation, engine sounds, yardman
“slang”, and additional freight car door sounds.
Listen For Air Release Sound
And Yard Man Whistling
Psshhhee
Event 3: (Reverse)
The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle again to enter the next reverse unit phase; reverse. In an effort to enhance realism, FYS has disabled the reverse phase so that it doesn’t power the motors causing the engine to move backward. Upon entering reverse, FYS confirms to the operator that it has entered the reverse phase by immediately playing a highlight sound best described as a rumbling sound. You may have to go through the entire FYS sequence several times before you can clearly identify this sound. After the rumbling highlight is played, the freight yard sounds heard in Event 2 continue to play randomly.
Interrupt Throttle To
Enter The Next Phase
Listen For Rumbling
Box Car Door Sound
Rummmb llle
Event 4: (Neutral Before Forward)
The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle again to enter the next reverse unit phase, neutral before forward. FYS confirms to the operator that it has entered the neutral before forward phase by emitting two quick air release sounds. This is followed approximately two seconds later by a man whistling and continued freight yard loading and unloading sounds.
Interrupt Throttle To
Enter The Next Phase
Psshee
, Psshhee
Event 5: (Forward)
The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle again to enter the next reverse unit phase; Forward.
FYS confirms to the operator that it has entered the Forward phase by playing the
Listen For 2
Air Release Sounds
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
sound of the freight car door closing. Within 2 seconds of the door closing, the locomotive bell begins chiming. After approximately 8 chimes of the bell, the engine begins moving in the forward phase with the bell continuing to ring another 8 chimes before automatically turning off. Once the bell turns off, the operator regains control of the transformer whistle and bell buttons and can ring the bell or blow the whistle as usual.
Interrupt Throttle To
Enter The Next Phase
Clunnkkk
Note:
When entering the Forward phase of Listen For The Sound
Of Box Door Closing
FYS, it is important to set the transformer throttle at a high enough setting that will allow the engine to begin moving once FYS automatically activates the motors. Otherwise the engine will just sit still until you increase the transformer throttle setting on the transformer. However, don’t set the throttle setting too high or the engine will go racing away faster than you might expect.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
TIPS ON USING FYS FEATURES
FYS is a unique feature of ProtoSounds that is completely controlled by the operator. You decide how, when or if you want to utilize the feature. By reviewing the following tips, you should find solutions or suggestions to the various operating scenarios you might encounter when using FYS.
Tip #1: You can escape the FYS sequence by interrupting the transformer throttle before the man whistles in Event 2 (neutral before reverse).
Tip #2: You can terminate FYS at anytime by turning the transformer throttle
Off for 15 seconds.
Tip #3: You do not have to be in the Forward phase to utilize FYS. For example, if you activate the FYS feature while in Reverse and interrupt the throttle to enter Neutral, you will be entering Neutral Before Forward rather than Neutral Before Reverse as defined in Event 2 above. Consequently, the
Forward phase will be rendered inactive by ProtoSounds instead of the
Reverse phase as explained in Event 3. This will allow your train to leave the yard in the same reverse direction that it arrived in.
Tip #4: You can utilize FYS even if you are double-heading with another engine regardless of whether the second engine is equipped with an FYS programmed ProtoSound module. If the second engine isnt equipped with
FYS, the only thing to remember is that you not turn up the transformer throttle very high when entering the Reverse phase found in Event 3. If the throttle is set too high, then the second locomotive will begin vibrating on the track as its motors will be turning in the reverse state since they cannot be disabled automatically like FYS equipped engines. If your second engine is equipped with FYS, you may want to disable it when used in double-headed operations.
To disable FYS, see the section on programming for squeaking brakes and FYS operation on page 15 of this manual.
Tip #5: It is not necessary for the squeaking brake sounds to be heard to play the FYS sounds. For example, the brake sounds wont be heard if the high voltage setting is below 13 volts when the power is interrupted to enter the
Neutral state.
Tip #6: You can leave any of the event states at any time after entering the state by simply interrupting the transformer throttle. Any sound effects programmed to play in that event will simply not occur. The only exception is
Event 2 and Event 5. In Event 2, interrupting the throttle has no effect on FYS until after the man whistles and the freight car doors have opened. In Event 5, you cannot interrupt FYS until after the engine begins to move. Interrupting the throttle before the engine begins to move has no affect on the locomotives operation.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
SELF-RECHARGING BATTERY BACKUP
ProtoSounds® state-of-the-art design includes a self-recharging battery backup system for improved performance at any speed. The battery ensures that power to the sound system will remain on during directional changes, setting RESET options or when travelling over dirty track and switches.
The self-recharging battery backup system is automatically turned on or off whenever track power is turned on or are off. There no switches needed to enjoy the benefits of the automatic battery backup system.
ProtoSounds® contains a warning alarm if the battery backup system fails to automatically disengage when track power is turned off. Should the backup system fail, you will hear a repeating whistle blast indicating this has occurred. Should this happen, unplug the battery from the ProtoSound module (to prevent the battery from being run down) and contact MTH for instructions on returning the tender for repair.
REPLACING THE PROTOSOUND® BATTERY
The ProtoSound® battery (located in the tender body, is a special NiCad
7-cell, 8.4v battery - NOT the 6-cell, 7.2v battery found in most convenience stores. The 6-cell NiCad is NOT recommended for use with
ProtoSound® applications. The battery is continually charged from the track when power is applied and should last for up to five years. In addition, the NiCad battery is a dry battery and should not leak or cause any damage to your locomotive during its lifetiem.
If you notice that the sounds seem distorted or garbled at low voltages or become silent when power from the transformer is shut off, the battery may be going bad. Before replacing the battery, you should put the engine in
NEUTRAL and leave the transformer throttle set at about 12 volts for 15 minutes. This should temporarily recharge the battery. If the garbled or distorted sounds are reduced, then your battery charge has worn down. You can give your battery a full charge by leaving the engine ON in the
NEUTRAL position for 18 hours. (Make sure the smoke unit switch is in the OFF position to prevent harm to the smoke unit wicking).
If you need to replace the battery, replacement ProtoSound® batteries are available from MTH ProtoSound Electronics at 7020 Columbia Gateway
Drive, Columbia, MD 21046. A standard 9v alkaline battery can be
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
substituted as a temporary fix, but since alkaline batteries can’t take a charge, it will eventually wear down. Regardless, it should give you a week to a couple of months use while you wait for your replacement
ProtoSound® battery to arrive.
PROTOSOUND® VOLUME ADJUSTMENT
Your ProtoSound® system has two types of volume adjustment. A manual turn knob on the bottom of the chassis (See Fig. 6 below) allows you to control all the sounds in the system and a remote control “RESET" option (Option # 6), allows you to control the volume level of the engine sounds remotely from the transformer. Turning the volume adjustment knob clockwise will increase the volume and counterclockwise will lower the volume of all sounds; bell, horn, engine sounds, Cab Chatter, etc. For information on operating the RESET volume adjustment option, see the section entitled “Programming ProtoSound RESET Options” on the following pages.
Figure 6: Adjusting The ProtoSound® Volume
ProtoSound
Volume Adjustment Knob
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
USING “RESET" TO PROGRAM
PROTOSOUNDS®
As mentioned earlier, there are several programmable options in each
ProtoSound-equipped engine that can be remotely set from any compatible standard AC transformer equipped with a whistle button. For a list of compatible transformers, see the chart on page 34. This hands-off approach gives you unprecedented control of your railroad empire’s motive power never before seen in model railroading. Each programmable feature can be accessed whenever your engine is in the RESET state as described earlier on page 5. By following the instructions below you will find the programming easy and straight forward.
ENTERING RESET OPTIONS
ProtoSound® is equipped with a few programmable features that are accessed in the RESET state by moving the transformer throttle up and down between full voltage and low voltage (6 to 8 volts) without shutting the transformer off completely. Each time this is done you advance, one feature at a time, through the available options. An air-release sound is heard each time the throttle is advanced. In addition, there are special sounds to tell you what RESET position you are in.
For example, if you want to select Feature 2, you put the engine in
RESET, and move the throttle up and down from full throttle to low two times. After the second advance, you will hear two “clinks" indicating that the computer is now in Feature 2. Advance the throttle again and you will hear three “clinks" for Feature 3. Advance it two more times and you will hear a “clank" indicating that you are now in
Feature 5. Advance the throttle two more times
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
2 Times Clink,
Clink
Advance The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
4 More Times
Clank,
Clink and you will hear a
“clank" and two “clinks" indicating Feature 7. ((5 throttle advancements = 1
Listen For The
2 Clink Sounds
Listen For 1 Clank
And 1 Clink Sounds clank) + (2 throttle advancements = 2 clinks)). “Clank + “Clink" + “Clink" = Feature 7. You can advance the throttle as quickly as you like (though you may not hear the air-release sounds) and the computer will still remember the number of
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
times the throttle is advanced by playing back the number of “Clinks" and
“Clanks" to confirm the feature you’ve selected.
SETTING THE ENGINE VOLUME
Of all the sounds that come with each ProtoSound® equipped locomotive, the one most often turned down is that of the engine volume because it is the one sound normally heard whenever the engine is running and is what usually can become tiresome to the ear over prolonged running sessions.
The volume adjustment is controlled through RESET Feature 6.
To access the feature, advance the transformer throttle to put the engine in
RESET. Move the throttle up and down, as described on page 5, 6 times.
After you hear the “clank" and “clink" indicating that you are in Feature 6, press the whistle button to select the engine volume level you desire.
Pushing the whistle button once will give you full volume, which is the factory setting. Pushing the whistle button a second time will give you 50% volume, pushing it a third time will give you 25% volume and pushing it a fourth time will give you no sound. The microprocessor will immediately play the sound level each time the whistle button is pushed so that you can decide if it is acceptable. You can recycle through the four choices by simply continuing to press the whistle button.
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
6 Times Clank,
Clink
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Reach The
Setting You Desire
Once you have decided on the appropriate volume level, turn the
Listen For 1 Clank
And 1 Clink Sounds
H
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The Volume Setting transformer throttle off and on again or press the transformer direction switch to lock in your selection. The volume adjustment will remain set at the level you have chosen until you change it again. Regardless of the engine volume setting, the horn, bell, compressor and neutral sounds will function normally. In fact because only the engine volume is affected by selections in Feature 6, when you select 0 volume, you can still hear the horn, bell and neutral sounds when the engine is running or in neutral.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
PROGRAMMING FOR A SEPARATE BELL BUTTON
CONTROLLER
To operate ProtoSounds® with a separate bell button controller, like the Lionel® No. 5906 bell button, you will need to wire up the controller to your transformer and track as shown
Common
U
A
U
B
U
C
U
D in Fig. 7. Once the button is wired, ProtoSounds® comes preprogrammed to allow you to operate the bell by simply
RED Wire
BLACK Wire
Figure 7: Wiring Up A Bell Button pushing the bell button once.
To turn the bell off, push the button again. If the bell doesn’t function when you press the button, you may need to re-program ProtoSounds® to operate with a separate bell button controller. To do this enter RESET and go to Feature 20. (See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds®on page 18.) Once in
Feature 20, press the whistle button and wait for the module to sound a bell ding(s). Continue pushing the whistle button until the module
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
20 Times Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Clank
Clank,
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear 2 Dings plays back two dings
(signifying that the
H module has been programmed for a bell
Listen For 5 Clank
And 0 Clink Sounds
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The Bell Button Setting button). Simply turn the throttle off and then on again to “Lock-In" the new setting. To reset the computer to its original factory (default) setting (separate bell button operation), repeat the above procedure but keep pushing the whistle button until the computer only responds with one bell ding.
PROGRAMMING FOR SQUEAKING BRAKE
OPERATION
ProtoSounds® can be programmed for squeaking brake operation in three different manners; (1)Squeaking brakes can be activated by bell button control, (2)they can be programmed for continuous operation subject to throttle changes or (3)they can be programmed to be turned off. The default setting is (2) Squeaking brakes are in continious operation as described on page 8. To change the default setting, enter RESET and go to Feature 45.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
(See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on page 18).
Once in Feature 45, press the whistle button and wait for the module to sound a bell ding(s). Continue pressing the whistle button until the module plays back three dings for option 3 - Squeaking brakes OFF.. Press the whistle button again until the module plays back one ding for option 1 -
Squeaking brakes activated by bell button. Once you have decided on the desired setting, simply turn the throttle off and then on again to “Lock-
In” the new setting. To reset the computer to its original factory default setting (option 2 squeaking brakes on all the time, repeat the above
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
45 Times Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Etc.
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear The
Appropriate # Of Dings
Listen For 9 Clank
And 0 Clink Sounds
H
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The Brake Setting procedure but keep pushing the whistle button until the module only responds with two bell dings.
PROGRAMMING FOR WHISTLE IN NEUTRAL
OPERATION
If you are operating your engine with a separate bell button and want to blow your whistle when your engine is in neutral, you will need to program
ProtoSounds® to do so as the factory setting only allows the whistle to blow in forward or reverse. To do this, enter RESET and go to Feature 25.
(See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds® on page 18.)
Once in Feature 25, press the transformer whistle button and wait for
ProtoSounds® to sound a bell ding(s). Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds® sounds two bell dings (signifying that ProtoSounds® has been programmed to sound the whistle in neutral).
Turn the throttle off and then on again to “Lock-In" your selection. Now, whenever you are in neutral, you can blow the whistle with the transformer whistle button.
To reset ProtoSounds® to its original factory setting of no
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
25 Times
Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Clank,
Etc.
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear
2 Bell Dings
Listen For 5 Clank
And 0 Clink Sounds
H
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The Whistle Setting
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
horn in neutral, repeat the above procedure but keep pressing the whistle button in Feature 25 until ProtoSounds® only dings once instead of twice.
Note: When Whistle In Neutral" is set, the bell will only operate with a separate bell button and the whistle will not sound in neutral if the transformer throttle setting is over 11 volts. At
11 volts or higher, ProtoSounds® may arm the coil coupler for operation whenever the whistle button is pressed and the engine is in neutral.
PROGRAMMING FOR PROTOCOUPLER OPERATION
ProtoSounds® comes with a RESET feature that allows the operator to remotely turn off the ProtoCoupler™ functions. This is especially useful when double or triple-heading ProtoSound® equipped engines since every engine equipped with a ProtoCoupler™ will fire when prompted to by the operator. By turning off the
ProtoCoupler™ operation on certain engines, you can fire the couplers open on the other engines without
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
10 Times Clank,
Clank
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear
2 Bell Dings uncoupling the engines from each other. To turn the
ProtoCoupler™ function off, enter RESET and go to
Listen For 2 Clank
And 0 Clink Sounds
H
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The Coupler Setting
Feature 10. (See the section on Using RESET To
Program ProtoSounds® on page 18.) Once in Feature 10, press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSound® to sound a bell ding(s). Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds® sounds two bell dings (signifying that the ProtoCoupler™ option has been turned off). Simply turn the transformer throttle off and then on again to lock in the new setting.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
PROGRAMMING FOR SQUEAKING BRAKES AND
FYS OPERATION
ProtoSounds® is equipped with a RESET setting to turn off the Freight
Yard Proto-Effects (FYS) features. This is especially useful if you are double-heading engines that are both equipped with FYS. You may not want to stop at a freight yard and have both engines playing their FYS sound effects. To turn off
FYS, enter RESET and go to Feature 28. (See the section on Using RESET
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
28 Times Clank,
Clank,
Etc.
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear
2 Bell Dings
To Program ProtoSounds® on page 18). Once in
H
Feature 28, press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSounds® to sound a bell ding(s).
Listen For 5 Clank
And 3 Clink Sounds
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The FYS Setting
Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds® sounds two bell dings (signifying that the FYS features have been turned off). Simply turn the transformer throttle OFF and then ON again to lock in the new setting.
To reset ProtoSounds® to its original factory setting of FYS on, repeat the above procedure but keep pressing the whistle button in Feature 28 until
ProtoSounds® only dings once instead of twice.
ACTIVATING REMOTE LOCK-OUT CONTROL
ProtoSound® equipped engines feature a RESET setting that allows the operator to remotely “lock” the engine into forward, neutral or reverse.
This is especially useful on layouts that feature “blocked” track sections.
The lockout feature comes from the factory in the OFF position, meaning it is not active when you first take the engine out of the box. This is done to prevent novice operators from accidentally locking their engine into forward, neutral or reverse and then mistakenly thinking that the
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
40 Times Clank,
Clank,
Etc.
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear
2 Bell Dings engine’s electronics have failed. To activate the
Remote Lockout Control setting, go to RESET eature
40 (See the section entitled
Listen For 8 Clank
And 0 Clink Sounds
H
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The Lock-Out Setting
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds® on page 18). Once in Feature
40, press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSounds® to sound a bell ding. Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds® sounds two bell dings signifying that the Remote Lockout Control has been selected. To lock in the setting, simply turn the throttle all the way off and then back on again.
To turn the Remote Lockout Control setting back off, go back to Feature 40 and press the whistle button until only one bell ding sounds. To lock in the setting, simply turn the transformer throttle off and then back on again. Alternatively, you can go to RESET Feature 18 to reset all ProtoSound® features back to their original factory defaults including
Remote Lockout Control.
RESETTING ALL PROTOSOUND OPTIONS TO
FACTORY DEFAULTS
ProtoSounds® is equipped with a RESET feature (Feature 18) that resets all programmable options back to their original factory settings. This is a useful feature if you find your engine not operating the way you think it should and don’t want to take the time to check each RESET feature one at a time. To reset all the RESET features back to their original factory settings, enter
In RESET Mode
Move The Throttle
Up & Down From
High Voltage To Low
18 Times Clank,
Clank,
Etc.
Push The Whistle Button
Until You Hear
A Warbled Bell Ding
H RESET and go to Feature 18.
(See the section entitled Using
RESET To Program
ProtoSounds® on page 18).
Listen For 3 Clank
And 3 Clink Sounds
Interrupt The Throttle
To “Lock-In”
The RESET Setting
Once in Feature 18, press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSounds® to sound a garbled bell sound, then interrupt the throttle to lock-in the setting.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
REVERSE UNIT LOCK-OUT OPERATION
ProtoSounds® unique design eliminates the need for a lock-out switch on the locomotive by allowing the customer to lock the engine into any directional state (forward, neutral or reverse) from the transformer. This will allow users to run the engine on layouts equipped with block signals or stop stations which would normally cycle the engine back into neutral. The feature must be first turned on by accessing RESET Feature 40 (See page
23).
LOCKING THE ENGINE INTO FORWARD OR
REVERSE
To lock the engine into Forward or Reverse, use the transformer throttle to enter Forward or Reverse (whichever state you want to lock the engine into) and while the engine is moving press the whistle button. WHILE THE
HORN IS BLOWING TURN THE THROTTLE OFF AND THEN LET
GO OF THE WHISTLE BUTTON. After about one second, you will hear a short horn blast. QUICKLY TURN THE THROTTLE BACK ON
AGAIN. Your engine is now locked into Forward or Reverse and it will remain so until you unlock the engine, even if you wait a year to run your engine again.
UNLOCKING THE ENGINE
Unlocking the engine is a similar procedure. WHILE THE ENGINE IS
MOVING, PRESS THE WHISTLE BUTTON. WHILE THE HORN IS
BLOWING, TURN THE THROTTLE OFF AND THEN LET GO OF
THE WHISTLE BUTTON. After three seconds without power you will hear one chime of the RESET bell. TURN ON THE POWER AGAIN.
Your engine is now in RESET and will operate normally once you interrupt power and enter the forward direction.
LOCKING THE ENGINE INTO NEUTRAL
To lock the engine into the NEUTRAL position, PUT THE ENGINE IN
NEUTRAL AND WITH THE THROTTLE STILL ON, PRESS THE
WHISTLE BUTTON. WHILE THE WHISTLE BUTTON IS BEING
PRESSED, TURN OFF THE THROTTLE AND LET GO OF THE
WHISTLE BUTTON. After about one second, you will hear a short blast
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
of the horn. QUICKLY TURN THE POWER BACK ON AGAIN. Your engine is now locked into NEUTRAL.
NOTE
: When locking the engine in the Forward or Reverse positions, the whistle button will blow the whistle. But when locking the engine into the NEUTRAL position, the whistle button may turn on or off sounds of the bell, coupler arming or coupler firing depending on the transformer throttle voltage settings prior to the users attempt to lock out the engine.
Remember, the whistle doesnt blow in NEUTRAL (unless you programmed it to do so using
Feature 25. See page 21 for details), only the bell rings or the coupler operates in NEUTRAL.
While it doesnt make any difference on how the lockout function operates, you may hear one of the three different NEUTRAL-activated sounds.
To unlock the engine from the NEUTRAL position, follow the process to unlock the engine in the Forward or Reverse directions above.
MANUAL REVERSE UNIT LOCKOUT
(Non-ProtoSound® Equipped Engines)
Engines not equipped with ProtoSound® can be manually locked into
Forward, Neutral or Reverse by sliding the lockout switch located on the tender chassis to the OFF position after entering the desired reverse unit state (See Figure 1 on page 3). To operate the engine in automatic mode again, simply slide the switch back to the ON position.
Note: Once the unit is locked out and an hour or more of non-use has past, the reverse unit may cycle into any of the three directional states. Should this occur, the ON/OFF switch should be reset to the ON position to regain normal operation.
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
OIL & LUBRICATION INSTRUCTIONS
In order for the engine to perform correctly and quietly, it is important that the chassis be lubricated before operation. Lubrication should include all side rods and linkage components and pickup rollers to prevent them from
OIL
Grease Truck
Pivot Points
Figure 8: Lubricating The Locomotive Chassis
OIL
Grease Truck
Pivot Points squeaking. Use light household oil and follow the lubrication points marked “L" in Fig. 9 below.
The locomotive’s internal gearing has been greased at the factory and shouldn’t need additional grease until after 50 hours of operation or one year whichever comes first. Grease can be added by inserting grease onto the worm gears inside the locomotive trucks. In order to access these gears, the body must be removed from the chassis by unscrewing the six chassis screws as seen in Figure 10 on page 28. When the body has been removed, the motors must be removed from the trucks by unscrewing the motor mount screws. Once the motors are free from the trucks, grease can then be applied onto the worm and drive gears on both the motors and inside the truck block using a grease dispenser.
Tender Body
Mounting Screws
Tender Body
Mounting Screws
L
Figure 9: Lubricate The Tender Chassis Trucks
L
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RailKing Northern Operating Manual
In addition to the internal gearing, it is a good idea to lubricate the leading and trailing locomotive truck “tongues” to enhance their ability to slide on the chassis. Follow the grease points as seen in Figure 8 on page 27.
Periodically, check the locomotive wheels and pickups for dirt buildup as this can significantly affect the engine’s ability to perform properly. Dirty track and dirty wheels can cause both poor electrical contact as well as poor traction, especially on elevated track sections. Finally, dirt and oil build up can prematurely wear out the neoprene traction tires.
TRACTION TIRE REPLACEMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
Your locomotive is equipped with two neoprene rubber traction tires on the rear set of flanged drivers. While these tires are extremely durable and long-lasting there may arise a time where they will need to be replaced.
Should this occur, you will need to remove the side rods from the wheels in order to slip the new tire over the grooved drive wheel.
Before the new tire can be installed, you must make sure the old tire has been completely removed from the groove in the drive wheel. Use a razor
Body Mounting
Screws
Body Mounting
Screws
Figure 10: Removing The Boiler From The Chassis blade or small flatblade screwdriver pry away any remains left from the old tire that may still be in the drive wheel groove.
Once the old tire has been completely removed, slip the new tire onto the wheel. You may find it useful to use two small flatblade screwdrivers to assist you in stretching the tire over the wheel. Be careful to avoid twisting the tire when stretching it
over the wheel. If a twist occurs, the tire will have to be removed and reinstalled or a noticeable wobble in your engine will occur when operating the locomotive. In addition, it is important to make sure that the tire is fully seated inside the groove. Any portion of the tire extending out of the groove can cause the engine to wobble. A razor blade can be used to trim away any excess tire that doesn’t’t seat itself inside the groove properly.
Replacement tires are available directly from MTH Electric Trains.
HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT
The locomotive’s headlights are controlled by the track voltage and will glow with greater intensity depending on the transformer voltage setting.
The headlight can be easily removed from its lampholder should the bulb expire. To remove the bulb, follow the boiler removal instructions found in the Lubrication section on the proceeding pages. Once the boiler has been separated from the chassis, gently unscrew the bulb from its socket.
Replacement bulbs are available directly from MTH Electric Trains.
TROUBLE SHOOTING PROTOSOUND®
PROBLEMS
Although ProtoSound™ has been designed and engineered for ease of use, some questions may arise during initial operation. The following table should answer most questions. If you find that your problem can’t be resolved with this manual, contact MTH ProtoSound Electronics (7020
Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046, 410-381-2580) for additional assistance.
WHISTLE PROBLEMS
The WHISTLE seems distorted at low voltages.
When I press the whistle button, the bell comes on instead.
I cant get the whistle to blow when I press the whistle button.
BELL PROBLEMS
When I press the whistle button to activate the bell, the whistle sounds.
When I press the whistle button to activate the bell, I arm the coupler.
When I press the whistle button to activate the bell, the bell only rings once.
I cant get the bell to ring when I press the whistle button.
The bell wont work with a separate bell button.
REMEDY
Your battery may be undercharged or dead. Try recharging the battery as explained in the battery sections.
You are trying to operate the whistle in neutral. The whistle will only operate in Forward or Reverse unless you program ProtoSounds through Feature 25. See the instructions in the section entitled Using RESET to
Program ProtoSounds.
You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly.
Most older AC transformers contain a two--step whistle button that releases a DC signal onto the track. It is this DC signal that tells the whistle to blow. However, because the signal is weaker when the whistle button is depressed fully, the ProtoSound circuit may not recognize the signal. Try pressing the whistle button slower, taking approximately 1 second to fully depress the button.
REMEDY
You are trying to ring the bell in Forward or Reverse.
The bell only operates in Neutral unless you have programmed ProtoSounds to recognize a separate bell button.
Reduce the voltage on the transformer before pressing the whistle button to activate the bell. The bell will only come on at 8 volts or less.
You are trying to ring the bell in RESET instead of neutral. Interrupt the power twice to enter Neutral, set the voltage at 8 volts or less and press the whistle button to activate the bell.
You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly.
See the 3rd remedy in the whistle section above.
ProtoSounds must be programmed in order for a separate bell button to function. Enter RESET function number 20 (see the section entitled Using RESET to
Program ProtoSounds) and press the whistle button until the bell sounds two dings. Simply turn the throttle off and then on again to lock in the new setting.
COUPLER PROBLEMS
The ProtoCoupler wont let the engine uncouple on the
Fly.
I cant get the coupler to arm or fire open when I press the whistle button.
Only one coupler will function when I press the whistle button.
LOCKOUT PROBLEMS
I cant get the engine to run after I power up the transformer. It sits still with the steam compressor sounds running.
The engine wont lock out into Forward, Neutral or
Reverse even after the short whistle blast sounds.
VOLUME PROBLEMS
When I try to run the engine, the steam volume is OFF or very low.
When I try to set the steam volume, it resets itself to the original volume after I selected the new volume.
When I try to set the Steam Volume to O Volume, I still hear the cab chatter sounds.
The sounds seem distorted, especially when the whistle or bell is activated.
BATTERY PROBLEMS
I get no sounds when the engine shifts between the direction states.
REMEDY
The power required to fire the coupler open when the engine is on the Fly may be greater than the
ProtoSound system is capable of providing. As a result, you may experience times when the coupler wont fire open. Unfortunately, the only solution is to stop the engine and fire the coupler in Neutral. If that doesnt resolve the problem, try lubricating the coupler knuckle and rivet as explained in the ProtoCoupler
Operation section.
You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly.
See the third remedy in the whistle section above.
Another possibility is that ProtoSounds has been programmed to turn the coupler function off. See the section entitled Using RESET to Program
ProtoSounds
Only one coupler can operate at any one time. Use the coupler selection switch on the bottom of the chassis to choose which coupler you want active.
REMEDY
The engine is locked out into the Neutral position.
Follow the unlocking proceedures in the Lockout
Section.
You are waiting too long to turn the throttle back on after the short whistle blast sounds. The power must be turned back on immediately after the short whistle blast sounds or the engine will go back into RESET.
See the lockout proceedure in the Lockout Section.
REMEDY
The steam volume has been programmed at a reduced volume or to be silent. Go to RESET Feature
6 and adjust the volume. See the section entitled
Using RESET to Program ProtoSounds for more information.
You are trying to set the volume with a poorly charged or dead backup battery. See the section on Battery
Backup for more information.
When the steam volume is set to O, you will hear the
Cab Chatter sounds because setting the steam volume only controls the sound of the steam engine itself. All other sounds, including Cab Chatter, the whistle and bell will continue to play at the volume level set by the manual volume control knob located on the bottom of the chassis. See the section entitled
ProtoSound Volume Adjustment for more information.
The overall ProtoSound volume has been set to high creating the distorted sounds. Try turning the volume control knob located on the bottom of the chassis counter clockwise to reduce the overall volume level.
REMEDY
The battery may be dead or needs charging. See the
Battery Backup section for more information.
RAILKING
FYS PROBLEMS
The FYS feature does not begin even after stopping the engine and hearing the brake sounds.
The FYS sound effects occassionally repeat themselves.
Once in FYS, the engine never goes in reverse.
When the engine enters FYS event 5, the bell automatically comes on.
REMEDY
The power was not turned back on once the engine enter the neutral state thus disabling FYS.The
transformer throttle was interrupted too quickly in neutral thus disabling FYS. Leave the throttle on in neutral until after the FYS arrival message plays.
ProtoSounds has a built--in random number generator that randomly selects each sound clip to play.
Because there are only a total of 8 sound clips available in each FYS event, it is probable that a sound can occassionally be repeated one or more times.
So that the freight yard sound effects and operation is as realistic as possible, ProtoSounds disables the reverse unit state whenever FYS is enabled. This way the engine never goes into reverse as the operator cycles through the various FYS events.
FYS has a built--in command to turn on the bell when the system enters Event 5. After approximately 15 rings of the bell, it automatically will turn off.
PROTOSOUND RESET FEATURE CHART
The following chart lists the available features found in your ProtoSound equipped engine. The default settings are listed for each feature as well as the operation of the feature. You can reset all features to their original factory settings by accessing Feature 18 in RESET and then pressing and holding the transformer whistle button until you hear a soft, warbled bell sound.
RESET #
6
10
18
20
23
25
27
28
40
45
OPERATION
Engine Volume
Coupler ON/OFF
Reset Default Settings
Remote Bell Button
RESERVED
Whistle In Neutral
Chuff Rate
FYS Enabled
Lockout Enabled
Squeaking Brakes
DEFAULT
Full Volume
Coupler ON
CLANKS/CLINKS
1 Clank/1 Clink
2 Clanks/0 Clinks
3 Clanks/3 Clinks
4 Clanks/0 Clinks Bell Button Active
RESERVED
Whistle In Neutral OFF
Full Chuff Range
FYS ON
Lockout OFF
Brakes Always ON
5 Clanks/0 Clinks
5 Clanks/2 Clinks
5 Clanks/3 Clinks
8 Clanks/0 Clinks
9 Clanks/0 Clinks
TRANSFORMER COMPATIBILITY AND
WIRING CHART
ProtoSounds® is designed to work with any standard AC transformer that uses a “Pure Sine-Wave" format. The chart below lists the many Lionel® compatible transformers, such as the Lionel KW or ZW models. In addition, the chart details how the terminals on these compatible transformers should be attached to your layout. The Trainmaster system from Lionel® will not function correctly with ProtoSounds® without disrupting the sound effects. Therefore, whenever ProtoSounds® senses that the Trainmaster system is being used, it automatically disables
ProtoSounds® sound effects. The operator retains control over the engine, but no sound effects will play.
Transformer
Model
Lionel 1032
Lionel 1032M
Lionel 1033
Lionel 1043
Lionel 1043M
Lionel 1044
Lionel 1053
Lionel 1063
All-Trol
Cab-
1/Powermast er
Dallee Hostler
Lionel LW
Lionel KW
MRC Tech II
Lionel MW (not recommende d)
R.O.W.
Lionel RS-1
Lionel RW
Lionel SW
Lionel TW
Lionel ZW
MTH Z-4000
Center Rail
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
Left Terminal
A
Left Terminal
A
A or B
Left Terminal
Outside Track
Terminal
Red Terminal
Red Terminal
U
U
U
A or D
Black
Outside Rail
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Right Terminal
U
Right Terminal
U
U
2 nd From Left
Inside Track
Terminal
Black Terminal
Black Terminal
A
A
A
U
Red
Min/Max.
Voltage
5-16v*
5-16v*
5-16v*
5-16v*
5-16v*
5-16v*
8-17v
8-17v
0-24v
0-18v
8-18v
6-20v
0-15v*
5-16v*
0-24v
0-18v
9-19v
Unknown
8-18v
8-20v
5-22v
75-Watt
190-Watt
40V.A.
50V.A.
384-Watt
50V.A.
110-Watt
130-Watt
175-Watt
275-Watt
400-Watt
Power
Rating
90-Watt
90-Watt
90-Watt
90-Watt
90-Watt
90-Watt
60-Watt
60-Watt
300-Watt
135V.A.
Transformer
Type
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Electronic
Electronic
Standard
Standard
Electronic
Electronic
Standar
Electronic
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
Standard
O-27 OPERATION
While the Northern engine is more than capable of operating on O-27 curves and switches, you may find that certain light freight cars are prone to derailing when being pulled or pushed by the Northern through O-27 switches. Should this occur, we suggest adding weight to the cars making them heavier and less likely to derail.
WARNING:
When using electrical products, basic safety precautions should be followed including the following:
-- Read this and all related manuals (transformer/power supply, locomotive, etc.) thoroughly before using this device.
-- This device is not recommended for children under ten years of age without adult supervision.
-- MTH recommends parents examine the toy transformer used to power this device periodically for conditions that may result in the risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to persons, such as damage to the primary or output cord, plug blades, housing or other parts (including proper functioning of the circuit breaker), and that, in an event such conditions exist, the transformer should not be used until properly repaired.
SERVICE & WARRANTY INFORMATION
HOW TO GET SERVICE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE
LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY
For warranty repair, do not return your product to the place of purchase. Instead, follow the instructions below to obtain warranty service as our dealer network is not prepared to service the product under the terms of this warranty.
1. First, write, call or FAX MTH Electric Trains, 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia,
MD 21046, 410-381-2580 (FAX No. 410-381-6122), stating when it was purchased and what seems to be the problem. You will be given a return authorization number to assure that your merchandise will be properly handled upon its receipt.
2. CAUTION: Make sure the product is packed in its original factory packaging including its foam and plastic wrapping material so as to prevent damage to the merchandise. The shipment must be prepaid and we recommend that it be insured. A cover letter, including your name, address, daytime phone number, Return Authorization number, a copy of your sales receipt and a full description of the problem, must be included to facilitate the repairs. Please include the description regardless of whether you discussed the problem with one of our service technicians when contacting MTH for your Return Authorization number.
3. Please make sure you have followed the instructions carefully before returning any merchandise for service.
LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY
This item is warranted for one year from the date of purchase against defects in material or workmanship. We will repair or replace (at our option) the defective part without charge for parts or labor, if the item is returned to the address below within one year of the original date of purchase. This warranty does not cover items that have been abused or damaged by careless handling. Transportation costs incurred by the customer are not covered under this warranty.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary from state to state.
ProtoSounds® is a trademark of MTH Electric Trains. DCRU® is a registered copyright of
QS Industries, Inc.
Lionel® is a registered trademark of Lionel L.L.C.. Railsounds® is a registered trademark of
Lionel L.L.C.
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