RAIL KING ® B y M T H E lectr ic T r ains RAILKING 4-CAR SUBWAY SET OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS The 4-Car Subway Set contains one powered car that is equipped with a DCRU® electronic reverse unit and can be optionally equipped with 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 car is operated.
Table Of Contents QUICK START - BASIC OPERATION PROTOSOUNDS™ OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ProtoSound® DCRU® Reverse Unit Operation(All 3-Rail Models) Horn Operation Bell Operation Squeaking Brake Sounds Tips On Using Squeaking Brakes Self-Recharging Battery Backup System Subway Announcements (TAS) Activating Subway Announcement Sounds Tips On Using Subway Announcement Sounds ProtoSound® Volume Adjustment USING “RESET" TO PROGRAM PROTOSOUNDS™ RAILKING Entering RESET Options Setting The Engine Volume Programming
QUICK START - BASIC OPERATION The RailKing 4-Car Subway Set contains state-of-the art electronics with several built-in automatic features for incredibly realistic operation. Despite these advanced features, the 4-Car Subway Set is easy to operate with any compatible standard AC transformer (see the compatibility chart on page 28). All models are controlled by a ProtoSound® DCRU® electronic reverse unit.
PROTOSOUNDS® OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS The MTH ProtoSound® digital sound and train control system provides the operator with unprecedented realistic operation on your model railroad.
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 Engine Volume Adjustment, Separate Bell Button Operation (preprogrammed at the factory), and Horn-In-Neutral Operation. Each of these features are described in more detail later.
reverse until you press and release 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 car, the next time you run the car, 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 car enters one of the three directional states.
3. After arming the coupler, press the whistle button again to open the coupler. 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 CHAPut Engine In Neutral CHUSHHH sound. See The Coupler Open At Full Power Listen For The And Listen For The Ca-Clunk Sound Cha-Chusshh Sound The coupler doesn’t’t k n lu shhh Ca-C huss Cha-C have to be fired in H H NEUTRAL.
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 determine how quickly to throttle down and what speeds and voltage settings give you the most prototypical braking effect.
SUBWAY ANNOUNCEMENTS (TAS) ProtoSounds® is now equipped with operator controlled Subway announcement sounds, hereby known as TAS. This easy to use feature plays digitally reproduced Subway announcements and platform action sounds whenever you activate and stop your Subway Set car.
which indicates that a passenger wishes to exit the car at the current stop. At this point the operator should release the bell button if he wishes to stop the car. If the operator continues to hold the bell button down, the car will continue travelling down the track until the operator chooses to release the bell button. This option gives the operator the true sense of acting as the Subway driver. It also allows the operator to precisely control where the Subway Set does stop.
TAS will automatically reengage the motor and the set will proceed away from the Subway stop. Like Option 1, the set will continue on in the same direction it was traveling before TAS was activated.
caution should be taken that not too much power is on the track or the car may pass through the insulated section before 3 seconds of negative DC was received by the ProtoSound® module. This will be obviously the case if the car’s bell turns on instead of it stopping. TIPS ON USING THE TAS FEATURES TAS is a unique feature of ProtoSounds® that can be completely controlled by the operator or automatically configured on the layout. You decide how, when or if you want to utilize the feature.
SELF-RECHARGING BATTERY BACKUP SYSTEM ProtoSounds® state-of-the-art design includes a self-recharging battery backup system for improved performance at any speed. The self-recharging battery backup system is automatically turned on or off whenever track power is turned on or off. There are no switches to turn on or off to enjoy the benefits of the automatic battery backup system.
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 28. This hands-off approach gives you unprecedented control of your railroad empire’s motive power never before seen in model railroading.
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.
again. If the bell doesn’t’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 14.) Once in Feature 20, Common press the whistle button and U U U U wait for the module to sound a A B C D RED Wire bell ding(s).
on page 14). 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 one ding for option 1 - Squeaking brakes are activated by the bell button with TAS operation.
PROGRAMMING FOR TAS OPERATION ProtoSounds® is equipped with a RESET setting to automatically select the Subway Announcement Proto-Effects Options (TAS) features. You also may want to configure TAS for manual operation or turn it off completely. In RESET Mode Move The Throttle Push The Whistle Button To configure TAS, enter Up & Down From Until You Hear High Voltage To Low 2 Bell Dings 28 Times RESET and go to Feature 28.
have failed. To activate the Remote Lockout Control setting, go to RESET Feature 40 (See the section entitled Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds® on page 14). 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.
REVERSE UNIT LOCK-OUT OPERATION ProtoSounds® unique design eliminates the need for a lock-out switch on the powered car by allowing the customer to lock the set into any directional state (forward, neutral or reverse) from the transformer. This will allow users to run the set on layouts equipped with block signals or stop stations which would normally cycle the engine back into neutral.
of the horn. QUICKLY TURN THE POWER BACK ON AGAIN. Your powered car is now locked into NEUTRAL. NOTE: When locking the set in the Forward or Reverse positions, the whistle button will blow the horn. But when locking the set 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.
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 truck block bushings and pickup rollers to prevent them from squeaking. L L Figure 3: Lubricating The Locomotive Chassis Use light household oil and follow the lubrication points marked “L" in Fig. 3 above.
Next, remove the power truck block from the chassis by unscrewing the large Phillips motor mount screw on the bottom of the power truck (See Fig. 5). Once the motor mount screw has been removed, pull the motor away from the truck block and lightly coat the motor worm gear and bronze drive gear (in the truck block) with grease. Reassemble the truck and motor, being careful not to pinch the pickup and ground wires between the truck block and motor mount.
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 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.
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 21046-1532, 410-381-2580) for additional assistance. HORN PROBLEMS REMEDY Your battery may be undercharged or dead.
LOCKOUT PROBLEMS I cant get the car to run after I power up the transformer. It sits still with the lights on. 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 The engine wont lock out into Forward, Neutral or Reverse even after the short horn blast sounds. after the short horn blast sounds.
BRAKE SOUND PROBLEMS REMEDY The brake features has not been activated. See the section on activating the brake feature for more When the transformer is throttled down, the sounds wont play. information.The throttle voltage setting on the transformer is either not starting high enough or ending low enough to trigger the brakes sounds. Try increasing the throttle setting to 14 volts or higher before throttling down to 8 volts or less.
TRANSFORMER 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® (marked with an asterisk below) will not function correctly Transformer Min/Max.
PROTOSOUND RESET FEATURE CHART The following chart lists the available features found in your ProtoSound® equipped locomotive. The default settings for each feature as well as the operation sequence of the feature are listed in separate columns. You can reset all features to their original factory settings by accessing Feature 18 in RESET and press and hold the transformer whistle button until you hear a soft, warbled bell sound.
O-27 OPERATION While the RailKing Subway Set is more than capable of operating on O-27 curves and switches, you may find that certain layout configurations may be prone to causing occasional derailments of the unpowered cars. Should this occur, we suggest restricting the speed through these track configurations or reconfiguring the track, switches or other accessories that may be causing the derailments.
