Lionel 4-8-4 Niagara User manual

72-8069-250
8/01
®
featuring
and
4-8-4 Niagara
Steam Locomotive and Tender
Owner’s Manual
SYSTEM

Table of contents
Features of the 4-8-4 Niagara
2
Transformer operations
Running your steam locomotive with a Lionel transformer 3
Locking your locomotive into a single operational state 4
Your locomotive’s Odyssey™System speed control 5
Using your tender-mounted ElectroCoupler in the non-Command environment 6
Your locomotive’s RailSounds system—the basics 7
Experiencing the range of your locomotive’s RailSounds system 8
Notes on RailSounds 9
Installing the Lionel Sound Activation Button 10
TrainMaster Command operations
Your locomotive in the TrainMaster Command environment 11
Running your locomotive in the TrainMaster Command environment 12
CAB-1 commands for your locomotive 12
RailSounds in the Command environment 13
CAB-1 numeric keypad commands for your locomotive 13
Tuning your locomotive’s performance 14
Your locomotive’s Odyssey System in the Command Control environment 14
Assigning your locomotive a new ID# 15
Reprogramming the Command reverse unit to restore features 16
Maintaining your locomotive’s handrail antenna 16
Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Lubricating your locomotive 17
Servicing your locomotive’s lamps 18
Replacing your tender’s lamp 18
Tire-Traction 18
Adding fluid to the smoke generator 19
Installing the ‘O’ gauge front coupler 19
Lionel Service 20
• Powerful Pittman®motor
• Command reverse unit for use
with the Lionel TrainMaster®
Command model railroad con-
trol system
• Fan-driven smoke generator
that produces clean, safe,
realistic smoke
• Die-cast ElectroCoupler (rear
of tender)
• Wireless Tether
• OdysseyTM System SpeedControl
• Lighted cab interior
• RailSoundsTM digital sound
system
• Brilliant Headlight
• Marker Lights (on tender)
• CrewTalkTM (in Command)
• TowerComTM (in Command)
• Tire-Traction
• Directional lighting
• Flickering Fire Box
• Gold plated details
• Gold Century Club markings
You own one of the finest and most sophisticated model trains ever built—
the Lionel TrainMaster®Command and
Odyssey™System-equipped Century Club
4-8-4 Niagara. From its many hand-applied
scale details, to the advanced technology
found inside, your locomotive is ready for
duty on your model railroad layout.
Experience the superiority of today’s Lionel.
Congratulations!

Transformer operations
3
Running your locomotive with a Lionel transformer
Place your locomotive on Lionel or
Lionel-compatible O-54 or larger track.
• With track power OFF, connect the drawbar between locomotive and tender. That’s
all you have to do with Lionel’s Wireless Tether, an infrared communication system that
eliminates the plugs and wires of the past.
Your locomotive is designed to operate on track with a minimum diameter of 54”.
2
2
3
3
Power up your locomotive with your transformer.
Your locomotive is designed to operate on 8-18 volts alternating
current. Virtually all Lionel and Lionel-compatible alternating-current trans-
formers are suitable.
Do not power your locomotive with direct current (DC). Damage to
sensitive electronic components may occur.
•When you first power up your track, the locomotive will wait
between three and eight seconds as it “listens” for digital language from
the TrainMaster Command Base (available separately). When it’s determined that
it’s on a conventional (non-Command) railroad, the locomotive headlight will illu-
minate and RailSounds will start up. At this point, the locomotive is in neutral.
(This occurs when placing the locomotive on your railroad for the first time.
Thereafter, it starts in forward after every three-second power interruption.)
• To experience all of your locomotive’s features, we recommend using TrainMaster
Command Control, available at your authorized Lionel dealer.
Move ‘em out!
•Get your locomotive moving. Press the DIR button on your CAB-1 remote or
Lionel transformer. This sequences the Command reverse unit to the next operating
state.
•Adjust track voltage until your locomotive moves at your desired speed.
1
1
Note!
Note!
Note!

SMOKE
Transformer operations
To select a single operational state for your Lionel locomotive (example: forward
only), you can deactivate the Command
reverse unit’s sequencing function with the
PROG/RUN switch, located on the right hand
side, below the cab. Refer to the diagram for
switch location.
Get your locomotive moving in the desired
direction, then slow it down without stopping.
Set the PROG/RUN switch to PROG while the
engine is in motion. The locomotive is now
“locked” into your chosen direction.
When you no longer want single-direction
operation, just slide the PROG/RUN switch
back to RUN.
When powered down, the
Command reverse unit will reset to
forward after approximately five seconds.
Locking your locomotive into a single operational state
Program/Run Switch Smoke Unit Switch
(see page 19 for details)
4
Front
Rear
Note!

5
Transformer operations
Your locomotive’s Odyssey™ System speed control
You can lock your locomotive into speed control mode (ideal for low speed opera-
tion) so it will automatically compensate for
grades and heavy loads, always maintaining
a specific speed setting. To turn on the
speed control, get your locomotive mov-
ing at the desired speed, in forward or
reverse. Let it run at the desired speed for at
least 5 seconds. Press and hold the
horn/whistle button on your transformer for
2-3 seconds as you increase the throttle by at
least 3 volts. Your locomotive will accelerate
briefly and will then return to your set speed.
You can then release the horn/whistle but-
ton. As long as the throttle position is main-
tained at a higher setting than the initial
level, your locomotive will maintain a con-
stant speed. If the throttle is turned below the
original level, your locomotive will slow
down as the voltage decreases below the “set”
level. To check if the speed control setting
has been “accepted,” turn up the throttle.
You will see the lights brighten, but the speed
will remain constant. For best results, adjust
the track voltage about 3-4 volts above the
“set” point. This will provide enough spare
voltage to compensate for uphill grades, etc.,
but will prevent excessive voltage to the
lamps and smoke unit. (In conventional
mode, these features operate at track voltage,
and excessive voltage may lead to premature
bulb burn-out.)
• If you wish to change the speed control
setting, you must deactivate the speed
control, then reactivate at the new
setting.
To turn speed control off, get your
locomotive into neutral for at least 5 seconds,
then increase the track voltage to full power
with the throttle on your transformer. Press
the horn/whistle button on your transformer
for 2-3 seconds while lowering the throttle volt-
age to 1/4 of full power, or at least three volts.
Do not turn the throttle off, or speed control
may not deactivate. This will give you more
“room” to lower the voltage The speed control
deactivates when it sees a 3 volt change with
the horn/whistle button pressed, regardless of
initial voltage level.
Note! Speed control settings are retained in memory even if power is turned off.
They will remain present until deactivated.

Transformer operations
6
Using your tender-mounted ElectroCoupler
in the non-Command environment
To use your locomotive tender’s Electro- Coupler in the non-Command environ-
ment, you must rely on a piece of rolling
stock equipped with Lionel magnetic cou-
plers coupleddirectlytoyourlocomotivetender’s
rear ElectroCoupler. The magnetic coupler
on the rolling stock will then react to the
magnetic field generated by a Lionel remote-
control track section (available separately).
Place your rolling stock’s coupler “trigger
disc” over the central coil of a remote-con-
trol track section and press “uncouple” on
the controller. The magnetic field pulls the
disc downward, and the coupler opens.
Your locomotive tender’s
ElectroCoupler will NOT open
manually or by using a
remote-control track section.
Magnetic coupler on the rolling stock coupled
to the rear of your locomotive tender
Note!
Remote-control
track section

Transformer operations
7
Note!
Note!
Note!
Note!
Your locomotive’s RailSounds system—the basics
Lionel RailSounds is the most realistic model railroad sound system in the
world. Your locomotive features digital sam-
ples from real-life steam locomotives for the
ultimate in realism.
Begin by installing a 9-volt alkaline bat-
tery in the tender. This ensures interruption-
free operation of RailSounds. The battery clip
is located in the tender. To remove the tender
body, refer to the diagram on page 9 for loca-
tion of mounting screws.
When you first apply track power, the loco-
motive’s RailSounds system produces the
sounds of the locomotive at rest. As the loco-
motive moves, chuffing begins, increasing
with the locomotive’s speed.
To silence the steam chuffing sound (whis-
tle/bell are unaffected), slide the RailSounds
switch, located on the underside of the tender
(see page 9 for location), to the OFF position
before powering up the locomotive. The
whistle is activated by using the lever or button
on your transformer or CAB-1. The volume con-
trol knob is located on the underside of the ten-
der near the front truck (see page 9).
Installing a 9-volt alkaline battery in
your locomotive’s tender.
Please remove protective cover from battery clip before installing the battery.
Although RailSounds is powered by track voltage, the battery is required for
uninterrupted operation and shutdown sequences. Use only alkaline batteries.
Discontinue locomotive power for 10 seconds before changing the RailSounds
ON/OFF switch position.
If RailSounds “drops out” during track power interruptions (during direction
changes, switches, crossings, etc), replace the battery.

8
With RailSounds, you experience the sounds of real railroading like never
before. Simply put, it’s the most sophisticat-
ed, authentic model railroad sound system in
the world. And remember—coming from
inside your Lionel locomotive’s tender are
the authentic sounds of the RailSounds digi-
tal sound system. No other electric train can
offer you authentic sounds. That’s the
power of Lionel.
• Variable chuff rate. Your locomotive
speed determines the steam chuff rate.
• MultiWhistle. Different whistles every
time—a RailSounds exclusive.
• Authentic bell. Press BELL on your
CAB-1 or transformer to begin the effect,
again to discontinue. Even the final “hit”
is muted like the real thing.
• Reverse unit reset sound. Power
down your track, wait for 3-5 seconds,
and listen for the air-release sound—
that’s the locomotive telling you its
Command reverse unit has just reset to
forward operation.
• Shutdown sequence. No other model
railroad sound system shuts down like
RailSounds. Turn off track power, and
after the air-release reset sound, you have
two seconds to restart your locomotive. If
you’re done with operations, RailSounds
will commence with an authentic shut-
down sequence about two seconds after
the air-release reset occurs.
Experiencing the range of your locomotive’s RailSounds system
Transformer operations
Note! A 9-volt alkaline battery must be
installed for shutdown sequence.

Transformer operations
9
Notes on RailSounds
• Use the volume control knob, located on
the underside of the tender, to adjust
sound output.
• Listen for incidental locomotive sounds
during RailSounds operation. They’re
automatic and, of course, authentic.
• The 9-volt alkaline battery you installed
ensures continuous sounds, even during
short track-power interruptions.
• Longer track-power interruptions
(including locomotive derailments)
cause RailSounds to shut down after
about 7 seconds.
• For even more authentic RailSounds
effects, operate your locomotive in the
TrainMaster Command environment. See
pages 12-13 for details.
RAILSOUND
SIGNAL SOUNDS
Tender
Body
Screw
Tender
Body
Screws
Volume
Control
Tender
Body
Screw
Tender
Body
Screws
Rear
Front
RailSounds/SignalSounds
On/Off Switch

10
Transformer operations
Installing the Lionel Sound Activation Button
12
POWER
SUPPLY
POWER
SUPPLY
For AC transformers with a horn/whistle button
For AC transformers lacking a horn/whistle button
Existing wire Common/Ground/U
A
Black wire
Red wire
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
SoundActivation Button for
activating the bell
Lionel no.
610-5906-001
SoundActivation
Button for whistle Lionel no. 610-5906-001
SoundActivation Button for bell
Black wire
Red wire
Red wire
The no. 610-5906-001 button works with any Lionel AC transformer except
no. 6-4690 Type MW. Transformers made by other manufacturers may not be
compatible with RailSounds.
Note!
To operate the bell and horn sounds when operating your locomotive with conven-
tional transformers, you’ll need to install the
Lionel no. 610-5906-001 Sound Activation
Button (available separately). Connect the
button(s) as shown below.
All track power must feed through
the Sound Activation Button. Do not
bypass the button.
Note!
Existing wire Common/Ground/U
A