Lionel 777 User manual

Lionel 777
Commodore Vanderbilt Hudson
4-6-4 steam locomotive
Owner’s Manual
71-8045-250
11/96
®
featuring and

2
2
Y
ou own one of the most sophisticated
model trains ever built—the Lionel
TrainMaster®Command-equipped 777
Commodore Vanderbilt steam locomo-
tive. rom the look of rippled sheet steel
on its massive boiler to the advanced tech-
nology within, your Lionel Commodore
Vanderbilt is ready for duty on your
model railroad. Experience the superiori-
ty of today’s Lionel.
• Powerful Pullmor®motor
• Liontech CommandTM LCRU2
reverse unit for use with
the Lionel TrainMaster®
CommandTM model railroad
control system
• Smoke generator that
produces clean, safe,
and realistic smoke
• RailsoundsTM Hudson
digital sound system
• Magne-Traction®and
Tire-TractionTM
• Directional lighting
Table of contents
Transformer operations
Running your Lionel Commodore Vanderbilt with a Lionel transformer 3
Locking your Commodore into a single operational state 4
Your Commodore’s RailSounds system—the basics 5
Experiencing the range of your Commodore’s Railsounds system 6
Notes on Railsounds 6
Installing the Lionel sound activation button 7
TrainMaster Command operations
Your Commodore in the TrainMaster Command environment 8
CAB-1 commands for your Commodore 9
Railsounds in the Command environment 9
CAB-1 numeric keypad commands for your Commodore 10
Tuning your Commodore’s performance 11
Maintaining your Commodore’s handrail antenna 11
Assigning your Commodore a new ID# 12
Maintaining and servicing your Commodore
Lubricating your Commodore 13
Installing the scale pilot truck 14
Lubricating your Commodore’s Pullmor
®
motor armature 14
Replacing your Commodore’s headlight 15
Replacing your tender’s back-up light 15
Adding fluid to your Commodore’s smoke generator 16
Lionel Service 16
Congratulations!

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3
Transformer operations
Running your Lionel Commodore Vanderbilt with a Lionel transformer
Place your Commodore on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O gauge track.
• Note the pull of Magne-Traction®between your Commodore and the steel
track. Magnetized wheels and axles increase pulling power (more than 25 cars
on straight and level track) and keep your Commodore on track while pass-
ing swiftly through curves. Your Commodore will negotiate O-42 and larger
curves. Note also the traction-enhancing tire installed on the center drivers
that gives your Commodore extra driver-
railhead grip. After extensive use, this tire
may require replacement. See your local
authorized Lionel Service Center for
expert tire-replacement service.
• With track power OFF, connect the loco-
motive tether between the engine and
tender. The six-pin tender plug connects
with the six-pin plug on the locomotive.
eed any excess tether into the engine cab. Connect the drawbar between
locomotive and tender.
2
2
3
3
Power up your Commodore with your transformer.
• Your Commodore is designed to operate on -1 volts alternating current.
Virtually all Lionel and Lionel-compatible alternating-current transform-
ers are suitable; we recommend the TrainMaster Command model rail-
road control system.
• DO NOT POWER YOUR COMMODORE WITH DIRECT CURRENT (DC). Damage to
sensitive electronic components may occur.
• When you first power up your track, the Commodore will wait between 3
and seconds as it “listens” for digital language from the TrainMaster
Command Base (available separately). When it’s determined that it’s on a con-
ventional (nonCommand) railroad, the Commodore’s headlight will illumi-
nate and Railsounds will fire up. At this point, the Commodore is in neutral.
(This occurs when placing the Commodore on your railroad for the first time.
Thereafter, it starts in forward after every three-second power interrupt.)
Note!
Move ‘em out!
• Get your Commodore moving. Press the DIR button on your CAB-1
remote or Lionel transformer. This sequences the Liontech Command
reverse unit (LCRU2) to the next operating state.
• Adjust track voltage until your Commodore moves at your desired speed.
1
1

4
4
T
o select a single operational state for
your Lionel Commodore (example:
forward only), you can deactivate the
LCRU2’s sequencing function with the
reverse unit control switch, located
beneath the cab overhang.
Get your locomotive moving in the
desired direction, then slow it down
without stopping. Set the reverse unit
control switch to PROGRAM/LOCK.
The Commodore is now “locked” into
your chosen direction.
When you no longer want single-
direction operation, just slide the
reverse unit control switch back to
ORWARD/ RUN.
Locking your Commodore into a single operational state
ORWARD/RUN
PROGRAM/LOCK
Use this setting for
normal operations.
Use this setting to choose
a single operational state
like “forward.”
Transformer operations

5
5
Your Commodore’s Railsounds system—the basics
L
ionel Railsounds is the most realistic
model railroad sound system in the
world. Your Commodore features the
Railsounds
Hudson digi-
tal sound sys-
tem for the
ultimate in real-
ism.
Begin by in-
stalling a 9-volt
alkaline battery in
the tender. This
ensures full-fea-
ture operation of
Railsounds. The
battery compart-
ment is located
be-neath the ten-
der’s removable
coal hatch doors. Connect the 9-volt alkaline
battery to the lead.
Although Railsounds is
powered by track voltage,
the battery is required for unin-
terrupted operation. Use
only alkaline batteries.
When you first apply track power, the
Commodore’s Railsounds system pro-
duces sounds of the locomotive at rest. As
the Commo-
dore moves,
chuffing begins,
increasing with
the locomo-
tive’s speed.
To silence the
steam chuffing
(whistle/bell are
unaffected), slide
the Railsounds
switch, located
beneath the coal
hatch doors, to
the O position
before powering
up the locomotive.
The whistle is activated by using the lever or
button on your transformer or CAB-1.
Discontinue locomotive
power for 10 seconds before
changing the Railsounds
ON/O switch position.
If Railsounds “drops out” dur-
ing track power interrupts
(direction change), replace the
battery.
Install a -volt alkaline battery in your Commodore’s
tender.
Note!
Note! Note!
Volume control dial
Railsounds switch

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6
W
ith Railsounds, you experience
the sounds of real railroading like
never before. Simply put, it’s the most
sophisticated, authentic model railroad
sound system in the world. And
remember—inside your Lionel 777
Commodore are the sounds of the
Railsounds Hudson digital sound sys-
tem. No other electric train can offer
you authentic Hudson sounds. That’s
the power of Lionel.
• Variable chuff rate. Your Commodore’s
speed determines the steam chuff rate.
• MultiWhistleTM. 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 Commodore telling you its
Liontech 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 Commodore. If you’re done with
operations, Railsounds will commence
with an authentic Hudson shutdown
sequence about two seconds after the
air-release reset occurs.
Experiencing the range of your Commodore’s Railsounds system
Notes on Railsounds
• Use the volume control dial, located
beneath the tender’s coal hatch doors,
to adjust sound output (see page 5).
• Listen for incidental engine sounds
during Railsounds operation. They’re
automatic and, of course, authentic.
• The 9-volt alkaline battery you installed
ensures continuous Hudson sounds, even
during short track-power interrupts.
• Longer track-power interruptions (includ-
ing locomotive derailments) cause Rail-
sounds to shut down after about 7 seconds.
• or even more authentic Railsounds
effects, operate your Commodore in the
TrainMaster Command environment. See
page 8 for details.
Transformer operations

Installing the Lionel sound activation button
LIONEL
SOUND
ACTIVATION
BUTTON
12
12
LIONEL
SOUND
ACTIVATION
BUTTON
LIONEL
SOUND
ACTIVATION
BUTTON
For AC transformers with a horn/whistle button
For AC transformers lacking a horn/whistle button
ATTACH TO GROUND TERMINAL
ATTACH TO POWER TERMINAL
BLACK WIRE
RED WIRE
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
sound activation button
for activating the bell
TO YOUR TRANS ORMER
Lionel no.
610-5906-001
sound activa-
tion button
for whistle
Lionel no.
610-5906-001
sound activa-
tion button
for bell
BLACK WIRE
RED WIRE
RED WIRE
ATTACH TO
GROUND TERMINAL
ATTACH TO
POWER TERMINAL
TO YOUR TRANS ORMER
The no. 610-5906-001 button works with any Lionel AC transformer
except no. 6-46 0 Type MW. Transformers made by other manufacturers
may not be compatible with Railsounds.
Note!
T
o operate the bell and whistle sounds
when operating your Commodore
with conventional transformers, you’ll need
to install the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound
activation button (available separately).
Connect the button(s) as shown below.
7
7

8
8
TrainMaster Command operations
Your Commodore in the TrainMaster Command environment
L
ionel TrainMaster Command is the fun
and sophisticated model railroad con-
trol system from Lionel. Your
Commodore features the Liontech
Command reverse unit, which acts as
both a conventional reverse unit as well as
the key to unlocking many extra features
when you operate in Command mode.
TrainMaster Command gives you the
power to operate multiple Command-
equipped locomotives on the same track,
at the same time. It’s the most fun you
can have with electric trains, and it’s
incredibly easy too! Just follow the
directions below and you’ll be on your
way.
TO OPERATE IN COMMAND, YOU NEED A
COMMAND BASE AND A CAB-1 REMOTE.
ind them both at your authorized
Lionel retailer.
Place your Commodore on Lionel or Lionel-
compatible O gauge track.
• Make sure track power is OFF before placing it on track.
• Make sure your Lionel Command Base is ON and its communi-
cations wire is connected to the COMMON post on your Lionel
transformer or the U on any of your installed PowerMasters.
• Once positioned on the track, increase track voltage to FULL (on
PowerMaster, slide the CMD/CONV switch to CMD).
Address your Commodore with CAB-1.
• Press ENG and 1 on the numeric keypad of your CAB-1 remote.
This command is sent by CAB-1 to the Command Base, which then
translates your commands into digital code. That code is sent
around your railroad’s outside rails in the form of a digital “halo.”
All Command-equipped Lionels listen to this digital communica-
tion, but they do not respond until they hear their own ID number.
• The digital language of TrainMaster Command—and not track
power—controls the actions of Command-equipped Lionels. Track
power is simply like gasoline in the tank of your car—it gives you
the power to go places, but it doesn’t tell you where to go or how
fast to get there.
• All Command-equipped Lionels come factory-programmed with
an ID# of “1.” To change your Commodore’s ID#, see page 12.
Move ‘em out!
•Throttle up or press any command button on CAB-1. Your
Commodore will respond to your every command. Read on. The fun
is just beginning!
1
1
2
2
3
3

Coupler releases (in
equipped locomo-
tives). C OUPLER RELEASE
SOUNDS .
9
9
Press AUX2 to turn
your Commodore’s
headlight on and off.
Press WSTL/HRN to
activate the Commo-
dore’s whistle, release
to discontinue.
M ULTI -
W HISTLE STEAM WHISTLE SOUND
.
Press DIR—the loco-
motive decelerates to a
complete stop; turn the
throttle up, and the
locomotive moves in
the opposite direction.
THERE IS NO NEUTRAL.
S
TEAM AIR - RELEASE SOUND
.
Press BELL once to
activate the bell,
again to discontinue.
T RADITIONAL BELL SOUND .
Press HALT to shut
down all PowerMaster
electrical output on
your railroad. Stops all
Command-equipped
Lionels in operation.
Turn the THROTTLE
to the right to acceler-
ate, left to decelerate.
S PEED - DEPENDENT VARIABLE
STEAM CHUFFING
. D YNA C HUFF
DYNAMIC CHUFFING EFFECT
.
CAB-1 commands for your Commodore
C OUPLER RELEASE SOUNDS .
Press and hold BOOST
for extra power. Release
BOOST and return to the
locomotive’s previous
speed. L ABORED CHUFF
Press and hold BRAKE
to slow down or stop. Re-
lease BRAKE and return
to the previous speed.
S QUEALING BRAKE SOUNDS .
HUDSON RAILSOUNDS
EFFECTS IN BOLD ITALIC
Railsounds in the Command environment
Y
our Commodore’s Railsounds sys-
tem gives you even more in the
TrainMaster Command environment.
• DynaChuffTM
.Real steam locomotive
chuffing depends on the locomotive’s
load. DynaChuff simulates both labored
and relaxed chuffing sounds. Highball
down the mainline and hear the labored
chuffing of a locomotive battling inertia.
Reduce your throttle setting, and chuffing
relaxes to a more sedate sound, as though
the load placed on the Commodore has
decreased. Experience DynaChuff on
steep grades, at yard crawls, and at speed.
Another Railsounds exclusive.
• Bonus sounds like squealing brakes
with the CAB-1 BRAKE command.
• Incidental sounds you control with
CAB-1 numeric keypad commands, like
steam letoff and steam release effects.
SW ACC RTE TR ENG
®
WSTL / HRN
BELL
DIR
BOOSTAUX 1 COUPLER
BRAKEAUX 2 COUPLER
HALT
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9
0

10
10
W
hen you press AUX1 on CAB-1,
you turn the numeric key-
pad into 10 command but-
tons. The keypad “stays open”
and gives you access to extra
command features until you
press any top-row button
(SW, ACC, RTE, TR, or ENG). The
CAB-1 keypad overlay included
with your Commodore is
designed to help you learn
the auxiliary features specific
to this classic locomotive.
H UDSON
R AILSOUNDS EFFECTS IN BOLD ITALIC .
CAB-1 numeric keypad commands for your Commodore
STEAM
ENGINE
RESET
VOLUME
SMOKE
➠
BLOW
OFF
SHUT
DOWN
OFF ON
STEAM
RELEASE
PRESS
& HOLD
SMOKE
BOOST
➠
START-UP
AUX1
0
Stops and resets the Commodore
to ORWARD.
W HISTLE BLOWS . H EADLIGHT
FLICKERS
.
1
Raises the volume of Railsounds.
S
OUND VOLUME INCREASES .
2
Reserved for future use.
3
Starts up Railsounds. S TARTUP SEQUENCE
COMMENCES
. STEAM BLOWOFF SOUND .
4
Lowers the volume of Rail-
sounds.
S OUND VOLUME DECREASES .
5
Activates the Railsounds steam
shutdown sequence. Just like the
real thing, your Commodore must be idle
for shutdown to occur.
S TEAM SHUTDOWN COM -
MENCES . Remember, the whistle and bell
will not sound until you restart
Railsounds.
6S
TEAM RELEASE SOUND.
7
Reserved for future use.
8
Turns off the smoke generator.
9
Turns on the smoke generator.
Press and hold 9 (10 seconds max-
imum) to initiate Smoke Boost™—it
superheats the smoke generator and
enhances smoke output when you
start running your Commodore.
Always keep smoke
fluid in your Com-
modore’s smoke genera-
tor. Using Smoke Boost
with depleted fluid can
damage the generator’s
element.
Note!
TrainMaster Command operations