Lionel American Flyer SD70ACe User manual

Featuring
74-8171-250
3/13
American Flyer SD70ACe
Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
American Flyer SD70ACe
Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
DCC
Enabled
DCC
Enabled

2
Congratulations!
Congratulations on your purchase of this American Flyer LEGACY diesel locomotive! On the outside, this locomotive features numerous details and expert decoration in your favorite livery.
Inside the body, this locomotive is equipped with some of the most advanced sounds and controls in
model railroading. This powerful locomotive is ready for duty on your layout.
Included with your locomotive
1 Powered locomotive
4 Replacement traction tires
1 Owner's manual
2 Scale coupler mounting brackets and screws
1 Smoke fluid funnel
The following Lionel marks are used throughout this Owner’s Manual and are protected under
law. All rights reserved.
Lionel®, LEGACY™, FasTrack®,TrainMaster®, Odyssey®, RailSounds®, CrewTalk™, TowerCom™,
DynaChuff™, StationSounds™, Pullmor®, ElectroCoupler™, Magne-Traction®, CAB-1®Remote
Controller, American Flyer®, Lionel ZW®, ZW®, MagniVision®, TMCC®, Lionelville®, Wireless
Tether™, Powerhouse™, LionMaster®, Conventional Classics™, Postwar Celebration Series™,
TruRail™, PH-1 Powerhouse®, Powermaster®, Powerstation-Powerhouse®, Accessory Motor
Controller™, AMC™, Accessory Switch Controller™, ASC™, Action Recorder Controller™, ARC™, Track
Power Controller 300™, TPC 300™, Track Power Controller 400™, TPC 400™, Block Power
Controller™, BPC™, Operating Track Controller™, OTC™, FatBoy™, Lionel Lines®, Joshua Lionel
Cowen Series™, Lockon®, TrainSounds™, MultiHorn™, MultiWhistle™, Choo-Choo™
DCC On Board is a Registered Trademark of Bachmann Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Digitrax is a Registered Trademark of Digitrax, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

3
Table of contents
Running your locomotive
Locomotive basics 4
LEGACY Control operations 5
TrainMaster Command Control (TMCC/Command) operations 6
Conventional transformer operations 7
Locomotive basics
Adding smoke fluid to your locomotive's smoke generator 8
Locomotive switch locations 9
Assigning your locomotive a new ID# (LEGACY and TMCC) 10
Lash-ups (for LEGACY operations only) 11
LEGACY Control System operations
The LEGACY CAB-2 Remote Controller 12
The Velocity Throttle 13
The Multi-Controller 13
The Train Brake Slider 13
The Warning Sound Controller 14
The Speed Bar 14
EFX Trim and EFX Bar Graph 15
Leaving the Preset Speed Screen 15
LEGACY RailSounds sound system operations
LEGACY RailSounds sound system 16
LEGACY RailSounds Sequence Control 17
CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements in the LEGACY environment 18
TrainMaster Command Control operations
CAB-1 Remote Controller commands 19
CAB-1 Remote Controller numeric keypad commands 20-21
Controlling the smoke level and cab lights 21
Conventional transformer operations
Using the LEGACY RailSounds sound system in the conventional environment 22
Activating CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements 22
Locking your locomotive into a single direction 23
DCC operations
DC and DCC operation 24
DCC Mode Operating Features 25
Setting the locomotive address in DCC mode 25
Setting the consist position (CV50) in DCC mode 25
Lionel Specific CV settings
26-27
Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Reprogramming your locomotive to restore features (LEGACY) 28
Reprogramming your locomotive to restore features (TMCC) 29
Installing your scale couplers (not included) 30
Lubricating your locomotive 31
Servicing your locomotive’s LEDs 32
Replacing the traction tires 33
Locomotive diagnostics 34
Notes 35
Lionel Limited Warranty Policy & Service 36

4
Powering your locomotive in excess of 19 volts, may result in damage to sensitive
electronic components.
Your locomotive requires curves that have a 36" or larger diameter, measured from center
point between rails to center point between rails.
Note!
Note!
Running your locomotive
Locomotive basics
Your Locomotive is equipped with the latest generation electronics for operation in AC, TMCC, DC, and DCC environments. Additionally, scale wheels and couplers are supported
for the discriminating modeler.
When placing the locomotive on the track, several startup checks are performed. The
locomotive will sample the track voltage for AC or DC power, and then look for any DCC or
TMCC control signals. The DCC control signal has priority over the TMCC signal, so layouts
that have both TMCC and DCC will operate properly, in that the track the locomotive is on will
drive the operational features.
Several DCC command systems were tested, and listed below. The Configuration Variables
(CVs) are programmable in all modes (Ops, Page, Direct, and Register). In many cases,
reading back the CVs on a programming track are inconsistent; the only exception is the NCE
Power Cab system, which works fine. In other DCC command systems, the CV reading is quite
reliable when using the DCC Specialties PowerPax™ Booster.
DCC Systems Tested with the Lionel DCC decoder:
NCE Power Cab™
Digitrax DCS50™
Digitrax DCS51™
MRC Prodigy Advance 2 ™
DCC Specialties contact information:
DCC Specialties
57 River Rd, Suite 1023
Essex Junction, VT 05452
800-671-0641
email: [email protected]

5
1. Turn off track power, and then plug in the
LEGACY Base and connect it to the track.
2. Place your locomotive on the track.
3. Increase track power voltage to full power
(no more than 19 volts AC). If a circuit breaker
trips when you turn on the Lionel power supply, check
the wheels of your locomotive to make sure they are all
securely on the track. Check to make sure the track is free
of all metals that may cause a short circuit.
4. As illustrated in Figure 1, press ENG and 1
(or your selected ENG ID#) to address the
locomotive with your LEGACY CAB-2 Remote
Controller.
5. Press the Start Up button on your LEGACY
CAB-2 Remote, shown in Figure 2. Then,
throttle up and move 'em out! Your engine sound
will start up, and the locomotive-specific touch screen
buttons will populate the remote. For more information
on operating your locomotive with the LEGACY system,
please refer to the LEGACY section of this manual.
Additional information is also found in the LEGACY
System Manual, available online at www.lionel.com.
Running your locomotive
Figure 1. LEGACY engine selection
Figure 2. Start up button
LEGACY Control operations
For the finest operating experience, your locomotive is fully compatible with the LEGACY Control System. To operate in LEGACY mode, you need a LEGACY Command Base and LEGACY CAB-2
Remote Controller (6-14295).
Your commands are sent by the CAB-2 Remote Controller to the Command Base, which sends
a digital code through the rails to your locomotive. Your locomotive will not respond until it
recognizes its unique ID#, so you can operate multiple Command-equipped locomotives on the
same track at the same time.
Powering your locomotive in excess of 19 volts, may result in damage to sensitive
electronic components.
Your locomotive requires curves that have a 36" or larger diameter, measured from center
point between rails to center point between rails.
Note!
Note!

6
Running your locomotive
Powering your locomotive in excess of 19 volts, may result in damage to sensitive
electronic components.
Your locomotive requires curves that have a 36" or larger diameter, measured from center
point between rails to center point between rails.
TrainMaster Command Control (TMCC) operations
For operation in the TrainMaster Command Control environment, you need a TrainMaster Command Base (6-12911) and a CAB-1 Remote Controller (6-12868). Refer to your TMCC
System Manual for complete information. To access all the locomotive's features, you
must operate in the LEGACY environment, as discussed on the previous page.
Your commands are sent by the CAB-1 Remote Controller to the Command Base, which
translates the command into digital code. That code is sent through the outside rails to your
locomotive, which will not respond until it recognizes its unique ID#. TrainMaster Command
Control gives you the power to operate multiple Command-equipped locomotives on the same track
at the same time.
1. Turn off track power, and then plug in the Command Base and connect it to the
track.
2. Place your locomotive on the track.
3. Increase track voltage to full power (no more than 19 volts AC). If a circuit
breaker trips when you turn on the Lionel power supply, check the wheels of your locomotive to
make sure they are all securely on the track. Check to make sure the track is free of all metals
that may cause a short circuit.
4. Press ENG and 1 (or the ENG ID# you set) to address your locomotive with
your CAB-1 Remote Controller.
5. Throttle up and move ‘em out.
For more information, please refer to the TrainMaster Command Control operations section of
this manual or the TMCC System Manual, available online at www.lionel.com.
Note!
Note!

7
Running your locomotive
Conventional transformer operations
For Conventional operation, a Command Base must not be powered up anywhere in the
area, even if it is not connected to the track. If a base is detected, your locomotive will
default to Command mode.
Powering your locomotive in excess of 19 volts, may result in damage to sensitive
electronic components.
Your locomotive requires curves that have a 36" or larger diameter, measured from center
point between rails to center point between rails.
When operating in the Conventional environment, set the smoke unit switch to the Off
position if you will be making multiple direction changes to prevent overheating the
smoke unit. See Figure 4 on page 9 for the location of this switch.
1. With track power off, place your locomotive on the track.
2. Power up the track (8-18 volts AC). Starting voltage will vary based on the
locomotive's load. If a circuit breaker trips when you turn on the Lionel power supply, check
the wheels of your locomotive to make sure they are all securely on the track. Check to make sure
the track is free of all metals that may cause a short circuit.
3. Move ‘em out! When the locomotive’s headlight illuminates and the LEGACY RailSounds
sound system starts, press the DIRECTION button on your transformer to sequence your
locomotive through the repeating pattern of operations: neutral, forward, neutral, reverse,
neutral, and so on. You may also briefly turn off track power to advance the locomotive to the
next operating state. Adjust the throttle until your locomotive moves at your desired speed.
When placing your locomotive on your layout for the first time and after power
interruptions lasting longer than five seconds, it will start out in neutral.
Use the HORN and BELL buttons on your transformer to activate those features. Adjust the
volume using the volume control knob. Refer to Figure 4 on page 9 for the location of this control.
For more information, please refer to the Conventional transformer operations section of this
manual.
If the HORN and BELL buttons on your transformer appear to be reversed (i.e., trigger
the other sound), simply switch the wire connections at the transformer terminals.
Note!
Note!
Note!
Note!
Note!
Caution!

8
Locomotive basics
Your locomotive is equipped with a smoke generator that produces safe, clean, white smoke during operation. Add 10-20 drops to the duct (shown in Figure 3) to prime the unit the first
time you run the locomotive or after being stored for an extended period of time, and then add 10 to
20 drops to refill when smoke production decreases. When refilling, DO NOT EXCEED 20 DROPS as
this can cause your smoke unit to become oversaturated allowing leakage onto the electronics. Note
that operating your locomotive's smoke unit without smoke fluid will cause damage to the heating
element.
If you prefer to operate your locomotive without smoke, locate the smoke unit switch and slide it
to the NO SMK position. Refer to Figure 4 on page 9 for the location of the switch.
For best performance, we recommend using Lionel smoke fluid only.
You may find it helpful to add smoke fluid using the funnel that is packed with this
locomotive.
Adding smoke fluid to your locomotive’s smoke generator
Figure 3. Smoke fluid location
Note!
Note!
Exhaust stack.
Remove cover.
Add smoke
fluid here.
REAR

9
NO SMK SMK
PGM
RUN
VOL
The functions of your locomotive's switches are outlined below. Refer to Figure 4 for the location of the switches. The instructions below are specific to this particular locomo-
tive; note that available features (and switches) may differ from other loco-
motives and locomotive sets.
Smoke Unit Switch (SMK/NO SMK)
Used to turn the smoke unit function on and off. Be sure that track power is off when you throw
the switch
Program-Run Switch (RUN/PGM)
Used to assign an ID# and to reprogram the locomotive for LEGACY and Command operation
when the switch is in the PGM position. Also used to “lock” your powered locomotive in a single
direction, or neutral, in conventional operation when the switch is placed in the PGM position.
Figure 4. Locomotive switch locations
Smoke unit switch
Locomotive basics
Locomotive switch locations
Program-Run switch
Volume control knob
Remove rooftop hatch REAR

10
For operation in the LEGACY or TMCC environment, you will want to give each unit a unique ID#. The locomotive will respond to commands associated with its ID# while all other units will
disregard these commands. This procedure is not necessary for conventional (non-
Command) operation.
1. Slide the Program-Run switch on your locomotive to the PGM position. See
Figure 4 on page 8.
2. Place the locomotive on the track.
3. Connect the Command Base and plug it in.
4. Power up the track.
5. Press ENG on the CAB-1 or CAB-2 remote.
6. Enter the unique ID#. Choose any number from 1 to 98 that has not been
assigned to another locomotive (ENG). We recommend using a part of your
locomotive’s road number.
All LEGACY locomotives respond to ENG 99. We recommend that you reserve ID# 99 as a
"universal" ID#.
7. Press SET. The locomotive's headlights will flash. The horn will also sound
provided that the overall volume of the RailSounds has not been lowered.
8. Slide the Program-Run switch back to the RUN position.
The locomotive’s ID# has been set. Be sure to record the new ID# for your reference.
Locomotive basics
Assigning your locomotive a new ID# (LEGACY and TMCC)
Note!