Lionel Christmas Train User manual

Christmas Train
ready-to-run O-27 set
Owner’s Manual
72-1944-250
4/01
CAUTION—ELECTRICTOY
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER EIGHT YEARS OF AGE. AS WITH
ALL ELECTRIC PRODUCTS, PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE OBSERVED DURING
HANDLINGAND USETO REDUCETHE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
TRANSFORMER RATINGS—INPUT:120VAC; 60 HZ ONLY.
AC OUTPUT:20V; 54VA

Congratulations!
2
You’re now the proud owner of the Lionel Christmas Train O-27 train set.
Everything you need to get started is includ-
ed. You’re already off to a great start by
reading this instruction manual. It has
important information on train setup and
operation. This booklet also covers proper
maintenance procedures to help your Lionel
trains live long, healthy lives.
If you have any questions after reading
this booklet, contact your nearest Lionel
Authorized Service Center shown on the list
included on a separate flyer in this set.
And have fun!
Table of contents
Track layout
Getting started 3
Suggested track layouts 3
Joining the track sections 4
Attaching the lockon to the track 5
Controller operations
Stripping the wire 6
Attaching the wires to the lockon 6
Controller functions 7
Controller and short circuits 8
Train operation
Reverse unit procedure 9
Tire-Traction 10
Coupling 10
Maintaining and servicing your set
Lubricating your 4-4-2 locomotive 11
Adding smoke fluid to your 4-4-2’s smoke generator 12
Replacing your 4-4-2’s headlamp 13
Preparing your Musical Boxcar 14
Notes 15
Limited Warranty/Lionel Service 16

3
Track layout
Now comes the fun part—deciding what
kind of layout you want. The only rule— let your imagination be your guide.
Suggested track layouts
Here are some examples of layouts you can build with track included with your train set.
Remember—the more track you own, the more variations you can create in your train layout.
And that means more action and more fun!
Before you do anything else, we recom- mend you check the contents of your set
box to ensure all of the parts of your set
have been included and that the quantities
(when applicable) are correct.
The parts list below will tell you what’s
included and the correct quantities. If you
find any discrepancies, contact the dealer
you purchased your set from for more
information or call Lionel Service at
1.800.4.LIONEL.
• 4-4-2 Steam locomotive 1
• Square Back Tender 1
• 9700 Boxcar (Musical) 1
• 6462 Gondola 1
• Sq. Window Caboose 1
• 3-amp. controller 1
• Power pack 1
• Lockon 1
• Straight track 8
• Curved track 8
• Smoke fluid 1
• Service Center list 1
• Railroader Club Application 1
• Warranty Card 1
Getting Started
We recommend that you do not set-up your track layout on carpeted surfaces.
Carpet fibers may collect on your engine’s wheels and drive gears, and prevent your
engine from operating properly. For best results, place track on a hard surface.
Note!

Join the track sections together by inserting
the pins of one track
section into the rail
openings of another. For
good electrical contact,
pins must be carefully
inserted and track joints
tightly fitted.
If the track is difficult to
connect, try this installa-
tion tip. You can “break
in” O-27 track sections by
inserting and withdrawing
a track pin into one rail at
a time before joining the
entire track section.
If the openings become too open (causing
the track to fit loosely), pinch
the rail together around a
track pin with a pair of pliers.
If any pins fall out of the
track and are missing, replace
them with extras available
from your Lionel dealer.
Maintenance tip: The rails
should be kept clean, dry, and
free from oil and grease.
Clean rust and dirt spots with
a track eraser. Wipe the track
using a cloth dampened with
track cleaner from the Lionel
maintenance kit (no. 6-
62927), available from your
nearest Lionel Authorized
Value Added Dealer or Lionel Service.
Joining the track sections
4
Track layout

Track layout
5
Attaching the lockon to the track
Hook lip to the
outside of the rail
1
2
1
LIONEL
CTC
LOCKON
Once the lockon is securely attached to
the track, it’s time to insert the wires from
the controller into the two spring clips on
the lockon. See page 6 for easy-to-follow
steps.
Snap spring contact
to the middle rail
2
The lockon connects power from your controller to the track. Attaching the
lockon to the track is quick and easy. First,
place the lockon under any straight section
of track. Fit the center lip of the lockon onto
the edge of an outside rail. Press the lockon
upward so that the spring contact snaps
onto the center rail. The lockon should face
outward when setting up your track and
make sure it is firmly connected. Use the
illustrations below as a step-by-step guide.

Controller operations
6
OFF
FULL
SPEED
R
Attaching the controller wires to the lockon
Now you’ll need to insert a controller wire into each of the two spring clips
on the lockon.
It’s easy! Depress the spring clip with your
finger and insert the bare end of the wire
into the exposed opening. Release the
spring clip. Give the wire a little tug to
make sure it’s secure. Repeat these steps
with the other spring clip.
Next, insert the small plug end of the
power pack into the back of your controller,
and plug the other end into a standard
outlet.
Plug this end
into back of
controller.
Stripping the wire
Plug power pack
into standard
wall outlet
Make sure that the
bare end of each wire
is securely attached to
the spring clip.
Once your track is assembled and the lockon is
securely attached,
you can connect
the wires from the
controller to the
lockon.
First you‘ll want to
check the ends of the
wires to make sure that the insulation is
stripped back about 1⁄4" to 3⁄8". To
strip the wires, use a pair
of wire strip-
pers or a
sharp knife.
Caution:
Only an adult
should perform
this task! Always use
care when stripping wires.

Controller operations
7
Controller functions
As you turn the throttle control knob to the right, power to the track is
increased. When the indicator reaches the
green band, there should be sufficient power
to operate the locomotive. The further into
the green area the knob is turned, the faster
your train will go. Remember that the
greater the load on the engine (adding
more cars for the engine to pull, for exam-
ple), the farther into the green the knob
must be turned before it will operate the
locomotive.
The yellow band indicates the average
power range that the train will be operating
in. The red band represents maximum
power output.
FULLFULL
SPEEDSPEED
OFFOFF
R
Press this button to produce
a realistic whistle sound.
Press this button to go for-
ward or reverse,or to
place the locomotive in
“neutral”(no movement,
headlight is on).
Turn the throttle control
knob to the right for more
power.
The LED indicator shows
when your controller is
On.
Green band
Yellow band
Red band
FULL
SPEED
OFF
Note! Slight reduction in speed
during whistle operation
is normal

Controller operations
8
Your Lionel power pack is listed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and has
been carefully designed and tested to ensure
peak performance. The controller is
equipped with a built-in electronic circuit
breaker that alternately cuts off and restores
the flow of power to the track whenever a
short circuit exists—for example, when the
train derails. The circuit breaker’s action
continues until the cause of the short circuit
is eliminated. This circuit breaker is incor-
porated into the controller to protect it from
possible damage. It will not protect the loco-
motive or electrically operated accessories,
so it’s important to eliminate short circuits
as soon as possible.
The power pack must be
unplugged from the wall socket
when a short circuit is noticed,
and the short circuit must be cor-
rected.
A short circuit is caused by a direct con-
nection between the center rail and one of
the outside rails or by a direct connection
between bare wires. The axles of a derailed
car or locomotive are the most frequent
cause of short circuits, so make sure that all
wheels are properly set on the rails. Some
other causes of short circuits might be sta-
ples, nails, paper clips, or other metallic
objects lying across the rails, or two bare
wires touching each other.
If too many cars or accessories are used,
your controller will exceed its power limit
and begin to cycle on and off. To correct this
problem, cars or accessories must be
removed before normal operation can
resume. For more power, see the line of
Lionel high-output transformers at your
Authorized Lionel Value Added Dealer.
The same condition can occur if the power
is turned up too quickly. This also could
cause your train to move too fast and derail.
After your power pack has been operating
for a while, you will find it warm to the
touch. It is the nature of all electrical power
equipment to become warm when in use. If
your controller is loaded to capacity, it is a
good idea to let it cool down after an hour
or two of continuous use. Unplug the power
pack from the wall when the controller is
not in use.
Controller and short circuits
Note!

Train operation
9
Reverse unit procedure
The reverse unit inside your Lionel loco- motive is an electronic device that acts
like the transmission in your car. When you
apply power to the
track, the locomo-
tive moves in the
direction specified
by the reverse
unit—or it sits in
neutral, awaiting
another power
interruption.
Power interrup-
tions are the sig-
nal that tells the
reverse unit to
sequence to the
next operational state.
To interruptpower andsequencethelocomo-
tive’s reverseunit, pressthedirectioncontrolbutton
orturn thethrottletotheOFF positionandON
again.The reverseunitalternatesbetweenthree
states:forward, neutral,andreverse.
Also, the locomotive can be “locked” into
a single direction by throwing the switch
located on the underside of the frame (see
illustration above). When the switch is
thrown to the OFF position, the locomotive
will be locked in the next mode of operation
in the sequence. For instance, if the locomo-
tive is moving forward, then is stopped and
the switch is thrown back, the locomotive
will be “locked” in
neutral. If the
switch is thrown
back while the
locomotive is
under power, the
locomotive will
remain in the
mode it was in
when the switch
was thrown. The
controller direc-
tion control will
then have no effect
on the direction of the locomotive.
Additionally, this reverse unit has a
“power-up reset” feature, which means that
should the locomotive sit without power for
more than one hour, the reverse unit will
automatically reset and start in the forward
direction when the transformer is turned on
or “powered up,” regardless of the locking
switch position. If the locking switch is in
the OFF position, the locomotive will start in
the forward direction and be “locked” there.
Reverse unit on/off switch
OFF
FULL
SPEED
R
Direction control
button
Whistle control
button
ON OFF

10
Tire-Traction™
Coupling
Your locomotive is equipped with Tire- Traction™. This means that one of the
drive wheels is fitted with a rubber traction
tire to enhance tractive effort so your loco-
motive can pull many cars at once.
Lionel locomotives with Tire-Traction™
grip the track, enabling them to pull heavy
loads at higher speeds.
After you have assembled the track, place the locomotive and rolling stock on the
track. Before coupling the cars, make sure
the wheels are properly set on the rails.
When coupling your cars, at least one of
the mating couplers must be open as shown
below at the left. Now simply push the cars
toward each other until they lock together.
Now you’re ready to pull out of the sta-
tion. All aboard!
Keep in mind that it’s easier to couple cars on a straight stretch of track.
Push down the
lock release to
open the coupler.
Train operation