Lionel F3 A-B-A Diesel User manual

71-4588-250
8/04
Lionel
F3 A-B-A Diesel
Locomotive Set
Owner’s Manual
Lionel
F3 A-B-A Diesel
Locomotive Set
Owner’s Manual
SYSTEM
featuring
and

Congratulations!
Congratulations on your purchase of the Lionel F3 A-B-A diesel locomotive set! This set features a powered A-unit, a non-powered B-unit, and a non-powered A-unit. On the
outside, these locomotives feature numerous prototypical details and expert decoration in your
favorite livery. Inside the bodies, these locomotives are equipped with some of the most
advanced sounds and controls in model railroading. This set is ready for duty on your layout.
Features of this locomotive set
• TrainMaster Command Control equipped—able to run in the TrainMaster
Command Control environment or in the conventional environment with
only a standard transformer
• RailSounds sound system with CrewTalk communication and TowerCom
announcements (powered A-unit only)
• Odyssey System for speed control (powered A-unit only)
• Directional lighting including operating LED headlights
• Operating marker lights
• ElectroCouplers
• Dual powerful maintenance-free motors with momentum flywheels
(powered A-unit only)
• Four traction tires (powered A-unit only)
• Fan-driven smoke units (in both A-units)
• Lighted number boards
• Lighted cab interior
• Minimum curve: O-31
2
The following Lionel marks may be used throughout this instruction manual and are protected under law.
All rights reserved.
Lionel®, TrainMaster®, Odyssey®, RailSounds®, CrewTalk™, TowerCom™, DynaChuff™,
StationSounds™, Pullmor®, ElectroCoupler™, Magne-Traction®, CAB-1 Remote Controller®,
PowerMaster®, Lionel ZW®, ZW®, PowerHouse®, TMCC®, Lionelville™, Lockon®
The name FasTrack®is used with permission from Pitsco, Inc.

Table of contents
Quick Start
Transformer operations 4
TrainMaster Command Control operations 4
Conventional transformer operations
Conventional operations 5
Operating your locomotive set in the conventional environment 6
Locking your powered locomotive into a single direction 7
Coupling your locomotive in the conventional environment 8
RailSounds sound system operations
RailSounds sound system operations 9
Installing the battery 10
Using the RailSounds sound system in the conventional environment 11
Installing a Lionel Sound Activation Button for conventional operation 12
Using the RailSounds sound system in the TrainMaster Command Control environment 13
Odyssey System operations
Odyssey System operations 14
Activating the Odyssey System in the conventional environment 14
Turning off the Odyssey System in the conventional environment 15
Odyssey System Command Control operation 15
TrainMaster Command Control operations
TrainMaster Command Control operations 16
Operating your locomotive set in the Command Control environment 16
CAB-1 Remote Controller commands 17
CAB-1 Remote Controller numeric keypad commands 18
Tuning your locomotive’s performance 19-20
Assigning new ID#’s to your locomotives 20
Building a lash-up 21
Reprogramming your locomotives to restore features 22
Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Adding fluid to your locomotive set’s smoke generators 23
Lubricating your locomotive 24-26
Replacing your locomotive’s LEDs and lamps 27
Replacing the traction tires 27
Limited Warranty/Lionel Service 28
3

4
Quick Start
Transformer operations
1. Slide the Odyssey System switch to the NO ODY position to operate without
speed control. To operate your locomotive with speed control, slide the Odyssey System
switch to the ODY position and refer to pages 14 and 15.
2. Place your locomotive on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-31 or larger
track.
3. Power your locomotive at 8-18 volts with your alternating current (AC)
transformer.
Do not power your locomotive with a direct-current (DC) transformer. Damage to
sensitive electronic components may occur.
4. Wait three to eight seconds as your locomotive determines whether it is in
a conventional environment or a TrainMaster Command Control
environment.
5. Move ‘em out! Press the DIRECTION button on your controller, then
throttle up.
TrainMaster Command Control operations
To operate your locomotive in the Command Control environment, you need a Command Base (available separately, 6-12911) and a CAB-1 Remote Controller (available separately,
6-12868).
1. Turn off track power and plug-in the Command Base.
2. Place your locomotive on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-31 or larger
track.
3. Increase track voltage to full power (19 volts AC).
Do not power your locomotive with a direct-current (DC) transformer. Damage to
sensitive electronic components may occur.
4. Press ENG and 1 to address your locomotive with your CAB-1 Remote
Controller.
5. Throttle up and move ‘em out.
Note!
Note!

Conventional transformer operations
Conventional operations
Your locomotive set is capable of operating in the conventional environment with nothing
more than a standard Lionel alternating-current (AC) transformer.
In the conventional environment, your powered A-unit locomotive cycles through a
repeating pattern of operations: forward, neutral, reverse, neutral, and so on. To advance to the
next operation, press the DIRECTION button on your transformer. Alternately, you could use
the throttle to briefly turn off track power so that the locomotive advances to the next operation
when power is restored.
Once you cycle the powered A-unit locomotive into forward or reverse, you control your
locomotive set’s speed by varying track voltage with the transformer’s throttle. To increase the
speed of the locomotive, you increase track voltage. To decrease the speed, you decrease track
voltage. To stop the locomotive and to change directions (or to enter neutral), track voltage is
turned off or interrupted.
Use the HORN and BELL buttons on your transformer (or separate buttons if your
transformer is not equipped with these controls) to activate these features. Only the powered
A-unit is equipped with sounds.
To experience all of your locomotive set’s features, we recommend operating in the
TrainMaster Command Control environment. With a simple one-wire connection, you can use
the CAB-1 Remote Controller to access all of the functions of your locomotive set. Refer to
pages 16 to 21 to see how to operate your locomotive set in the TrainMaster Command Control
environment.
5

Conventional transformer operations
Operating your locomotive set in the conventional environment
1. Slide the Odyssey System switch to the NO ODY position to operate without
speed control. To operate your locomotive with speed control, slide the Odyssey System
switch to the ODY position and refer to pages 14 and 15.
Keep the Odyssey System switch in the NO ODY position when you are not running
your locomotive with speed control. If the Odyssey System switch remains in the ODY
position, your locomotive may lock into an unwanted speed setting as you adjust
your throttle to control train speed. This effect may be caused by variations in your
power supply and/or conditions on your layout. To operate your locomotive with the
Odyssey System for speed control, slide the Odyssey System switch to the ODY position
and refer to the procedures on pages 14 and 15. Be sure that the locomotive is not in
motion and track power is turned off when you engage the Odyssey System switch.
2. Place your locomotive set on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-31 or larger
track. Be sure that the non-powered A-unit faces the rear of the train. The back-up light on
the B-unit should face the rear of the train.
3. Power your locomotive set at 8-18 volts with your alternating current (AC)
transformer.
Power your locomotive with an alternating-current (AC) transformer only.
Powering your locomotive with a direct-current (DC) transformer may result in
damage to sensitive electronic components.
4. Wait three to eight seconds as your locomotive set determines whether it
is in a conventional environment or a TrainMaster Command Control
environment.
When the locomotive set has determined that a TrainMaster Command Base is not connected
to the track, the locomotive set’s headlight will illuminate and the RailSounds sound system
will start. You are ready for operation in the conventional environment.
5. Move ‘em out!
Press the DIRECTION button on your transformer to sequence your powered A-unit
locomotive through the repeating pattern of operations: forward, neutral, reverse, neutral,
and so on. You may also briefly turn off track power to advance the locomotive set to the
next operating state. Adjust the throttle until your locomotive set moves at your desired
speed.
When placing your powered A-unit locomotive on your layout for the first time, it will
start out in neutral. Thereafter, it will start in forward after every power interruption
lasting five seconds or longer.
Use the HORN and BELL buttons on your transformer to activate those features on the
powered A-unit locomotive. Refer to page 12 if your transformer is not equipped with those
buttons.
Note!
6
Note!
Caution!

Conventional transformer operations
Locking your powered A-unit locomotive into a single direction
When the Command reverse unit switch is in the RUN position, your powered A-unit
locomotive sequences through a repeating pattern of operations: forward, neutral, reverse,
neutral, and so on.
To “lock” your powered A-unit locomotive into a single direction (for example, to operate in
forward only), you can deactivate the Command reverse unit’s sequencing function. Refer to
Figure 1 for the location of the Command reverse unit switch.
1. Use your transformer’s DIRECTION button or interruptions in track power to get your
powered A-unit locomotive moving in the desired direction or into neutral.
2. Slow the locomotive down without stopping (reduce the throttle without turning off track
power).
3. Slide the Command reverse unit switch on the powered A-unit locomotive to the PGM
position. At this point, the locomotive is “locked” into your chosen direction.
To restore the forward-neutral-reverse sequence, just slide the Command reverse unit switch
back to the RUN position.
Your locomotive will “reset” to forward after any power interruption lasting five
seconds or longer, regardless of the direction you set.
7
SND
NO SND
ODY
NO ODY
RUN
PRGM
NO SMK
SMK
Figure 1. Switch locations
Smoke unit switch
(see page 23 for details)
Command reverse
unit switch
RailSounds sound
system switch
(see page 10-13 for details)
Odyssey system switch
(see page 14 and 15 for details)
FRONT
Powered A-unit
Note!

Conventional transformer operations
Coupling your locomotive in the conventional environment
Each locomotive unit is equipped with one ElectroCoupler that is released by remote control
at any point around your layout in the TrainMaster Command Control environment. The
ElectroCouplers are located on the noses of the A-units and the rear of the B-unit.
In the conventional environment, the ElectroCouplers will not open manually or by using a
Remote-Control Track section. To couple your locomotive in the conventional environment, you
must rely on a piece of rolling stock equipped with a magnetic coupler. Simply release the
magnetic coupler and couple the rolling stock to the locomotive, even if the ElectroCoupler is
closed.
Keep in mind that you may still make use of Lionel Remote-Control Track sections (6-65530
for O gauge; 6-12746 and 6-65149 for O-27 gauge; and 6-12020 for FasTrack layouts) with the
magnetic couplers on the rolling stock. Place the trigger disc on the magnetic coupler over the
central coil on the Remote-Control Track section, then press UNCOUPLE on the track section’s
controller. As illustrated in Figure 2, the magnetic field pulls the disc downward, releasing the
coupler.
8
Figure 2. Magnetic coupler operation
Remote-Control
Track Section

9
RailSounds sound system operations
RailSounds sound system operations
Your powered A-unit locomotive is equipped with the Lionel RailSounds sound system, the
most realistic model railroad sound system in the world. The RailSounds sound system
brings the sounds of the railroad to your layout through high quality digital samples of real
locomotives.
When you operate your powered A-unit locomotive in the conventional environment, you get
the realistic sounds of the diesel engine, which automatically rev up as the speed of the
locomotive increases. You can sound the locomotive set’s horn or activate the ringing of the
mechanical bell. When you are through with operations and power down the track, your
locomotive set’s RailSounds sound system starts a realistic diesel shutdown sequence (a nine-
volt alkaline battery is required for the shutdown sequence).
When you operate your powered A-unit locomotive in the TrainMaster Command Control
environment, you get full control of the RailSounds sound system. You still get the horn and
bell sounds. The locomotive’s RPM sounds automatically rev up, but you can also set a
particular RPM sound using your CAB-1 Remote Controller. In the Command Control
environment, the release of the ElectroCouplers is accompanied by a coupler release sound. Use
the BRAKE button, and listen for the sound of squealing metal. You can also trigger CrewTalk
communication and TowerCom announcements, which simulate the interaction between the
locomotive crew and the yardmaster. Whenever you choose to shutdown your locomotive, the
realistic shutdown sequence commences (a nine-volt alkaline battery is required for the
shutdown sequence).

RailSounds sound system operations
Installing the battery
While the RailSounds sound system is powered through the track, we recommend that you
install a nine-volt alkaline battery in the powered A-unit locomotive to prevent the sound
system from shutting down during track power interruptions (for example, at a switch or a dirty
section of track). Follow these steps and refer to Figure 3 as you install the battery.
If the RailSounds sound system turns off during interruptions in track power, you
may need to replace the battery.
1. Carefully lift up and remove the rear roof-top hatch.
2. Remove the protective cover from the battery harness.
3. Snap the battery harness onto the nine-volt alkaline battery’s terminals.
4. Slide the battery into the battery clip.
5. Replace the hatch.
10
Note!
Figure 3. Battery installation (powered A-unit locomotive only)
Volume
control knob
Lift up and
unsnap
Powered Unit
Battery
harness