Lionel FT A-A User manual

Instructions Included to Upgrade
your FT with These available Kits,
Railsounds: part No. 6- 22964
Command Control: part No. 6-22960
Electrocouplers: part No. 6-22957
71-8169-250
04/99
LIONEL
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Lionel FT A-A
Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual

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2
Table of contents
Transformer operations
Running your FT with a Lionel transformer 3
UsingyourFT’smagneticcoupler
Experiencing the range of your FT’s Signalsounds 4
Your FT’s 104E reverse units operation 4
Installing the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound activation button 6
Maintaining and servicing your FT
Lubricating your FT 7
Replacing your FT’s lamps 8
Upgrades to your FT
Railsounds upgrade 9
Your FT’s Railsounds
™
system—the basics 10
Notes on Railsounds
™
10
Experiencing the range of your FT’s Railsounds
™
system 11
CommandControl upgrade 12
Coilcoupler upgrade 13
TrainMaster
®
Command operations
The Command
™
control environment 14
RunningyourFTintheTrainMaster
®
Commandenvironment 15
CAB-1 commands for your FT 15
CAB-1 numeric keypad commands for your FT 16
Tuning your FT’s performance 17
Assigning your FT a new ID# 18
ProgrammingyourFTAunit tousetheElectrocoupler 19
ReprogrammingR2LCcircuitboardstorestoreorchangefeatures 19
Lionel Service 20
• Two powerful flywheel equipped can motors
• Lionel electronic reversing unit
•SignalSounds horn and bell
• Tire-Traction
• Die-cast magnetic coupler
• Iluminated headlight
•Upgrade Ready
•Illuminated non-powered “A”
You purchased a tough, durable
locomotive—the FT diesel locomotive
built by Lionel. From the crisp detail and
expert decoration on the outside to the
brute power under the hood, the Lionel FT
is ready for duty on your model railroad.
Experience the superiority of today’s
Lionel. our FT is also upgradable to
include the latest Command Control and
Railsounds features
Congratulations!

Your Lionel FT is equipped with a front
operating magnetic knuckle coupler.
Lionel magnetic
couplers react to the
magnetic field gener-
ated by a Lionel
remote-control track
section (available
separately).
Place your lo-
comotive’s coupler
trigger disc over the
central coil of a
remote-control track section and press
UNCOUPLE on the controller. The magnetic
field pulls the disc downward, and the
knuckle opens.
One operating technique favored by
Lionel railroaders is
the “moving uncou-
ple.” Press the
UNCOUPLE button as
the FT passes over a
remote-control section.
The magnetic field
will open the coupler;
the consist remains
behind as the locomo-
tive moves on. But be
careful—the speed of a newly uncou-
pled and moving locomotive can
increase dramatically.
Position your FT’s trigger disc over the
remote-control section, then press
“uncouple.” The coupler opens.
3
3Move ‘em out!
• Get your FT moving. Press the DIR button on your CAB-1 remote
or Lionel transformer. This sequences the Lionel 104 E reverse unit
to the next operating state. The 104 E unit alternates between
three states: forward, neutral, and reverse.
• Adjust track voltage until your FT moves at your desired speed.
To increase speed, increase track voltage. To decrease speed,
reduce voltage. To stop the locomotive, cut track power.
• See table on page 5 for information on locking your FT in a sin-
gle operating state
Place your FT locomotives on Lionel or Lionel-
compatible O, 027 gauge track.
2
2Power up your FTs with your transformer.
• Your FT is designed to operate on 0- 6 volts alternating current.
Virtually all Lionel and Lionel-compatible alternating-current
transformers are suitable.
• DO NOT POWER YOUR FT WITH DIRECT CURRENT (DC). Damage to
sensitive electronic components may occur.
• When you first power up your track, your FT’s headlights will
illuminate. At this point, the locomotive is in neutral. This occurs
when placing the FT on your railroad for the first time. When
your train is first powered up, the default state will be neutral and
the default direction is forward. This means whenever you power
up your engine the engine will remain in neutral, and when the
power is removed and again applied, the train will move forward.
This condition holds true if the engine is being powered up for the
first time or if the engine has been powered down longer than five
seconds.
Note!
1
1
Running your Lionel FTs with a Lionel transformer
3
3
Transformer operations
Using your FT’s magnetic coupler

With SignalSounds, you experience
the sounds of real railroading
like never before. Simply put, it delivers
realistic, and authentic sounds to your
model railroad. To adjust the volume of
signalsounds see the next page for loca-
tion of adjustment knob
• Diesel Horn. Press horn to produce
an authentic diesel horn blast.
• Mechanical bell. Press BELL on your
CAB-1 or transformer to begin the
effect; again to discontinue.
Experiencing the range of your FT’s SignalSounds system
Your FT’s 104 E Reverse unit
The New E-Series Reversing Unit con-
trols the direction of the engine. When the
reversing unit senses an interruption in
track power, it will cycle into the next
direction in the sequence. The sequence is
neutral, forward, neutral, reverse.... Track
power interruptions are created using the
direction control on your transformer or
Cab-1, or by turning the throttle to zero.
When power is first applied (or after a 5
second power interruption), the engine
will power up in neutral, always before
forward. A single press of the direction
button will set your engine in forward
motion. This will help eliminate unex-
pected start ups, derailments, and crash-
es. Listed in the table on the next page is
the direction sequence pattern that your
104 E unit will follow under the given
conditions.
As always, a lockout switch is included
to deactivate the 104 E’s sequencing func-
tion. (for switch location see illustration
on the next page) A new feature is that
now you will have a neutral available
even when the reversing unit is “off”. In
addition, you no longer have to slow the
engine by hand to turn off the reversing
unit while the train is moving. Simply
stop the engine, and throw the switch.
The 104 E unit will be locked into its last
moving direction, plus neutral. Even sim-
pler, just put the switch in the “PROG”
position and keep power off for 5 sec-
onds. When you start, you will be locked
in neutral/forward. If you want to lock
your engine in reverse for any length of
time, it is recommended that you reverse
the spade connections (blue and yellow)
on the top of the motors (see page 7).
Otherwise, your “reverse” lock will
become a “forward” lock after any 5 sec-
ond power off.
NOTE: Due to limitations of the
electronic components, it is hard to
predict how each engine will function
when power is interrupted between
2.5 seconds and 5 seconds. Engines
will function either as in case #1 or
case #2. This solely depends on the
tolerances of the installed electronics
and is not affected or caused by your
power supply.
4
4
Transformer operations

Summary Table of Engine Directions
Condition Direction Change Cycle
Case #1: First power up or without power longer than 5 sec.
E unit off (switch in PROG position) N, F, N, F, etc.
E unit on (switch in RUN position) N, F, N, R, etc.
Case #2: Engine without power for less than 2.5 seconds
E unit off (switch in PROG position) N, Last-Dir, N, Last-Dir, etc.
E unit on (switch in RUN position) N, F, N, R, etc.
NOTE: With your 104 E reversing unit, positioning the switch in the PROG position
locks your engine into its last moving direction plus neutral. Positioning the switch
in the RUN position resumes normal sequencing operation.
Your FT’s 104 E Reverse unit
5
5
Reverse unit control switch
Volume control knob
Railsounds Signalsounds ON/OFF switch
(has no function until Railsounds upgrade is
installed).
Battery clip on motherboard
Note; Shown with Upgrade installed on board
Front of FT
Re r of FT
Inside of
FT
RUN PGM
OFF
ON
Roof hatch
Tab & slot
To remove the roof hatch on your powered FT, just pull straight
up. To replace the hatch check to make sure the tabs line up with
the slots in the body of the FT and press the hatch down.

6
6
Transformer operations
Installing the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound activation button
To operate the bell and horn sounds
when operating your FT with conven-
tional transformers, you’ll need to install
the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound activa-
tion button (available separately). Connect
the button(s) as shown below.
For AC tr nsformers l cking horn/whistle button (two no. 5906s required)
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
sound activation button
for activating the bell
Lionel no.
610-5906-001
sound activa-
tion button
(for horn)
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 OUR TRANSFORMER
The no. 610-5906-001 sound activation button (available separately)
works with any Lionel AC transformer except no. 6-4690 Type MW.
Transformers made by other manufacturers may not be compatible
with Railsounds.
Note!
ATTACH TO GROUND TERMINAL
ATTACH TO POWER TERMINAL
Red wire
TO OUR TRANSFORMER
CUSTOMER’S WIRE
BLACK WIRE
Note!
All track power must
feed through “Sound
Activation Button”
Do not bypass button
For AC tr nsformers with horn/whistle button

Lubricating your FTs
Help your Lionel FTs lead a long and
productive life on your railroad by
maintaining it properly.
We recommend you purchase a Lionel
Lubrication and Maintenance Kit (no. 6-
62927), available from your Lionel dealer.
Two basic rules to keep in mind: never
over-lubricate (a small amount will do),
and avoid getting grease or oil on the FT’s
wheels or your track. ou’ll know your FT
requires lubrication when visual inspec-
tion reveals dryness on the parts indicated
in the illustration. Remove accumulated
dirt and dust before lubricating, and
always lubricate any locomotive emerging
from prolonged storage.
7
7
Maintaining and servicing your FTs
LUBRICATE WITH
LIONEL OIL SPARINGLY
LUBRICATE WITH
LIONEL OIL SPARINGLY
TURN TRUCKS TO
REMOVE FRONT BOD
MOUNT SCREWS
BOD MOUNT
SCREWS
BOD MOUNT
SCREWS
LUBRICATE WITH LIONEL
GREASE SPARINGLY
(POWERED UNIT ONLY)
LUBRICATE WITH LIONEL
GREASE SPARINGLY
(POWERED UNIT ONLY)

Replacing your FT’s lamps
our FT is illuminated by one 18-
volt lamp. During the course of
normal operation, they may require
replacement.
Begin by removing the FT’s shell;
see page 7 for screw location. After
removing the six screws, carefully lift
the shell away from the frame. Take
care with the various wiring assemblies
connected to the shell.
Locate the assembly containing the
expired lamp. It’s held in position by a
plastic housing; carefully remove the
expired lamp from the socket. Replace it
with Lionel part no. 12-3011-311, avail-
able from your authorized Lionel Service
Center or Lionel Service. See the Lionel
Service section on page 20 for more
information. Reinstall the shell.
Remove the FT’s shell, pull the l mp
ssembly from its ret ining clip, nd
repl ce the expired l mp.
Note! If you have upgraded your powered locomotive to Command
Control, make sure the headlight was not turned off by press-
ing AUX2 before replacing bulb.
8
8
Lionel part No.
12-3011-311

Available Railsounds and Command Control Upgrades
To experience the most from your FT
several upgrade options are available,
including Railsounds, Command Control,
and Electrocouplers. With these you can
enjoy the full spectrum of digitally record-
ed real diesel sounds and the ability to
control your locomotive from anywhere.
As with all upgrades you may choose to
have this done at an authorized Lionel
Service Center for a fee, or you can choose
“do it yourself”. Just follow these instruc-
tions we have included and you’ll be
ready to experience the fun that is today’s
Lionel
Railsounds Upgrade
9
9
Installation is as follows: using kit 6-22964 ,
which includes two plug-in circuits.
Remove the cab from the chassis as shown
on page 7. Unplug the Signal Sounds circuit
with the aluminum heat sink bracket and set
it aside. ( ou will want to store this in the
static resistant packaging from the upgrade
kit). Plug the RailSounds sound card to the
slot marked “AUDIO”. (The sound card can
be identified by the large square
chips/receptacle on both sides). Plug the
power supply card to the slot marked
“POWER”(The power supply card has the
large coil).
NOTE: Be sure these are plugged in correctly,
or RailSounds will not function. Damage
may occur if the engine is operated with
these circuits in the wrong locations!
If no other upgrades are to be made, recab
the engine reversing the cab removal
steps. our engine will now have
RailSounds including horn and bell
which respond to your sound activation
button, and engine sounds which respond
to the speed of the locomotive and to
track voltage. Other random realistic
sounds will occur, listen for these. For
even more sounds and command control
of your engine, install the command
upgrade kit 6-22960 (sold separately). The
next section includes detailed instructions
for this upgrade.
Signal Sounds
board
Heat sink
RailSounds
board
RailSounds
power board
Chips
Large coil
Front of FT
NOTE: Both rows of pins must be
plugged into the sockets or the
boards will not function.
Rear of FT

Notes on Railsounds
• Turn the volume knob clockwise or
counter clockwise in the location shown 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 FT diesel
roar.
• Longer track-power interruptions
(including locomotive derailments)
cause Railsounds to shut down after
about 7 seconds.
• For even more authentic Railsounds
effects, operate in the TrainMaster
Command environment.
Your FT’s Railsounds system—the basics
Lionel Railsounds is the most realistic
model railroad sound system in the
world. our FT Railsounds upgrade fea-
tures digital samples for the ultim te in
realism.
Begin by in-
stalling a 9-volt
lk line battery
in your FT.
This ensures
interruption
free operation
of Railsounds.
Lift off the
access panel
as shown in
the illustration
on page 5.
Connect the 9-
volt alkaline
battery to the
battery clip
and then replace the access panel.
When you first apply track power,
the FT’s Railsounds system delivers an
authentic start-up sequence, followed by
the sounds of the locomotive at idle. As
the FT’s speed
increases, the
RPMs move
through four
levels of roar.
Sounds return to
idle only after the
locomotive has
come to a com-
plete halt.
To silence the
diesel roar (horn
and bell remain
unaffected), slide
the Railsounds
switch, inside
the powered FT,
to the OFF posi-
tion before powering up the locomotive.
Inst ll n lk line 9-volt b ttery in your FT. Lift off the
roof, connect the b ttery to the mother bo rd, nd pl ce the
roof p nel b ck on. (See p ge 5 for illustr tion.)
Although Railsounds is
powered by track voltage,
the b ttery is required for
uninterrupted operation and
shutdown sequences. Use
only alkaline batteries.
Note!
Discontinue locomotive
power for 10 seconds before
changing the Railsounds
ON/OFF switch position.
NOTE: See above for location of volume control knob
Note!
If Railsounds “drops out”
during track power inter-
rupts (direction change),
replace the battery.
Note!
10
10
BATTER CLIPS HERE
RAILSOUNDS OFF/ON SWITCH
VOLUME CONTROL
OFF
ON