Lionel GP-20 User manual

Lionel GP-20
Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
Lionel GP-20
Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
71-8471-250
9/05

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You purchased a tough, durable locomotive—the GP-20 diesel locomotive built by Lionel. From the crisp detail and expert decoration on the outside to the brute power under the hood,
the Lionel GP-20 is ready for duty on your model railroad.
Congratulations!
Features of this locomotive
• Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation
• Operating diesel horn
• Operating headlights
• Interior lighting
• Two operating couplers
• Two powerful maintenance-free motors
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®, Wireless Tether™,
LionMaster®, FatBoy™, American Flyer®, TrainSounds™
The name FasTrack®is used with permission from Pitsco, Inc.

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Table of contents
Transformer operations
Running your locomotive with a Lionel transformer 4
Locking your locomotive into a single operational state 5
Sounding your locomotive’s horn 6
Using your locomotive’s magnetic couplers 7
Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Lubricating your locomotive 8
Replacing your locomotive’s lamps 9
Replacing the traction tires 10
Notes 11
Limited Warranty/Lionel Service 12

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3Move ‘em out!
Get your locomotive moving. Press the DIRECTION button on your Lionel
transformer. This sequences the reverse unit to the next operating state in the
repeating sequence: forward, neutral, reverse, and neutral.
Adjust track voltage until your locomotive moves at your desired speed. To
increase speed, increase track voltage. To decrease speed, reduce voltage. To stop the
locomotive, turn-off track power.
See page 5 for information on locking your locomotive into a single
operational state.
Place your locomotive on Lionel or Lionel-compatible
O gauge track.
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2Power up your locomotive with your transformer.
Your locomotive is designed to operate on 8-18 volts alternating
current. Virtually all Lionel and Lionel-compatible alternating-current
transformers are suitable.
Do not power your locomotive with direct current (DC). Damage to
sensitive electronic components may occur.
1
1
Running your locomotive with a Lionel transformer
Transformer operations
Caution!

ON
DIR
OFF
To select a single operational state for your Lionel locomotive (for example, forward only), you can deactivate the reverse unit’s sequencing function with the reverse unit switch.
Get your locomotive moving in the desired direction, then slow it down without stopping.
Set the reverse unit switch to OFF. Refer to Figure 1 for the location of the switch. The
locomotive is now “locked” into your chosen direction.
When you no longer want single-direction operation, just slide the switch back to ON.
Your locomotive’s reverse unit will “reset” to forward after any power interruption
lasting five seconds or longer, regardless of the original locked-out direction.
Locking your locomotive into a single operational state
Transformer operations
5
Note!
Figure 1. Switch location
Front of engine
Rear of engine

Transformer operations
Sounding your locomotive’s horn
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POWER
SUPPLY
Existing wire
Black wire
Red wire
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
SoundActivation Button for
activating the diesel horn
The no. 610-5906-001 button works with any Lionel AC transformer except
no. 6-4690 Type MW.
Press the HORN/WHISTLE button on your controller to sound the locomotive's horn.
If your controller does not have a HORN/WHISTLE button, install a Lionel Sound Activation
Button (available separately, part no. 610-5906-001). Connect the button as shown in Figure 2.
All track power must feed through the Sound Activation Button. Do not bypass the
button.
Common/Ground/U
Power/A
6
Figure 2. Sound Activation Button wiring
Note!
Note!

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Transformer operations
Your Lionel locomotive is equipped with operating magnetic knuckle couplers, a revolutionary design first introduced by Lionel in 1945.
Lionel magnetic couplers react to the magnetic field generated by a Lionel Remote-Control
Track section (available separately, 6-65149 or 6-12746 for O-27 gauge; 6-65530 for O gauge; or
6-12020 for FasTrack layouts).
As illustrated in Figure 3, place your locomotive’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. You may also press down on the uncoupling tab to open
the coupler.
One operating technique favored by Lionel railroaders is the “moving uncouple.” Press the
UNCOUPLE button as the locomotive passes over a Remote-Control Track section. The
magnetic field will open the coupler; the consist remains behind as the locomotive moves on.
But be careful—the speed of a newly uncoupled and moving locomotive can increase
dramatically.
Figure 3. Coupler operation
Using your locomotive’s magnetic couplers
Uncoupling tab

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Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Lubricating your locomotive
Help your Lionel locomotive lead a long and productive life on your railroad by maintaining it properly.
We recommend that you purchase a Lionel Lubrication and Maintenance Kit
(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 locomotive’s wheels
or your track. You’ll know your locomotive requires lubrication when visual inspection reveals
dryness on the parts indicated in Figure 4. Remove accumulated dirt and dust before
lubricating and always lubricate any locomotive emerging from prolonged storage.
Figure 4. Underside details and lubrication points
ON
DIR
OFF
Lubricate gears with
Lionel grease
sparingly
Lubricate gears with
Lionel grease
sparingly
Lubricate with Lionel oil
sparingly
Lubricate with Lionel oil
sparingly
Location of the body screws on the
underside of the frame.
Location of the body screws on
the underside of the frame
REAR
FRONT

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Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Replacing your locomotive’s lamps
Your locomotive is illuminated by two lamps inside the body, one at the front and one at the rear. During the course of normal operations, you may find that these lamps require
replacement. Replace the lamps with Lionel part no. 600-8352-311, available from your
authorized Lionel Service Center or from Lionel service.
1. Remove the four body screws from the frame. Refer to Figure 4 on page 8 for the location
of those screws.
2. Lift the body off the frame, taking care to avoid tugging on the wires.
3. Locate and remove the expired lamp. Gently pull the expired lamp out of the socket. Refer
to Figure 5.
4. Install the replacement lamp, making sure that the socket has been returned to its original
position against the body.
5. Replace the body and the four body screws. Be sure that no wires are pinched between the
frame and the body.
Figure 5. Lamp replacement
Lionel part no. 600-8352-311

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Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Replacing the traction tires
Your locomotive is equipped with four traction tires. These rubber tires increase the tractive effort of your locomotive, allowing it to pull more cars at once. During the course
of normal operations, the traction tires may become worn out. Because you must remove the
trucks and the side frames to access the wheels, we recommend that you have the traction tires
replaced by your authorized Lionel Service Center.