Lionel GP-38 diesel locomotive User manual

71-8812-250
8/97
Lionel GP-38
diesel locomotive
Owner’s Manual

2
Congratulations! Engine operations
Congratulations on your purchase of the Lionel GP-38 diesel locomotive!
Lionel is proud to reintroduce the latest
version of this popular diesel.
Read this instruction manual com-
pletely for important tips on operating
and maintaining your GP-38 diesel. When
properly cared for, your GP-38 will last a
lifetime.
Experience the superiority of today’s
Lionel. Have fun!
• Dual DC motors
• Brilliant headlight
• Illuminated cab
• Liontech reverse unit
• Four-wheel trucks
• Diesel horn sound
Table of contents
Engine operation
Reverse unit procedure 3
Using your GP-38’s magnetic couplers 4
Horn operation 4
Maintaining and servicing your GP-38
Lubricating your GP-38 diesel locomotive 5
Replacing your GP-38’s headlamp 5
Tire-Traction™6
Lionel Service 6

3
Congratulations! Engine operations
Reverse unit procedure
T
he reverse unit inside your Lionel
GP-38 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 interruptions are
the signal that tells the
r e v e r s e u n i t t o
sequence to the next
operational state.
To interrupt power
and sequence the loco-
motive’s reverse unit,
press the direction con-
trol button or turn the
throttle to the
Off
posi-
tion and
On
again. The reverse unit alter-
nates between three states: forward, neu-
tral, and reverse.
Also, the locomotive can be “locked” into
a certain mode of operation 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 locomotive 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
direction control will
then have no eect on
the direction of the
locomotive.
Additionally, this
reverse unit has a
“power-up reset” fea-
ture, which means that
should the locomotive
sit without power for
several minutes, the
reverse unit will auto-
matically reset and start in the forward
direction when the transformer is turned
on or “powered up,” regardless of the lock-
ing switch position. If the locking switch is
in the
Off
position, the locomotive will
start in the forward direction and be
“locked” there.
ON
DIRECTIONAL
CON TROL Back
of engine
OFF ON
HORN
OFF
Position your reverse unit switch to
the
Off
position to deactivate it.

4
Engine operations
Using your GP-38’s magnetic couplers
Y
our Lionel GP-38 is equipped with
operating magnetic knuckle couplers,
a revolutionary
design first intro-
duced by Lionel in
1945.
Lionel magnet-
ic couplers react to
the magnetic field
generated by a
Lionel remote-con-
trol 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 tech-
nique favored by
Lionel railroaders is
the “moving uncou-
p l e .” Pr e ss th e
UncOUple
button as
the GP-38 passes over
a remote-control sec-
tion. The magnetic
field willopenthecou-
pler; the consist
remains behind as the
locomotive moves on.
But be careful—the
speed of a newly
uncoupled and moving locomotive can
increase dramatically.
Position your GP-38’s trigger disc over
the remote-control section, then press
“uncouple.” The coupler opens.
T
he engine’s horn is activated by the
horn/whistle
button on your
transformer. The
horn will sound as
long as the button
is depressed.
If the horn doesn’t
sound, reverse the
leads to the track.
Please make sure
that the horn switch
lo cated o n t he
underside of the
fuel tank is switched to the
On
position.
Sometimes dirt or grease on the track ,
wheels, and rollers
will accumulate and
cause the horn to
sound intermittently.
Cleaning the wheels
and track should
eliminate this prob-
lem. We suggest
using the Lionel
Lubrication and
Maintenance kit (no.
6-62927), available at
your local Lionel
Authorized Value-Added Dealer.
Horn operation
ON
DIRECTIONAL
CON TROL Back
of engine
OFF ON
HORN
OFF
Move the horn switch to the “o” position
to deactivate the horn sound.

View of the rear and cab lamp
replacement using three Lionel
no. 600-8352-311 lamps.
5
Engine operations
H
elp your Lionel GP-38 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 GP-38’s wheels or
your track.
You’ll know your GP-38 requires lubrica-
tion when visual inspection reveals dryness
on the parts indicated in the illustration.
Remove accumulated dirt and dust before
lubricating, and always lubricate any loco-
motive emerging from prolonged storage.
Lubricating your GP-38 diesel locomotive
ON
DIRECTIONAL
CON TROL
OFF ON
HORN
OFF
lUbricate gears with
liOnel grease
sparingly
lUbricate gears with
liOnel grease
sparingly
lUbricate with liOnel
Oil
sparingly
lUbricate with liOnel
Oil
sparingly
Maintaining and servicing your GP-38
Location of the screws on
the underside of the frame.
Location of the screws on
the underside of the frame.
Your GP-38 is illuminated by three 12-volt miniature lamps (Lionel no.
600-8352-311), located in both end and
cab sections of the body. During the
course of normal operation, they may
require replacement.
To replace the lamps, start by separat-
ing the plastic body shell from the frame;
remove the 4 Phillips-head screws on the
underside corners of the frame as indicat-
ed in the illustration above.
Now spread the handrails slightly and
lift the body carefully so that the paint is
not scratched as you remove it.
After you have replaced the targeted
lamp, reinstall the shell by lining up the
screw holes on the frame and body shell,
and reinserting the 4 screws. Make sure all
the wires are inside the body before you
tighten the screws. Now you’re ready to
roll.
These lamps are available from your
local Lionel Authorized Service Center or
Lionel Service. For more information, see
Lionel Service on the back page.
Replacing your GP-38’s lamps

Tire-Traction™
Y
our locomotive is equipped with
Tire-Traction. This means that two
of the drive wheels on each truck are
fitted with rubber traction tires to
enhance tractive eort so your locomo-
tive can pull many cars at once.
Lionel locomotives with Tire-Traction
grip the track, enabling them to pull
heavy loads at higher speeds.
Lionel Service
Y
our New Jersey Transit O-27 set is built
with pride by Lionel and carries a war-
ranty to support continued reliable opera-
tion. If service is required, bring it and its
warranty card to your local authorized
Lionel Service Center. To nd the nearest
dealer or Service Center, simply call
1-800-4-LIONEL or search our website:
www.lionel.com.
If you prefer a Lionel factory repair, call
810-949-4100, fax [phone], or write
Lionel Service, P.O. Box 748, New
Baltimore, MI 48047-0748. State the prob-
lem and the product’s purchase date.
We’ll send a return authorization letter to
assure proper handling while at Lionel.
You may choose to have your product
repaired by one of our authorized Lionel
Service Centers after its warranty has
expired. A reasonable service fee will be
charged.
CAUTION: Make sure your product is
properly packed to prevent shipping
damage. The shipment must be prepaid
and we recommend it be insured. Please
follow the instructions carefully. This war-
ranty gives you specic legal rights. You
may have other rights that vary from state
to state.
© 1997
liOnel
LLC,
chesterfield Mi 48051-2493
United states Of aMerica
Maintaining and servicing your GP-38