Lionel GP30 User manual

72-8860-250
12/05
Lionel
GP30 Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
Lionel
GP30 Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
SYSTEM
featuring
and

Congratulations!
Congratulations on your purchase of the Lionel GP30 Diesel Locomotive! On the outside, this locomotive features numerous prototypical details and expert decoration in your favorite
livery. Inside the body, this locomotive is equipped with some of the most advanced sounds and
controls in model railroading. The GP30 is ready for duty on your layout.
Features of the locomotive
• TrainMaster Command Control equipped—able to run in the TrainMaster
Command Control environment or in the conventional environment with
only a standard transformer
• RailSounds 5.0 sound system with intelligible CrewTalk dialog and
TowerCom announcements, each with different scenarios depending on
whether the locomotive is in motion or stopped
• Odyssey System for speed control
• Directional lighting including operating LED headlights
• Two ElectroCouplers
• Dual powerful maintenance-free motors with momentum flywheels
• Four traction tires
• Fan-driven smoke unit
• 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®, Wireless Tether™,
LionMaster®, FatBoy™, American Flyer®, TrainSounds™
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 in the conventional environment 6
Locking your locomotive into a single direction 7
Uncoupling in the conventional environment 8
RailSounds 5.0 sound system operations
RailSounds 5.0 sound system operations 9
Installing the battery 10
Using the RailSounds 5.0 sound system in the conventional environment 11
Activating the CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements in the conventional environment 12
Installing a Lionel Sound Activation Button for conventional operation 13
Using the RailSounds 5.0 sound system in the TrainMaster Command Control environment 14
Activating the CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements in the Command Control
environment 15
RailSounds 5.0 sound systems dialog on a round trip 16
Odyssey System operations
Odyssey System operations 17
Activating the Odyssey System in the conventional environment 18
Turning off the Odyssey System in the conventional environment 19
Odyssey System Command Control operation 19
TrainMaster Command Control operations
TrainMaster Command Control operations 20
Operating your locomotive in the Command Control environment 20
CAB-1 Remote Controller commands 21
CAB-1 Remote Controller numeric keypad commands 22
CAB-1 numeric keypad table 23
Tuning your locomotive’s performance 24-26
Assigning your locomotive a new ID# 26
Building a lash-up 27
Reprogramming your locomotive to restore features 28
Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Adding fluid to your locomotive’s smoke generator 29
Lubricating your locomotive 30
Replacing your locomotive’s LEDs and lamps 31
Replacing the traction tires 31
Limited Warranty/Lionel Service 32
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 17-19.
2. Place your train set on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-36 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 until the locomotive’s headlight illuminates
and the RailSounds sound system starts up.
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 train set on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-36 or larger track.
3. Increase track voltage to full power (no more than 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 is capable of operating in the conventional environment with nothing more than a standard Lionel alternating-current (AC) transformer.
In the conventional environment, your 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 locomotive into forward or reverse, you control your locomotive’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.
To experience all of your locomotive’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. Refer to pages 20-28 to see
how to operate your locomotive in the TrainMaster Command Control environment.
5

Conventional transformer operations
Operating your locomotive 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 17-19.
Keep the Odyssey System switch in the NO ODY position when you are not running
your locomotive with speed control.
2. Place your train set on Lionel or Lionel-compatible O-36 or larger track.
3. Power your locomotive 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 determines whether it is in
a conventional environment or a TrainMaster Command Control
environment.
When the locomotive has determined that a TrainMaster Command Base is not connected to
the track, the locomotive’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 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 to the next operating state. Adjust
the throttle until your locomotive moves at your desired speed.
When placing your 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. Refer to
page 13 if your transformer is not equipped with those buttons. Adjust the volume using the
volume control knob located on the left hand side of the fuel tank. Refer to Figure 3 on page 10.
Note!
6
Note!
Caution!

Conventional transformer operations
Locking your locomotive into a single direction
When the Command reverse unit switch is in the RUN position, your locomotive sequences through a repeating pattern of operations: forward, neutral, reverse, neutral, and so on.
To “lock” your 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
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 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
Note!
Figure 1. Switch locations
RUN
PGM
SMK
NO SMK
SND
NO SND
ODY
NO ODY
Smoke unit
(see page 29 for details)
FRONT
Smoke
unit
switch
RailSounds
sound
system
switch
Odyssey
System
switch
Command
reverse
unit
switch

8
Conventional transformer operations
Uncoupling your locomotive in the conventional environment
Your locomotive features two ElectroCouplers that are released by remote control at any point around your layout in the TrainMaster Command Control environment.
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.
Figure 2. Magnetic coupler operation
Remote-Control
Track Section

9
RailSounds 5.0 sound system operations
RailSounds 5.0 sound system operations
Your locomotive is equipped with the Lionel RailSounds 5.0 sound system, the most realistic model railroad sound system in the world. The RailSounds 5.0 sound system brings the
sounds of the railroad to your layout through high quality sound recordings of real
locomotives.
When you operate your locomotive in the conventional environment, you get the realistic
sounds of the diesel motor, which automatically revs up as the speed of the locomotive
increases. You can sound the locomotive’s horn or activate the ringing of the mechanical bell.
CrewTalk dialog and TowerCom announcements are triggered with the horn button on your
controller. When you are through with operations and power down the track, your locomotive’s
RailSounds 5.0 sound system starts a realistic shutdown sequence (a nine-volt alkaline battery
is required, see page 10).
When you operate your locomotive in the TrainMaster Command Control environment, you
get full control of the RailSounds 5.0 sound system. In addition to the horn and bell sounds, the
locomotive’s RPM sounds automatically rev up, and you can also set a particular RPM level
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 dialog and TowerCom
announcements, which simulate the interaction between the locomotive crew and the
dispatcher. Whenever you choose to shutdown your locomotive, the realistic shutdown sequence
commences (a nine-volt alkaline battery is required if track power is turned off, see page 10).

RailSounds 5.0 sound system operations
Installing the battery
While the RailSounds 5.0 sound system is powered through the track, we recommend that you install a nine-volt alkaline battery 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 5.0 sound system turns off during interruptions in track power, you
may need to replace the battery.
1. Carefully unsnap and remove the radiator vent panel.
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 radiator vent panel.
10
Note!
Figure 3. Battery installation and volume control knob location
Frame
Fuel tank
Volume
control
knob
Battery
clip
Battery
harness Radiator
vent panel