Lionel GP30 User manual

73-4602-250
10/11
Rev. 1
Lionel Conventional
GP30 Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual
Lionel Conventional
GP30 Diesel Locomotive
Owner’s Manual

Locomotive features
Congratulations!
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Congratulations on your purchase of the conventional Lionel diesel locomotive. This power- ful locomotive features transformer-controlled forward-neutral-reverse-neutral operation and
numerous scale details, as well as the conventional RailSounds sound system. This locomotive is
ready for duty on your layout!
• Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation
• Conventional RailSounds sound system with horn and bell
• Die-cast metal trucks
• Operating headlight
• Operating front and rear couplers
• Powerful maintenance-free motors with momentum flywheel
• Traction tires
• Engineer figure
• Minimum curve: O-31
The following Lionel marks are used throughout this Owner’s Manual and are protected under
law. All rights reserved.
Lionel®, LEGACY™, FasTrack™, TrainMaster®, Odyssey®, RailSounds®, CrewTalk™, TowerCom™,
DynaChuff™, StationSounds™, Pullmor®, ElectroCoupler™, Magne-Traction®, CAB-1® Remote
Controller, American Flyer®, Lionel ZW®, ZW®, MagniVision®, TMCC®, Lionelville®, Wireless
Tether™, Powerhouse™, LionMaster®, Conventional Classics™, Postwar Celebration Series™,
TruRail™, PH-1 Powerhouse®, Powermaster®, Powerstation-Powerhouse®, Accessory Motor
Controller™, AMC™, Accessory Switch Controller™, ASC™, Action Recorder Controller™, ARC™, Track
Power Controller 300™, TPC 300™, Track Power Controller 400™, TPC 400™, Block Power
Controller™, BPC™, Operating Track Controller™, OTC™, FatBoy™, Lionel Lines®, Joshua Lionel
Cowen Series™, Lockon®, TrainSounds™, MultiHorn™, MultiWhistle™, Choo-Choo™

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Table of contents
Running your locomotive
Running your locomotive 4
Coupling 5
Reverse unit procedure 6
Conventional RailSounds operations
Operating the conventional RailSounds sound system 7
Installing a Lionel sound activation button 8
Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Lubricating your locomotive 9
Replacing your locomotive’s LEDs 10
Replacing your locomotive’s traction tires 10
Notes 11
Lionel Limited Warranty Policy & Service 12

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Running your locomotive
Running your locomotive
With track power off, place your locomotive on the track.
Refer to page 5 for information on coupling the cars.
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3
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) transformers.
The locomotive was designed for use with alternating-current (AC)
transformers only.
Move ‘em out!
Get your locomotive moving. Your locomotive goes through a repeating pattern of
operations: forward, neutral, reverse, neutral, and so on. To sequence the reverse unit, press
the DIRECTION button on your transformer, or briefly bring the throttle all the way back
to the OFF position and then forward, for one to four seconds. When track power is inter-
rupted, the locomotive advances to the next operational state.
Adjust track voltage until your locomotive moves at your desired speed.
1
Note!

Coupling
When coupling your cars, at least one of the mating couplers must be open as shown at the left in Figure 1. Press down on the lock release to open the coupler, then push the cars toward
each other until they lock together.
Keep in mind that it’s easier to couple cars on a straight stretch of track.
Lock release
Figure 1. Coupler operation
Note!
Running your locomotive
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Running your locomotive
Reverse unit procedure
Figure 2. Switch location
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When the 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 forward operation only, you can deactivate the reverse unit’s
sequencing function. Follow the steps below and refer to Figure 2 for the location of the reverse unit
switch.
1. Turn off track power, wait three seconds, and then remove the locomotive from the track.
2. Slide the reverse unit switch to the LOCK position. See Figure 2 for the location of this switch. At
this point, the locomotive is “locked” into forward direction operation.
3. Place your locomotive back on the track. Power up the track and press the DIRECTION button on
your transformer to confirm that the locomotive is locked in forward-only operation.
To restore the forward-neutral-reverse sequence, turn off track power and remove your locomotive
from the track. Slide the reverse unit switch back to the RUN position, then place the locomotive back
on the track.
RUN LOCK
Reverse unit switch
Radiator hatch
Volume control
knob

Conventional RailSounds operations
Operating the conventional RailSounds sound system
When you power up the locomotive on the track, you will hear the sounds of the locomotive at rest. As the locomotive moves, the RPM sounds automatically increase with the locomotive's
speed. Use the volume control knob to adjust the volume. This control is concealed under the rooftop
radiator hatch, as show in Figure 2 on page 6.
Whistle/Horn
Press the WHISTLE/HORN button on your transformer to sound the Horn. The sound will play
for as long as you hold the button.
Bell
Press the BELL button on your transformer to activate the bell sound. Press BELL again to dis-
continue the sound.
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Installing a Lionel Sound Activation Button for conventional opera-
tion
If your transformer lacks WHISTLE/HORN and BELL buttons, you will need to install Lionel no. 610-5906-001 Sound Activation Buttons (available separately) to activate the locomotive’s
whistle and bell sounds.
Connect the buttons as shown below. Be sure that all track power passes through the Sound
Activation Button(s). Do not bypass the buttons.
POWER
SUPPLY
For AC transformers lacking bell and horn/whistle buttons
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
Sound Activation Button
for activating the
whistle
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
Sound Activation Button for
activating the bell
Black wire
Black wire
Wire
nut
Red wire
Red wire
Existing wire
Common/Ground/U
Power/A
1 2
POWER
SUPPLY
For AC transformers lacking a bell button
Existing wire
Black wire
Red wire
Lionel no. 610-5906-001
Sound Activation Button for
activating the bell
Common/Ground/U
Power/A
Conventional RailSounds operations
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Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
Lubricating your locomotive
H
elp your diesel 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, contact
rollers, or your track.
You’ll know your locomotive requires lubrication when visual inspection reveals dryness on the
parts indicated in Figure 3. Remove accumulated dirt and dust before lubricating, and always lubri-
cate any locomotive emerging from prolonged storage.
Figure 3. Lubrication points
Lubricate axles with
Lionel oil on both sides
sparingly Lubricate gears
with Lionel grease
sparingly
Lubricate axles with
Lionel oil on both sides
sparingly
Lubricate gears
with Lionel grease
sparingly

Maintaining and servicing your locomotive
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Your locomotive is illuminated by several LEDs that are expected to last for the life of the locomo- tive. The LED’s are not user serviceable. If service is required, we recommend that you have your
locomotive serviced at a Lionel Factory Trained Authorized Service Station.
Servicing your locomotive’s LEDs
Replacing the traction tires
Your locomotive is equipped with traction tires (Lionel part no. 6208815206) to increase the tractive effort of your locomotive and allow it to pull more cars at once.
During the course of normal operations, the traction tires may become worn out. To replace the
traction tires, remove the side frame screws from the underside of the trucks and lift away the side
frame. Remove the worn tire, then slip the replacement around the wheel. Reposition the side frame
on the truck and secure it with the two screws.