Lionel New York Central FlyerReady-To-Run O-27 Set User manual

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72-1990-250
Rev. 5/00
CAUTION—ELECTRICTOY
NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER EIGHT YEARS OF AGE. AS WITH
ALL ELECTRIC PRODUCTS, PRECAUTIONS SHOULD BE OBSERVED DURING
HANDLINGAND USETO REDUCETHE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK.
TRANSFORMER RATINGS—INPUT:120VAC; 60 HZ ONLY.
AC OUTPUT:20V; 54VA
New York Central Flyer
Ready-To-Run O-27 Set
Owner’s Manual
NEW
YORK
SYSTEM

Congratulations!
2
You’re now the proud owner of the New York Central Flyer ready-to-run O-27
train set. Everything you need to get started
is included. You’re already off to a great
start by reading this instruction manual. It
has important information on train setup
and operation. This booklet also covers
proper maintenance procedures to help your
Lionel trains live long, healthy lives.
If you have any questions after reading
this booklet, contact your nearest Lionel
Authorized Service Center using the list
included in a separate flier in this set or call
Lionel Service at 810-949-4100. And have
fun!
Table of contents
Track layout
Getting started 3
Joining the track sections 3
Suggested track layouts 4
Grade crossing 4
Attaching the lockon to the track 4
Controller operations
Stripping the wire 5
Attaching the controller wires to the lockon 5
Controller functions 6
Controller and short circuits 7
Installing the Lionel Sound Activation Switch 8
Train operation
Reverse unit procedure 9
Tire-Traction™ 10
Coupling 10
Your lomotive’s RailSounds system—the basics 11
Experiencing the range of your locomotives’s RailSounds system 12
Notes on RailSounds 12
Maintaining and servicing your set
Lubricating your 4-4-2 locomotive 13
Adding smoke fluid to your 4-4-2’s smoke generator 14
Replacing your 4-4-2’s headlamp 15
Assembling your flatcar with bulkhead and stakes 16
Lionel Service 16

Joining the track sections
Join the track sections together
by inserting the pins of one
track section into the rail
openings of another. For good
electrical contact, pins must be
carefully inserted and track
joints tightly fitted.
If the track is difficult to
connect, try this installation
tip. You can “break in” O-27
track sections by inserting and
withdrawing a track pin into one rail at a
time before joining the entire track section.
If the openings become too open (causing
the track to fit loosely), pinch the rail
together around a track pin
with a pair of pliers. If any pins
fall out of the track and are
missing, replace them with
extras available from your
Lionel dealer.
Maintenance tip: The rails
should be kept clean, dry, and
free from oil and grease. Clean
rust and dirt spots with a track
eraser. Wipe the track using a
cloth dampened with track
cleaner from the Lionel maintenance kit
(no. 6-62927), available from your nearest
Lionel Authorized Value Added Dealer or
Lionel Service.
Track layout
3
Getting started
Before you do anything else, we recom- mend you check the contents of your
set box to ensure all of the parts of your set
have been included and that the quantities
(when applicable) are correct.
The parts list below will tell you what’s
included and the correct quantities. If you
find any discrepancies, contact the dealer you
purchased your set from for more informa-
tion or call Lionel Service at 810-949-4100.
Now comes the fun part—deciding what kind of layout you want. The only rule—
let your imagination be your guide.
• NYC Flyer 4-4-2 locomotive 1
• NYC Flyer tender w/RailSounds 1
• Boxcar 1
• Flatcar w/bulkheads and
10 stakes 1
• NYC caboose 1
• Tractor/trailer 1
• Smoke fluid 1
• Grade crossing 2
• Crate load 2
• Controller 1
• 40-watt power pack 1
• Lockon 1
• Straight track 8
• Curved track 8
• Service Center list 1
• Railroader Club application 1
• Warranty Card 1
• Sound Activation Switch
(610-5905-001) 1

Attaching the lockon to the track
The lockon connects power from your controller to the track. Attaching the
lockon to the track is quick and easy.
First, place the lockon under any
straight section of track. Fit the
center lip of the lockon onto the
edge of an outside rail. Press the
lockon upward so that the spring
contact snaps onto the center
rail. The lockon should face out-
ward when setting up your track
and make sure it is firmly connected.
Use the illustrations below as a step-by-
step guide.
Once the lockon is securely attached to the
track, it’s time to insert the wires from the
controller into the two spring clips on the
lockon. See
page 5 for easy-
to-follow steps.
2
1
LIONEL
CTC
LOCKON
2
Snap spring
contact to the
middle rail
1
Hook lip to the
outside of the rail
Track layout
4
Grade crossing
Included in your set are two pieces of grade crossing. These can be used on any straight section of track and
will allow you to drive your Lionel tractor-trailer as well
as other toy cars and trucks over the rails of your layout.
To install, simply place the grade crossings under a sec-
tion of straight track lining up the rails with the grooves
in the crossing.
You may install two crossings on the same section of track or on separate sections.
Suggested track layouts
Here are some examples of layouts you can build with 8 straight and 8 curved sections of track.
Remember—the more track you own, the more variations you can create in your train layout.
And that means more action and more fun!

Controller operations
5
OFF
FULL
SPEED
R
Attaching the controller wires to the lockon
Now you’ll need to insert a controller wire into each of the two spring clips on
the lockon.
It’s easy! Depress the spring clip with your
finger and insert the bare end of the wire
into the exposed opening. Release the spring
clip. Give the wire a little tug to make sure
it’s secure. Repeat these steps with the other
spring clip. Next, insert the small plug end
of the power pack into the back of your con-
troller, and plug the other end into a stan-
dard outlet.
If the whistle fails to operate
when you press the whistle but-
ton on your controller (see page
6), remove the wires from the
lockon and reinsert each one
into the opposite clip to reverse
polarity.
Plug this end into
back of controller.
Stripping the wire
Once your track is assembled and the lockon is securely attached, you can
connect the wires
from the controller
to the lockon.
First you’ll want to
check the ends of the
wires to make sure
that the insulation is
stripped back about 1⁄4˝ to 3⁄8˝. To strip the
wires, use a pair of wire strippers or a sharp
knife.
Caution: Only an
adult should perform
this task! Always use
care when stripping
wires.
Note!
Plug power pack into
standard wall outlet
Make sure that the bare end of
each wire is securely attached
to the spring clip.

Controller operations
6
Controller functions
As you turn the throttle control knob to the right, power to the track is
increased. When the indicator reaches the
green band, there should be sufficient power
to operate the locomotive. The further into
the green area the knob is turned, the faster
your train will go. Remember that the
greater the load on the engine (adding more
cars for the engine to pull, for example), the
farther into the green the knob must be
turned before it will operate the locomotive.
The yellow band indicates the average
power range that the train will be operating
in. The red band represents maximum
power output.
FULLFULL
SPEEDSPEED
OFFOFF
R
FULL
SPEED
OFF
FULL
SPEED
OFF
Press this button to pro-
duce a realistic whistle
or bell sound.
(See page 8.)
Press this button to go
forward or reverse, or to
place the locomotive in
“neutral” (no move-
ment, headlight is on).
Turn the throttle con-
trol knob to the right
for more power.
The LED indicator
shows when your con-
troller is ON.
Green band
Yellow band
Red band
FULL
SPEED
OFF
FULL
SPEED
OFF

Controller operations
7
Your Lionel power pack is listed by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and has
been carefully designed and tested to ensure
peak performance. The controller is
equipped with a built-in electronic circuit
breaker that alternately cuts off and restores
the flow of power to the track whenever a
short circuit exists—for example, when the
train derails. The circuit breaker’s action
continues until the cause of the short circuit
is eliminated. This circuit breaker is incor-
porated into the controller to protect it from
possible damage. It will not protect the loco-
motive or electrically operated accessories,
so it’s important to eliminate short circuits
as soon as possible.
The power pack must be
unplugged from the wall socket
when a short circuit is noticed,
and the short circuit must be
corrected.
A short circuit is caused by a direct con-
nection between the center rail and one of
the outside rails or by a direct connection
between bare wires. The axles of a derailed
car or locomotive are the most frequent
cause of short circuits, so make sure that all
wheels are properly set on the rails. Some
other causes of short circuits might be sta-
ples, nails, paper clips, or other metallic
objects lying across the rails, or two bare
wires touching each other.
If too many cars or accessories are used,
your controller will exceed its power limit
and begin to cycle on and off. To correct this
problem, cars or accessories must be
removed before normal operation can
resume. For more power, see the line of
Lionel high-output transformers at your
Authorized Lionel Value Added Dealer.
The same condition can occur if the
power is turned up too quickly. This also
could cause your train to move too fast and
derail.
After your power pack has been operating
for a while, you will find it warm to the
touch. It is the nature of all electrical power
equipment to become warm when in use. If
your controller is loaded to capacity, it is a
good idea to let it cool down after an hour
or two of continuous use. Unplug the power
pack from the wall when the controller is
not in use.
Controller and short circuits
Note!

Controller operations
8
Installing the Lionel Sound Activation Switch
To operate the bell and whistle sounds when operating your steam locomotive
with conventional transformers, you’ll need
to install the Lionel no. 610-5905-001 sound
activation switch. Connect the switch as
shown below.
Note! If the whistle and bell icons are reversed during operation,
simply switch the wires on the lockon.
ToTransformer
To Track

Train operation
9
Reverse unit procedure
The reverse unit inside your Lionel loco- motive is an electronic device that acts
like the transmission in your car. When you
apply power to the track, the locomotive
moves in the direction specified by the
reverse unit—or it sits in neutral, awaiting
another power interruption. Power interrup-
tions are the signal that
tells the reverse unit to
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 alternates between three states:
forward, neutral, 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 locomo-
tive 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
affect on the direction of
the locomotive.
Additionally, this
reverse unit has a
“power-up reset” feature,
which means that should
the locomotive sit with-
out power for a short
period of time (less than
10 seconds), the reverse unit will automati-
cally reset and start in the forward direction
when the transformer is turned on or “pow-
ered up,” regardless of the locking switch
position. If the locking switch is in the Off
position, the locomotive will start in the for-
ward direction and be “locked” there.
Reverse unit ON/OFF switch
OFF
FULL
SPEED
R
Direction control button
Whistle/Bell control button

Train operation
10
Tire-Traction™
Coupling
Your locomotive is equipped with Tire- Traction. This means that one of the
drive wheels is fitted with a rubber traction
tire to enhance tractive effort so your loco-
motive can pull many cars at once.
Lionel locomotives with Tire-Traction grip
the track, enabling them to pull heavy loads
at higher speeds.
After you have assembled the track, place the locomotive and rolling stock on the
track. Before coupling the cars, make sure
the wheels are properly set on the rails.
When coupling your cars, at least one of
the mating couplers must be open as shown
below at the left. Now simply push the cars
toward each other until they lock together.
Now you’re ready to pull out of the sta-
tion. All aboard!
Keep in mind that it’s easier to couple cars on a straight stretch of track.
Push down the lock
release to open the coupler.