Lionel Scale GP9 Diesel Locomotive User manual

Lionel GP-9
diesel locomotive
with SignalSounds
Owner’s Manual
71-8573-250
4/98

Congratulations!
2
Congratulations! You now own one of the most sophisticated model trains
ever built—the Lionel SignalSounds GP-9
diesel locomotive.
From the crisp detail and expert decora-
tion on the outside to the brute power
under its hood, your Lionel GP-9 is ready
for duty on your model railroad.
Read this instruction manual thoroughly
for important tips on operating and main-
taining your GP-9 locomotive. When prop-
erly cared for, it will last a lifetime.
Experience the superiority of today’s
Lionel.
• Powerful Lionel Pullmor®motor
• Lionel Command Ready• Magne-Traction®• Illuminated headlights• Die-cast metal trucks• Stamped metal frameTable of contents
Transformer operations
Running your GP-9 with a Lionel transformer 3
Using your GP-9’s magnetic couplers 4
A note on Magne-Traction 4
Experiencing the range of your GP-9’s SignalSounds system
4
Your GP9’s 104E reverse unit 5
Installing the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound activation button 6Maintaining and servicing your GP-9 diesel locomotive
Lubricating your GP-9 7
Lubricating your GP-9’s Pullmormotor armature 8
Replacing your GP-9’s lamps 9
Installing your Lionel Command Upgrade kit part No.6-22960

Transformer operations
3
Running your GP-9 with a Lionel transformer
Place your GP-9 locomotive on Lionel or
Lionel-
• Note the pull of Magne-Traction between your GP-9 and the steel track. Magnetized wheels and axles increase your pulling power (more than
25 cars on straight and level track) and keep your GP-9 on track while passing swiftly through curves.
2Power up your GP-9 with your transformer.
• Your GP-9 is designed to operate on 7-18 volts alternating current.
Virtually all Lionel and Lionel-compatible alternating-current trans-
formers are suitable.
•
DONOT POWER YOUR GP-9 WITH DIRECT CURRENT
(DC). Damage to sensitive electronic components may occur.
• When you first power up your track, your GP-9’s headlights will illumi-
nate. At this point, the locomotive is in neutral. This occurs when plac-
ing the GP-9 on your railroad for the first time. When your train is first
powered up, the default state will be neutral and the default direction
is forward. This means whenever you power up your engine the
engine will remain in neutral, and when the power is removed and
again applied, the train will move forward. This condition holds true if
the engine is being powered up for the first time or if the engine has
been powered down longer than five seconds.
3Move ‘em out!
• Get your GP-9 moving. Press the DIR button on your CAB-1 remote or Lionel transformer. This sequences the Lionel 104 E reverse unit to the
next operating state. The 104 E unit alternates between three
states: forward, neutral, and reverse.
• Adjust track voltage until your GP-9 moves at your desired speed. To
increase speed, increase track voltage. To decrease speed, reduce volt-
age. To stop the locomotive, cut track power.• See table on page 5 for information on locking your GP-9 in a single operating state
1

A note on Magne-Traction
Your GP-9 is equipped with Lionel M agn e -Tra ct ion , ma gn et iz ed
wheelsets and axles that help increase
tractive effort during operation. Because the wheelsets are magnetized, take care to prevent small metallic objects from attaching to the wheel sets and working their way into the GP-9’s motor assem-
bly. They can damage your locomotive.
Magne-Traction is not effective on nonferrous
track.Note!
Y
our Lionel GP-9 is equipped with
operating magnetic knuckle couplers, a re vo lu ti on ar y
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
knuckleopens.
One operating tech-
nique favored by
Lionel railroaders is
the “moving uncou-
p l e .” P r e s s t h e
UNCOUPLE
button as
the GP-9 passes over a
remote-control sec-
tion. The magnetic
field willopen thecou-
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-9’s trigger disc over the
remote-control section, then press
“uncouple.”The coupler opens.
With SignalSounds, you experience the sounds of real railroading like never before. Simply put, it delivers realis-
tic, and authentic sounds to your model
railroad. • Diesel Horn. Press horn to produce an
authentic diesel horn blast.
• Mechanical bell. Press BELL on your CAB-1 or transformer to begin the effect; again to discontinue.
Experiencing the range of your GP-9’s SignalSounds system
Transformer operations
4
Using your GP-9’s magnetic couplers

Summary Table of Engine DirectionsCondition Direction Change CycleCase #1: First power up or without power longer than 5 sec.
E unit off (switch in PROG position) N, F, N, F, etc.E unit on (switch in RUN position) N, F, N, R, etc.Case #2: Engine without power for less than 2.5 seconds
E unit off (switch in PROG position) N, Last-Dir, N, Last-Dir, etc.E unit on (switch in RUN position) N, F, N, R, etc.With your 104 E reversing unit, positioning
the switch in the PROG position locks your engine into its last moving direction plus neu-
tral. Positioning the switch in the RUN posi-
tion resumes normal sequencing operation.
Your GP-9’s 104 E Reverse unit
The New E-Series Reversing Unit controls
the direction of the engine. When the
reversing unit senses an interruption in
track power, it will cycle into the next direc-
tion in the sequence. The sequence is neu-
tral, forward, neutral, reverse.... Track power interruptions are created using the direc-
tion control on your transformer or Cab-1,
or by turning the throttle to zero.
When power is first applied (or after a 5
second power interruption), the engine will power up in neutral, always before for-
ward. A single press of the direction button
will set your engine in forward motion. This
will help eliminate unexpected start ups,
derailments, and crashes. Listed in the
table below is the direction sequence pat-
tern that your 104 E unit will follow under
the given conditions.
As always, a lockout switch is included to deactivate the 104 E’s sequencing func-
tion. (for switch location see illustration
below) A new feature is that now you will have a neutral available even when the
reversing unit is “off”. In addition, you no longer have to slow the engine by hand to
turn off the reversing unit while the train is
moving. Simply stop the engine, and throw
the switch. The 104 E unit will be locked into its last moving direction, plus neutral.
Even simpler, just put the switch in the
“PROG” position and keep power off for 5 seconds. When you start, you will be locked in neutral/forward. If you want to lock your engine in reverse for any length of time, it is
recommended that you reverse the spade
connections (blue and yellow) on the top of the motor (see page 8). Otherwise, your “reverse” lock will become a “forward” lock after any 5 second power off.
NOTE: Due to limitations of the electronic components, it is hard to predict how each
engine will function when power is inter-
rupted between 2.5 seconds and 5 sec-
onds. Engines will function either as in case
#1 or case #2. This solely depends on the
tolerances of the installed electronics and is
not affected or caused by your power sup-
ply.
5
RUN
LCRU
PROG
Underside of GP-9

LIONEL
1 2
1 2
LIONEL
LIONEL
For AC transformers with a horn/whistle button
For AC transformers lacking a horn/whistle button (two no. 5906s required)Lionel no. 610-5906-001sound activation button for
activating the bell
Lionel no. 610-5906-001sound activa-
tion button
(for horn)Lionel no. 610-5906-001sound activa-
tion button
(for bell)Black wireRed wire
Red wire
ATTACH TO GROUND TERMINAL
ATTACH TO POWER TERMINAL
TO YOUR TRANSFORMER
The no. 610-5906-001 sound activation button (available separately) works with any Lionel AC transformer except no. 6-4690 Type MW. Transformers
made by other manufacturers may not be compatible with Railsounds.
Note!
6Transformer operations
ATTACH TO GROUND TERMINAL
ATTACH TO POWER TERMINAL
Red wire
TO YOUR TRANSFORMER
CUSTOMER’SWIRE
BLACK WIRE
Note! All track power must feed through“Sound Activation
Button”Do not bypass buttonInstalling the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound activation buttonT
o operate the bell and horn sounds when
operating your GP-9 with conventional
transformers, you’ll need to install the Lionel no. 610-5906-001 sound activation button (available separately). Connect the button(s) as shown below.

7
RUN LCRU PROG
Lubricating your GP-9 locomotive
Help your Lionel GP-9 locomotive lead a long and productive life on your rail-
road by maintaining it properly.
We recommend you purchase a Lionel
929 Lubrication and Maintenance kit (no. 6-62927), available from your Lionel deal-
er. Two basic rules to keep in mind: never
over-lubricate (a small amount will do), and avoid getting grease or oil on the
GP-9’s wheels, contact rollers, or your
track.You’ll know your GP-9 requires lubrica-
tion when visual inspection reveals dry-
ness on the parts indicated in the illus-
tration. Remove accumulated dirt and
dust before lubricating, and always
lubricate any locomotive emerging from
prolonged storage.
Lubricate with Lionel oil
sparingly
Cab mounting screws Cab mounting screws
Lubricate with Lionel oil
sparingly
Lubricate with Lionel grease
sparingly
Underside of GP-9
Maintaining and servicing your GP-9 locomotive

Maintaining and servicing your GP-9 locomotive
8
Lubricating your GP-9’s Pullmor motor armature
Your GP-9 locomotive will require occa- sional lubrication of its Pullmor motor
armature. If you hear excess noise during operation, or if the locomotive slows down
intermittently, you may need to oil the top
armature bearing.
Start by separating the body shell
from the frame; remove the four cab
mounting screws (see illustration on
page 7). Apply a small amount of Lionel
oil (two drops) in the armature shaft hole.
Finish the job by reinstalling the body
shell and reinserting the four cab mount-
ing screws
LIONEL
LL
IO
N
E
Place drops of oil here
Spade connectors

e
9
Replacing your GP-9’s lamps
Your GP-9 locomotive is illuminated by two 12-volt lamps. One illuminates
the rear lights and the other illuminates the
front lights and cab interior. During the course of normal operation, they may
require replacement.
Start by separating the plastic body
shell; see the previous section on arma-
ture lubrication for detailed shell-removal
information. Carefully lift the shell away
from the frame. Take care with the various wiring assemblies connected to the shell.
Locate the assembly containing the
expired lamp. It’s held in position by a retaining clip; carefully remove the lamp
assembly from the retaining clip. Then gen-
tly pull the expired lamp from its socket. Replace the expired lamp with Lionel part
no. 600-8352-311, available from your local authorized Lionel Service Center or Lionel
Service. (For more information, see page
12.) Reinstall the shell. Remove the expired bulb, then insert the new bulb into the lamp socket.Lionel part no. 600-8352-311

10
Y
our locomotive comes from the factory
equipped with a transformer controlled 104
E reverse unit. The upgrade kit (Lionel part No.6-22960) will allow it to operate in the Lionel TrainMaster Command environment.
You may wish to have your local authorized
Lionel Service Center install your locomotive’s
upgrade kit for you, or you may do so yourself by carefully following these instructions.
Remove the locomotive’s body shell by follow-
ing the instructions on page8. Place the shell on a
soft cloth to avoid damage, and locate the reverse
control unit. (see page 11 for illustration of the
connector, and it’s location) Remove the old reverse unit, and save it if you like. Next take the R2LC board from it’s static guard packet and plug it into the 24 pin connector as shown at right.
Reassemble the cab to frame being carefull not
to pinch any wires. Follow the remaining instruc-
tions included with the Command upgrade kit you purchased.
Installing your Command Upgrade KitTuning your upgraded GP-9’s performance
MOMENTUM
Simulate the labored performance of a loco-
motive pulling a heavy load with momentum.
Press L, M, or H (located under CAB-1’s remov-
able panel) for light, medium, or heavy momentum. The LCRU2 remembers the set-
ting until you change it. For delayed response,
use H. For quick response, choose L. BOOSTING AND BRAKINGUse the BOOST and BRAKE command but-
tons for incremental control of speed and a
superior method for handling grades, stops-
and-starts, and more.
STALL
Make your GP-9 feel more responsive by s e t t i n g a “ s t a l l ” v o l t a g e . G e t
your locomotive moving, then press SET; the
GP-9 will stop. The headlight will flash, indicat-
ing it’s in the SET mode. Turn the throttle
clockwise to get the engine moving, then decrease speed until the locomotive just
stops. Then press SET again; the LCRU2
remembers the stall setting until you change
it. To clear stall, press SET twice, holding it for
one second each time.
HIGH VOLTAGE SETTING
Press SET, headlight will flash. Get your loco-
motive moving to the maximum speed you
want it to run, press BOOST. Use this to keep your locomotive from accidentally being
derailed.