M.T.H. New York MTA R-21 User manual

RAILKING NEW YORK MTA
R-21 4-CAR SUBWAY SET
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for purchasing the New York MTA R-21 4 Car Subway Set. The set’s durable
ABS bodies and die-cast trucks are patterned and decorated after the New York Mass
Transit Authority R-21 cars and should run on any O-27 track.
This RailKing Subway
Set contains M.T.H.’s Loco-Sound™ sound and train control system. The set is easy to
operate with any compatible standard AC transformer (see the compatibility chart on
page 14
), and is completely compatible with most other 3-rail locomotives, rolling stock,
andaccessories.
Please read all the accompanying instructions carefully before setting up and operating
your locomotive.

2
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Table of Contents
Initial Lubrication 3
Basic Operation 4
Throttle 4
Operation Buttons 4
Speed Control 5
Direction Lock 5
Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch 6
Manual Volume Control 7
Maintenance 8
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions 8
Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track 9
Locomotive Traction Tire Replacement 10
Locomotive Light Bulb Replacement 11
Troubleshooting 12
Compatibility 13
Transformer Compatibility Chart 15
Service and Warranty Information 16
CAUTION: Electrically Operated Product:
Not recommended for children under 10 years of age. M.T.H.
recommends adult supervision with children ages 10 - 16. As with all
electric products, precautions should be observed during handling and
use to reduce the risk of electric shock.
WARNING: When using electrical products, basic safety precautions should
be followed including the following:
Read this manual thoroughly before using this device.
M.T.H. recommends that all users and persons supervising use examine the
hobby transformer periodically for conditions that may result in the risk of
fire, electric shock, or injury to persons, such as damage to the primary cord,
plug blades, housing, output jacks or other parts. In the event such conditions
exist, the transformer should not be used until properly repaired.

3
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Initial Lubrication
1. Although this set was lubricated at the factory, it is important that you
lubricate the chassis before operation. On the motorized car, lightly grease
the outside idler and drive gears (marked “G” in Fig.
3on pg. 9) to prevent
squeaking and premature wear. On all four of the cars, use light household oil
and follow the lubrication points marked “L” in Fig.
2 on pg. 8. Do not
over-oil. Use only a drop or two on each pivot point.
2. Place the cars on the track and couple them together. The couplers
included with this set are for O-27 and larger operation. For a more
prototypical look, shorter couplers that operate on O-54 or larger layouts are
available separately from the MTH Parts Department (phone: [phone];
fax: [phone]; e-mail: [email protected]; mail: 7020 Columbia
Gateway Drive, Columbia MD 21046-1532)
At this point, you are ready to begin running your set.

4
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Basic Operation
Throttle – Throttle up the power to your track. Give about 10-14 volts or
enough power so that the engine’s headlight shines brightly. Then put the
engine into motion by either firmly pressing the Direction button on your
transformer or remote once or dropping and advancing the throttle to put the
engine in forward.
Operation Buttons
Use the operation buttons on your transformer or remote as described below.
Horn/Whistle - To sound the horn, firmly press the Horn/Whistle button. The
horn will sound for as long as you continue to depress the button. It will stop
when you release the button.
Bell - To sound the bell, firmly press and release the Bell button. To turn the
bell off, press and release the Bell button again. The bell will continue to ring
from the time you turn it on until you press and release the button again to turn
it off.
Direction – Your train is programmed to start in neutral. The first direction
after neutral upon start-up is forward. Firmly press and release the Direction
button to allow the engine to move forward. Just as you must stop your
automobile between forward and reverse, this engine will not go directly from
forward to reverse; it goes into neutral between directions. If the train has
been moving forward, the first press of the Direction button will put the train
from forward into neutral, the second press into reverse, the third press back
into neutral, and the fourth back into forward. To prevent accidental
high-speed start-ups, this engine is programmed to restart in neutral each time
the track voltage is turned off for 25 seconds or more.

5
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Speed Control:
M.T.H. engines equipped with Loco-Sound have speed control capabilities
that allow the engine to maintain a constant speed up and down grades and
around curves, much like an automobile cruise control. You can add or drop
cars on the run, and the engine will maintain the speed you set.
While the engine is programmed to start with the speed control feature
activated, you can opt to turn it off. This means the engine’s speed will fall as
it labors up a hill and increase as it travels downward. It is also affected by the
addition or releasing of cars while on the run. The engine will run more slowly
at a given throttle voltage when speed control is on than when it is off.
To turn speed control on and off,
put the engine in neutral, then press the
transformer’s Whistle button firmly but quickly one time then immediately
press the Bell button two times. Repeat the 1 whistle, 2 bells code to return it
to the other state. You will want to do this during the initial neutral upon
start-up if you ever couple this engine to another engine that is not equipped
with speed control to avoid damaging the motors in either engine. Each time
you shut down the engine completely, it will automatically turn speed control
on.
Direction Lock:
You can lock your engine into a directional state (forward, neutral, or reverse)
so that it will not change directions. To do this, put the engine into the
direction you want or into neutral, to lock it into neutral, run it at a very slow
crawl (as slowly as it will move without halting), and quickly but firmly press
your remote’s Horn button once followed immediately by three presses of the
Bell button.
Two horn blasts will indicate that the engine has made the change.
The engine will not change direction (including going into neutral) until you
repeat the 1 horn, 3 bells code to return the engine to its normal state, even if
the engine is kept without power for extended periods of time.

6
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch:
When used with the RailKing Remote Lock-on (sold separately),
Loco-Sound-equipped engines gain Proto-Cast™and Proto-Dispatch™
features.
Proto-Cast: This feature allows you to play audio recordings through your
engine’s speakers. You must supply the audio source (a small portable
CD/tape player is sufficient) and a male-to-male mini cable (1/8” plug, like
that used for the headset with a portable CD/tape player) to connect your audio
source to the remote lock-on. To use Proto-Cast, simply plug the mini-cable
into your audio source (usually into the headphone jack) and into the “Audio”
port on the right side of the remote lock-on and adjust the volume.
Proto-Dispatch:
This feature allows you to broadcast your own voice through
your engine’s speakers. You must supply the microphone and a mini cable
(1/8” plug, like that used for the headset with a portable CD/tape player) to
connect your microphone to the remote lock-on. To use Proto-Dispatch,
simply plug the mini-cable into the microphone and into the “Mic” port on the
left side of the remote lock-on and speak into the microphone.
When these features are in use, the locomotive’s own sounds (engine sounds
and bells, whistles, and horns) will be muted so that only the sounds you
broadcast will be heard. Because these two features are voice activated, there
will be a 10-15 second delay after you stop speaking into the microphone or
turn off the audio source before the engine sounds resume. To stop using the
feature and return to normal operation, unplug the cable from the lock-on jack.
If using parallel tracks with multiple Loco-Sound-equipped engines,
Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch transmissions from one track may be picked up
by the other nearby engines.
If you experience popping and interference, try cleaning the track with
denatured alcohol as described in the “Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track”
section of this booklet.
Note: M.T.H. does not recommend using Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch
at the same time.

7
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Manual Volume Control
–To adjust the volume of all sounds made by
this engine, turn the master volume control knob located under the engine
clockwise to increase the volume and counter-clockwise to decrease the
volume (see Fig. 1).
Loco-Sound
Volume Adjustment Knob
Figure 1.
Location of the Loco-Sound Volume Adjustment Knob

8
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Maintenance:
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions
The Subway Set should be oiled and greased in order to run properly.
You should regularly lubricate all outside idler gears and pickup rollers to
prevent them from squeaking. Use light household oil and follow the
lubrication points marked “L” in Fig.2. Do not over oil. Use only a drop or
two on each pivot point.
The locomotive’s internal gearing was greased at the factory and should not
need additional grease until after 50 hours of operation or one year, whichever
comes first. Use lithium-based grease and follow the greasing instructions
below. Note that in some tightly packed engines you may need to move
internal components temporarily in order to access the gears.
1. Remove the Phillips screws from the chassis, as seen in Figure 3, and then
lift the body away from the chassis.
2. Remove the Phillips screws from the chassis, as seen in Figure 3, and then
lift the interior away from the chassis.
3. Remove the truck blocks from the chassis by unscrewing the black Phillips
motor mount screw on the bottom of each truck block, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 2. Lubrication Points on the Engine

9
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
4. Once the motor mount screw has been removed, pull the motor away from
the truck block and lightly coat the motor worm gear and bronze drive gear (in
the truck block) with grease.
5. Reassemble the truck and motor, being careful not to pinch any wires
between the truck block and motor mount.
6. Repeat the procedure for the other motor and truck
7. Reassemble the chassis and body, being careful that the wires are not
caught between the body and chassis, as this can lead to a short that may
damage the electronics beyond repair.
It is also a good idea to lubricate the outside truck block idler and drive gears
with grease occasionally. Add grease to the points marked with “G” in Figure
3.
Figure 3. Greasing Points on the Engine and the Locations of the Body Mounting
Screws

10
RailKing R-21 4 Car Subway Set
Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track
Periodically check the locomotive wheels and pickups for dirt and buildup,
which can cause poor electrical contact and traction as well as prematurely
wear out the neoprene traction tires. Wheels and tires can be cleaned using
denatured alcohol (not rubbing alcohol), which can be found in home
improvement stores, applied with a cotton swab.
Occasional cleaning of the track will also help to ensure good electrical contact
and to prolong the life of your engine’s tires. To clean the track, use a clean
rag and denatured alcohol (not rubbing alcohol). Unplug the transformer and
wipe the rails of the track, turning the rag frequently to ensure that you are
using clean cloth on the rails.
Traction Tire Replacement Instructions
Your subway set is equipped with two neoprene rubber traction tires on each
powered truck block. While these tires are extremely durable, you may need to
replace them at some point.
1. Remove the two Phillips screws that
attach the truck sides to the truck block and
remove the truck sides.
2. Make sure the old tire has been
completely removed from the groove in the
drive wheel, using a razor blade or small
flathead screwdriver to pry away any
remains.
3. Slip the new tire onto the wheel. You
may find it useful to use two small flathead
screwdrivers to stretch the tire over the
wheel.
4. If you twist the tire while stretching it
over the wheel, you will need to remove and reinstall the tire. Otherwise your
engine will wobble while operating.
5. Make sure the tire is fully seated inside the groove. Use a razor blade to
trim away any excess tire that doesn’t seat itself inside the groove properly.
6. Reassemble in reverse order.
Truck Screws
Figure 4. Screws to Remove to
Access the Traction Tires