M.T.H. Premier Burlington Zephyr User manual

PREMIER BURLINGTON
ZEPHYR DIESEL ENGINE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
This Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel engine set is of sturdy ABS construction and
operates on any O-72 track system. This Premier Diesel Engine contains state-of-the-art
electronics with many built-in automatic features for incredibly realistic operation.
Despite these advanced features, the locomotive is easy to operate with any compatible
standard AC transformer that is equipped with whistle and bell buttons (see the
compatibility chart on page 23), and is compatible with most other 3-rail locomotives,
rolling stock, and accessories.
This locomotive is equipped with Proto-Sound 2.0 with Digital Command System
(DCS). This new system will allow you to operate your locomotive in Command mode
(when used with the DCS Remote Control System, sold separately) or Conventional
mode. Conventional operating features are described in the following pages, while the
DCS operating features are covered in the set of operating instructions that
accompanies the DCS equipment. Conventional Mode operation of this locomotive is
much simpler than operation of original Proto-Sound engines. For your own safety and
that of your equipment, please read the instructions before you operate this engine.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Table of Contents
Set Up 3
Basic Operation 4
Throttle 4
Operation Buttons 4
Manual Volume Control 4
Proto-Sound 2.0 Operation 5
Activating Proto-Sound 2.0 Conventional Mode Features 5
Passenger Station Announcements (PSA) 6
Tips on Using PSA 7
Speed Control 8
Lock into a Direction 10
Reset to Factory Defaults 10
Automatic Sounds 10
Maintenance 11
ProtoSmoke Unit Operation 11
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions 13
Traction Tire Replacement 15
Headlight Bulb Replacement 16
Self-Charging Battery Back-Up 17
Troubleshooting 18
Compatibility 22
Transformer Compatibility Chart 23
Additional Features with DCS Remote Control System 24
Safety Precautions 26
Service and Warranty Information 28

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Set Up
There are a couple of simple steps you must take before operating this Premier
diesel.
1. Although the engine was lubricated at the factory, it is important that you
lubricate the chassis before operation. Lightly grease the outside idler and
drive gears marked “G” in Fig. 9 on pg. 13 with lithium-based grease to
prevent them from squeaking and to prevent premature wear. Use light
household oil and follow the lubrication points marked “L” in Fig. 8 on pg. 12.
Do not over-oil. Use only a drop or two on each pivot point.
2. Prime the operating smoke unit with smoke fluid before operating. Add
15-20 drops of smoke fluid through the front smokestack (see Fig. 4 on pg.
10), then gently blow into the stack to eliminate any air bubbles in the fluid.
3. If you choose not to prime the unit with fluid, turn the smoke unit switch
located under the engine to the OFF position (see Fig. 5 on pg. 10).
Running
the engine without a primed smoke unit may cause damage.
See the
“ProtoSmoke Unit Operation” section of this book for more information on
smoke unit maintenance.
4. Place the engine on the track. Plug in the wiring harness between each unit
(located underneath the couplers), then couple the unit together (see Fig. 1).
At this point, you are ready to begin running your engine.
Connect
Harness
Figure 1. Connecting the Units Together.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
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. The horn has four different endings, depending on
whether you hold the button for less than three seconds, three seconds, four
seconds, or five seconds or longer.
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
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. 2).
Proto-Sound 2.0
Volume Adjustment Knob
Figure 2. Proto-Sound 2.0 Volume Adjustment Knob

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Proto-Sound 2.0 Operating Instructions
This manual contains the operating instructions for Proto-Sound 2.0 in
conventional mode only. Instructions for accessing DCS command mode
features accompany the DCS Remote Control System equipment.
Because Proto-Sound 2.0 is an all-new system developed by M.T.H.’s own
research and development team, it operates differently from original
Proto-Sound. Most Proto-Sound 2.0 features are automatically enabled, and
the reset state has been eliminated, so there is no need to program features as
with original Proto-Sound. Although the new system is easier to operate than
original Proto-Sound, you should read these instructions thoroughly before
using Proto-Sound 2.0 features in order to prevent harm to yourself or your
equipment.
Activating Proto-Sound 2.0 Conventional Mode Features:
Proto-Sound 2.0 features are activated by sequences of Bell and Whistle
button pushes described below. Please read the full descriptions of each
feature before using it. To use these buttons to activate features rather than to
blow the whistle or ring the bell, you should press the buttons for a shorter
time (1/2 second); you may need to practice your timing to make this work
smoothly.
FeaturetoBeActivated:
PassengerStationAnnouncements
Speed Control On/Off
Lock into a Direction/Unlock
Reset to Factory Defaults
Button Code:
1 Bell, 2 Whistles
1 Whistle, 2 Bells (from Neutral only)
1 Whistle, 3 Bells
1 Whistle, 5 Bells (from Neutral only)
PSA Code Timing
Total Time Lapse: 1 Seconds½
Tap
Bell
Quickly ½ Sec.
Pause ½ Sec. Pause
Tap
Whistle
Quickly
Tap
Whistle
Quickly

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Passenger Station Announcements (PSA):
Your engine is equipped with a sound package of passenger station
announcements that you can play when you pull into a passenger station.
Each sequence described below will play as long as it is left on, randomly
generating sounds, but be sure to allow approximately 30 seconds between
the button pushes described below to allow the PSA sufficient time to run
through each sequence.
1. To cue the sound system to play the PSA, quickly but firmly press the Bell
button once followed by 2 quick but firm presses of the Whistle button while
the engine is moving. As soon as you have keyed in this code, you will hear
the announcement for the upcoming stop and the bell will begin to ring.
2. Press the Direction button or drop and advance the throttle once to stop the
engine. This will trigger the first sequence of PSA. The reverse unit is
temporarily disabled so that the train will not move as you use the Direction
button to trigger the sounds, and Proto-Sound 2.0 has disabled operator control
over the Whistle and Bell buttons until the full PSA sequence is complete.
3. After waiting about 30 seconds for that sequence to run, press the Direction
button again to trigger the second sequence of PSA.
4. After about 30 seconds, press the Direction button again to trigger the third
PSA sequence.
5. Again, after allowing about 30 seconds for that sequence to run, press the
Direction button one more time to trigger the fourth and final PSA sequence.
You will know it is the final sequence when you hear the “All Aboard!” call.
The bell will begin to chime and within a few seconds, the engine will start and
move out on its own at the current throttle setting, in the same direction it was
traveling when you began the sequence. Once the bell turns off, the operator
regains control of the transformer’s bell and whistle buttons and can ring the
bell or blow the whistle as usual.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Tips on Using PSA
• You can terminate PSA at anytime by turning off power to the
track for 15 seconds.
• You do not have to be in Forward to use PSA. At the conclusion
of the full sequence, the train will pull away from the station in
whatever direction you were going when you activated the feature.
• You can use PSA even if you are double-heading with another
engine. If the second engine is not equipped with PSA at all, you
must remember not to leave the throttle at a high voltage level once
you have stopped the engine to run the PSA. Otherwise, the engine
without PSA will begin vibrating on the track as its motors strain to
move the train, since they cannot be automatically disabled during
the PSA cycle. If the second engine is an original Proto-Sound
engine equipped with PSA, you may choose to disable it when
used in double-heading operations, so you will not experience
competing PSA sounds. To disable PSA in an original
Proto-Sound engine, see the operating instructions for that engine.
• PSA can be triggered from Neutral. It will operate the same as if
triggered while in motion except that, at the conclusion of the PSA,
the engine will depart in the next direction of travel, as opposed to
the direction it was traveling before entering Neutral.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Speed Control:
M.T.H. engines equipped with Proto-Sound 2.0 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. To maintain a constant speed
when speed control is turned off, you need to adjust track voltage yourself.
When speed control is off, the volume will drop to allow for better low voltage
operation. Full volume is restored upon reactivation of speed control.
To turn speed control on and off, put the engine in neutral, then press the
transformer’s Whistle button one time then immediately press the Bell button
two times. Two horn blasts will indicate that the engine has made the change.
Repeat the 1 whistle, 2 bells code to return it to the other condition. 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.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Lock into a Direction:
You can lock your engine into a direction (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 tap the Horn
button once followed by three quick taps of the Bell button, allowing
approximately ½ second to lapse between each quick button press.
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 condition, even if the engine is
kept without power for extended periods of time.
Reset to Factory Defaults:
To override the settings you currently have assigned to the engine and reset it
to its factory defaults, while in Neutral tap the Whistle button quickly once,
followed by five quick taps of the Bell button, allowing approximately ½
second to lapse between each quick button press.
Two horn blasts will indicate
that the engine has made the change.
Automatic Sounds:
Certain Proto-Sound 2.0 sound effects automatically play in programmed
conventional mode conditions:
Squealing Brakes
play any time the engine’s speed decreases rapidly.
Cab Chatter
plays at random intervals when the engine idles in neutral.
Engine Start-up and Shut-down
sounds play when the engine is initially
powered on or is powered off for five seconds or more.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Maintenance
ProtoSmoke®Unit Operation
This Premier diesel locomotive contains a Proto-Sound 2.0 controlled smoke
unit that outputs smoke through the smokestack on the roof of the engine. The
smoke unit is essentially a small heating element and wick that soaks up and
then heats a mineral oil-based fluid that emits a harmless smoke. The smoke is
then forced out of the stack by a small electric fan. Smoke volume is
controlled by the Proto-Sound 2.0 system.
With a few easy maintenance steps, you should enjoy trouble-free smoke unit
operation for years.
When preparing to run this engine, add
15-20 drops of smoke fluid through the
last smokestack (see Fig. 4). We
recommend M.T.H. ProtoSmoke, Seuthe,
LGB, or LVTS fluids. Do not overfill the
unit or the fluid may leak out and coat the
interior engine components.
If you choose not to add the fluid (or have
already added the fluid but choose to run
smoke-free), turn off the smoke unit
switch located under the engine (see Fig.
5). Failure either to add fluid to the
unit or to turn it off may damage the
smoke unit heating element and/or
wicking material.
When the smoke output begins to
diminish, add another 10-15 drops of
smoke fluid or turn the smoke unit off.
When storing the unit for long periods of
time, you may want to add about 15 drops
of fluid to prevent the wick from drying
out.
Add Smoke Fluid
Figure 4. Add Smoke through the last
Smokestack
Smoke Unit
ON/OFFSwitch
Figure 5. Smoke Unit ON/OFF
Switch

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
After removing the engine from storage, add another 25 drops of fluid, letting
the wick soak up the fluid for 15 minutes prior to operation.
If you experience poor or no smoke output
when the smoke unit is on and has fluid,
check the wick to see if it has become hard,
blackened, and unabsorbent around the
heating element. Remove the smoke unit
inspection cover from the locomotive’s
body (see Fig. 6). After removing the
chassis and inspection cover screws, lift the
inspection plate away and inspect the wick.
If it is darkly discolored and hard (see Fig.
7), it should be replaced.
Replacement parts and wick replacement
instructions are available directly from the
M.T.H. Parts Department
phone: [phone];
e-mail: [email protected]
mail: 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia MD 21046-1532
Inspection Cover
Screws
Figure 6. Inspecting the Smoke Unit
Wick in Poor Condition Wick in Good Condition
Figure 7. Examples of a wick in poor
condition and in good condition.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions
The engine should be well oiled and greased in order to run properly.
You should regularly lubricate the engine to prevent it from squeaking. Use
light household oil and follow the lubrication points marked “L” in Fig. 8. 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. 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. To access the gear box, remove the body from the chassis by unscrewing the
chassis screws as seen in Fig. 9 on page 13 and lifting the body from the
chassis.
2. Once the body is removed, remove the trucks by unscrewing the black
Phillips motor mount screw located on the underside of the drive trucks (see
Fig. 9 on pg. 13).
3. 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.
4. Reassemble the truck and motor, being careful not to pinch any wires
between the truck block and motor mount.
Lubricate Pick Up Roller (L) Lubricate Pick Up Roller (L)
Lubricate Axle Bushings (L) Lubricate Axle Bushings (L)
Figure 8. Lubrication Points on the Locomotive

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
5. After repeating the procedure for the other motor, reassmble the chassis and
body, being careful that the wire harnesses are not caught between the chassis
and body and reinstall the chassis screws.
Lubricate the outside truck block idler and drive gears with grease. Use the
diagram shown in Fig. 9 below as a guide and add grease to the points marked
with a “G.”
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.
Body Mount Screws
Motor Mount Screw
Body Mount Screws
Grease Idler Gear (G)
Figure 9. Location of Body Mount Screws and Greasing Points on the Locomotive

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Traction Tire Replacement Instructions
Your locomotive 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. It is recommended that you follow the greasing and
lubrication procedures on pg. 12 at this time, as you will already have the
engine apart.
To replace the traction tires, first you must remove the truck sides:
Front Truck (Located on the Lead Unit)
• Remove the truck sides by removing the screws shown in Fig 10a.
Screws to Remove Trucksides
Figure 10a. Changing the traction tires on the front truck

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Rear Truck (Located on the Rear Unit)
• Remove the truck sides by removing the screws shown in Fig 10b.
With the truck sides removed:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Make sure the tire is fully seated inside the groove. Use a razor blade to
trim away any excess tire that will not seat inside the groove properly.
5. Reassemble in the reverse order.
One set of replacement tires is packaged with your model. Additional sets are
available directly from the M.T.H. Parts Department (phone: [phone];
e-mail: [email protected]; mail: 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive,
Columbia MD 21046-1532).
Screws to remove truck sides
Figure 10b. Changing the traction tires on the rear truck

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
constant voltage
board
Replaceable Lights
Figure 12a. Locations of Replacable Lights
Headlight and Interior Light Replacement
Instructions
The locomotive’s headlight is controlled by a constant voltage circuit in the
engine. The headlight is easy to remove and replace when it burns out. The
bulb has a connector that attaches the bulb harness to a constant voltage board
(see figure 12a). Replacement bulbs are available directly from the M.T.H.
Parts Department.
Follow the body removal instructions found in the Lubrication and Greasing
Instructions.
Gently disconnect the bulb harness from the socket on the constant voltage
circuit and replace the bulb.
To replace the lights in the inside of the shell of the engine, remove the body
from the chassis. Unplug the connector from the spring contact holder, remove
the wires from the clips and remove the bulb from its holder and replace with a
new one. See figure 12b below for a diagram. To replace the bulbs on the
underside of the roof of the car, remove the bulbs from their holders by pulling
them out (like christmas tree lights). See figure 12b below for a diagram.
WireClips
Spring Contact Holder
SlideBulbout
from holder
Figure 12b. Replacing the Bulbs inside the shell of the engine.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Passenger Car Interior Light Replacements
Body Mount Screws Body Mount Screws
Figure 13a. Locations of Body Mounting Screws.
To replace the bulbs on the underside of the roof of the car, remove the bulbs
from their holders by pulling them out (like christmas tree lights).
Slide Bulb out
from holder
Figure 13b. Replacing the interior bulbs in the Coach cars of the Set.
Coach Car
To replace the lights in the Coach Car of your Burlington Zephyr Set remove
the shells from the car’s chassis by removing the body mounting screw from
underneath the car. See figure 13 for locations of screws.
Observation Car
To replace the lights in the Observation Car of your Burlington Zephyr Set
remove the shells from the car’s chassis by removing the body mounting
screw from underneath the car. See figure 14a on pg. 18 for locations of
screws.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Unplug Connectors
for Interior Lights
Figure 14b. Connectors inside the Observation Car.
Once you have the body mouting screws removed raise the shell off the
chassis enough to see the connectors inside, take note of which connectors are
plugged into which plug. Unplug the connectors to free the shell assembly
from the chassis. See figure 14b.
To access the interior lights you will need to remove the interior from the
shell, to do this you will need to unscrew the two screws hold the interior in
place. See figure14c for the loacations of these screws. Once you have the
interior removed, unplug the connector from the spring contact holder, remove
the wires from the clips and remove the bulb from its holder and replace with
a new one. See figure 14c for a diagram.
Body Mount Screws
Body Mount Screws
Figure 14a. Locations of the Body Mounting Screws.
Remove Interior
Mounting Screws
Slide Bulb out
from holder Wire Clips
Spring Contact Holders
Figure 14c. Locations of the Observation Car screws and the Bulb locations.

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Self-Charging Battery Back-Up
The special NiCad 7-cell 8.4v self-charging battery in this engine improves
performance at any speed. It ensures that power to the sound system will
remain on during directional changes, or when traveling over dirty track or
switches. The self-charging battery system is automatically turned on or off
whenever track power is turned on or off.
Track power (when applied) recharges the battery, which should last for up to
five years, and the special NiCad battery is a dry battery that should not leak
or cause any damage to your engine. However, even this special battery will
eventually wear down and need to be replaced. When you notice that your
engine sounds seem distorted or garbled at low voltages or become silent
when power from the transformer is turned off, test the battery to determine
whether it should be recharged or replaced.
• Put the engine in neutral and leave the track voltage at 12 volts for 15
minutes
• If the garbled or distorted sounds are reduced, the battery charge has run
down and can be recharged. Do this by leaving the engine in neutral with
track voltage at 12 volts for 6-7 hours so the battery can fully recharge (if your
engine has a smoke unit, be sure it is turned off). Or you can remove the
battery
(as described below) and charge it in any standard slow charge battery
recharger, following the recharger’s directions.
• If the sounds are not improved at the end of the 15 minute test charge, it is
time to replace the battery (see figure 13 below)
. Contact the M.T.H. Parts
Department (phone: [phone]; e-mail: [email protected]; mail:
7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia MD 21046-1532) for a replacement
battery. A standard 9v alkaline battery can be substituted until your
replacement arrives, but since alkaline batteries cannot be recharged, it will
eventually wear down. Do NOT use a 6-cell 7.2v battery like those found in
most convenience stores.
Unhook Wires, Remove
and Replace Battery
Figure 13. Replacing the Battery

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Premier Burlington Zephyr Diesel Engine
Troubleshooting Proto-Sound®2.0 Problems
Although Proto-Sound 2.0 has been designed and engineered for ease of use,
you may have some questions during initial operation. The following table
should answer most questions. If your problem cannot be resolved with this
table, contact M.T.H. for assistance (telephone: [phone]; fax:
410-423-0009; e-mail: [email protected]; mail: 7020 Columbia
Gateway Drive, Columbia MD 21046-1532).
Starting Up
Horn
Bell
Coupler
Remedy
Remedy
Remedy
Remedy
Remedy
When I first turn the power on, the
engine will not begin to run. I have to
turn the throttle off and then on again
to get the engine to operate.
When I press the whistle button, the
bell comes on instead.
I can’t get the horn to blow when I
press the whistle button.
I can’t get the bell to ring when I press
the bell button.
The bell won’t work on a separate bell
button.
When I try to fire the coupler, PSA
starts.
The Proto-Coupler won’t let the engine
uncouple on the fly.
When I press the whistle button, the
bell sounds.
Reverse the transformer leads.
You may be pressing the button too
quickly. Try pressing the whistle button
more slowly, taking approximately one
full second to fully depress the button.
You may be pressing the button too
quickly. Try pressing the bell button
more slowly, taking approximately one
full second to fully depress the button.
Reverse the transformer leads.
Check the wiring of the separate
button.
You are waiting too long between
whistle button presses.
Try lubricating the coupler knuckle
with a dry graphite lubricant. Do NOT
use oil.
This is normal behavior. To prevent
accidental high-speed start-ups,
Proto-Sound 2.0 is programmed to
start up in neutral anytime track power
has been turned off for several
seconds. See the "Basic Operation"
section for more details.