M.T.H. PREMIER FM TRAINMASTER User manual

PREMIER
FMTRAINMASTER
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
This Premier Trainmaster Diesel engine is of sturdy ABS construction and operates on
any O-31 track system. It 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 20), 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. While Conventional Mode operation of this
locomotive is much simpler than operation of original Proto-Sound engines, we
recommend that for your own safety and that of your equipment, please read the
instructions before you operate this engine.

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Table of Contents
Set Up 3
Basic Operation 4
TransformerControls 4
Throttle 4
Volume Control 4
Proto-Sound 2.0 Operation 5
Activating Proto-Sound 2.0 Conventional Mode Features 5
Freight Yard Sounds (FYS) 6
Tips on Using FYS 7
Proto-Coupler®Operation 8
Speed Control 8
Lock into a Direction State 9
Reset to Factory Defaults 9
Automatic Sounds 9
Maintenance 10
ProtoSmoke Unit Operation 10
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions 12
Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track 12
Locomotive Traction Tire Replacement 13
Locomotive Light Bulb Replacement 15
Self-Charging Battery Back-Up 16
Troubleshooting 17
Compatibility 19
TransformerCompatibilityChart 20
Additional Features with DCS Remote Control System 21
SafetyPrecautions 23
Service and Warranty Information 24

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Set Up
There are a couple of simple steps you must take before operating this Premier
diesel.
- 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. 7on pg. 13) with lithium-based grease to
prevent them from squeaking. Use light household oil and follow the
lubrication points marked “L” in Fig. 5on p. 12. Do not over-oil. Use only a
drop or two on each pivot point.
- Prime the operating smoke unit with smoke fluid before operating. Add
15-20 drops of smoke fluid through the smokestack (see Fig. 2), then gently
blow into the stack to eliminate any air bubbles in the fluid.
- 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. 3on 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.
At this point, you are ready to put your engine on the track and begin running
it.

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Basic Operation
Transformer Controls
Use the operation controls on your transformer or remote as described below.
Throttle – Throttle up the power to your track. 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.
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 will have a different ending depending
upon whether you hold the button for less than 3, 4, or 5 seconds.
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 your turn it on until you press and release the button again to
turn it off.
Direction– Your train is programmed to start in neutral. To put the engine
into forward and then to change the direction of the train or to put it into
neutral, firmly press and release the Direction button on your transformer. Just
as you must stop your car 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 10 seconds or more.
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).
Proto-Sound 2.0
Volume Adjustment Knob
Figure 1. Proto-Sound 2.0 Volume Adjustment Knob

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
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.
Feature to Be Activated:
Freight Yard Sounds
FiretheRearCoupler
Fire the Front Coupler
Speed Control On/Off
LockintoaDirection/Unlock
Reset to Factory Defaults
Button Code:
1 Bell, 2 Whistles
1 Bell, 3 Whistles
1 Bell, 4 Whistles
1 Whistle, 2 Bells
1 Whistle, 3 Bells
1 Whistle, 5 Bells (From Neutral Only)
(From Neutral Only)

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Freight Yard Sounds (FYS):
Your engine is equipped with a sound package of freight yard sounds that you
can play when you pull into a freight yard. Each sequence described below
will play as long as it is left on, randomly generating sounds, but be sure to
allow time between the button pushes described below to allow the FYS
sufficient time to run through each sequence.
1. To cue the sound system to play the FYS, 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 FYS. 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 FYS sequence is complete.
3. After waiting approximately thirty seconds for that sequence to run, press
the Direction button again to trigger the second sequence of FYS.
4. After approximately another thirty seconds, press the Direction button again
to trigger the third FYS sequence.
5. Again, after allowing about thirty seconds for the third sequence to run,
press the Direction button one more time to trigger the fourth and final FYS
sequence. The FYS will continue, 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 with the bell ringing.
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.
Note: The engine will move based on the current throttle setting. Verify the
throttle is set correctly before the engine begins to move.

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Tips on Using FYS
• You can terminate FYS at anytime by turning off power to the
track for 15 seconds.
• You do not have to be in Forward to use FYS. 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 FYS even if you are double-heading with another
engine regardless of whether the second engine is equipped with a
Proto-Sound 2.0 FYS module. If the second engine is not
equipped with FYS at all, you must remember not to leave the
throttle at a high voltage level once you have stopped the engine to
run the FYS. Otherwise, the engine without FYS will begin
vibrating on the track as its motors strain to move the train, since
they cannot be automatically disabled during the FYS cycle. If the
second engine is equipped with Proto-Sound FYS, you may
choose to disable it when used in double-heading operations, so
you will not experience competing FYS sounds. To disable FYS
in an original Proto-Sound engine, see the operating instructions
for that engine.

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Proto-Coupler® Operation
This locomotive is equipped with two coil-wound Proto-Couplers for remote
uncoupling action. Because the Proto-Coupler is controlled through the
Proto-Sound 2.0 microprocessor, it does not require an uncoupling track
section or modification to your layout to function. Use the codes listed below
to fire the coupler.
Rear Coupler:
To fire the rear coupler, quickly press the Bell button once followed
immediately by three pushes of the Whistle button. The sound of the liftbar
and air line depletion will play, and the knuckle will be released.
Front Coupler:
To fire the front coupler, quickly press the Bell button once followed
immediately by four pushes of the Whistle button. The sound of the liftbar and
air line depletion will play, and the knuckle will be released.
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 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 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. Note: When speed
control is turned off, the Proto-Sound 2.0 system will limit the volume in
order to operate more smoothly at lower voltages. Full volume is restored
upon reactivating speed control.

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Premier FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
Lock into a Directional State:
You can lock your engine into a directional state (forward, neutral, or reverse)
to prevent it from changing 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
speed (< 10 scale mph), and quickly but firmly press your remote’s Whistle
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
whistle, 3 bells code to return the engine to its normal state, 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 press the Whistle button once, followed
immediately by five quick pushes of the Bell button. 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 when the engine’s speed is decreased rapidly.
Cab Chatter plays 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 FM Trainmaster Operating Instructions
MAINTENANCE
ProtoSmoke®Unit Operation
This Premier diesel locomotive contains a self-powered 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
smokestack (see Fig.2). 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. 3). 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 while running
the engine 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.
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.
Add Smoke Fluid
Figure 2. Add Smoke through the
Smokestack
SmokeUnit
ON/OFF Switch
Figure 3. Smoke Unit ON/OFF
Switch