MTHTrains PREMIER FA-2 ABA User manual

PREMIER FA-2 ABA
DIESEL ENGINE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
This Premier FA-2 ABA Diesel engine set is of sturdy ABS construction and operates on
any O-31 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 19), 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 FA-2 ABA Diesel Engine
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 14
Self-Charging Battery Back-Up 15
Troubleshooting 16
Compatibility 18
TransformerCompatibilityChart 19
Additional Features with DCS Remote Control System 20
SafetyPrecautions 22
Service and Warranty Information 24

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Premier FA-2 ABA 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. 7 on pg. 13) with lithium-based grease to
prevent them from squeaking. Use light household oil and follow the
lubrication points marked “L” in Fig. 6 on p. 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. 3 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. 4 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 slide the non-operating couplers
together (see Fig. 1).
At this point, you are ready to begin
running your engine.
connect the wiring harness
connect the non-operating couplers
Figure 1. Connecting the Units Together.

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Premier FA-2 ABA Diesel Engine
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
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.
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 FA-2 ABA 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.
Feature to Be Activated:
Freight Yard Sounds
Fire the Rear Coupler
Fire the Front Coupler
Speed Control On/Off
Lock into a Direction/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 FA-2 ABA Diesel Engine
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 yard. 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 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 presses of the Whistle button while the engine
is moving.
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 about 30 seconds for that sequence to run, press the Direction
button again to trigger the second sequence of FYS.
4. After about 30 seconds, press the Direction button again to trigger the third
FYS 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 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.

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Premier FA-2 ABA Diesel Engine
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. 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 an original Proto-Sound
engine equipped with 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.
• FYS can be triggered from Neutral. It will operate the same as if
triggered while in motion except that, at the conclusion of the FYS,
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 FA-2 ABA Diesel Engine
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. You can fire the coupler(s)
from neutral or while in motion. Use the codes shown below (and in the chart
on pg. 5) to fire the coupler(s).
Rear Coupler:
To fire the rear coupler, 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, 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 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 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.

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Premier FA-2 ABA Diesel Engine
Lock into a Directional State:
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.
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 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 FA-2 ABA 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
front smokestack (see Fig. 3). 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.
4). 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.
Add Smoke Fluid
Figure 3. Add Smoke through
theFront Smokestack
Smoke Unit
ON/OFFSwitch
Figure 4. Smoke Unit ON/OFF
Switch