MTHTrains Rail King GS-2 Steam Engine User manual

RAILKINGGS-2
STEAMENGINE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
This RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine is produced in detailed Die-Cast Metal and operates
on O-31 track.
This RailKing Steam 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 (see the compatibility chart on page
18), and is completely 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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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Table of Contents
Set Up 3
Basic Operation 4
Throttle 4
Operation Buttons 4
VolumeControl 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
Proto-Coupler
®Operation 8
Speed Control 8
Lock into a Direction 9
Reset to Factory Defaults 9
Automatic Sounds 9
Maintenance 10
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions 10
Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track 11
Locomotive Traction Tire Replacement 11
Smoke Unit Maintenance 12
Locomotive Light Bulb Replacement 13
Self-Charging Battery Back-Up 14
Troubleshooting 15
Compatibility 17
Transformer Compatibility Chart 18
Additional Features with DCS Remote Control System 19
Safety Precautions 21
Service and Warranty Information 24

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Set Up
There are a few simple steps you must take before operating this RailKing
steamer.
1. You should prime the operating smoke unit with smoke fluid before
operating. Add 15-20 drops of smoke fluid through the smokestack, then
gently blow into the stack to eliminate any air bubbles in the fluid. See Fig.
4.
2. If you choose not to prime the unit with fluid, turn the smoke unit switch
located under the engine to the OFF position (Fig. 5).
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.
3. You should lubricate all side rods and linkage components and pickup
rollers to prevent them from squeaking. Lightly grease drive gears (marked
“G” in Fig. 3 on page 10) to prevent them from squeaking. Use light
household oil and follow the lubrication points marked “L” in Fig. 2
on p. 10.
Do not over-oil. Use only a drop or two on each pivot point.
4. Put your engine on the track and insert the reverse unit plug that extends out
of the tender into the receptacle at the back of the engine.
WARNING: DO
NOT CONNECT THIS ENGINE TO A TENDER FROM ANOTHER
ENGINE; IT MAY CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE.
Look at the bottom of
the engine and tender where each will have a color-coded stamp. If they match
you may connect those two pieces; if not, don’t.
5. Connect the draw bar between the engine and tender. Hole farthest from
tender is for operation on O-31 curves. Second hole is for operation on larger
curves.
At this point, you are ready to begin running your engine.

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Basic Operation
Throttle – Throttle up the power to your track. Give about 10-12 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 as described below.
Horn/Whistle - To sound the whistle, firmly press the Horn/Whistle button.
The whistle will sound for as long as you continue to depress the button. It
will stop when you release the button. The whistle 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 theengine clockwise to
increase the volume and counter-clockwise to decrease the volume (see Fig. 1).
Proto-Sound2.0
Volume Adjustment Knob
Figure 1. Adjusting the Proto-Sound 2.0 Volume Level

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam 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
Reset 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.

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Passenger Station Announcements (PSA):
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 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 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 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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RailKing Gs-2 Steam 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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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Proto-Coupler®Operation
This locomotive is equipped with one coil-wound Proto-Coupler for remote
uncoupling action. Because Proto-Couplers are controlled through the
Proto-Sound 2.0 microprocessor, they do not require an uncoupling track
section or modification to your layout to function. You can fire a coupler from
neutral or while in motion. Use the code shown below (and in the chart on p.
5) to fire the coupler.
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.
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 whistle 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.
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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RailKing Gs-2 Steam 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 press the 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 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 press the Whistle button once, followed
immediately by five quick pushes of the Bell button.
Two whistle 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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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Maintenance:
Lubrication and Greasing Instructions
The engine should be oiled and greased in order to run properly.
You should regularly lubricate all side rods and linkage components 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. To access the gear box, do the following:
1. Turn the engine upside down.
2. Remove the Phillips screw (marked “GREASE”) located at the third set of
drivers (counting from the front of the engine).
3. Use a grease tube dispenser to put a small amount (approx. 1-2 ml.) of
lithium-based grease into the gearbox.
4. Replace the screw.
You should also grease the leading and trailing locomotive truck tongues to
enhance their ability to slide on the chassis. Follow the grease points shown on
Fig. 3.
Figure 2. Lubrication Points on the Engine
Figure 3. Greasing Points on the Engine and Body Mounting Screws

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
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 and 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 locomotive is equipped with two neoprene rubber traction tires on the
rear set of flanged drivers. While these tires are extremely durable, you may
need to replace them at some point.
1. Remove the side rods (the rods that connect each drive wheel to the other)
from the wheels in order to slip the new tire over the grooved drive wheel.
This screw can be loosened with a 5mm nutdriver.
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.
One set of replacement tires is included with the model. Additional tires are
available directly from the M.T.H. Parts Department (phone: [phone];
fax: [phone]; e-mail: [email protected]; mail: 7020 Columbia
Gateway Drive, Columbia MD 21046-1532).

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
ProtoSmoke®Unit Operation
This steam locomotive contains a smoke unit that outputs smoke through the
smokestack on the boiler 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.
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. 4). We recommend M.T.H.
ProtoSmoke, Seuthe, LGB, or LVTS fluids (a
small pipette of ProtoSmoke fluid is included).
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 body (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 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.
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
Figure 4. Add Smoke Fluid
Figure 5. Smoke Switch
Figure 6. Smoke Unit
Inspection Cover

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
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, it should be
replaced.
You can obtain replacement parts and
wick replacement instructions from
the M.T.H. Parts Department.
Locomotive and Tender Light Bulb Replacement
To replace the light bulb in the locomotive, follow these instructions and see
the diagrams below:
Remove the locomotive boiler from its chassis as shown in Figure
3. Once the
body has been removed, rotate the headlight bulb counter-clockwise as seen in
Figure 8
to remove.
To replace the fire box light, unplug the wires from its harness, push the bulb
down through the bracket, replace and reassemble.
To replace the light in the tender, unscrew the four screws holding the tender
shell on. Unplug the wires from its harness and replace the bulb, reassemble.
You can obtain replacement bulbs directly from the M.T.H. Parts Department.
HeadLight
Fire Box Light
Figure 8. Replacing the Headlight and the Fire Box Light
Figure 7. Examples of a wick in poor
condition and in good condition.

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam 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 travelling 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(see 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 directions 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 9. Replacing the Battery

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam 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).

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Compatibility
This engine will operate on any traditional O-31 or larger O Gauge track
system, including M.T.H.’s RealTrax
®or ScaleTrax™or traditional tubular
track. It is also compatible with most standard AC transformers. (See page 18
for a complete list of compatible transformers and wiring instructions.)

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Transformer Compatibility and Wiring Chart
Note that many of the operational commands described in these instructions
require a bell button, so if your transformer does not have its own bell button,
you should consider adding one to get the full benefit of the system.

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
Additional Features Accessible with the DCS Remote
Control System:
While conventional mode operation of a Proto-Sound 2.0 engine yields
wonderfully realistic sound and several train control features, command mode
operation allows the user to access a world of command functions never before
accessible to O Gauge railroaders. With the addition of the DCS Remote
Control System (including a DCS remote handheld and Track Interface Unit)
users gain many advanced features, including:
• DCS Proto-Speed Control-Establishes desired locomotive speed in scale
miles per hour increments via a thumbwheel control and allows operator to set
maximum speed and acceleration/deceleration rates
.
• Locomotive Lighting Control-Independently controls locomotive headlights,
marker and interior lights, and ditch lights
.
• Emergency Stop-Single button push stops your trains (but does not turn off
track power).
• One Touch Global Mute/UnMute-Single button mutes or unmutes all
DCS-controlled locomotives’ user-defined actions, including sound, lights, and
smoke
.
• Proto-Dispatch Operation-Public Address-like feature allows users to speak
through locomotive speaker during operation
.
• Proto-Cast-Allows users to play audio recordings through locomotive speaker
during operation
.
• Proto-Doppler Sound Effects Set Up-Users can configure locomotive for
Doppler Operation, including setting distance points for Doppler start, repeat,
and stop modes
.
• Independent Volume Control of Engine Sounds, Bell, Horn & Whistle for
each Locomotive
.
• Control up to 50 different DCS-equipped locomotives at one time with
multiple TIUs
.

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RailKing Gs-2 Steam Engine
• Proto-Effects™ Set Up-User can select individual Proto-Effects™ operations
to be active or inactive, including cab chatter, train wreck sounds, coupler
sounds, and wheel clickety-clack sounds.
• Direction Control Set Up-User can set initial individual start-up direction
(start in forward or reverse) for double-heading operations.
• Locomotive Consist Set-up-User can determine locomotive values for consist
make-ups, allowing multiple locomotives belonging to a consist to operate
together.
• Query Locomotive Information-User can query locomotive programming to
learn locomotive address and engine data information, including scale miles
traveled.
• User Can Query, Set and Operate Track and Accessory Interface Units for
Programming Digital Command Operations for up to 250 Accessories and 250
Individual Switches.
• User Can Script, Record and Playback Train Routes.