Rail King 2-8-0 STEAM ENGINE User manual

RAILKING2-8-0
STEAMENGINE
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Thank you for purchasing this RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine. We at MTH Electric
Trains take pride in manufacturing quality products like your train, and we hope that you
will enjoy it for a long time. The locomotive is easy to operate with any compatible
standard AC transformer (see the compatibility chart on page
12), and is completely
compatible with most other 3-rail locomotives, rolling stock, and accessories.
To ensure
the maximum durability and pleasure from this locomotive, please read all the way
through these instructions. Remember that a little attention to routine maintenance yields
a maximum of trouble-free performance.

2
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Table of Contents
SET UP 3
Transformer Operation 4
Operating The Locomotive 4
Special Reverse Unit Options 5
MAINTENANCE 6
Oil 6
Grease 7
Locomotive Lamp Replacement 8
Locomotive Traction Tire Replacement 9
Proto Smoke Unit Operation and Maintenance 10
COMPATIBILITY 11
TRANSFORMER COMPATIBILITY CHART 12
SAFTEY & WARNING PRECAUTIONS 13
SERVICE AND WARRANTY INFORMATION 16
HOW TO GET SERVICE 16
LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY 16

3
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Set Up
There are a few simple steps you
must take before operating this RailKing
steamer.
• 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.
5.
• If you choose not to prime the unit with fluid, turn the smoke unit switch
located under the engine to the OFF position (Fig.
6). 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.
• You should lubricate all side rods and linkage components and pickup rollers
to prevent them from squeaking. Lightly grease the outside idler and drive
gears (marked “G” in Fig.
3on page 7) to prevent them from squeaking. Use
light household oil and follow the lubrication points (marked “L” in Fig.
2on
page
6). Do not over-oil. Use only a drop or two on each pivot point.
• 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.
• Connect the draw bar between the engine and tender. If there are two holes
in the draw bar, the hole located closest to the tender is for the minimum track
operation, such as O-31 circles of track. The second hole is for O-72 or larger
operation.
At this point, you are ready to begin running your engine.

4
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Transformer Operation
Button Functions:
Bell: No Function
Horn/Whistle: Press to activate the mechanical whistle
Direction: Press to stop motion of train and press again to change direction
Operating The Locomotive
Advance the transformer throttle. The locomotive's light will come on and the
engine should now proceed in the forward direction. At this point, advancing
the throttle further will allow the engine to pick up speed, reducing the throttle
will slow the engine down. Turning the throttle OFF and then back ON will
park the engine into neutral. Cycling the throttle OFF and then back ON
again one more time will allow the locomotive to enter reverse.
Tip: An alternative method to using the throttle to enter the next reverse unit
state is to press the direction button. When depressed, the transformer
interrupts all power to the track. Releasing the button reapplies power to the
track at whatever voltage level the transformer throttle is set at.
*Note: Pressing the bell button will have no effect on your set engine because
your locomotive is not equipped with a bell. Only locomotives equipped with
full digital sound systems (which feature engine sounds, horns, bells,
air-release sound effects, squeaking brakes and many other locomotive related
sound effects) can utilize the bell button.

5
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Special Reverse Unit Options
Locking Out The Reverse Unit Into A Single Direction
Your locomotive’s electronic reverse unit may be locked out into one of three
positions; forward, neutral or reverse. Locking the engine into one of these
three positions prevents the locomotive from cycling through the reverse unit
phases and is useful for operators employing block signal operations on their
layout. Once locked into a position, turning the throttle OFF and then ON
again will not allow the engine to enter the next reverse unit phase and instead
keeps the engine in the current locked direction.
To lock the engine into one of the three positions, simply enter that position
using the transformer throttle or direction button. Once in the desired
direction, remove the locomotive from the track and slide the ON/OFF switch
located on the bottom of the tender (See Figure 1) to the OFF position. This
locks the engine into the desired direction. Sliding the switch back to the ON
position resets the reverse unit into its normal cycling phases.
DCRUSwitch
®
Figure 1. Location of the DCRU Lock-Out Switch

6
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Maintenance Instructions
Proper locomotive performance requires regular attention to lubrication. The
following guidelines should be followed to ensure that your locomotive lasts
for many years of operration
Oil
Before operating the locomotive, apply a small drop of oil to lubricate the side
rods and pick up rollers. Use light household oil and apply sparingly only to
the points indicated by Figure 2. Wipe away any excess, especially if oil spills
onto the finish of the locomotive. To prevent accidental scratches or other
damage to the locomotive shell while you are working, you may want to place
the locomotive in a repair cradle or an old towel or other cloth folded to
provide a firm but soft resting place.
Check the locomotive oiling points periodically to be sure they are moving
freely and quietly. If they are not, apply a small amount of oil again. Also
check the locomotive wheels for dirt build-up that can cause performance
problems. Such dirt build-up can interfere with electrical contacts, reduce
traction (especially on elevated track sections), and cause neoprene traction
tires to wear out prematurely.
Lubricate Pick Up Rollers (L)
LubricateSideRods(L) LubricatePivotPoint(L)
Figure 2. Lubrication Points on the Locomotive

7
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Grease
Grease should be added to the internal drive gears annually or after every 50
hours of operation. Grease can be added by inserting grease into the gear box
inside the locomotive chassis. In order to access the gear box, the boiler must
be removed from the chassis by unscrewing the four chassis screws as seen in
Figure 3 below. Once the boiler is removed, the gear box can be opened up by
unscrewing the three screws on the plate located in front of the motor. Grease
can then be applied into the gear box using a grease tube dispenser.
x2 x1
Grease Drive Gear (G)
Body Mount Screws Body Mount Screws
Figure 3. Locations of the Body Mounting Screws and Adding Grease to the Gear Box

8
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
Lamp Replacement
The light in your locomotive may occationally burn out during normal
operation. Should this occur, you will need to remove the boiler from the
chassis in order to replace the burned out bulb.
To remove the 2-8-0 locomotive boiler from its chassis, follow the body
removal instructions (see figure 3). Once the body has been removed, rotate
the headlight bulb counter-clockwise as seen in Figure 4 to remove.
You can obtain replacement bulbs directly from the M.T.H. Parts Department.
Location of the
headlamp bulb
Figure 4. Replacing the Locomotive’s Headlamp

9
RailKing 2-8-0 Steam Engine
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.
•
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.
•
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.
•
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.
• 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.
•
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).

10
RailKing 2-8-0 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. 5). 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 theengine body (see Fig. 6).
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 Here
Figure 5. Adding Smoke
Fluid to the Engine
Smoke Unit ON/OFF Switch
Figure 6. Smoke Unit ON/OFF
Swtich