Rapido Trains RS-11 User manual

1800 HP ROAD SWITCHER
MODEL RS -11
RAPIDO TRAINS, INC.
Markham, Ontar io, Canad a

2
ALCO RS-11 LOCOMOTIVE PRODUCT GUIDELINES
Thank you for purchasing this model of the classic American road switcher, the ALCo
RS-11. For many years we had wanted to do this distinctive road switcher and in early
2020, we succeeded. The response from our customers was such that we just couldn’t
say no to a second run of this iconic classic. Being one of the most recognizable
locomotives on the rails from the 1950s onward, we bring you the results of our blood,
sweat and tears. We ran out of Jason’s blood, sweat and tears, so we had to sacrifice
those from all other employees to get this project finished. But rest assured no project
manager was harmed in the making of this RS-11. Much.
If this is your first Rapido locomotive, we must ask – why is this your first Rapido
locomotive? No seriously, we’ve been around now for almost 20 years and we’ve
produced an imperial ton of US products, like the E8s & PAs, NH EP-5 and FL9,
Amtrak F40s, Comet coaches, RDCs, FA-2s, B36-7s, X-3 tanks, GLa hoppers, USRA
boxcars, etc. So just for that, we’re going to make sure you LOVE your RS-11. And
then you’ll tell your friends you LOVE your RS-11. And then they’ll tell their friends.
And then we’ll be make even more RS-11s because everyone should have one!
If you are a returning customer, welcome back! Just put your engine on the track. All
we ask is you don’t intentionally set it on fire, don’t use it in a daredevil stunt or as a
lawn dart, and don’t MU it to anything made by Tyco. Oh, and REALLY keep it away
from cheap DC controllers. Crappy power packs can quickly and easily give any
Rapido locomotive an unwanted makeover…and not the good kind.
Our head office is in Canada so our model train manuals have usually been full of
beavers, maple syrup, and snow. We have made every effort to remove any Canadian-
isms from this manual, eh? There’s usually a good amount of humour through these
manuals anyway, so it’s always good to keep things on the lighter side. After all,
model railroading is supposed to be fun, whether you’re an experienced modeller or
just beginning! Dang it – humor doesn’t have a “u.” And modelers should only have
one “l.” Man, it’s only page one and we’ve already screwed up twice! Josh was the
one who wrote the first RS-11 manual and supervised this one. He obviously didn’t
learn anything so he’s fired...again!
As always, if there is anything amiss with your RS-11 please do not hesitate to contact
us. We stand by our products 100%. The best way to contact us is through email
(ser[email protected]) but you can also reach us by phone, the postal service or
Messenger Pterodactyl as well. Our contact info is at the back of this manual.
However, please do not send a faulty model back to us without first getting authorization.
You wouldn’t believe how many times we get a delivery of a broken locomotive with
only a name inside, meaning we have no idea what’s wrong with it! (Hey Rick – your
pantographs are still sitting on the shelf in our bathroom.) If it’s something simple – like
a loose grab iron – then we’ll likely tell you how to fix it yourself. While we generally
will support repairs to your RS-11 for a considerable length of time, please realize that
eventually the parts supply will run out. That, or Godzilla will obliterate the greater
Toronto area. Whichever comes first. Unfortunately, that will dictate when we can
no longer help you. Again, please make sure you contact us first so we can tell you
whether there’s enough parts (or people) left to do your repair.

3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prototype History.....................................................................................4
Break-In .................................................................................................4
How to Hold your RS-11 ..........................................................................5
Checking and Adjusting Your Locomotive...................................................5
Missing or Damaged Parts .......................................................................6
Removing the Shell..................................................................................6
Operation – DC (Silent) ...........................................................................7
Installing a Silent DCC Decoder................................................................8
Operation – DC (Sound) ..........................................................................8
Operation – DCC (Sound)........................................................................9
• Locomotive Address ...................................................................10
• Turn On the Sound......................................................................10
• Functions ..................................................................................11
• Functions: More Information ........................................................11
• Custom Sound Settings................................................................15
• Sound Volume Settings ...............................................................15
• Sound Volume Settings Chart ......................................................16
• Factory Reset ............................................................................16
• More Information .......................................................................17
Limited Warranty .................................................................................17
Acknowledgements ..............................................................................18
Contact Us ..........................................................................................19
RS-11 DCC FUNCTIONS
Sound-equipped Rapido models feature ESU Loksound V5
decoders. For more information, please visit www.esu.eu.
F0 Headlights
F1 Bell
F2 Horn
F3 Flange Squeal
F4 Dynamic Brake
F5 Doppler Horn
F7 Dim the Headlights
F8 Startup/Mute/Shutdown
F9 Drive Hold
F10 Independent Brake
F11 Directional White Classification Lights
F12 Switching Mode
F13 Gyralite (if equipped)
F16 Steam Generator
F17 Beacon (if equipped)
F18 Track Inspection Lights
F19 Numberboards
F20 Spitter Valve

4
PROTOTYPE HISTORY
Introduced in early 1956, ALCo’s RS-11 locomotive (catalog #DL-701), was powered
by an 1,800-horsepower turbocharged V-12 version of ALCo’s 251B prime mover. The
RS-11 rode on B-B trucks of similar design to those used under the earlier RS-3 and FA
series locomotives. Its hood style carbody featured notched corners that included the
corner number boards and, on most units, sand filler hatches as well. These notched
corners distinguished them from their Canadian RS-18 cousins and made the RS-11
an instant design classic.
Many roads purchased RS-11s with a total of 462 units produced. The largest customers
to acquire this road switcher were the Norfolk & Western (99 units), followed by the
Pennsylvania RR (38 units), Nickel Plate Road (35 units) and Southern Pacific (34
units). Other customers include: Delaware & Hudson, Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific,
Central Vermont, New York Central, Maine Central, Northern Pacific, and Seaboard
Air Line. With one of the most reliable diesel prime movers ever made, examples
survived in Class 1 usage well into the late 1970s, with several still in use on short
lines today.
The RS-11 could be set up for either freight, passenger, or dual use service, with
passenger units having a steam generator fitted into the short hood and a larger fuel/
water tank beneath the frames. RS-11 cabs could be orientated for either long hood
or short hood forward operation. Some, like the N&W’s, were provided with dual
control stands and could be operated with either end forward. Over the course of
production there were many noticeable changes made to the design. These included
variations in carbody filter quantities and sizes, fuel tank designs, cab window size
and placement and other small details which are reflected in the Rapido model.
BREAK-IN
Please, please, PLEASE don’t break in to anyone’s layout room to steal their RS-11. Just
buy more for yourself. But this isn’t about that kind of break-in.
Every locomotive needs a break-in or “warm up” period. Your RS-11 has been tested
at our factory for about two minutes…maybe. And that’s just to perform a functionality
test. That is certainly not enough time to get the gears to mesh nicely or to even out any
jerky operation in a new motor. We suggest that, after reading this manual, you put
your RS-11 on a test loop, clean the wheels, and just let it run in each direction for an
hour or two. Fast and slow. Cleaning the wheels is important because gunk gets onto
the wheels in the manufacturing process.
There already should be enough grease in the gearbox so you don’t need to add any.
Just let the thing run.

5
HOW TO HOLD YOUR RS-11
The RS-11 has numerous very delicate parts. If you want to back date it to be the
quality of a model produced in the 1970s, then rip all the parts off and handle it like
you would a chainsaw. We’re assuming you don’t want to do that, so the RS-11 should
be picked up carefully. We suggest you DO NOT lift by the long hood, because if for
whatever reason the clips holding the hood don’t hold its weight, your locomotive will
have a brief skydiving experience. We don’t want to risk that, so if your hands are
big enough, the best way to pick up the unit is to grab it from above with your thumb
and forefinger on either side of the lower edge of the fuel tank. Always make sure
your hands are free of shmutz before touching your engine. Hey – if your hands have
enough oil on them that could be realistic...it is an ALCo, after all.
If you are taking your RS-11 to the club all the time and regularly handling it, stuff will
break off. Sorry. The little bits are made of plastic and metal attached with glue, which
is all a bit fragile. We attempted to make the small parts out of unobtainium and use
Steady-State Micro Welding to install them. Unfortunately, due to the current global
supply crisis, the unobtainium was unobtainable.
We suggest wrapping your RS-11 in a plastic bag before placing it in the packaging
or in your holder so you can catch the bits that fall off. White glue is the recommended
adhesive for reattaching the bits, although you are welcome to use CA, but only if you
are very careful and very brave. Remember to apply the CA to the part and not the
body (don’t ask us how we know this).
CHECKING AND ADJUSTING YOUR LOCOMOTIVE
We try and make sure that every locomotive is perfectly up to spec before it leaves the
factory, but if it was a Monday night and our factory workers were placing bets on
last night’s football game rather than assembling models, there may be a couple of
bugs. Doing a quick pre-service check will solve most operational glitches.
• Check to see that all wheelsets are correctly in gauge using an NMRA RP-2
Standards Gauge. Should any of the wheelsets be out of gauge, then remove
the affected wheelset from the truck by prying off the bottom lid of the gearbox
with a small flat screwdriver and then spreading apart the sideframes. The
wheelset can be regauged by grabbing each wheel and twisting. Reverse the
steps to replace the wheelset, and ensure the gearbox cover is snapped into
place before placing it on the track.
• Check that all underbody piping and appliances are firmly installed and clear
of the track. Of particular note are the air hoses on the ends of the locomotive
and both coupler trip pins. Bend up any low coupler trip pins so they don’t
interfere with your switches and crossings. We recommend using Kadee part
#237 (Trip Pin Pliers) or Micro-Mark part #80600 (Trip Pin Bending Plier).

6
• Make sure that the trucks swivel freely and without binding. If they catch on
anything, check to ensure that the ends of the trucks don’t bind against the
steps or fuel tank brackets. If they do, see that everything is firmly installed. And
remember to clean the wheels like we asked you to!
MISSING OR DAMAGED PARTS
If you open your RS-11 box and discover that something has obviously been bumped
in transit and is damaged, please contact us. We know that some of you don’t like the
idea of human beings touching your models, but if it is a matter of gluing an exhaust
stack back on you can do it yourself in less than a minute with a drop of white glue. If
you really want to send your model back to us for us to install that, we would be happy
to. But if you do send it back to us for us to put that one part back on and other stuff
falls off when we send it back to you, then tough tooties. We’re not fixing it again.
If you see some grab irons are missing and they are not floating around the packaging,
let us know and we will send you replacements. More information about our limited
warranty can be found towards the end of this manual.
REMOVING THE SHELL (Improved!)
If you need to open up your RS-11 to install a crew or a decoder, things work much
differently than our first run of this model. In a perfect world, you should never have to
open your locomotive up, but occasional maintenance may be required and sometimes
stuff happens. So if you must retrieve your HO scale wrench that you dropped down
the HO scale exhaust, then you will need to follow these steps:
• We recommend that you only attempt opening up your locomotive in a zero-
gravity environment. That way, if a part does break off, it will just be suspended
there, right where you broke it, ready for you to reinstall it. If you don’t have
a zero-gravity chamber, then we suggest not installing shag carpet in your
workspace. Yes it looks great and yes it feels great on bare feet, but Rapido
employees have experience in understanding that whatever detail bits fall into
shag carpet are gone forever. The only way to find it is to walk barefoot and
hope that it impales your foot in the most painful way possible.
• To that end, please make every effort to ensure nothing flies away. We
normally suggest you work in a room with everything white – walls, floor,
ceiling, workbench, tools, clothes – everything. But doing so would be very
boring (albeit practical) so that’s likely not the case, is it? Instead, wear a shop
apron (white, of course!) but attach the bottom of it to the underside of your
workbench. That way, at least some parts will be saved from hitting the floor.
Just remember to remove the apron neck strap before standing up.

7
• To remove the shell, first you have to remove the screws from the coupler
boxes and pull the boxes out of the pilots. Next, you must remove the two
screws that are located under each pilot alongside the coupler boxes.
• Once you have all four body screws and both coupler boxes removed, carefully
pull the body shell and walkway assembly off the chassis. If you are working
in a zero-gravity environment, the chassis will slowly drift away from the shell.
On the other hand, if you are not in a zero-gravity environment, remember
that gravity sucks. If you hold your loco upright by the body, the chassis will
now plummet to the nearest solid object. Hopefully that is not a concrete
floor. You may want to do this carefully over some foam sheet on top of your
workbench.
• If you wish to install a crew inside your RS-11, then removing the cab is pretty
simple. First remove the metal handrails from the cab sides or the plastic
stanchions might get damaged. The cab itself is held on to the walkway by four
clips – two forward, two rearward – and with a little manipulation with a flat
screwdriver, the cab should come free. We recommend pulling the cab straight
up and not twisting or tilting it in any way, shape or form. Install the crew (don’t
forget the head-end brakeman!), and snap the cab back on the walkway by
pushing straight down.
Any requests for replacement hoods or cabs because you broke the little clips will be
met with laughter, followed by sadness, then laughter again, and then a very polite
suggestion that you find a new hobby like stamp collecting. We did warn you after all.
If we can assist, then all joking aside we’ll make every effort to do so. But note that we
don’t have a warehouse full of shells and cabs to replace the broken ones.
OPERATION – DC (SILENT)
If your RS-11 locomotive is not equipped with a sound decoder, it should function like
most other HO scale locomotives. Put it on the track. Give it some juice. Watch it go. In
DC, the number boards are always on and the headlights and ditch lights are directional.
The ground lights are installed and wired, but they will not work in DC. Oh yeah - none
of these have ditch lights. Never mind.
If you are new to the hobby (or just like to occasionally “play trains”) and you have a
DC-powered train set, please contact us before operating your RS-11 as it may not be
safe (for your engine and/or your wallet) for you to use your controller.
Some train set throttles put out a very high maximum voltage that is not suitable for
scale model trains. The maximum recommended voltage is 16 volts DC. Similarly,
controllers designed for large scale trains put out a much higher voltage than your RS-
11 can handle. Please see the highlighted warning on page 9 of this manual.

8
If you use a train set throttle or a throttle designed for large scale trains, your
locomotive’s circuitry may end up looking like a TV dinner forgotten in the microwave
after you accidentally punched in an extra digit into the timer. In such situations, we’ll
try our best to fix it for you, but it may be beyond salvaging. Please note we may have
to charge you for the replacement parts and/or the labor involved in restoring it to its
former self. That’s because you didn’t read this bit of the manual.
INSTALLING A SILENT DCC DECODER
The RS-11 contains a motherboard specially designed for our decoders. This is
connected to the track, motor and lighting outputs. A blind plug is attached to the
motherboard using a 21-pin connector. To install a decoder, remove the blind plug
and install a 21-pin decoder. Your chosen decoder should have eight function outputs.
At the time of writing, we recommend only the following 21-pin decoders:
• ESU #59029 - LokPilot 5 Basic with 21MTC
• ESU #59629 - LokPilot 5 DCC with 21MTC
We feel the 21-pin connectors are superior because there are enough pins to ensure
that all your lighting functions are connected. The necessary resistors are included
on our motherboard so you don’t have to futz around with resistors. Just plug in the
recommended decoder and you have DCC. We know some of you prefer a different
brand of decoder, but we honestly can’t help you install it or map the functions.
We have made an RS-11 function mapping which can be downloaded into an ESU
non-sound decoder so that the function buttons and motor control are exactly the
same as our factory-released sound versions. This should be available for download
from the Support section of our web site. If it isn’t, bug us. You will need an ESU
LokProgrammer to write the function mapping to the decoder. If you don’t have a
LokProgrammer, you can adjust CVs in the usual way.
We will be selling RS-11 sound decoders separately as soon as we can get some.
Should be soon. If they aren’t on our web site, call ESU in Germany and yell at a guy
named Jürgen. That’s pronounced “your gain.” Tell him we sent you.
If you want to install a decoder other than the one we suggest, it’s more than just
plugging in the decoder and then playing trains. You will have to custom map all the
functions. It’s just how it is. We won’t apologize for that. Sorry, eh?
OPERATION – DC (SOUND)
To operate your sound-equipped RS-11 locomotive on a DC layout, just give the throttle
some juice. The engine will start up once sufficient voltage has been reached (around
seven volts). See the note above (in Operation – DC (Silent)) about using train-set or

9
large-scale throttles. With DC layouts, you have very little control over the sounds of
your model.
— WARNING —
Rapido products are designed to operate safely between 0V and 16V.
Voltages in excess of 16V - as well as irregular waveforms, voltage spikes
or short circuits - may cause severe and sometimes irreversible damage to
the product. “Train set” power packs are known to suffer from any one of
these unexpected irregularities, whereas higher-end systems have safeguards
in place to prevent this. Rapido always recommends using a power supply
system that matches the quality of the models you are running. If you’re
reading this, you’ve obviously invested in top-of-the-line, museum-quality
motive power and equipment, so we hope you’ve made the same investment
with your model railroad power supply too.
While many power supply systems exist, some are known to have caused
problems with model train circuitry in the past. If you have any one of the
following systems, PLEASE DO NOT USE IT until you contact us for more
information: MRC RailPower 1300/1370-series, Bachman Spectrum
Magnum, Atlas 313 Universal Power Pack.
The DC lighting is limited. Some throttle manufacturers produce special trinkets
which are meant to trigger the sounds in locomotives on DC layouts. As we have no
involvement in the development of those trinkets, we have absolutely no idea how
they will affect your RS-11, for good or for ill. As always, we’ll try to help you fix
your RS-11 if one of these trinkets turns your locomotive’s circuitry into something akin
to what’s left of a turkey after someone left it in the oven too long because they got
distracted by the game. Isn’t that right, Norm?
It is usually at this point in the manual that we insert a gentle dig at our fellow modelers
who won’t switch from DC to DCC. We’ve exercised caution in the past regarding
this, but it’s now 2023 and we’ve come a long way since the days of bell bottom jeans
and the velour shirts. Yeah, we know Jason has a closet full of ‘em but he’s secretly
a time-traveler from the 1970s stuck in modern day Canada. But don’t worry, DCC
isn’t that scary. Besides, it’s not that we’re calling DC modelers Luddites or anything.
Or are we?
OPERATION – DCC (SOUND)
We go to extreme lengths for accuracy, in sounds as well as in looks. Our sound
decoders are LokSound Select V5 decoders by ESU, programmed with sounds we
recorded from a real 251B diesel engine actually doing some work, not just sitting

10
idly getting load tested. So you can rest assured that the sounds are bang-on accurate
for an ALCo 251 prime mover.
As we do for all of our sound decoders, we recorded the prime mover under load – it
was a dead unit in tow, up a grade, both ways, in a snow storm, in July. Or maybe
it was August. Anyway, locomotives sound a lot different when they are actually
working. If you have decoders from other manufacturers in your locomotives you might
want to check out the available line of Rapido decoders on our web site. All of our
decoder sounds were recorded under load and we simply can’t stand decoders that
don’t have this feature. If we are sold out, see the note about calling ESU in Germany
above. Remember - the guy to yell at is Jurgen.
More detailed decoder instructions, including all sorts of weird CV settings we don’t
understand, can be found in the ESU LokSound V5 decoder manual. This is available
for download from the support section of our web site or directly from the ESU website.
Or just go and buy an ESU LokProgrammer -- it’s so much easier to use.
LOCOMOTIVE ADDRESS
Your Rapido RS-11 comes from the factory with a decoder address of 3. We suggest
if you are using DCC control that you first test that the locomotive responds on
address 3 to all functions – motor, lights, sounds, everything. Once you have verified
that the locomotive is responding you should assign it a unique address (normally
the road number of the unit) before going any further. This can be done either on
your programming track (recommended) or on the main if your system supports
programming on the main. Be aware however that if you do program the locomotive
on the main and you have any other locomotives assigned to address 3 (the normal
default address for new locomotives) that ALL of them will also be changed to your
new address! This is great if you want to simulate a bunch of kids getting into the
engine shop, notching the controllers, and then heading for the hills.
Note that some DCC systems get a little wonky when programming sound-equipped
locomotives on the programming track because of the high current draw and the use
of on-board capacitors. If weird stuff happens, try programming on the main.
TURN ON THE SOUND
Press F8 and you will hear the RS-11 startup sequence followed by the sound of it
idling. You can adjust CVs to prevent the locomotive from moving until the startup
sequence has played out. Most of us at Rapido are really impatient so we turned this
feature off. Refer to a full ESU LokSound V5 decoder manual for more information. As
we said a couple of minutes ago, you can now download it from the Support section
of our web site. The feature is called the “Prime Mover Startup Delay” and is Section
13.2 on Page 89 of the ESU LokSound V5 manual.

11
If you press F8 when the locomotive is already moving, it will skip the startup and the
sound will just turn on. Press F8 again to turn the sound off.
Note that if you are listening to your RS-11 idling nicely and then you select another
engine, your locomotive still thinks F8 is pressed so it will keep idling along. However, if
someone else selects your locomotive’s number and F8 isn’t pressed on their controller,
the RS-11 will promptly shut down. They will need to press F8 again.
FUNCTIONS
The RS-11 features a standard for function mapping that we have used for most projects
recently and for the foreseeable future. This is to better standardize our practices, as
well as match locomotives available from other manufacturers. So if you note something
missing below (like F6), it just means that the RS-11 doesn’t have whatever function
that could be (Ditch Lights!). If you have any comments or suggestions regarding our
revised function mapping scheme, please call, e-mail or dispatch a hoard of locusts
to our address.
F0 Headlights
F1 Bell
F2 Horn
F3 Flange Squeal
F4 Dynamic Brake
F5 Doppler Horn
F7 Dim the Headlights
F8 Startup/Mute/Shutdown
F9 Drive Hold
F10 Independent Brake
F11 Directional White Classification Lights
F12 Switching Mode
F13 Gyralite (if equipped)
F16 Steam Generator
F17 Beacon (if equipped)
F18 Track Inspection Lights
F19 Numberboards
F20 Spitter Valve
FUNCTIONS: MORE INFORMATION
F0 Headlights
Unlike the real thing, our RS-11 headlight is directional. Whichever direction you’re
travelling, the headlight will face that way. Not like some fancy streamlined E8 or PA
unit where it always stays on no matter which way it’s going. If you also want the
headlight facing the opposite way of travel to be on, then see the Switching Mode
function on page 13.
F1 Bell
As was the case with many early air-operated bells across multiple roads, we really
can’t figure out an exact “factory standard” ring rate, as over the years the timing
would’ve changed simply based on how clogged the air regulator became over time.
Plus, there are steel bells and brass bells. We’ve programmed a few different bell
recordings, so check out the “Custom Sound Settings” section on page 15 for details.

12
F2 Horns
We love our horns. Like really! Seriously, who doesn’t love a good sounding horn?
So we’re now providing a range of horns for you to apply to your locomotive as
appropriate or as you see fit (even if it’s not appropriate). To get a short “toot” just tap
F2 or your “HORN” button. If you hear a long tail-off you are tapping for too long. If,
no matter what you do, you just can’t get the darn thing to make a short “toot,” switch
to NCE. The default horn is a Nathan P3, but we’ve included a few others. Refer to
“Custom Sound Settings” below on page 15
F3 Flange Squeal
Let’s face it, when we introduced Flange Squeal on our SW1200RS, we created a
monster. A really good looking and amazing-sounding monster. So, since it was never
possible for anything to SILENTLY go around tight curves and switches without waking
up half the neighborhood – no matter what locomotive you have – we’ve included
the flange squeal. Press F3 to turn it on. Press F3 again to turn it off. If your neighbor
complains about that nasty racket, just keep F3 on and say you can’t hear them and
maybe they’ll go away.
F4 Dynamic Brake
Press F4 to get dynamic brake sounds. Who does that? Well apparently a lot of
people because once upon a time, we got flak for putting it in the upper echelons of
functions on our old locomotives. So for that, we apologize and have brought it to the
forefront of functions for your acoustic pleasure.
F5 Doppler Horn
You can play this when approaching level crossings or any other whistle post. The
doppler is nicely timed for a moderately paced train blowing for a level crossing.
When you change the default horn for F2, the doppler horn will also change to the
appropriate tone as well. It’s like we’re magicians or something!
F7 Dim the Headlights
When approaching a station stop or an oncoming train, press F7 to dim your
headlights (and to turn off the ditch lights that you don’t have); you don’t want to blind
your passengers or the oncoming train’s engineers. Not dimming your lights is a direct
violation of what’s commonly referred to as “Rule 17”. The internet can answer all
your questions about said rule. Ask The Google.
F8 Startup/Mute/Shutdown
While your locomotive is stationary, pressing F8 will begin the startup sequence of the
engine sounds. If your locomotive is silent but already in motion, pressing F8 will skip
the startup sequence and simply turn on the sound. If the sound is already on, press
F8 to mute the sounds. If your locomotive is stationary, then you will hear the engine
shut down sequence before the sound turns off. Didn’t we just say this on page 10?

13
But wait, that’s not all! By pressing F8 and turning on the sound, you’ll also turn on the
control stand lights inside the cab. How sweet is that? Press F8 again when you turn
off the sound, and the lights will go out.
If you have a DCC system that only allows eight functions, you can remap the
functions following the guidelines in the ESU LokSound V5 manual, which can
be downloaded from the support section of our web site. Or you can upgrade
to a newer DCC system, which may be less stressful.
F9 Drive Hold
ESU’s “Drive Hold” feature allows you to play the prime mover of your RS-11 like a
musical instrument, even if you’re not musically inclined. When you press F9, you turn
on Drive Hold. This keeps the speed of the engine constant at whatever speed step
your throttle happens to be on. Then as you increase the throttle, you hear the prime
mover revving up. This sounds awesome, whether you’re taking off from a commuter
station stop at warp speed, or trying to get that long, slow freight over the grade.
Drive Hold is even neater when you throttle down, as it allows you to simulate coasting
which is such an important part of running a real train. When you press F9 again you
turn off Drive Hold and the engine will accelerate or decelerate to whatever speed
step your throttle happens to be on. For realism it’s a good idea to take note of what
speed step your throttle was on when you turned on Drive Hold and be back at that
speed step when you turn Drive Hold off. Otherwise your RS-11 may fly like a bird or
crash to a stop. Either way, it’s rough on the crew.
F10 Independent Brake
F10 works just like the brakes on a real engine. Pressing F10 applies the brakes and
your engine will slow to a gradual halt. Turning off F10 at any point releases the
brakes and the engine will start acclerating to the throttle’s setting. Note: If the loco is
stopped with F10 turned on, it won’t move again until F10 is turned off.
F11 Directional White Classification Lights
We like to make sure most lights on a locomotive are functional, and the class lights
are no exception. Now by pressing just one button, you can cycle through almost any
color you want on this RS-11 as long as it’s white. When you press F11, you’ll turn
them on bright white. When you press F11 again, you’ll turn them off. Oh, and they’re
directional too, just like the headlights. By the way, white class lights indicate an
“Extra” train that is not authorized by timetable schedule, in case you want to know.
F12 Switching Mode
If you press F12, the headlight and rear light will both be on dim. This is appropriate
for switching operations, which would be common in yards and terminals. This is
the only way to turn on both the front and rear headlights at the same time (without

14
digging through the LokSound manual or using the LokProgrammer). Press F12 again
to turn off the switching mode and return to your regularly scheduled lighting.
F13 Gyralite (if equipped)
This light fixture moves a beam of light around in a circular pattern ahead of the
loco. In addition to warning pedestrians and cars along the right of way, it also
signals to low-flying aircraft and possibly UFOs. Press F13 to enable it and press it
again to disable it. It’s also directional so you don’t have to worry about the headlight
and Gyralite being on at opposing ends of the locomotive.
F16 Steam Generator
Press F16 at any time to start up the steam. We don’t include random loud blowdowns
but we do include the irregular hiss that you can hear coming from the regulator and
blowdown valves all the time when the steam generator is operational. And because
not every RS-11 came equipped with a steam generator, or if you’re running a freight
train that doesn’t need steam heat, we’ve kept this feature up in the higher functions.
When you accelerate, the volume of the steam generator gets lower as you wouldn’t
hear it as clearly when the train is moving. If you want MORE STEAM! you can adjust
the volume of the steam generator by adjusting the value of CV 307. Please refer to
Sound Volume Settings (see pages 15) before attempting this. We’ve got a fever and
the only prescription is MORE STEAM!
F17 Beacon (if equipped)
Pressing F17 will turn on the yellow beacon on the roof which throws a beam of light
in a circular pattern all around the sides of the loco. Let that thing spin away until
such time the exhaust from your locomotive clouds it up into a black haze and you
can no longer see it...just like the real ones. If you ever want to turn it off, just press
F17 again.
F18 Track Inspection Lights
These “Ground Lights” shine down onto the roadbed and are on all the time by
default. Why did we include them? Because they look neat, of course. Oh, and your
engineer will be happy at night when he looks down to make sure he’s actually
moving. Pressing F18 will turn them off and hitting F18 again will turn them back on.
F19 Number Board Lights
The number boards are on all the time as a default because we hate having to turn
number boards back on after a power failure. If you want to turn off the number
boards, just press F19. Hit it again to turn them back on.
F20 Spitter Valve
To save you from the saliva clean-up should you try to mimic the sound of the spitter
valve, we’ve provided its sporadic sounds on F20. By default it’s always on, as the

15
real thing would always be going when the locomotive is running (and for a few
minutes after shutdown). But if you prefer to not hear it at all, just press F20 to silence
the spit.
CUSTOM SOUND SETTINGS
The RS-11 was used by many different roads and, as such, were equipped with a
number of different horns and bells.
The default horn on your model is a Nathan P3. After extensive scientific research that
resulted in a few chemical burns, we came to the conclusion that it really didn’t matter
which one we picked as the default, so we chose one that sounded good to us. You
can change the default horn by changing the value of CV 163. We’ve also chosen
a default bell too, because someone had to make the important decisions. And that
someone is Mohan. Effigies of Mohan for burning are available from the “About Us”
section at rapidotrains.com. The horns and bells can be changed by adjusting the
value of their respective CVs.
Horns
• CV 163=0 Nathan P3-R1 (Default)
• CV 163=1 Nathan M3H
• CV 163=2 Hancock Whistle
• CV 163=3 Leslie S-5TR
• CV 163=4 Nathan P3
Bells
• CV 164=0 Steel Bell (Default)
• CV 164=1 Bronze Bell
Note that after you change the horn or the bell, you need to cycle the power (turn it off
and on). And changing the default horn automatically changes the doppler recording
on F5 too.
SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
The sound volumes on your decoder have been pre-set at the factory to levels that we
found comfortable on our test tracks.
Sound levels are very much a matter of personal taste (especially if you are going deaf
like some of us are), and what sounds great in one layout environment may sound
too loud or too soft in another. Fortunately, the sound levels can be easily adjusted to
best suit your own requirements and we recommend that you experiment with different
settings if you don’t care for the default levels.
To set the volume levels go into the program mode on your DCC system (refer to your
system’s manual for instructions on how to do this as each system is slightly different);
enter the desired CV number; then enter the desired levels. Note that this can be done

16
either on a programming track or on the main (ops mode) if your DCC system supports
programming on the main.
We strongly recommend that you keep notes on which settings you have changed and
which values were used. If you ever need to do a reset on the decoder (see “Factory
Reset” below) then having good notes will allow you to easily re-enter any changes
that you wish to keep.
— VERY IMPORTANT —
Before you manually change any of the volume control CVs, you must set CV
31 to 16 and then CV 32 to 1. CV 31 and CV 32 are used as index selection
registers and if you don’t set them first, unspeakable things may happen to your
unit. You must set the CVs every time before changing any volume CV setting. Or
just use a LokProgrammer.
RS-11 SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
KEY FUNCTION CV DEFAULT RANGE YOUR VALUE
Master Volume 63 192 0-192
F1 Bell Volume 283 60 0-128
F2 Horn Volume 275 12 8 0-128
F3 Flange Squeal Volume 403 80 0-128
F4 Dynamic Brake Volume 299 45 0-128
F5 Doppler Horn Volume 339 128 0-128
F8 Diesel Volume 259 12 8 0-128
F10 Brake Set/Release Volume 483 50 0-128
F16 Steam Generator Volume 307 28 0-128
F20 Sarco “Spitter” Valve Volume 387 90 0-128
FACTORY RESET
On your RS-11, you can perform a factory reset by entering a value of “8” into CV 8.
Note that this will cause all of your new volume and motor settings to be lost, so you
will need to reprogram any settings that you want to keep. What do you mean, you
didn’t take any notes? WE JUST TOLD YOU TO TAKE NOTES. You’re out of the band!
You can NOT lose all of the pre-recorded sounds on your RS-11 decoder by doing a
factory reset. It’s just not possible. If however, after performing a factory reset, your
RS-11 begins to sound like a steam locomotive, then we have absolutely no idea what
you did, but you did it well. This shouldn’t be possible. AT ALL! I mean really, that’s

17
all sorts of Tom Foolery right there! Oh well, if that happens then just close your eyes
and pretend it’s a beautiful 4-6-4 Hudson. Pay no attention to the person breaking
into your layout room attempting to steal your Rapido RS-11 because they misread the
instructions on Page 4.
If you are having real problems with your sounds or functions, don’t call us. Call
Jurgen again and give him a hard time. He designed the darn thing.
MORE INFORMATION
While addressing the features that most modelers will need for normal operation, these
instructions have covered just a small number of the many customizable features of
your ESU LokSound decoder. For advanced users who want to more fully explore the
capabilities of the decoder we suggest downloading the ESU LokSound V5 decoder
manual. This is available in the Support section of our web site.
LIMITED “FIVE-YEAR-ISH” WARRANTY
We will do our best to solve any problems or issues that you may have with your
RS-11 locomotive. If your locomotive has any defects that originate from the factory,
we will repair your locomotive using new components or replace it outright should a
repair not be possible. However, we can only replace your locomotive while we have
additional ones in stock. We normally keep spares for up to six months after a model
is released. And while we would love to have an unlimited supply of spare parts, note
that eventually these will run out too. If you are like most of us and – after purchasing
this locomotive – you dismissed it to the shelf full of model boxes under the darkest
corner of your layout and are now just discovering it 30 years later after your friend
ran theirs at the club, then you are on your own if there are any issues. We’ve all
probably retired at this point and after realizing we retired too early, we all started our
own model train companies in our own basements in the hopes that one day we will
achieve greatness. Except Mohan. He’s still working at Rapido. He’s 93.
Bob Worcester photo.

18
There are a number of things that this warranty cannot cover. If your RS-11 arrives
with a couple of loose grab irons or underbody bits, there is a very good chance that
you can do a repair in less time and effort than it would take to contact us. Don’t be
afraid to do some model railroading! White glue works wonders for securing all sorts
of parts and will not mar or damage your paint. However, if parts are missing that is
another story – call us or send us an email and we’ll send you some replacements.
Of course, damage caused by running your locomotive at full speed around a
15”-radius curve along the edge of your layout, running your locomotive model under
a real coal chute, modifying your locomotive to work off coal, pouring fuel on it and
lighting it on fire to make it smoke like a real ALCo, or any other damage caused by
you that we haven’t been able to cover here is not covered by the warranty. However,
if catastrophe does strike and your locomotive gets damaged, please give us a shout
and we’ll do our best to help you out. Yes, even if it was your fault we will try our best
to fix your locomotive for you. Don’t be shy.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
To make a model of this calibre means we had to call upon some experts for their
input. Thanks go to: Anthracite Railroads Historical Society (ARHS), Peter F. Arnold,
Central Penn Rail Productions, Gareth Bayer, John Black, Paul Cutler III, Tim Dickinson,
Ken Goslett, Kevin Holland, Don Jaworski, Danbury Railway Museum, Scott Hartley,
Richard Jahn, Ken Miller, New Haven Railroad Technical and Historical Association
(NHRHTA), Norfolk & Western Historical Society, Pennsylvania Railroad Technical
and Historical Society (PRRT&HS), Brian Schuff, Harry Wong and Bob Zenk. And
a special thank you goes out to the men and women of the Depew, Lancaster and
Western Railroad and the Falls Road Railroad Company, both part of the Genesee
Valley Transportation Company.
And once again, we have to thank Richard Longpre (that’s pronounced “long prey”)
for his efforts to decipher and translate this manual from English to Swahili, then into
Welsh, and finally French. He’s been doing these translations for us for probably the
last 41 years, and we can’t understand why he doesn’t just translate them straight
from English to French. We also can’t understand for whom he’s been translating all
that time, since we’ve only existed as a company for 15 years. If you’re looking for
the French version of this manual which he so eloquently wrote, it’s available on our
web site rather than the usual position of being the later half of this manual book.
Why? Because it’s an American engine, hoser! Well, for the most part -- the DW&P
and CV versions of this RS-11 run were owned by the Canadian National, so I guess
that counts.

19
We hope you’ve enjoyed this manual. None of us have slept since Wednesday. We’re
taking next week off.
If the French instructions are not on our web site, like, hold on, eh? Geez, give the guy
a few days to do his translation. He just lost power due to an ice storm. Tabernouche!
Les maudines modélistes...
CONTACT US!
Rapido Trains Inc.
500 Alden Road, Unit 21
Markham, Ontario
L3R 5H5 Canada
Tel. [phone]
Toll Free 1-855-LRC-6917
Fax. [phone]
Email. [email protected]om
[email protected]
American Locomotive Company photo.

RAPIDO TRAINS, INC.
Markham, Ontario, Canada