Rapido Trains Amtrak NPCU F40PH User manual

Modernized
OPERATOR’S
MANUAL
NPCU MANUAL ON REVERSE

2
AMTRAK MODERNIZED F40PH PRODUCT GUIDELINES
Thank you for purchasing this model of Amtrak’s Modernized F40PH locomotive. Our
F40PH is based on the upgraded phase 1 version, which means it is an accurate
representation of the first order of F40 locomotives delivered in 1976 but running as
late as 2002. The most striking change is the addition of the recessed ditch lights on the
nose, but other changes include (but are not limited to) larger red marker lights on the
cab face, larger strobe lights on the cab roof, and modified side steps.
Please read the manual carefully as this model probably works
differently from EVERYTHING ELSE YOU OWN. Unless you own one of
our first production F40PH locomotives or our new Amtrak NPCU. In that
case, it works very similarly.
We’ve put a ton of love and care into the design and production of this Modernized
F40PH, much like our first production Amtrak F40PH we made (the one WITHOUT the
ditch lights). That’s an imperial ton, rather than a metric tonne. We will do our best to
avoid using foreign spelling in this manual, but as we are surreptitious foreigners, we
can’t avoid it completely. Chances are we’ll miss a couple here or there. Sorry, eh?
And while this really is a Modernized F40PH, saying “modernized” all the time really is
tiring. So we’re dropping the “modernized” from this point on in the manual. Or at least
we’ll try. We may also save a few extra sheets of paper doing so.
There is always the possibility that you’ve found something wrong with your locomotive.
Maybe a loose grab iron; maybe there’s a fingerprint on the model; or perhaps it goes
forwards when it should be going backwards. Whatever it is, please don’t hesitate to
get in touch! More warranty information is available towards the back of this manual.
Please do not send any models back to us for repair without first speaking to us to get
authorization. If it’s the year 2104 and you’ve opened this box for the first time because
you finally got around to building that first layout you said you’d build in 2020, chances
are we’re either pushing up the daisies or we’re in a pickle jar somewhere. You can try
calling us, but we can’t promise telephones will still work in the same manner, if at all.
We’re not even sure model railroading will be a thing in 2104, but we’re hopeful.
CONTACT US!
Rapido Trains Inc.
P.O. Box 796
Higganum, Connecticut
06441 United States
Tel. [phone] Toll Free. 1-855-LRC-6917
Fax. [phone]
Email. [email protected]

3
DCC QUICK START FOR PEOPLE WHO
DON’T LIKE READING MANUALS
OK – We know that more than half of our customers will not read this manual and then
call us complaining when their F40PH doesn’t work properly. It does, but they didn’t
read the manual.
But if you have got this far and you are really impatient to get your locomotive on the
track, please take note of the following.
We have tried our best to recreate the actual way an F40PH locomotive operates with
this model. This means:
1. To operate your F40PH locomotive with a modern passenger train (such as Amfleet,
Superliner, Horizon or Viewliner cars – i.e. not old steam-heated junk) on a DCC
layout, you need to press F4 and then F5 before you start accelerating.
If you press F4 but don’t press F5, YOUR LOCOMOTIVE WILL NOT MOVE.
That’s right – the locomotive will NOT move when just F4 is pressed. Press F5 if
you want it to move. Those of you who read the rest of the manual will find out
why. If you have a really short attention span and you simply can’t read manuals
then you can wonder about this odd feature for the rest of your life and make
uninformed comments on our YouTube channel or Facebook page.
2. If you don’t press F4 or F5, your F40PH locomotive will operate like a freight
engine and will not provide power to your passenger cars, just like the real thing.
3. The rear (backup) light will only go on when you are switching cars. It won’t go
on when you are backing up, just like the real thing.
4. If you are running DC, just go play trains. Whatever sounds come out are what
you get. And the rear (backup) light will never go on, just like the re... ok not
like the real thing. Not that we’re trying to convince you to upgrade to DCC or
anything…
You can read more about these weird features, along with our reasons for introducing
them, in the Prototypical Operation – DCC section below.
If you are using DCC and you really don’t like operating your F40PH prototypically, you
can turn off all of these features. Please turn to page 11 for step-by-step instructions on
how to do this.

4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DCC Quick Start for People who don’t like Reading Manuals ..................................3
Break-In ............................................................................................................5
Checking and Adjusting Your Locomotive..............................................................5
Missing or Damaged Parts ..................................................................................5
Removing the Shell.............................................................................................6
Operation – DC (Silent) ......................................................................................6
Installing a DCC Decoder....................................................................................7
Operation – DC (Sound) ..................................................................................... 7
Prototypical Operation – DCC (Sound) .................................................................8
• Head End Power is the Key ....................................................................8
• HEP Mode: Idle, Standby and Run ...........................................................9
• Model Operation ..................................................................................9
• HEP Mode: Consisting .........................................................................10
• HEP Mode: How to Turn Off this Annoying Feature ..................................10
• Locomotive Address .............................................................................11
• Turn On the Sound ...............................................................................11
• Functions ............................................................................................12
• Functions: More Information...................................................................12
• Sound Volume Settings .........................................................................15
• Factory Reset ......................................................................................16
• Awesome Slow Speed Thingy ...............................................................17
More Information .............................................................................................17
Limited Lifetime Warranty .................................................................................17
Acknowledgments ...........................................................................................18
MODERNIZED F40PH DCC FUNCTION QUICK REFERENCE
F0 HEADLIGHT
F1 BELL
F2 HORN (AND BELL)
F3 DOPPLER HORN
F4 GO INTO/OUT OF “STANDBY”
F5 GO INTO/OUT OF “RUN”
F6 DITCH LIGHTS
F7 DIM THE HEADLIGHTS
F8 STARTUP/MUTE/SHUTDOWN
F9 FRONT MARKER LIGHTS
F10 STROBE LIGHTS
F12 HOSTLER (SWITCHING) LIGHTING
F16 TURN OFF NUMBERBOARDS

5
BREAK-IN
No, we don’t mean you should break into your model railroad club president’s layout
room so you can take his or her Rapido F40PH locomotives. That would be a crime. It
would also be a crime to spend money on anything that isn’t model trains.
Every locomotive needs a break-in period. Your F40PH has been tested at the factory...
for about 26.3 seconds. That is 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 F40PH on a test loop and just let it run in each direction for an hour or two.
Fast and slow. If your layout has not been built yet, or you don’t have any track to run it
on, you can probably skip this step for the time being.
There already should be enough grease in the gearbox so you don’t need to add any
more. Just let the thing run.
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 the karaoke was particularly good the night before your model was as-
sembled 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 (It’s not spelled gage or guage, by the way. We find that really
annoying). Should any of the wheelsets be out of gauge, remove the affected
wheelset from the truck by prying off the bottom lid of the gearbox with a small
flat screwdriver. 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 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).
• Make sure that the trucks swivel freely and without binding. If they catch on any-
thing, check to ensure that the ends of the trucks don’t bind against the steps. If
they do, see that everything is firmly installed.
MISSING OR DAMAGED PARTS
If you open your F40PH 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 to touch
your models, but if it is a matter of gluing a grab iron 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 grab iron, 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

6
you, then you’re on your own, buddy. We’re not playing warranty whack-a-mole.
If there are big gaping holes where grab irons obviously fell out and no such grab irons
are in the box, then please give us a shout as that should not be the case! More informa-
tion about our limited lifetime warranty can be found towards the end of this manual.
REMOVING THE SHELL
If you need to open up your F40PH (to install a crew, install a decoder, etc.) it is actually
quite easy to do. Just be sure to remember these important points:
• We have a transporter lock on the molecular pattern of your locomotive. If some-
thing pops off while you are removing the shell, our state-of-the-art transporters
will automatically lock on to the little part and beam it directly into the furnace of
a steel mill. Don’t bother looking for it. It’s gone. You might hear the transporter
effect as the part is beamed away. I know it would have been more useful for us
to beam the part back onto your workbench but someone spilled their tea all over
the computer that controls the transporter. We think it was Jordan in our office and
his 10th daily cup of tea.
• To that end, please make every effort to ensure nothing flies away. Work on a
clean, white surface. In fact, paint all the walls, the floor and the ceiling white,
wear white coveralls, and remove everything else from within a three-mile radius
of your workbench, especially (but not limited to) vegetation, people and wind.
• Turn the locomotive upside down in a foam cradle (painted white, of course) and
remove the coupler screws. Pull the coupler boxes out of the ends and turn the
loco right-way up. Now wiggle the shell off. Carefully. Remember the transporter
lock.
• That’s it, really.
OPERATION – DC (SILENT)
Put the F40PH on the track. Make it go. That’s it.
In DC operation, the only lights that work are the headlights and ditch lights (when
going forward) and the front red marker lights (when going in reverse). The light on the
rear of the locomotive is only used when switching and cannot be turned on using a DC
controller.
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 F40PH 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 F40PH can
handle.

7
If you use a train set throttle or a throttle designed for large scale trains, your locomotive’s
circuitry may end up looking like an overcooked steak. In such situations, we’ll try our
best to fix it for you. But we may have to charge you for the replacement parts and/or
the labor involved. That’s because you didn’t read this bit of the manual.
INSTALLING A DCC DECODER
The F40PH contains an ESU-designed motherboard which 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 six function outputs.
At the time of writing, we recommend the following 21-pin decoder:
• ESU #54615 - LokPilot V4.0 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
ESU-designed motherboard so you don’t have to futz around with resistors. Just plug in
the recommended decoder and you have DCC.
ESU has made an F40PH function mapping which can be downloaded into their non-
sound decoder (54615) so that the function buttons and motor control are exactly the
same as our factory-released sound versions. This is available for download on the F40PH
page in the Support section of our web site. You will need an ESU LokProgrammer to
write the function mapping to the 54615 decoder. If you don’t have a LokProgrammer,
you can adjust CVs in the usual way.
If you have F40PH locomotives from other manufacturers, sell them and buy more of our
F40s. If you are not in a position to do that, sell your other models and buy more of our
F40s. If you insist on keeping your old, not-nearly-as-awesome-as-our-model F40s, you
can buy Rapido/ESU F40PH sound decoders from Rapido’s web site.
OPERATION – DC (SOUND)
To operate your sound-equipped F40PH 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 large-
scale throttles. With DC layouts, you have very little control over the sounds of your model.
WARNING: If you have purchased a sound-equipped F40PH and you
operate your trains with a Model Rectifier Corporation RailPower
1300-series DC controller, stop what you are doing immediately. Do not
pass Go. Do not collect $200. The RailPower 1300 is notorious for voltage
spikes and it WILL destroy your locomotive. There is no “if” about it. We
will not repair any F40PH destroyed by a 1300 or any other “train set”
DC controller. “Train set” DC controllers should not be used with sound-
equipped locomotives.

8
The only lights that work in DC are the headlights, ditch lights and strobe lights (when
going forward) and the front red marker lights (when going in reverse). You can’t adjust
the strobe flash pattern in DC, nor can you turn the strobes off. Still happy that you
haven’t switched to DCC? The light on the rear of the locomotive is only used when
switching and cannot be turned on using a DC controller. Sorry. Your buddy with the
DCC layout can turn on that light. The number boards and step lights are always lit.
Some throttle manufacturers produce special doo-dads which are meant to trigger the
sounds in locomotives on DC layouts. As we have no involvement in the development
of those doo-dads, we have absolutely no idea how they will affect your F40PH, for
good or for ill. As always, we’ll try to help you fix your F40PH if one of these doo-dads
converts your locomotive’s circuitry into something that looks like burnt scrambled eggs,
but we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to.
If you like running sound-equipped locomotives and advanced lighting features, you
might want to think about upgrading to DCC. If you are one of those people who thinks
that modern inventions like the the horseless carriage are new-fangled rubbish and just
passing fads, by all means stick with DC.
If you want a taste of what you are missing, please read on…
PROTOTYPICAL OPERATION – DCC (SOUND)
We’re continuing our bold, new step in North American model locomotive operation
that we pioneered with our Bombardier LRC, VIA F40PH-2D and as-built Amtrak F40PH
locomotive models. This may upset some people, but we feel the enormous amount of
added realism is worth the extra couple of buttons you need to press on your DCC
controller. Hopefully you will quickly get used to this prototypical operating method and
it becomes second nature.
If you don’t want to have anything to do with prototypical operation and you just want to
turn these !@$#%& features off, move on to the HEP Mode: How To Turn Off This
Annoying Feature on page 11 and follow the instructions.
Here’s a quick overview that explains how the real F40PH locomotive works, and then
we’ll explain how it affects the model’s operation.
HEAD END POWER IS THE KEY
The F40PH is a 3000 HP locomotive designed for hauling passenger equipment. Because
the locomotive generates Head End Power (HEP) for its trailing passenger cars, it does
not operate like a conventional diesel locomotive. (By the way, HEP is pronounced “aitch
ee pee” in the United States but it is pronounced the far cooler “hep” as in “hep cat” in
Canada. You are encouraged to adopt the Canadian pronunciation for coolness’ sake).
The 480-volt HEP allows for the heating, lighting and air conditioning of the train; it is
generated by an alternator connected to the prime mover (diesel engine) via a 2:1 ratio
gearbox.

9
In order for the HEP alternator to turn at the needed speed of 1786 RPM, the prime
mover must always be running at its maximum speed of 893 RPM. So rather than
hear an F40PH labor through the notches from idle to eight, it always sounds like it is
screaming at notch eight.
The throttle does not control the prime mover’s speed; instead, it controls the flow of
current in the Traction Alternator, which in turn controls the amount of power delivered to
the Traction Motors. From our perspective as model railroaders, the locomotive sounds
pretty much the same no matter what speed it’s going or how heavy a load it is pulling.
HEP MODE: IDLE, STANDBY AND RUN
Inside the cab of a real F40PH is the Head End Power Mode Switch. The three positions
are Idle, Standby and Run. This switch is key to how the locomotive sounds and operates.
IDLE: When the HEP Power Mode Switch is set to Idle, the F40PH operates like a freight
engine – as you increase the throttle, the prime mover speed increases from its idling
speed of 460 RPM up to its maximum of 893 RPM. The locomotive power is directly tied
to the prime mover speed.
By default, your model is set to Idle. If you put it on the track and advance your throttle,
the HEP alternator is not engaged and the locomotive will operate and sound like a
freight engine. If you are running your locomotive in freight service, you will want to
keep the Head End Power Mode Switch at Idle. Similarly, if you are running two F40s in
multiple, the lead F40 should be in idle. The trailing F40 is the only one providing HEP.
STANDBY: Standby is meant to be used when the train is idling for a long time at a
station, such as between runs. The HEP is provided by the Traction Alternator rather
than the HEP Alternator. Since the Traction Alternator is being used for HEP and not for
the Traction Motors, the locomotive cannot move. The prime mover rotates at 720 RPM,
which roughly sounds like Notch Six.
RUN: Once the F40PH is in Run, the prime mover is rotating at 893 RPM and the
second engineer can turn on the HEP to the passenger cars. From a railfan’s perspective,
there is no noticeable difference in the sound of the locomotive between Run without
the HEP turned on and Run with the HEP turned on. So we don’t have an extra button
for that. In general practice, the locomotive is kept in Run for its entire trip – i.e. from
terminus to terminus — even if it is making several station stops along the way.
Note that the locomotive must be stationary when changing between Head End Power
modes. This is not like switching to third-rail on an Amtrak P32AC-DM or a New Haven
FL9. You can’t switch on the fly or you’ll blow up the engine.
MODEL OPERATION
We’ve tried our best to simulate the Head End Power Mode Switch with the F4 and F5
function buttons on your DCC controller. Once the F40PH model is on the track, press
F8 to turn on the sounds and put your locomotive into Idle.

10
Press F4 to put it into Standby. The prime mover will rev up to 720 RPM. If you don’t
press F4, the locomotive operates like a freight engine.
IN STANDBY, YOUR LOCOMOTIVE WILL NOT MOVE, EVEN IF YOU ADVANCE
THE THROTTLE.
With your F40PH in Standby mode, you can put it into Run by pressing F5.
If you don’t need to go to Standby, then just hit F4 and F5 in rapid succession. The prime
mover will rev right up to 893 RPM and your locomotive will be in Run. It will move
when you advance the throttle. This simulates turning the Head End Power Mode Switch
directly to Run.
IMPORTANT: IF YOU DON’T FIRST PRESS F4, PRESSING F5 WILL HAVE NO
EFFECT.
To go back down to Standby, press F5 again – you are essentially “turning off” the Run
mode on the decoder. Then press F4 again to “turn off” the Standby mode and go back
down to Idle. If you are in Run and you don’t need to go into Standby, press F5 and F4
quickly, in that order. The locomotive will skip Standby and go straight down to Idle.
HEP MODE: CONSISTING
Every DCC system treats consisting a little bit differently. On some systems, you will need
to put your locomotives into Run before you consist them. On most systems, you can
decide which functions are controlled by consist address so you can switch all of your
units into Run simultaneously.
As mentioned earlier, when two or more F40PH locomotives are operating in a consist,
only the rear locomotive is providing HEP so only the rear locomotive should be operated
in Run. This applies whether the locomotives are running elephant style or back to back.
The remaining locomotives are operated in Idle.
HEP MODE: HOW TO TURN OFF THIS ANNOYING FEATURE
If you don’t want to futz around with F4 and F5 and you just want to put the F40PH on
the track and make it go, but you still want to hear the sound of the HEP, we have a
solution for you.
On your programming track (or using a LokProgrammer), input the following (in order):
CV31=16, CV32=2, CV400=0, CV445=128, CV447=16
This puts your F40PH into Run as soon as you press F8 to start it up, and it will stay in
Run until you press F8 again to shut down the locomotive. You won’t hear the startup or
shut down sequences.
But if you do that and you want to run your locomotive in a non-HEP environment, such
as in freight service or pulling steam-heated passenger cars, you can’t. Your F40PH will
always be screaming at notch 8.

11
LOCOMOTIVE ADDRESS
Your Rapido F40PH 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.
Once you have verified that the locomotive is responding you should assign it a unique
address (we suggest the road number of the locomotive) 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 on your layout assigned
to address 3 (the normal default address for new locomotives) that ALL of them will likely
also be changed to your new address! Also be aware that if you give your locomotive a
four-digit address it will not work at all if you try to run it on a friend’s DC layout.
Also please keep in mind that some DCC systems do not have sufficient power to
program sound-equipped locomotives on the mainline. If your sounds do not operate
correctly on a Digitrax DCC system, this likely means that you need to clear the memory
on your system, achieved by “clearing slot #36.” A basic summary of how to do this
can be found on the F40 page in the Support section of our web site. More detailed
information can be found on the Digitrax web site.
If you have a really old DCC system, you may find that this locomotive won’t work at
all – nor will many other new models. Go update DCC your system to a newer version.
Your television is updated regularly. Your DCC system should be updated as well.
TURN ON THE SOUND
Press F8 and you will hear the F40PH 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. We are really impatient so we turned this feature off. One of these days we’ll
sneak into the office in the middle of the night and change this setting without telling
him. Refer to a full ESU LokSound Select decoder manual for more information. You can
download it from the F40 page in the Support section of our web site. The feature is
called the “Prime Mover Startup Delay” and at the time of writing it was on page 35 of
the ESU manual.
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.
If you want the F40PH to be making noise as soon as it is put on the track, you need
to change some CVs. On a programming track (or using a LokProgrammer), input the
following in order:
CV31=16, CV32=2, CV435=32
Note that if you are listening to your F40PH idling nicely and then you select another
engine with your throttle, 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 his or her controller, the F40PH will promptly shut down. They will need to press F8
again.

12
FUNCTIONS
F0 Front Headlight F12 Hostler (Switching) Lighting
F1 Bell F14 Dynamic Brake
F2 Horn (And Bell) F15 Brake
F3 Doppler Horn F16 Turn off Numberboards
F4 Go Into/Out of “Standby” F20 Sarco Valve (Spitter) – Slow
F5 Go Into/Out of “Run” F21 Sarco Valve (Spitter) – Fast
F6 Ditch Lights F22 Sarco Valve on Shutdown
F7 Dim the Headlights F23 Brake Release On/Off
F8 Startup/Mute/Shutdown
F9 Front Marker Lights
F10 Strobe Lights
F11 Doors Opening/Closing
FUNCTIONS: MORE INFORMATION
F0 Front Headlight
Headlight goes on, headlight goes off. Headlight goes on, headlight goes off. That’s all.
F1 Bell and F2 Horn
Your F40PH is programmed with an accurate recording of an Amtrak F40PH electronic
bell, or E-Bell. We still haven’t figured out why Jason likes these so much, but he’s tickled
that it’s the default bell. We also include a steel Air Bell, because the rest of us like air
bells better.
Whenever you operate the bell, the strobe lights will automatically come on (if they’re
not already on). This is prototypical. If it really bugs you, there is probably a way to
turn it off but we have no clue how to do this. Go ask Matt at ESU and tell him Rapido
sent you. The default horn is one of many recordings available of a Nathan K5LA.
Many Amtrak F40PH locomotives were modified with this horn. Other horn options are
available should you wish to match a specific unit, or you like the sound of them better.
A company that gives you options? That sounds like a great deal!
When you blow the horn, you should also turn on the bell. On the prototype locomotive
(and on some of our other locomotive models), the bell comes on automatically with the
horn. We couldn’t include that feature on the Amtrak F40PH (something about strobe
lights and Jason having nightmares about steel bells) so you will need to turn the bell on
and off manually. But as an added bonus, if you’ve got your ditch lights turned on using
F6, they will alternatively flash for a few seconds when you sound the horn.
To change the bell and horn versions from the default, you need to change CV48. CV48
controls the bell and horn (and other stuff, but we’re ignoring them). Your choice of bell
determines the initial value of CV48, and then your choice of horn determines how much
you need to add to that initial value.

13
CV48 initial value:
0 = E-Bell (default)
64 = Air Bell
CV48 horn options and values:
0 = Nathan Old Cast P5a 5 = Nathan New Cast P5a (Alternate)
1 = Nathan New Cast P5a 6 = Nathan Amtrak K5LA #2
2 = Nathan M5 7 = Nathan Amtrak K5LA #3
3 = Nathan K5LA 8 = Nathan Amtrak K5LA #4 (Default)
4 = Nathan Old Cast P5a (Alternate)
The default is the E-Bell and the Nathan Amtrak K5LA #4. Add the two values above (0
for the E-Bell and 8 for the K5LA #4) and you have a default value of 8 for CV48.
Say you want to keep the E-Bell but you want a New Cast P5a. Add 0 for the E-Bell and
1 for the New Cast P5a and you get a value of 1 for CV48.
If you want the Air Bell and the Nathan Amtrak K5LA #2, add 64 for the Air Bell and 6
for the K5LA, which gives you a value of 70 for CV48. Hopefully you get it now. If you
are following everything precisely and you can’t seem to change the settings, read the
note below which we should have told you before.
IMPORTANT: You need to change CV48 using a programming track or a
LokProgrammer. (Sorry. We keep saying we’ll remember to include that
important bit of information at the top of Bell and Horn section of the
manual instead of at the bottom, but we keep forgetting.)
F3 Doppler Horn
You can play this when approaching level crossings at speed. It is a real recording of an
Amtrak F40PH (with train) approaching a level crossing at high speed with the engineer
playing music on a K5LA. We think this sounds so beautiful, it makes us cry. If you’ve
also got your ditch lights turned on (F6) and press F3, they’ll start flashing alternatively.
You know, just in case nobody hears you barrelling towards the crossing.
F4 and F5 – Standby and Run
See Prototypical Operation – DCC (Sound) on page 8 above.
F6 Ditch Lights
The ditch lights should be turned on whenever your F40PH is pulling a train – they are
not just for use in the mountains like in the old days. However, remember to turn them off
when approaching a station or an oncoming train as they are BLINDING.
But wait, there’s more! Should your ditch lights be on when you sound the horn using
F2 or F3, your ditch lights will flash alternatively. That’s right folks, flashing ditch lights!
Of course you already knew this if you’ve been reading the manual this far. After a few
seconds, the ditch lights will default back to “always on”.

14
F7 Dim the Headlights
When approaching a station stop or an oncoming train, turn off your ditch lights and
then press F7 to dim your lights – you don’t want to blind your passengers or the
oncoming train’s engineers. The ditch lights should turn off automatically too, unless we
goofed on the programming.
F9 Front Classification Lights (Markers)
The F40PH can often be found in push-pull service. When pushing a train, the locomotive
should have the red markers turned on. F9 operates independently of locomotive
direction, just like the prototype.
F10 Strobe Lights
The Amtrak F40PH strobe lights operate automatically with the bell, but can also be
operated separately by the engineer. When operating your model, there may be
circumstances where you want the strobe lights to operate without the bell: hence
function F10.
All Amtrak F40PH locomotives originally came equipped with small strobe lights that
flashed together. However, just to make things difficult for model train manufacturers
40 years later, all Amtrak F40s (except locomotive 216) were retrofitted with larger
Star 200BC strobe lights in the late 1980s. They also were changed to flash randomly,
independent of each other. We’ve modelled your F40PH with the larger, random strobes.
If you’re like those who prefer order rather than chaos, and want your strobe lights to
flash in unison, then you need to change the following CVs in order:
CV31=16, CV32=0, CV371=5, CV379=5
F11 Doors Opening and Closing
Every passenger train needs to make a station stop from time to time. Press F11 to play
a sound effect of the doors opening and/or closing. While we would have liked to make
this function actually make the doors of all your passenger cars open and/or close,
technology isn’t quite there yet. Maybe one day we’ll get it working.
F12 Hostler (Switcher) Lighting
A common misconception on cab units is that the big light in the back should be on
whenever the engine is moving backwards. Actually, it’s only on when the engine is
running light or switching cars. And in those situations, both the front and rear headlights
are on, and they are dim. Pressing F12 will put both headlights on dim.
F14 Dynamic Brake
F14 operates the sound of the dynamic brake. We know four of you are going to e-mail
us and complain that this isn’t in the “top eight” or “top 12” function buttons. We felt
features like the Doppler horn and the ability to easily turn your marker lights on and
off would be appreciated more. But never fear! All of the functions can be remapped to

15
different buttons by advanced users. If you are one of the four customers that uses the
dynamic brake button, chances are you are advanced enough to remap the functions.
F15 Brake
F15 works just like the brakes on a real engine. Press F15 and you put on the brakes.
Turn off F15 and the brakes come off so you start moving again.
F20 and F21 Sarco Valve (Spitter)
These functions turn on or off the Sarco Valve. On the real F40PH, it’s always going. But
you often can’t hear it from a distance. In contrast, if you are close to the engine you can
hear the Sarco valve pretty prominently. We feel that on many sound-equipped engines,
the Sarco Valve is way too loud. So we’ve included two versions of it, controlled by
functions. You can choose whether or not you hear the Sarco Valve, and you can choose
how fast you want it to spit.
F20 controls the “fast” spitter valve sound effect while F21 controls the “slower” sound
effect. Each function toggles the sound effects in an on/off manner. Having both F20
and F21 enabled at the same time may result in spontaneous overload of spit released
from your unit. We cannot guarantee this, nor do we recommend trying.
Please note your F40PH warranty does not cover malfunction due to excess saliva, so
please try not to replicate the sound effect on your own.
F22 Sarco After Shutdown
On real engines you can hear the Sarco Valve after the engine shuts down. Some people
like to hear this on the model, but Jason finds it annoying. So the default for this is “off.”
If you want to hear the Sarco Valve spit for a minute after shutdown, just press F22.
F23 Brake Set/Release
This function turns off the brake release and brake set sounds when you start or stop
moving, respectively. It has no effect on the function of the engine — it just affects the
sounds.
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. This is considerably quieter than what you are
probably used to when first turning on a sound-equipped locomotive, because we feel
that most locomotive models are set to ABSURDLY LOUD out of the box.
Sound levels are very much a matter of personal taste (especially if you are going deaf
like we are), and what sounds great in one layout environment may sound too loud or
too soft in another. Fortunately all 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.

16
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
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 might want to keep.
VERY IMPORTANT: Before you change any of the volume control CVs,
please make sure that CV32 is set to 1. CV32 is used as an index selection
register and if you don’t set it first then we are not responsible for your
resulting rage and the fact that you will probably throw the locomotive
against the wall in frustration.
MODERNIZED F40PH SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
FUNCTION CV DEFAULT RANGE YOUR VALUE
MASTER VOLUME 63 60 0-192
DIESEL VOLUME 259 80 0-128
HORN VOLUME 275 128 0-128
BELL VOLUME 283 64 0-128
DYNAMIC BRAKE FAN 299 100 0-128
BRAKE SET/RELEASE 347 40 0-128
FAST SARCO VALVE VOLUME 371 64 0-128
DOPPLER HORN 379 128 0-128
SLOW SARCO VALVE VOLUME 387 64 0-128
SARCO VALVE AT SHUTDOWN VOLUME 395 64 0-128
DOOR OPENING/CLOSING VOLUME 435 128 0-128
BRAKE SQUEAL VOLUME 459 45 0-128
FACTORY RESET
On your F40PH, you 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. You did keep notes like we suggested
earlier, didn’t you?
You can NOT lose all of the pre-recorded sounds on your F40PH decoder by doing
a factory reset. If you manage to lose all of the sounds on your F40PH then you have
probably set fire to your decoder with a voltage spike on a cheap DC train set controller.
Open up your F40PH and pour out the ashes. It’s a display model now.

17
AWESOME SLOW SPEED THINGY
There is an awesome trick that you can use to get even better slow speed running and
smoother operation. It’s called the Automatic Motor Tuning Feature. This feature will
automatically adjust the Back-EMF in most cases and give you phenomenal slow-speed
performance.
In order to use this automatic adjustment you need to use Ops mode programming, i.e.
programming on the main. Make sure your locomotive is in “forward” and that you have
lots of room in front of it on your mainline. Set CV 54 to a value of 0. Then get out of
programming mode and turn on the bell (press F1). We’ll say this again: Make sure you
have plenty of room in front of your locomotive and it is not headed for the layout edge
and the basement floor!!!
Your F40PH will quickly take off at full speed and then screech to a stop while the
decoder reads the motor responses. You’ll have fabulous motor control after you do this.
If you ever have to reset your locomotive, you can do the automatic adjustment again – it
just takes a few seconds.
If you had less room than you thought and your F40PH is now in 83 pieces on the floor,
have fun putting it back together. Also have fun with the insurance claims from the crew
you installed too. And if you didn’t install a crew, well then you’ve still got 83 pieces on
the floor. Good luck!
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 Select decoder
manual. This is available on the F40PH page in the Support section of our web site.
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY
We will do our best to solve any problems or issues that you may have with your
Modernized F40PH 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. If you purchased this locomotive or first opened it after that time, it is
possible that we no longer have any replacements and that a repair is the only option.
Please give us a call or write us an e-mail, and we will see what we can do to help.
There are a number of things that this warranty can not cover. If your F40PH arrives
with a couple of loose grab irons or underbody bits, there is a very good chance that

18
you can effect 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, such as Weldbond, 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 e-mail and we’ll send you some
replacements.
Of course, damage caused by trying to jump your locomotive over a washed out bridge,
running your locomotive through baking soda “snow” for a photo shoot to impress your
Facebook friends, posing it for a photo on the nose of a real F40PH locomotive moving
at more than 10MPH, setting the throttle to maximum while trying to pull a 40-car Empire
Builder up a 3% grade because you wanted to see “how much it can pull,” connecting a
live 480V HEP cable to your model, 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!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A lot of people have been a huge help in making our Amtrak Modernized F40PH a
success. Yes we know, we started saying “modernized” again. But we want these fine
people to know they helped on yet another F40PH product made by Rapido. Thanks
goes to Marshall W. Beecher, Deane Ellsworth, William Hakkarinen, Matt Herman, Bob
Hundman, Clifford Kendall, Tom Murray, Blair Slaughter, Joe St. John, Chuck Yungkurth
and Bob Zenk for their contributions to the Modernized F40PH project.
Special thanks also goes out to Matt Donnelly, Alex Stroshane and T.J. Van Haag for once
again providing insight, photographs, drawings, sounds and pretty much everything
needed to make this locomotive actually look like an Amtrak locomotive.
If you like your Modernized F40PH (or any Rapido product for that matter), please
tell your friends about Rapido and encourage them to sign up for our newsletter. Most
people tend to hear about our models after they’ve missed the pre-order deadline and
then get upset because they’ve got to scour the world 5x over to find one available.
Every year we try to bring a new revolutionary model (or three) to the American market,
and we still get the “wow” factor even from our existing customers.