Rapido Trains F40PH-2D User manual

FRANÇAIS AU VERSO

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F40PH-2D LOCOMOTIVE PRODUCT GUIDELINES
Thank you for purchasing this model of VIA Rail Canada’s unique F40PH-2D locomotive.
The F40PH-2D has been VIA’s workhorse since 1986 and with the completion of the
recent rebuild program it looks like it will continue to play that role for another genera-
tion. Please read the manual carefully as this model works differently than EVERYTHING
ELSE YOU OWN.
We’ve put a tonne of love and care into the design, production and packaging of your
F40PH-2D. That’s a metric tonne of course. That being said, there is always the possibil-
ity that you’ve found something wrong with your locomotive. Maybe a grab iron has
come loose in transit; maybe there are too many squashed bugs on the windshield; or
maybe you just want to ask us why we haven’t included a free RDC-4 with your model.
Whatever it is, please don’t hesitate to get in touch! More warranty information is avail-
able towards the back of this manual.
You can reach us by email: [email protected], by phone (1-855-LRC-6917 or
[phone]) or by snail mail at the address below.
Please do not send any models back to us for repair without first speaking to us to get au-
thorization. If it’s the year 2047 and you’ve just bought this locomotive “new” because
the guy who originally bought it for his “future” layout died of old age with no layout
and a basement full of unopened locomotive boxes, there is a very good chance that we
have moved and/or some of us are dead like that guy. Please contact us to make sure
we still exist and can help you BEFORE sending any models back.
CONTACT US!
Rapido Trains Inc.
500 Alden Road, Unit 16
Markham, Ontario
L3R 5H5 Canada
Tel. [phone] - Toll Free 1-855-LRC-6917
Fax. [phone]
Email. [email protected]

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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-2D 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-2D locomotive operates
with this model. This means:
1. To operate your F40PH-2D locomotive with a modern passenger train (such as
LRC, HEP-1, HEP-2 or Amtrak passenger cars) 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.
2. If you don’t press F4 or F5, your F40PH-2D locomotive will operate like a freight
engine and will not provide power to your passenger cars.
3. The rear (backup) light will only go on when you are switching cars. It won’t go
on when you are backing up.
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. 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 Protoypical Operation – DCC section below.
If you are using DCC and you really don’t like operating your F40PH-2D prototypically,
you can turn off all of these features. Please turn to page 11 for step-by-step instructions
on how to do this.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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
• HEP Mode: Idle, Standby and Run ...........................................................9
• HEP Mode: Model Operation .................................................................9
• HEP Mode: Consisting .........................................................................10
• HEP Mode: How to Turn Off this Annoying Feature ..................................11
• Locomotive Address .............................................................................11
• Turn On the Sound ...............................................................................11
• Functions ............................................................................................12
• Functions: More Information ..................................................................12
• Horns .................................................................................................15
• Sound Volume Settings .........................................................................15
• Sound Volume Settings Chart ................................................................16
• Factory Reset ......................................................................................16
• Awesome Slow Speed Thingy ...............................................................17
• More Information ................................................................................17
Limited Lifetime Warranty .................................................................................17
Acknowledgements .........................................................................................18
F40PH-2D 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 DYNAMIC BRAKE
F10 FRONT CLASSIFICATION LIGHTS (MARKERS)
F11 BRAKE
F12 HOSTLER (SWITCHING) LIGHTING

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BREAK-IN
No, we don’t mean you should reach into your wife’s piggy bank so you can buy more
F40PH-2D locomotives. Use the money from your paper route.
Every locomotive needs a break-in period. Your F40PH-2D has been tested at the fac-
tory... for about 30 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-2D on a test loop and just let it run in each direction for an
hour or two. Fast and slow.
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. Should any of the wheelsets be out of gauge, than 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-2D 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 your-
self 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

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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 there are big gaping holes where grab irons obviously fell out and no such grab irons
in the box, then please give us a shout as that should not be the case! More information
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-2D (to install a crew, install a decoder, etc.) it is actu-
ally 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 starship’s transporters will
automatically lock on to the little part and beam it directly into the heart of the sun.
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’s been fiddling with our transporters
and we haven’t been able to fix them. Sorry.
• 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.
• No, really.
OPERATION – DC (SILENT)
Put the F40PH-2D on the track. Make it go. That’s it.
In DC operation, the only lights that work are the headlights and ditch lights (when go-
ing 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-2D as it may not
be safe (for your engine and/or your wallet) for you to use your controller.

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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-2D can
handle.
If you use a train set throttle or a throttle designed for large scale trains, your locomo-
tive’s circuitry may end up looking like those “your brain on drugs” commercials. 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 labour involved. That’s because you didn’t read this bit
of the manual.
INSTALLING A DECODER
The F40PH-2D 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
(recommended) or a 21-pin adapter to attach an 8-pin or a 9-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-2D 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-2D page in the Support section of our web site. You will need an ESU Lok-
Programmer 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 brass or kitbashed F40PH-2D locomotives and you would like them to oper-
ate the same way as our models, you can install ESU decoder #91423. This is ESU’s
F40PH decoder with Rapido’s custom F40PH-2D function mapping already installed.
OPERATION – DC (SOUND)
To operate your sound-equipped F40PH-2D 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

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set or large scale throttles. With DC layouts, you have very little control over the sounds
of your model.
As in silent locomotives, the only lights that work in DC 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. 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-2D, for
good or for ill. As always, we’ll try to help you fix your F40PH-2D if one of these doo-
dads scrambles your locomotive’s circuitry, but we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to.
If you like running sound-equipped locomotives and advance lighting features, you might
want to think about upgrading to DCC. It’s not even the way of the future any more, as
it’s about 30 years old. As much as Jason likes his rotary phone, he accepts that when
he has to “press one” for something, he’s up the creek. The same applies to DC throttles
and sound-equipped engines. You just can’t do most of the stuff.
If you want a taste of what you are missing, please read on…
PROTOTYPICAL OPERATION – DCC (SOUND)
We’re taking a bold, new step in North American model locomotive operation with our
LRC and F40PH-2D locomotive models. This is sure to 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, turn to HEP Mode: How To Turn Off This An-
noying Feature on page 11 and follow the instructions.
Here’s a quick overview that explains how the real F40PH-2D locomotive works, and
then we’ll explain how it affects the model’s operation.
HEAD END POWER IS THE KEY
The F40PH-2D is a 3000 HP locomotive designed for hauling passenger equipment. Be-
cause 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
“hep” and not “aitch ee pee.” If anyone calls it “aitch ee pee” you have our permission
to point and laugh.) The 480-volt HEP allows for the heating, lighting and air condition-
ing of the train; it is generated by an alternator connected to the prime mover (diesel

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engine) via a 2:1 ratio gearbox.
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-2D labour 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 cur-
rent 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-2D is the Head End Power Mode Switch. The three posi-
tions 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-2D 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 di-
rectly 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 or you are pulling
steam-heated passenger cars (such as VIA’s blue and yellow cars), then you will want to
keep the Head End Power Mode Switch at Idle.
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-2D 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 termi-
nus 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.

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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-2D model is on the track, press
F8 to turn on the sounds and put your locomotive into Idle.
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 AD-
VANCE THE THROTTLE.
When your F40PH-2D is in Standby, 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.
In VIA practice, when two F40PH-2D locomotives are operating in a consist, both are
providing HEP so both should be operated in Run. This applies whether the locomotives
are running elephant style or back to back, and it applies when both locomotives are at
one end of the train or “top-and-tailing” the train. Note that “top and tail” or push-pull
operation can only be used with LRC or HEP2 passenger cars (and certain HEP1 bag-
gage cars, 8618--8623). Other VIA passenger cars do not have the necessary pass-
through multiple unit cables to allow push-pull operation.
When more than two locomotives are in a consist, only the last two are providing HEP.
The lead locomotive(s) can be operated in Idle.
On J-Trains – two trains coupled nose to tail and operated as one – both units are pow-
ered, in Run, and providing HEP.

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If you are running your F40PH-2D with an F9B or other non-HEP unit you don’t have to
worry about F4 and F5 as the HEP is not needed. Just operate your locomotive 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-2D
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, CV413=128, CV415=16
This puts your F40PH-2D 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.
But if you want to run your locomotive in a non-HEP environment, such as in freight ser-
vice or pulling conventional passenger cars, you can’t. Your F40PH-2D will always be
screaming at notch 8.
LOCOMOTIVE ADDRESS
Your Rapido F40PH-2D 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 please keep in mind that some DCC systems do not have sufficient power to pro-
gram sound-equipped locomotives on the mainline. If you have an old DCC system made
by a manufacturer whose name starts with D and ends with X which was purchased in
the early Victorian era, this locomotive won’t work at all – and neither will a bunch of
other locomotive models produced since the turn of the 20th century. Go upgrade your
system to a newer version from that manufacturer.
TURN ON THE SOUND
Press F8 and you will hear the F40PH-2D startup sequence followed by the sound of
it idling. You can adjust CVs to prevent the locomotive from running until the startup
sequence has played out. Jason is really impatient so he turned this feature off. Refer to
a full ESU LokSound Select decoder manual for more information. You can download it

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from our web site. It’s called the “Prime Mover Startup Delay” and at the time of writing
it was on page 35.
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 F40PH-2D 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 his or her
controller, the F40PH-2D will promptly shut down. He or she will need to press F8 again.
Ah, bless... We’re being gender neutral by saying “he or she” when 99.999% of model
railroaders are male. We hope that all three women who have bought this model ap-
preciate that.
FUNCTIONS
F0 Headlights
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 Dynamic Brake
F10 Red Classification Lights
F11 Brake
F12 Hostler (Switching) Lighting
F16 Sarco Valve (Spitter) – Slow
F17 Sarco Valve (Spitter) – Fast
F18 Brake Set/Release
F19 Air Release
F20 Sarco After Shutdown
FUNCTIONS: MORE INFORMATION
F1 Bell
Your F40PH-2D is programmed with an accurate VIA E-Bell. VIA’s F40PH-2D fleet was
retrofitted with E-Bells in 1998. To replace the E-Bell with an air bell, use a programming
track (or LokProgrammer) and input the following (in order):
CV48=64, CV31=16, CV32=1, CV331= 0, CV31=16, CV32=2, CV290=0

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F2 Horn (and Bell)
Most model railroaders don’t know that according to the Canadian Rail Operating Rules
(CROR) Rule 13, the bell must be rung when approaching a level crossing, unless Rule
14L applies. To make things easier, on most real locomotives delivered in the 1980s
and later (including the F40PH-2D), every time you press the horn button the bell starts
ringing. The bell only turns off when you turn it off manually.
By default, your F40PH-2D model bell is set to start ringing when the horn is pressed. It
will keep ringing for five seconds and then turn off. We would have preferred to have
you turn off the bell manually, but the way a DCC system works precludes that. So the
four-second timer is the best we can do.
If you want to turn off the (100% prototypical) feature of the bell and horn operating
together, you can change CV 331 to a value of 0.
VERY IMPORTANT: Before you change CV 331, please make sure that CV 32 is set
to 1. CV 32 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.
Incidentally, you’ll also want to ring the bell when you are passing a stationary train, a
station, and a whole bunch of other places. It’s worth downloading a copy of the Cana-
dian Rail Operating Rules.
F3 Doppler Horn
You can play this when approaching level crossings, but it doesn’t come with the bell (as
you can barely hear the bell when the F40PH-2D is passing at 90 MPH).
F4 and F5 – Standby and Run
See Prototypical Operation – DCC (Sound) above.
F6 Ditch Lights
The ditch lights should be turned on whenever the F40PH-2D is pulling a train – they are
not just for use in the mountains like in the old days. However, remember to turn off the
ditch lights when approaching a station or an oncoming train as they are BLINDING.
The ditch lights do not flash as that is not a Canadian requirement.
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 oncom-
ing train’s engineers.

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F10 Red Classification Lights (Markers)
The F40PH-2D is regularly used in push-pull service. The rear locomotive should have the
red markers turned on. We did not include working white or green classification lights
as this would have caused the cost to skyrocket for lights that are rarely used. There isn’t
a lot of room up there!
F11 Brake
F11 works just like the brakes on a real engine. Press F11 and you put on the brakes.
Turn off F11 and the brakes come off so you start moving again.
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 run-
ning 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.
F16 and F17 Sarco Valve (Spitter)
These functions turn on or off the Sarco Valve. On the real F40PH-2D, 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 en-
gines, 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.
If you press F16, the Sarco Valve will be heard intermittently. If you press F17, it will be
heard less intermittently. Make sure you turn off F16 first.
If you have a silent F40PH-2D and you want to recreate the Sarco Valve effect, please
aim away from the models. Your F40PH-2D warranty does not include malfunction due
to saliva.
F18 Brake Set/Release
This function turns off the brake release and brake set sounds when you start or stop mov-
ing, respectively. It has no effect on the function of the engine — it just affects the sounds.
F19 Air Release
This makes an air release sound. Ahhhhh....
F20 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, make sure F20 is
pressed.

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HORNS
There are numerous extra horn recordings included with your F40PH-2D, and you can
change them around by changing the value of CV 48. Though why you’d want to
change the horn from the GORGEOUS one that we recorded and is included from the
factory is beyond us.
Change C48 to:
0 - Nathan K3L (Default Horn)
1 - A Different Nathan K3L
2 - Another Different Nathan K3L (You can’t say we didn’t give you options!)
3 - Nathan K5LA (For all you Amtrak and VIA P42DC Fans!)
4 - Nathan P5A (Very Early Amtrak Horn – for Matt, for reasons we cannot fathom)
5 - Nathan K3L (Default Horn)
6 - Nathan K3L (Default Horn)
7 - Nathan K3L (Default Horn)
...83 - Nathan K3L (Default Horn)
(You get the idea.)
Note that you can only change the horn on a programming track or using a LokProgram-
mer.
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.
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.

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VERY IMPORTANT: Before you change any of the volume control CVs,
please make sure that CV 32 is set to 1. CV 32 is used as an index selec-
tion 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 loco-
motive against the wall in frustration.
F40PH-2D SOUND VOLUME SETTINGS
FUNCTION CV DEFAULT RANGE YOUR VALUE
MASTER VOLUME 63 50 0-192
DIESEL VOLUME 259 80 0-128
HORN VOLUME 275 128 0-128
BELL (F1 only) VOLUME 283 128 0-128
COUPLER SOUND VOLUME 291 128 0-128
DYNAMIC BRAKE FAN 299 100 0-128
AUTO E-BELL (with Horn) 331 128 0-128
DOPPLER HORN 339 128 0-128
BRAKE SET/RELEASE 347 40 0-128
SHORT AIR LET OFF VOLUME 363 128 0-128
FAST SARCO VALVE VOLUME 371 64 0-128
SLOW SARCO VALVE VOLUME 387 64 0-128
SARCO VALVE AT SHUTDOWN VOLUME 395 64 0-128
EXTRA SOUND #1 403 128 0-128
EXTRA SOUND #2 411 128 0-128
RANDOM SOUND VOLUME 451 64 0-128
BRAKE SQUEAL VOLUME 459 128 0-128
FACTORY RESET
On your F40PH-2D, 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-2D decoder by doing
a factory reset. This is a myth about ESU decoders that was related to function mapping
settings using an early version of JMRI. Even then the sounds were still there; they were
just not mapped to the proper function buttons. ESU has changed their software so that
this cannot happen again. If you manage to lose all of the sounds on your F40PH-2D
then you have probably set fire to your decoder with a voltage spike. Open up your
F40PH-2D and pour out the ashes.

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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-2D will quickly take off at full speed and gradually slow down 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 adjust-
ment again – it just takes a few seconds.
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-2D 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
F40PH-2D 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 email, and we will see what we can do to help you out.
There are a number of things that this warranty can not cover. If your F40PH-2D arrives
with a couple of loose grab irons or underbody bits, there is a very good chance that
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 email and we’ll send you some
replacements.

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Of course, damage caused by trips to the basement floor, running your locomotive
around 18” radius curves at ridiculously high speeds, throwing it to your friend across
the room, picking it up with wet paint on your hands, 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
A lot of people have been instrumental in ensuring this F40PH-2D is both gorgeous and
accurate. Special thanks to Jon Calon, Andrew Castle, Pierre Couture, Dan Darnell, Dan
Dell’Unto, Matt Donnelly, Chris Fox, Tim Hayman, Matt Herman, Kevin Holland, Manny
Jacob, Mark Kaluza,Bill McDonnell, Zeke Medeiros, Dave Minshall, Jakob Mueller,
Rocky Panacci, Francine Robidoux, John Scalena, Brian Schuff, Matt Soknacki, Alex
Stroshane, David Vincent and Ted Wakeford. As always, we could not do this without
the amazing assistance of Richard Longpré. He is our expert on everything VIA and
CN (except the GMD-1, which he hates) and does all of our translations into French im-
mediately and at the last minute because Jason doesn’t give him any advance warning.
Packaging cover photo by Manny Jacob.
Instructions cover photo by Commander William T. Riker.
NOTES
Write your DCC programming notes here, or draw a pretty picture.