railking - MTH Electric Trains
Contents
1. Simply turn the transformer throttle OFF and then ON again to lock in the new setting To reset ProtoSounds to its original factory setting of Squeaking Brakes and FYS on repeat the above procedure but keep pressing the whistle button in Feature 28 until ProtoSounds only dings once instead of twice ACTIVATING REMOTE LOCK OUT CONTROL ProtoSound equipped engines feature a RESET setting that allows the operator to remotely lock the engine into forward neutral or reverse This is especially useful on layouts that feature blocked track sections The lockout feature comes from the factory in the OFF position meaning it is not active when you first take the engine out of the box This is done to prevent novice operators from accidentally locking their engine into forward neutral or reverse and then mistakenly thinking that the engine s electronics have failed To activate the Remote Lockout Control setting go to RESET Feature 40 See the section entitled Using RESET To Program Move The Throttle Push The Whistle Button ProtoSounds on page Hian Voltage Te Loi a 100 E eine 17 Once in Feature 40 _ o press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSounds to sound a bell ding Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds sounds two bell dings signifying that the Remote Lockout Control has been selected To lock in the setting simply turn the throttle all the way off and then back on agai2. programmed for a bell ee Interrupt The Throttle P o Lock In button Simply turn the GU Gn SRA The Bell Button Setting throttle off and then on again to Lock In the new setting To reset the computer to its original factory default setting no separate bell button operation repeat the above procedure but keep pushing the whistle button until the computer only responds with one bell ding PROGRAMMING FOR SQUEAKING BRAKE OPERATION ProtoSounds can be programmed for squeaking brake operation in three different manners 1 Squeaking brakes can be activated by bell button control 2 they can be programmed for continuous operation subject to throttle changes or 3 they can be programmed to be turned off The default setting is 2 Squeaking brakes are activated for full time operation as described on page 8 To change the default setting enter RESET and go to 19 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual Feature 45 See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on page 17 Once in Feature 45 press the whistle button and wait for the module to sound a bell ding s Continue pressing the whistle button until the module plays back one ding for option 1 Squeaking brakes are activated by the bell button Press the whistle button again until the module plays back two dings for option 2 squeaking brakes are activated for full time operation or press the whistle button again In RESET Mode Move The Throttle Push The Whistl
3. Each sequence is described in more detail in the following sections ACTIVATING FREIGHT YARD SOUNDS Your ProtoSounds equipped engine features an operator controlled freight yard sound set Once activated this easy to use feature plays the sound of freight yard activities whenever the operator places the engine in the neutral position ARMING THE FREIGHT YARD FEATURE Before the freight yard sounds can be heard ProtoSounds must activate the feature so that the next time the engine enters the neutral position the sounds can play The feature can be activated one of two ways Option 1 If you are using a separate bell button controller to ring your bell like the Lionel Railsounds No 5906 bell activation button you can activate the feature by pressing and holding the bell button for three seconds or longer it doesn t matter if you are in forward neutral or reverse You will hear the bell chiming turn on and if F lEngmainNeutfal sand Tha Bell Sound you listen carefully you ping DI psshin should hear an air j N release sound after three seconds have passed at al Listen For The r Air Rel S d which time you can ee After 3 seconds RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual release the bell button Note because the air release sound is hard to hear we recommend that you count out a full three seconds before releasing the bell button The bell will continue to chime so f you want to turn off the bell ringing
4. Operating Manual REVERSE UNIT LOCK OUT OPERATION ProtoSounds unique design eliminates the need for a lock out switch on the locomotive by allowing the customer to lock the engine into any directional state forward neutral or reverse from the transformer This will allow users to run the engine on layouts equipped with block s gnals or stop stations which would normally cycle the engine back into neutral The feature must be first turned on by accessing RESET Feature 40 See section entitled Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on page 17 LOCKING THE ENGINE INTO FORWARD OR REVERSE To lock the engine into Forward or Reverse use the transformer throttle to enter Forward or Reverse whichever state you want to lock the engine into and while the engine is moving press the whistle button WHILE THE HORN IS BLOWING TURN THE THROTTLE OFF AND THEN LET GO OF THE WHISTLE BUTTON After about one second you will hear a short horn blast QUICKLY TURN THE THROTTLE BACK ON AGAIN Your engine is now locked into Forward or Reverse and it will remain so until you unlock the engine even if you wait a year to run your engine again UNLOCKING THE ENGINE Unlocking the engine is a similar procedure WHILE THE ENGINE IS MOVING PRESS THE WHISTLE BUTTON WHILE THE HORN IS BLOWING TURN THE THROTTLE OFF AND THEN LET GO OF THE WHISTLE BUTTON After three seconds without power you will hear one chime of the RESET bell TURN ON THE POWER AGAIN Your engin
5. can best be described as aCHA CHUSHHH sound The coupler doesn t t have to be fired in NEUTRAL Once the coupler is armed it can be fired in Forward Neutral or Reverse However you may find that the coupler doesn t t open when firing the coupler at high speeds Reduce the voltage setting on your transformer if this occurs and run your engine at a slower speed before firing the coupler If the coupler continues to open erratically try Figure 3 Lubricating The ProtoCouplers lubricating the knuckle with light oil as indicated in Fig 3 For multiple heading purposes only one of the two ProtoCouplers will function at any one time Use the coupler direction switch as shown in Fig 5 on page 16 to select either the front or rear coupler Simply slide the switch toward the direction of the coupler you want to make active SQUEAKING BRAKE SOUNDS ProtoSound equipped engines feature the ability to play the sound of squeaking brakes whenever your engine slows in speed There are two settings for activating the squeaking brake sounds The default setting allows the brake sounds to play while the engine is in forward or reverse and the transformer throttle is lowered from a high setting to a low setting 14 volts to 8 volts or less The second setting requires that a bell button be used to arm the brake feature and is explained in more detail in the Activating Freight Yard Sounds section found later in this manual The
6. can cause both poor electrical contact as well as poor traction especially on elevated track sections Finally dirt and oil build up can prematurely wear out the neoprene traction tires TRACTION TIRE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS Your locomotive is equipped with two neoprene rubber traction tires on each power truck While these tires are extremely durable and long lasting there may arise a time where they will need to be replaced Should this occur you will need to remove the trucks and truck sides on the truck block from the chassis n order to slip the new tire over the grooved drive wheel We suggest you follow the disassembly instructions found in the Lubrication section on the preceding pages to dissemble the chassis and truck blocks from the body Before the new tire can be installed you must make sure the old tire has been completely removed from the groove in the drive wheel Use a razor blade or small flatblade screwdriver pry away any remains left from the old tire that may still be in the drive wheel groove Once the old tire has been completely removed slip the new tire onto the wheel You may find it useful to use two small flatblade screwdrivers to assist you in stretching the tire over the wheel Be careful to avoid twisting the tire when stretching it 28 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual over the wheel Ifa twist occurs the tire will have to be removed and reinstalled or a noticeable wobble in your engine will occur when op
7. even after the engine stops The brake feature sound record lasts for three seconds With practice you can control how quickly you should stop the engine to keep it in sequence with the sound of the brake s squeaking The brake feature was activated in neutral after the engine was running in forward but the brake sounds would not play when triggered after the engine went back into forward or reverse The brake feature will only remain enabled if it is triggered in the first direction state you enter after activating the feature in neutral You cannot interrupt the power twice to enter another direction state and still have the brake feature active Therefore in order to make the brake sound feature operate in forward you must first activate the feature in the neutral position that occurs after the engine was in the reverse state After triggering the brake sound and stopping the engine in neutral the engine begins making passenger station sound effects After you trigger the brake sounds you cannot stop the engine in neutral and leave the track power on without activating the passenger station sounds If you don t want to hear the passenger station sounds after entering neutral turn the power off for three seconds to disable the passenger station sound effects 32 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual FYS PROBLEMS REMEDY The FYS feature does not begin even after stopping the engine and h
8. letter including your name address daytime phone number Return Authorization number and a full description of the problem must be included to facilitate the repairs Please include the description regardless of whether you discussed the problem with one of our service technicians when contacting MTH for your Return Authorization number 3 Please make sure you have followed the instructions carefully before returning any merchandise for service LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY This item is warranted for one year from the date of purchase against defects in material or workmanship We will repair or replace at our option the defective part without charge for parts or labor if the item is returned to the address below within one year of the original date of purchase This warranty does not cover items that have been abused or damaged by careless handling Transportation costs incurred by the customer are not covered under this warranty This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you may have other rights which vary from state to state ProtoSounds is a trademark of MTH Electric Trains DCRU is a registered copyright of QS Industries Inc Lionel and Railsound are registered trademarks of Lionel L L C 38 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual
9. sound itself is a stored record on the ProtoSounds software chip and will always play the same brake sound for the same three second length each Listen For The Throttle Down From Squeaking Brake Sounds High Voltage To Low gqueee 7 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual time the voltage is reduced from high to low Some practice may be required to synchronize the playing of the brake sounds with the movement of the engine It is not uncommon for the engine to stop before the brake sound is completed Operators will find that by coordinating the movement of the throttle setting from 8 volts to off will allow the engine to maintain its movement while the brake sounds play Note The brake sounds will not be heard if the transformer throttle is not set above 14 volts and or not reduced below 8 volts TIPS ON USING THE SQUEAKING BRAKE FEATURE Because the squeaking brake feature always plays for approximately 3 seconds it is possible that the brake sounds will play longer or shorter than what visually seems prototypical You will find that by practicing with the brake feature you can quickly determine how quickly to throttle down and what speeds and voltage settings give you the most prototypical braking effect Typical users will find the feature to be a very realistic way to simulate the sound of an engine slowing down for curves crossings or coming to a stop at a station side track or switch yard As mentioned above you will find tha
10. when the engine is in neutral See page 17 for information on horn programming in the Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds section of this manual BELL OPERATION Your RailKing Dash 8 ProtoSound equipped engine is equipped with a digital recording of an actual diesel bell Unlike previous versions of ProtoSounds the bell can be turned on or off with any separate bell button like the Lionel Railsounds No 5906 Bell Button by simply 5 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual pushing the button If you don t have a separate bell button the bell can be controlled through your transformer s whistle button whenever the engine is in NEUTRAL The bell will never ring continuously in RESET Remember NEUTRAL is the state between Forward and Reverse Once the bell is turned on it will continue to ring when the engine is cycled into forward or reverse until you press the bell button or re enter NEUTRAL and turn the bell off with the whistle button In fact because of ProtoSounds state of the art design the microprocessor remembers its last command Therefore unless you turn the bell off before you quit running your train the next time you run the engine the bell will come on No matter whether you come back an hour later or a year later the bell will begin chiming once the engine enters one of the three directional states To turn the bell on using the transformer s whistle button turn on power to the track and cycle the engine int
11. Columbia MD 21046 410 381 2580 for additional assistance The horn seems distorted at low voltages HORN PROBLEMS REMEDY Your battery may be undercharged or dead Try recharging the battery as explained in the battery sections When press the whistle button the bell comes on instead You are trying to operate the horn in neutral The horn will only operate in Forward or Reverse unless you program ProtoSounds through Feature 25 See the instructions in the section entitled Using RESET to Program ProtoSounds can t get the horn to blow when press the whistle button When press the whistle button to activate the bell the horn sounds You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly Most older AC transformers contain a two step whistle button that releases a DC signal onto the track It is this DC signal that tells the horn to blow However because the signal is weaker when the whistle button is depressed fully the ProtoSound circuit may not recognize the signal Try pressing the whistle button slower taking approximately 1 second to fully depress the button BELL PROBLEMS REMEDY You are trying to ring the bell in Forward or Reverse The bell only operates in Neutral unless you have programmed ProtoSounds to recognize a separate bell button When press the whistle button to activate the bell arm the coupler Reduce the voltage on the transformer before pressing the whis
12. ProtoSound module Ifthe second engine isn t equipped with FYS the only thing to remember is that you not turn up the transformer throttle very high when entering the Reverse phase found in Event 3 Ifthe throttle is set too high then the second locomotive will begin vibrating on the track as its motors will be turning in the reverse state since they cannot be disabled automatically like FYS equipped engines If your second engine is equipped with FYS you may want to disable it when used in double headed operations To disable FYS see the section on programming RESET functions on page 28 of this manual Tip 5 It is not necessary for the squeaking brake sounds to be heard to play the FYS sounds for example the brake sounds won t be heard if the high voltage setting is below 13 volts when the power is interrupted to enter the Neutral state Tip 6 You can leave any of the event states at any time after entering the state by simply interrupting the transformer throttle Any sound effects programmed to play in that event will simply not occur The only exception is Event 2 and Event 5 In Event 2 interrupting the throttle has no effect on FYS until after the arrival Cab Chatter message has completed and the freight car doors have opened In Event 5 you cannot interrupt FYS until after the engine begins to move Interrupting the throttle before the engine begins to move has no affect on the locomotive s operation 14 RailKing Dash 8 O
13. RAIL KING By MT H Electric f rains RAILKING DASH 8 DIESEL ENGINE OPERATING INSTRUTIONS Thank you for purchasing the RailKing production of General Electric s Dash 8 diesel engine The engine s durable ABS body and die cast trucks are traditionally sized for operation on any O 27 Gauge track The engine should operate for years with any compatible AC transformer see the chart on page 35 for a list of compatible transformers and is completely compatible with most 3 rail locomotives rolling stock and accessories The locomotive is equipped with either an electronic horn or the ProtoSound Digital Sound and train control system which contains several deluxe features that are simple and fun to operate Each feature is described among the following pages which should be read before the engine is operated For those of you who can t wait to get started the Quick Start Basic Operating Instructions found on Pages 3 and 4 should be read so that you understand the basics of the operating system Please note that some features are only found in the ProtoSound models and are marked as such Features not marked as ProtoSound features are available in all models Table Of Contents QUICK START BASIC OPERATION PROTOSOUNDS OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS ProtoSound DCRU Reverse Unit Operation All 3 Rail Models Horn Operation Bell Operation ProtoCoupler Operation Squeaking Brake Sounds Tips On Using Squeaking Brakes Freight Yard
14. Sounds FYS Tips On Using The Freight Yard Sounds Self Recharging Battery Backup System Replacing The Battery ProtoSound Volume Adjustment USING RESET TO PROGRAM PROTOSOUNDS Entering RESET Options Setting The Engine Volume Programming For A Separate Bell Button Controller Programming For Squeaking Brake Operation Programming For Horn In Neutral Operation Programming For Cab Chatter Sounds Programming For ProtoCoupler Operation Programming For FYS Operation Activating Reverse Unit Lock Out Control Resetting All ProtoSound Options To Factory Defaults Reverse Unit Lockout Control Functions Locking The Engine Into Forward or Reverse Unlocking The Engine Locking The Engine Into Neutral OIL amp LUBRICATION INSTRUCTIONS TRACTION TIRE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS LIGHT BULB REMOVAL amp REPLACEMENT TROUBLE SHOOTING PROTOSOUND PROBLEMS ProtoSound RESET Feature Chart Transformer Wiring Chart O 27 OPERATION SERVICE AND WARRANTY INFORMATION HOW TO GET SERVICE LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY 2 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual OTA anu Bw QUICK START BASIC OPERATION The RailKing Dash 8 contains state of the art electronics with several built in automatic features for incredibly realistic operation Despite these advanced features the Dash 8 is easy to operate with any compatible standard AC transformer see the compatibility chart on page 35 All models are controlled by a ProtoSound DCRU electronic reverse unit The rever
15. Yard B alternating each pssni time FYS is enabled during the current operating session If the engine is turned off for more than three seconds ProtoSounds will automatically return to the Yard A message the next time FYS is enabled Immediately following the arrival message the sound of freight car doors can be heard opening followed by the sounds for forklift engines At this point various freight yard sounds can be heard including forklift operation engine sounds reverse warning horn beeps and additional freight car door sounds Event 3 Reverse The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle again to enter the next reverse unit phase reverse In an effort to enhance realism FYS has disabled the reverse phase so that it doesn t power the motors causing the engine to move backward Upon entering reverse FYS confirms to the operator that it has entered the reverse phase by immediately playing i Interrupt Throttle To Listen For Engine a highlight sound best described as a ns Rumbling Sound rumbling sound You may have to go CQ nt through the entire FYS sequence several times before you can clearly dentify this sound After the rumbling highlight is played the freight yard sounds heard in Event 2 continue to play randomly Event 4 Neutral Before Forward The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle again to enter the next reverse unit phase neutral before forward FYS confirms to the oper
16. ator that it has entered the neutral before forward ee N Interrupt Throttle To phase by emitting two quick air release Enter The Next Phase eo pssnhe sounds This is followed by a Cab Chatter lt message that the engine in Yard A or B 2 whichever yard designation was played in Event 2 is preparing to depart the yard Upon completion of the cab chatter Listen For 2 Air Release Sounds 12 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual message the freight yard sounds change as the forklift sounds turn off and the freight car doors begin shutting Event 5 Forward The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle again to enter the next reverse unit phase Forward FYS confirms to the operator that t has entered the Forward phase by playing the sound of the freight car door closing Within 2 seconds of the door interrupt Throttle To Enter The Next Phase unnik C closing the locomotive bell begins chiming the diesel engine sounds come on and the air compressor pumps start After approximately 7 chimes of the bell the engine begins moving in the forward phase with the bell continuing to ring another 7 chimes before automatically turning off Once the bell turns off the operator regains control of the transformer whistle and bell buttons and can ring the bell or blow the horn as usual Note When entering the Forward phase of FYS it is important to set the transformer throttle at a high enough setting that will all
17. can be manually locked into Forward Netural or Reverse by sliding the lockout switch to the OFF position after entering the desired reverse unit state See Figure 1 on page 3 To operate the engine again in automatic mode simply slide the switch back to the ON position Note Once the unit is locked out and an hour or more of non use has passed the reverse unit may cycle into any of the three directional states Should this occur the ON OFF switch should be reset to the ON position to regain normal operation 26 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual OIL amp LUBRICATION INSTRUCTIONS In order for the engine to perform correctly and quietly t is important that the chassis be lubricated before operation Lubrication should include all truck block bushings and pickup rollers to prevent them from squeaking Lubricate L Pickup Rollers Grease G j Wheel Gears ee Figure 6 Lubricating The Locomotive Chassis Use light household oil and follow the lubrication points marked L in Fig 6 above The locomotive s internal gearing in both power trucks has been greased at the factory and shouldn t t need additional grease until after 50 hours of operation or one year whichever comes first Grease cannot be added to the internal gearing until the body is removed from the chassis which is held in place by four Phillips screws The screws are located on each end of the chassis as seen in Fig 7 below After removing the sc
18. ckwise will lower the volume of all sounds bell horn engine sounds Cab Chatter etc ProtoSounds Volume Control Figure 4 Adjusting The ProtoSound Volume and selecting the ProtoCoupler ProtoCoupler Selection Switch 16 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual USING RESET TO PROGRAM PROTOSOUNDS As mentioned earlier there are several programmable options in each ProtoSound equipped engine that can be remotely set from any compatible standard AC transformer equipped with a whistle button For a list of compatible transformers see the chart on page 35 This hands off approach gives you unprecedented control of your railroad empire s motive power never before seen in model railroading Each programmable feature can be accessed whenever your engine is in the RESET state as described earlier on page 4 By following the instructions below you will find the programming easy and straight forward ENTERING RESET OPTIONS ProtoSound is equipped with a few programmable features that are accessed in the RESET state by moving the transformer throttle up and down between full voltage and low voltage 6 to 8 volts without shutting the transformer off completely Each time this is done you advance one feature at a time through the available options An air release sound is heard each time the throttle is advanced In addition there are special sounds to tell you what RESET position you are in For example if you want to
19. ds reads as an indicator to activate the brake sounds The engine won t slow down even though the sounds play This simulates the wheel flange squeal of a train traveling through a turn too quickly Note Consistent activation of the wheel flange squealing is determined by the condition of your transformer s whistle button rectifier disc Older rectifier discs may not release a clear and strong enough DC signal required by ProtoSounds computer to play the wheel flange squealing 8 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual FREIGHT YARD SOUNDS FYS ProtoSounds comes equipped with operator controlled Freight Yard Sounds hereby referred to as FYS This easy to use feature plays digitally reproduced freight yard sounds whenever your engine stops on your layout and is parked in the Neutral position No additional wires or modifications are needed on your layout to enjoy these amazing sound effects The sounds themselves are randomly generated and randomly shuffled on the ProtoSounds software chip This gives the system the ability to produce different sounds in a different order each time FYS s enabled These different sounds are heard each time you cycle the transformer throttle from ON to OFF in the same manner that you would cycle the throttle to enter the various states of Forward Neutral and Reverse The entire FYS sequence is designed to simulate the arrival loading or unloading and departure of a freight train in a freight yard
20. e Button until the module plays Up amp Down From cars _ Until You Hear The b k th i fi High Voltage To LOW a ciant Ore Appropriate Of Dings ack three dings for 45 Times m cle option 3 Squeaking brakes off Once you have decided on the desired setting simply turn the throttle off and then on again to Lock In the new setting To reset the computer to its original factory default setting option 2 squeaking brakes are act vated for full time operation repeat the above procedure but keep pushing the whistle button until the module only responds with one bell ding a Listen For 9 Clank And 0 Clink Sounds PROGRAMMING FOR HORN IN NEUTRAL OPERATION If you are operating your engine with a separate bell button and want to blow your horn when your engine is in neutral you will need to program ProtoSounds to do so as the factory setting only allows the horn to blow in forward or reverse To do this enter RESET and go to Feature 25 See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on page 17 Once in Feature 25 press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSounds to sound a bell ding s Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds eve The Treille Push The Whistle Button sounds two bell dings Ue Domn pom ou UNGI You Hoar signifying that a5 Times ana 4 ProtoSounds has been programmed to sound the horn in neutral Turn the throttle off and then on again to Lock In your
21. e is now in RESET and will operate normally once you interrupt power and enter the forward direction LOCKING THE ENGINE INTO NEUTRAL To lock the engine into the NEUTRAL position PUT THE ENGINE IN NEUTRAL AND WITH THE THROTTLE STILL ON PRESS THE WHISTLE BUTTON WHILE THE WHISTLE BUTTON IS BEING PRESSED TURN OFF THE THROTTLE AND LET GO OF THE WHISTLE BUTTON After about one second you will hear a short blast of the horn QUICKLY TURN THE POWER BACK ON AGAIN Your engine is now locked into NEUTRAL 25 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual NOTE When locking the engine in the Forward or Reverse positions the whistle button will blow the horn But when locking the engine into the NEUTRAL position the whistle button may turn on or off sounds ofthe bell coupler arming or coupler firing depending on the transformer throttle voltage settings prior to the user s attempt to lock out the engine Remember the horn doesn t t blow in NEUTRAL unless you programmed it to do so using Feature 25 See page 20 for details only the bell rings or the coupler operates in NEUTRAL While it doesn t t make any difference on how the lockout function operates you may hear one of the three different NEUTRAL activated sounds To unlock the engine from the NEUTRAL position follow the process to unlock the engine in the Forward or Reverse directions above MANUAL REVERSE UNIT LOCKOUT Non ProtoSound Equipped Engines Engines not equipped with ProtoSound
22. earing the brake sounds The power was not turned back on once the engine enter the neutral state thus disabling FYS The transformer throttle was interrupted too quickly in neutral thus disabling FYS Leave the throttle on in neutral until after the FYS arrival message plays The FYS sound effects occassionally repeat themselves ProtoSounds has a built in random number generator that randomly selects each sound clip to play Because there are only a total of 8 sound clips avallable in each FYS event it is probable that a sound can occassionally be repeated one or more times Once in FYS the engine never goes in reverse So that the passenger station sound effects and operation is as realistic as possible ProtoSounds disables the reverse unit state whenever FYS is enabled This way the engine never goes into reverse as the operator cycles through the various FYS events When the engine enters FYS event 5 the bell automatically comes on FYS has a built in command to turn on the bell when the system enters Event 5 After approximately 15 rings of the bell it automatically will turn off Whenever FYS is enabled pressing the whistle and bell buttons has no affect Because FYS must control various effects in each FYS event the bell and whistle functions are disabled until either the FYS events have been completed or the engine is shut down for 3 or more seconds can t get FYS to begin when the engine i
23. erating the locomotive In addition it is important to make sure that the tire is fully seated inside the groove Any portion of the tire extending out of the groove can cause the engine to wobble A razor blade can be used to trim away any excess tire that doesn t t seat itself inside the groove properly Once the new tire s are in place reassemble the truck sides to the truck blocks and then reassemble the chassis to the body Replacement tires are available directly from MTH Electric Trains HEADLIGHT REPLACEMENT The Dash 8 locomotive contains one bayonet 18v headlight bulb that is controlled by the track voltage The headlight bulb simply plugs into its lamp socket and can be easily removed should the bulbs expire To remove the bulbs follow the cab removal instructions found in the lubrication section on the preceeding pages Once the cab has been removed from the chassis gently twist and push the bulb to unlock it from its lamp housing Once unlocked the bulb will pull out of the socket Replacement bulbs are available directly from MTH Electric Trains 29 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual TROUBLE SHOOTING PROTOSOUND PROBLEMS Although ProtoSound has been designed and engineered for ease of use some questions may ar se during initial operation The following table should answer most questions If you find that your problem can t be resolved with this manual contact MTH ProtoSound Electronics 9693 A Gerwig Lane
24. et the engine into the Forward Phase See the section entitled DCRU Reverse Unit Operation for more information Whenever interrupt the power from RESET to enter Forward the engine goes back into RESET instead of Forward Know this occurs because the bell dings twice BRAKE SOUND PROBLEMS Whenever ProtoSounds enters RESET after power has been off for more than 15 seconds the microprocessor initiates a system check to determine that everything is in working order This system check requires 2 2 seconds to complete during which time the engine will play the diesel startup sounds We recommend that you don t interrupt the power in RESET until the diesel startup sounds have completed This will guarantee that the system check will have been completed since the startup sounds take longer than 2 2 seconds to play If the problem persists we recommend that you operate the throttle with a slower movement as you interrupt the power in RESET and enter the Forwaard Phase REMEDY When the transformer is throttled down the sounds won t play The brake features has not been activated See the section on activating the brake feature for more information The throttle voltage setting on the transformer is either not starting high enough or ending low enough to trigger the brakes sounds Try increasing the throttle setting to 14 volts or higher before throttling down to 8 volts or less The brake sounds continue to play
25. ew 26 Traction Tire DE 2550027 27 Powered Truck 2 Axle DA 2250003 28 Screw 29 Fuel Tank FC 2200008 30 Speaker BF 4500006 31 Bracket Speaker IH A500010 32 Frame DH 2200004 33 Heat Sink Al 4500007 34 Screw 35 Foam Pad Al 4500008 36 Board AC 0000001 37 Board AF 4500004 38 Yellow Wire Nut BI A500003 39 Motor BE 0000014 40 Rubber Band BI 4500004 41 Motor Mount BI 0000002 36 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual 37 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual SERVICE amp WARRANTY INFORMATION HOW TO GET SERVICE UNDER THE TERMS OF THE LIMITED ONE YEAR WARRANTY For warranty repair do not return your product to the place of purchase unless it was purchased from Mike s Train House in Columbia MD Instead follow the instructions below to obtain warranty service as our dealer network is not prepared to service the product under the terms of this warranty 1 First write call or FAX MTH Electric Trains 9693 A Gerwig Lane Columbia MD 21046 410 381 2580 FAX No 410 381 6122 stating when it was purchased and what seems to be the problem You will be given a return authorization number to assure that your merchandise will be properly handled upon its receipt 2 CAUTION Make sure the product is packed in its original factory packaging including its foam and plastic wrapping material so as to prevent damage to the merchandise The shipment must be prepaid and we recommend that it be insured A cover
26. f The Bell Sound transformer throttle to enter ping 0S psenne either forward or reverse to 4 allow the engine to begin or running Note the karpo T ne feature will only be activate The Whistle Button gb bee rdeeninig For 3 Seconds in the first direction state you enter after triggering the feature from the neutral position You cannot interrupt the power twice to enter another direction state and still have the feature active Once your engine begins running you can trigger the sounds to begin by entering neutral 10 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual ACTIVATING AND TRIGGERING FREIGHT YARD SOUNDS Before FYS can be heard the feature must be activated first Activation is accomplished by holding down the bell button for three or more seconds as described in the Activating and Triggering The Squeaking Brake Sounds section found earlier Once the feature is activated FYS will be played the next time the engine enters the neutral position In order for FYS to begin power must remain on once the engine enters the Neutral position At this point ProtoSounds has taken over control of your engine and disabled the bell and whistle buttons from any further operator functions In addition ProtoSounds has reconfigured the way the reverse unit functions by disabling the reverse unit state during operation of the FYS feature This forces the engine to leave your freight yard in the same direction it arrived in The following operator contr
27. in the ProtoCoupler Operation section can t get the coupler to arm or fire open when press the whistle button You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly see the third remedy in the horn section above Another possibility is that ProtoSounds has been programmed to turn the coupler function off See the section entitled Using RESET to Program ProtoSounds Only one coupler will function when press the whistle button DIESEL START CAB CHATTER Sometimes the diesel start sounds don t occur when first turn power on Only one coupler can operate at any one time Use the coupler selection switch on the bottom of the chassis to choose which coupler you want active REMEDY Occassionally the diesel engine start up sounds may not occur when power is turned back on within 5 seconds of being shut off Wait 10 15 seconds before repowering Sometimes the Cab Chatter sounds don t play LOCKOUT PROBLEMS can t get the engine to run after power up the transformer It sits still with the diesel compressor sounds running The Cab Chatter sounds only play in neutral and ProtoSounds may be programmed to turn thesounds off See the section entitled Using RESET to Program ProtoSounds REMEDY The engine is locked out into the Neutral position Follow the unlocking proceedures in the Lockout Section The engine won t lock out into Forward Neutral or Reverse even after the short ho
28. iresome to the ear over prolonged running sessions The volume adjustment is controlled through RESET Feature 6 To access the feature advance the transformer throttle to put the engine in RESET Move the throttle up and down as described on page 17 6 times After you hear the clank and clink indicating that you are in Feature 6 press the whistle button to select the engine volume level you desire Pushing the whistle button once will give you full volume which is the factory setting Pushing the whistle button a second time will give you 50 volume pushing it a third time will give you 25 volume and pushing it a fourth time will give you no engine sound The microprocessor will immediately play the sound level each time the whistle button is pushed so that you can decide if it is acceptable You can recycle through the four choices by simply h In RESET Mode continuing to press the Move The Throttle Push The Whistle Button Up amp Down From Until You Reach The whistle button High Voltage To Low sant clink Setting You Desire 6 Times cian Once you have decided ua on the appropriate Listen For 1 Clank Interrupt The Throttle volume level turn the And 1 Clink Sounds To Lock In The Volume Setting transformer throttle off and on again or press the transformer direction switch to lock in your selection The volume adjustment will remain set at the level you have chosen until you change it again Regardless of the e
29. many Lionel compatible transformers such as the Lionel KW or ZW models In addition the chart details how the terminals on these compatible transformers should be attached to your layout The Trainmaster system from Lionel marked with an asterisk below will not function correctly with ProtoSounds without disrupting the sound effects Therefore whenever ProtoSounds senses that the Trainmaster system is being used it automatically disables ProtoSounds sound effects The operator retains control over the engine but no sound effects will play Transformer Min Max Power Transformer Model Center Rail Outside Rail Voltage Rating Type Lionel 1032 U A 5 16v 90 Watt Standard Lionel 1032M U A 5 16v 90 Watt Standard Lionel 1033 U A 5 16v 90 Watt Standard Lionel 1043 U A 5 16v 90 Watt Standard Lionel 1043M U A 5 16v 90 Watt Standard Lionel 1044 U A 5 16v 90 Watt Standard Lionel 1053 U A 8 17v 60 Watt Standard Lionel 1063 U A 8 17v 60 Watt Standard All Trol Left Terminal Right Terminal 0 24y 300 VVatt Electronic ee se A U 0 18v 135V A Electronic Dallee Hostler Left Terminal Right Terminal Lionel LW A U 8 18v 75 Watt Standard Lionel KW AorB U 6 20v 190 Watt Standard MRC Tech Il Left Terminal 2 From Left 0 15v 40V A Electronic meer Ode Track Inside Track sto sova Eeovoni R O W Red Terminal Black Terminal 0 24y 384 Watt Standa
30. n To turn the Remote Lockout Control setting back off go back to Feature 40 and press the whistle button until only one bell ding sounds To lock in the setting simply turn the transformer throttle off and then back on again Alternatively you can go to RESET Feature 18 to reset all ProtoSound features back to their original factory defaults including Remote Lockout Control Listen For 8 Clank Interrupt The Throttle Lock And 0 Clink Sounds The Lock Out Setting 23 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual RESETTING ALL PROTOSOUND OPTIONS TO FACTORY DEFAULTS ProtoSounds is equipped with a RESET feature Feature 18 that resets all programmable options back to their original factory settings This is a useful feature f you find your engine not operating the way you think it should and don t want to take the time to check each RESET feature one at atime To reset all the RESET features back to their original factory settings enter RESET and go to Feature 18 See the section entitled Using Rn me Move The Throttle Push The Whistle Button Up amp Down From Until You Hear RESET To Pr ogram High Voltage To Low A Warbled Bell Ding 18 Times ProtoSounds on page 17 Once in Feature 18 press the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSounds to sound a garbled bell sound Listen For 3 Clank Interrupt The Throttle To Lock In And 3 Clink Sounds The Default Setting 24 RailKing Dash 8
31. nd wait for ProtoSounds to sound a bell ding s Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds sounds two bell dings signifying In RESET Mode that the module has been Move The Throttle Push The Whistle Button Up amp Down From Until You Hear programmed to turn the High Voltage ToLow crank 30 2 Bell Dings Cab Chatter off Simply 23 Times Genk 4 turn the transformer throttle off and then on again to lock in your selection To turn the Cab Chatter sounds back on again repeat the above process but keep pressing the transformer whistle button in Feature 23 until ProtoSounds only sounds one bell ding Interrupt The Throttle Listen For 4 Clank f 5 h To Lock In And 3 Clink Sounds The Cab Chatter Setting 21 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual PROGRAMMING FOR PROTOCOUPLER OPERATION ProtoSounds comes with a RESET feature that allows the operator to remotely turn off the ProtoCoupler functions This is especially useful when double or triple heading ProtoSound equipped engines since every engine equipped with a ProtoCoupler will fire when prompted to by the operator By turning off the ProtoCoupler operation on certain engines you can fire the couplers open on the other engines without uncoupling the engines from each other To turn the ProtoCoupler function off enter RESET and go to Feature 10 See the section on Using RESET To Program wove the throtie Push The Whistle Button ProtoSounds on
32. ngine volume setting the horn bell compressor and Cab Chatter sounds will function normally In fact because only the engine volume is affected by selections in Feature 6 when you select 0 volume you can still hear the horn bell and Cab Chatter sounds when the engine is running or in neutral 18 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual PROGRAMMING FOR A SEPARATE BELL BUTTON CONTROLLER To operate ProtoSounds with a separate bell button controller like the Lionel No 5906 bell button you will need to wire up the controller to your transformer and track as shown in Fig 5 Once the button s wired ProtoSounds comes preprogrammed to allow you to operate the bell by simply Figure 5 Wiring Up A Bell Button pushing the bell button once To turn the bell off push the button again If the bell doesn t t function when you press the button you may need to re program ProtoSounds to operate with a separate bell button controller To do this enter RESET and go to Feature 20 See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on page 17 Once in Feature 20 press the whistle button and wait for the module to sound a bell ding s Continue pushing the Center Rail Wire red In RESET Mode whistle button until the Move The Throttle Up amp Down From aks Push The Whistle Button module plays back two High Voltage To Low 4 ciante Until You Hear 2 Dings ee imes Ke dings signifying that the 4 module has been or
33. o NEUTRAL Turn the throttle to 8 volts or less any higher voltage will arm the ProtoCoupler and press the whistle button The bell should begin chiming To turn the bell off press the whistle button again If you want to keep the bell on while running the engine simply interrupt the power with the transformer throttle or the transformer directional switch and enter forward or reverse PROTO COUPLER OPERATION Your RailKing Dash 8 ProtoSound equipped locomotive has two coil wound ProtoCouplers for remote uncoupling action The couplers are mounted on the power trucks Because the ProtoCoupler s controlled through ProtoSounds microprocessor it doesn t t require an uncoupling track section or modification to your layout to function The three simple steps below are required to operate the coupler 1 Put your engine in NEUTRAL and turn the throttle all the way up 2 Press the transformer whistle button to Arm the coupler You will hear a Clank 3 After arming the coupler press the whistle button again to open the coupler Put Engine In Neutral See The Coupler Open At Full Power Listen For The And Listen For The Ca Clunk Sound Cha Chusshh Sound anh El a eh Press amp Release Press amp Release The Whistle Button The Whistle Button 6 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual When the knuckle fires open you will hear the buzzing of the coil energizing and the sound of the air lines coming apart It
34. o re enter RESET signaled by two dings of the bell Should this happen wait longer before interrupting the power to enter the Forward phase ProtoSounds comes with several programmable functions including Engine Volume Adjustment Separate Bell Button Operation pre programmed at the factory Cab Chatter On Off Control ProtoCoupler On Off Control and Horn In Neutral Operation Each of these features are described in more detail later You will notice that when in RESET your engine will not respond to the whistle button with a horn blast or continuous bell ringing In fact when in RESET and the whistle button is depressed only one single bell chime will be heard each time the whistle button is pressed If you don t want to configure or change your locomotive using any of these programmable features simply leave RESET and wait 2 2 seconds before interrupting the power to put the engine in forward After you leave RESET your engine will operate normally in all the direction states of forward neutral and reverse HORN OPERATION Your RailKing Dash 8 ProtoSound equipped engine is equipped with a digital recording of a diesel horn The horn sound can be activated anytime the engine is in forward or reverse by pressing the whistle button on your transformer The horn will continue to blow as long as the whistle button is depressed The horn will not function in RESET and must be configured through a RESET option to allow the horn to work
35. olled events control FYS s actions and sounds Event 1 Forward While the locomotive is running in forward or reverse FYS is activated by the operator pushing and holding the bell button down for three or more seconds The locomotive bell begins chiming and can be left on or turned off without disabling FYS Event 2 Neural Before Reverse The operator now interrupts the transformer throttle to stop the engine and put it into Neutral If the throttle setting was at 14 volts or higher ProtoSounds will play the sound of squeaking brake sounds as the engine comes to a halt A Upon stopping of the engine the operator must immediately turn the throttle back on to keep the engine in the Neutral position If the bell was not turned off after activating FYS it now turns off automatically Put Engine In Neutral At Low Power Note Failure to turn the throttle back on within 3 seconds of leaving the Forward phase will disable FYS and shutdown ProtoSounds The next time you turn power back on your engine will be in the RESET position See page 4 for more information on RESET 1 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual B After entering Neutral ProtoSounds will immediately play an air release sound followed approximately 2 seconds later by a Cab Chatter Arrival Message The arrival message announces what yard the engine Listen For Air Release Sound has arrived in the yard is described as ange oleae message either Yard A or
36. olume has been set to high creating the distorted sounds Try turning the volume control knob located on the bottom of the chassis counter clockwise to reduce the overall volume level 31 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual BATTERY PROBLEMS REMEDY get no sounds when the engine shifts between the direction states The battery may be dead or needs charging See the Battery Backup section for more information After turn off my transformer my engine continues to make sounds before quitting with a ding of its bell ProtoSounds continues to sound for approximately 10 seconds after power to the track has been shut off The sounds distort at low voltages The battery is insufficiently charged or dead Follow the recharging instructions found in the section entitled Self Recharging Battery Backup System A repeating horn blast occurs after the power has been shut down RESET PROBLEMS When first turn the power on the engine will not begin to run have to turn the throttle off and then on again to get the engine to operate The battery is insufficiently charged or dead Follow the recharging instructions found in the section entitled Self Recharging Battery Backup System REMEDY This is normal behavior When power to the track is first turned on ProtoSounds enters a RESET phase at which time the engine undergoes a system check Power must be interrupted to g
37. ow the engine to begin moving once FYS automatically activates the motors Otherwise the engine will just sit still until you increase the transformer throttle setting on the transformer TIPS ON USING FYS FEATURES FYS is a unique feature of ProtoSounds that is completely controlled by the operator You decide how when or if you want to utilize the feature By reviewing the following tips you should find solutions or suggestions to the various operating scenarios you might encounter when using FYS Tip 1 You can escape the FYS sequence by interrupting the transformer throttle before the first Cab Chatter message plays in Event 2 neutral before reverse Tip 2 You can terminate FYS at anytime by turning the transformer throttle Off for 15 seconds Tip 3 You do not have to be in the Forward phase to utilize FYS For example if you activate the FYS feature while in Reverse and interrupt the throttle to enter Neutral you will be entering Neutral Before Forward rather than Neutral Before Reverse as defined in Event 2 above Consequently the Forward phase will be rendered inactive by ProtoSounds instead of the Reverse phase as explained in Event 3 This will allow your train to leave the yard in the same reverse direction that it arrived in 13 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual Tip 4 You can utilize FYS even if you are double heading with another engine regardless of whether the second engine is equipped with an FYS programmed
38. page 17 nigh voltage ToLow cork 2 Bell Dinge Once in Feature 10 press _ the transformer whistle button and wait for ProtoSound to sound a bell ding s Continue pressing the whistle button until ProtoSounds sounds two bell dings signifying that the ProtoCoupler option has been turned off Simply turn the transformer throttle off and then on again to lock in the new setting anto c Interrupt The Throttle To Lock In The Coupler Setting Listen For 2 Clank And 0 Clink Sounds PROGRAMMING FOR FYS OPERATION ProtoSounds is equipped with a RESET setting to turn off the Freight Yard Proto Effects FYS features This is especially useful if you are double heading engines that are both equipped with FYS You may not want to stop ata yard and have both engines play ng their FYS sound effects To turn off FYS enter RESET and go to Feature 28 See the section on Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on page 17 Once n RESET Mods M The Throttl Push The Whistle Butt Feature 28 press the Up amp Down From Until You Hear transformer whistle button nen ana at iad Imes and wait for ProtoSounds to sound a bell ding s Continue pressing the whistle button on and off until ProtoSounds sounds two bell dings signifying Interrupt The Throttle Listen For 5 Clank i To Lock In And 3 Clink Sounds The FYS Setting 22 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual that the FYS features have been turned off
39. perating Manual SELF RECHARGING BATTERY BACKUP SYSTEM ProtoSounds state of the art design includes a self recharging battery backup system for improved performance at any speed The self recharging battery backup system is automatically turned on or off whenever track power is turned on or off There are no switches to turn on or off to enjoy the benefits of the automatic battery backup system The battery ensures that power to the sound system will remain on during directional changes setting RESET options or when traveling over dirty track and switches The battery is a rechargeable NiCad type which is continually charged from the track when power is applied NiCad batteries are a dry battery and should not leak or cause any damage to your locomotive and will last up to five years or longer If you notice that the sounds seem distorted or garbled at low voltages or become silent when power from the transformer is shut off the battery may be going bad Before replacing the battery you should put the engine in NEUTRAL and leave the transformer throttle at about 12 volts for fifteen minutes This should temporarily recharge the battery If the garbled or distorted sounds are reduced then your battery charge has worn down You can give your battery a full charge by leaving the engine ON in NEUTRAL for 16 to 18 hours REPLACING THE PROTOSOUND BATTERY If you notice that the sounds seem distorted or garbled at low voltages or become silent
40. r Lionel RS 1 Red Terminal Black Terminal 0 18v SOV A Electronic Lionel RW U A 9 19v 110 Watt Standard Lionel SW U A Unknown 130 Watt Standard Lionel TW U A 8 18v 175 Watt Standard Lionel ZW AorD U 8 20v 275 Watt Standard ProtoSounds needs over 14 volts of power to work properly Overloading or using in line accessories with this transformer may lower the peak voltage below ProtoSound s requirements RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual 35 O 27 OPERATION While the RailKing Dash 8 diesel is more than capable of operating on O 27 curves and switches you may find that certain light freight cars are prone to derailing when being pulled or pushed by the RailKing Dash 8 through O 27 switches Should this occur we suggest adding weight to the cars making them heavier and less likely to derail In addition the 6 wheel version may rub the switch box Dash 8 Wide Nose Parts Name Part 1 Shell FC 2200007 2 Horn FC 2200002 3 Handrail FC 2240003 4 Handrail FC 2220004 5 Handrail FC 2210004 6 Headlight Lens FA 2230006 7 Handrail FC 2230003 8 Windows FA 2230007 9 Bulb CG 0000001 10 Light Socket CH 000000 11 Lock out Switch BB 0000003 12 Screw 13 Screw 14 Screw 15 Coupler Arm 16 T Bar 17 Truck Side DB 2210004 18 Truck Side DB 2220004 19 Spring 20 E Clip 21 Coupler Armature 22 Pilot DG 2250004 23 Pick up BD 0000017 24 Pick up Insulator BD 0000018 25 Scr
41. rews lift the body away from the chassis and lay the body next to the chassis Next remove the truck blocks from the chassis by unscrewing the large Phillips motor mount screw on the bottom of each truck block See Fig 7 Body To Chassis VB A i F Body To Chassis Motor Mount Mounting Screw Mounting Screw Screw Figure 7 Lubricate The Tender Chassis Trucks Once the motor mount screw has been removed pull the motor away from 21 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual the truck block and lightly coat the motor worm gear and bronze drive gear in the truck block with grease Reassemble the truck and motor being careful not to pinch the pickup and ground wires between the truck block and motor mount Repeat the procedure for the other motor and truck and then reassemble the chassis to the body When reassembling the chassis and body be very careful that the lighting wire harnesses are not caught between the body and chassis as this can lead to a short which may damage the electronic circuit boards beyond repair In addition to the truck block internal gearing it is a good idea to lubricate the outside truck block idler and drive gears with grease Use the diagram shown in Fig 6 on page 27 as a guide and add grease to the points marked with a G Periodically check the locomotive wheels and pickups for dirt buildup as this can significantly affect the engine s ability to perform properly Dirty track and dirty wheels
42. rn blast sounds VOLUME PROBLEMS You are waiting too long to turn the throttle back on after the short horn blast sounds The power must be turned back on immediately after the short horn blast sounds or the engine will go back into RESET See the lockout proceedure in the Lockout Section REMEDY When try to run the engine the diesel volume is OFF or very low The diesel volume has been programmed at a reduced volume or to be silent Go to RESET Feature 6 and adjust the volume See the section entitled Using RESET to Program ProtoSounds for more information When try to set the diesel volume it resets itself to the original volume after selected the new volume You are trying to set the volume with a poorly charged or dead backup battery See the section on Battery Backup for more information When try to set the Diesel Volume to O Volume still hear the cab chatter sounds When the diesel volume is set to O you will hear the Cab Chatter sounds because setting the diesel volume only controls the sound of the diesel engine itself All other sounds including Cab Chatter the horn and bell will continue to play at the volume level set by the manual volume control knob located on the bottom of the chassis See the section entitled ProtoSound Volume Adjustment for more information The sounds seem distorted especially when the whistle or bell is activated The overall ProtoSound v
43. s stopped in the neutral position It is possible that FYS was never enabled or has been disabled Try reactivating the feature by holding down the bell button for three or more seconds 33 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual PROTOSOUND RESET FEATURE CHART The following chart lists the available features found in your ProtoSound equipped locomotive The default settings for each feature as well as the operation sequence of the feature are listed in separate columns You can reset all features to their original factory settings by accessing Feature 18 in RESET and press and hold the transformer whistle button until you hear a soft warbled bell sound RESET OPERATION DEFAULT CLANKS CLINKS 6 Engine Volume Full Volume 1 Clank 5 Clinks 10 Coupler ON OFF Coupler ON 2 Clanks O Clinks 18 Reset Default Settings 3 Clanks 3 Clinks 20 Remote Bell Button Bell Button Active 4 Clanks O Clinks 23 Cab Chatter ON OFF Cab Chatter ON 4 Clanks 3 Clinks 20 Horn In Neutral Horn In Neutral OFF 5 Clanks O Clinks 27 RESERVED RESERVED 28 Brake FYS Enabled Brake FYS ON 5 Clanks 3 Clinks 40 Lockout Enabled Lockout OFF 8 Clanks O Clinks 45 squeaking Brakes Brakes Always ON 9 Clanks O Clinks 34 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual TRANSFORMER WIRING CHART ProtoSounds is designed to work with any standard AC transformer that uses a Pure Sine Wave format The chart below lists the
44. se unit operates in the same manner that all reverse units function by using forward neutral and reverse states that are entered each time the throttle is turned on and off or by using the transformer direction switch if so equipped The reverse unit is designed to ignore dirty track dead spots on switches or minor short circuits without disrupting the engine operation even at slow prototypical speeds Once the engine is placed on the track the throttle on the transformer can be advanced You DCRU will see that only the engine s lights Lockout Switch Figure 1 ProtoSound DCRU Lockout Switch come on and that only two dings of the ProtoSound bell occur followed by the diesel start up sounds on ProtoSound equipped 3 rail models The engine does not run This is known as the RESET state and is explained in more detail u x beginning on Page 4 The RESET 7 P Forward Reverse ProtoSound DCRU will not power the motors until the throttle is turned OFF and then ON again ee DERU C yele ne At this point the engine will now function just like any other electronic or mechanical E unit On ProtoSound equipped engines the diesel engine sounds will change in volume as the engine begins to move The horn can be activated by pressing the whistle button on the transformer just as any horn would be activated See the sections later in this guide beginning on page 5 for more information on acti
45. select Feature 2 you put the engine in RESET and move the throttle up and down from full throttle to low two times After the second advance you will hear two clinks indicating that the computer is now in Feature 2 Advance the throttle again and you will hear three clinks for Feature 3 Advance it two more times and you will hear a clank indicating that you are now in In RESET Mode Move The Throttle Advance The Throttle Feature gt 3 Advance the Up amp Down From Up amp Down From 1 High Voltage To L High Voltage To Low cin throttle two more times ee gh Voltage To Low ion and you will hear a clank and two clinks indicating Feature 7 5 throttle advancements 1 clank 2 throttle advancements 2 clinks Clank Clink Clink Feature 7 You can advance the throttle as quickly as you like though you may not hear the air release sounds and the computer will still remember the number of Listen For 1 Clank And 1 Clink Sounds Listen For The 2 Clink Sounds 17 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual times the throttle is advanced by playing back the number of Clinks and Clanks to confirm the feature you ve selected SETTING THE ENGINE VOLUME Of all the sounds that come with each ProtoSound equipped locomotive the one most often turned down is that of the engine volume because it is the one sound normally heard whenever the engine 1s running and is what usually can become t
46. selection Interrupt The Throttle Listen For 5 Clank o Lock In And 0 Clink Sounds The Horn Setting 20 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual Now whenever you are in neutral you can blow the horn with the transformer whistle button To reset ProtoSounds to its original factory setting of no horn in neutral repeat the above procedure but keep pressing the whistle button in Feature 25 until ProtoSounds only dings once instead of twice Note When Horn In Neutral is set the bell will only operate with a separate bell button and the horn will not sound in neutral if the transformer throttle setting is over 11 volts At 11 volts or higher ProtoSounds may arm the coil coupler for operation whenever the whistle button is pressed and the engine is in neutral TURNING OFF CAB CHATTER SOUNDS Cab Chatter sounds occur in the neutral position every 2 to 30 seconds There are four Chatter messages which play at random times This helps to eliminate repetitive and boring messages While the sounds are selected to play randomly by the unit s computer there is no guarantee that you won t hear the same message repeated twice or more times If you don t want to hear the Cab Chatter sounds they can be turned off through Feature 23 To turn off the Cab Chatter sounds enter RESET and go to Feature 23 See the section Using RESET To Program ProtoSounds on Page 17 Once in Feature 23 press the transformer whistle button a
47. simply press and release the bell button a second time If you were in neutral when you triggered the brake feature interrupt the transformer throttle to enter either forward or reverse to allow the engine to begin running Note the feature will only be activated in the first direction state you enter after triggering the feature from the neutral position You cannot interrupt the power twice to enter another direction state and still have the brake feature active Once your engine begins running you can trigger the sounds to begin playing whenever you enter neutral Option 2 If you do not have a separate bell button on your layout you can still activate the feature with your transformer whistle button To activate the feature turn on the transformer throttle and get your engine into the neutral position not RESET Once in neutral set the transformer throttle at 8 volts or less and press and hold the whistle button for at least three seconds You will hear the bell chiming turn on and if you listen carefully you should hear an air release sound after three seconds have passed at which time you can release the whistle button Note because the air release sound is hard to hear we recommend that you count out a full three seconds before releasing the whistle button The bell will continue to chime so if you want to turn off the bell ringing simply press and release the bell button a second time Interrupt the Put Engine In Neutral art O
48. state It 1s this first RESET state that gives ProtoSound its unique remote controlled functions The system will enter RESET whenever power to the track is off for three or more seconds NEUTRAL will be referred to as the state between Forward and Reverse ProtoSounds is equipped with a microprocessor that depending on the amount of memory it is allotted allows the user to utilize several remotely activated functions In the simplest terms ProtoSounds has its own Computer controlling these functions In fact the power of this microprocessor is the same as that of a 286 desktop computer In order to access many of these remotely controlled functions the user must be in the RESET state to do so RESET is entered anytime power to the locomotive has been off for more than 3 to 5 seconds When the engine first enters RESET the microprocessor initiates a system check to determine if the system transformer and engine are operating correctly This takes 4 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual approximately 2 2 seconds during which you will hear the engine s startup sounds begin In order for ProtoSounds to properly initiate the system check do not advance the transformer throttle past 10 volts when you first enter RESET wait for the diesel startup sounds to begin and then slowly turn the transformer throttle to the off position and then back on again to enter the forward phase Interrupting the power too quickly may cause the system t
49. t initially your engine may continue to play the brake sounds once your engine comes to a stop or that the sounds stop prematurely before the engine comes to a complete halt For example if you simply run the engine and turn the throttle off quickly the brake sounds will likely continue playing even though the engine has come to a complete stop This annoying effect can be eliminated by simply practicing with the brake feature In no time you will quickly learn how to feather the throttle to keep the engine moving while the brake sounds play and then turning the throttle off just as the sounds stop Remember that once you stop the engine you should turn the throttle to the off position if you don t want to activate the Freight Yard Sounds feature described later in this manual The ProtoSound squeaking brake feature also has the ability to simulate the squeal of wheel flanges when your train enters a curve at high speeds The same brake squealing sound plays but you don t need to reduce the transformer throttle to activate the squealing sounds To play the squealing sounds as wheel flange sounds trigger the brake feature using either method 1 or 2 above Once triggered set the transformer throttle setting at 14 volts or higher As your engine enters a curve or anywhere on the layout quickly flick your transformer whistle button about half way This flicking action causes the transformer to release a short DC signal that ProtoSoun
50. tle button to activate the bell The bell will only come on at 8 volts or less When press the whistle button to activate the bell the bell only rings once You are trying to ring the bell in RESET instead of neutral Interrupt the power twice to enter Neutral set the voltage at 8 volts or less and press the whistle button to activate the bell can t get the bell to ring when press the whistle button You may be pressing the whistle button too quickly see the 3rd remedy in the horn section above The bell won t work with a separate bell button ProtoSounds must be programmed in order for a separate bell button to function Enter RESET function number 20 see the section entitled Using RESET to Program ProtoSounds and press the whistle button until the bell sounds two dings Simply turn the throttle off and then on again to lock in the new setting 30 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual COUPLER PROBLEMS REMEDY The ProtoCoupler won t let the engine uncouple on the Fly The power required to fire the coupler open when the engine is on the Fly may be greater than the ProtoSound system is capable of providing Asa result you may experience times when the coupler won t fire open Unfortunately the only solution is to stop the engine and fire the coupler in Neutral If that doesn t resolve the problem try lubricating the coupler knuckle and rivet as explained
51. vating the horn and bell sounds Neutral 3 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual PROTOSOUNDS OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS The MTH ProtoSound digital sound and train control system provides the operator with unprecedented realistic operation on your model railroad In addition to actual diesel engine CD equivalent 16 bit digital sounds you get the following features Built In ProtoSound DCRU Reverse Unit Authentic Diesel Engine Horn Sound Authentic Diesel Engine Bell Sound Squeaking Brake Sound Freight Yard Sounds Operating Remote Controlled ProtoCoupler Self Recharging Battery Back Up System With Automatic Battery Shut Off Remotely Controlled Reverse Unit Lock Out Remotely Adjustable Diesel Engine Volume Authentic Diesel Engine Start Up amp Shut Down Sounds Random Selection of Four Cab Chatter Radio Transmission Sound Clips Each feature is described among the following pages Though the system is easy to use We encourage you to read the instructions thoroughly ProtoSound DCRU REVERSE UNIT As mentioned in the Basic Operating section the engine is controlled by a ProtoSound DCRU reverse unit that contains the standard forward neutral reverse states found on most reverse units However as described earlier when power is first applied to the track the reverse unit begins in RESET or what seems l ke a neutral state Power must be interrupted again to get the locomotive to enter the forward
52. when power from the transformer is shut off the battery may be going bad Before replacing the battery you should put the engine in NEUTRAL and leave the transformer throttle set at about 12 volts for 15 minutes This should temporarily recharge the battery If the garbled or distorted sounds are reduced then your battery charge has worn down You can give your battery a full charge by leaving the engine ON in the NEUTRAL position for 18 hours Make sure the smoke unit switch is in the OFF position to prevent harm to the smoke unit wicking If you need to replace the battery replacement ProtoSound batteries are available from MTH ProtoSound Electronics at 9693 A Gerwig Lane Columbia MD 21046 A standard 9v alkaline battery can be substituted as a temporary fix but since alkaline batteries can t take a charge it will eventually wear down Regardless it should give you a week to a couple of months use while you wait for your replacement ProtoSound battery to arrive 15 RailKing Dash 8 Operating Manual PROTOSOUND VOLUME ADJUSTMENT Your ProtoSound system has two types of volume adjustment A manual turn knob on the bottom of the chass s See Fig 4 below allows you to control all the sounds in the system and a remote control RESET option Option 6 allows you to control the volume level ofthe engine sounds remotely from the transformer Turning the volume adjustment knob clockwise will increase the volume and counterclo
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