Rail King RAILKING 4-6-2 K-4 STEAM ENGINE Operating Instructions Manual

RAILKING 4-6-2 K-4

STEAM ENGINE

OPERATING

INSTRUCTIONS

14 ), and is completely compatible with most other

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Table of Contents

Set Up 3
Basic Operation 4

Throttle 4
Operation Buttons 4
Speed Control 5
Direction Lock 5
Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch 6
Volume Control 7

Maintenance 8

Lubrication and Greasing Instructions 8
Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track 9
Locomotive Traction Tire Replacement 9

Smoke Unit Maintenance 10
Locomotive Light Bulb Replacement 11

Troubleshooting 12
Compatibility 13

Transformer Compatibility Chart 14
Safety Precautions 15
Service and Warranty Information 16

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

must take before operating this RailKing

4.

5). Running the engine

3 on page 8) to prevent them from squeaking. Use

2 on p.

. Do not over-oil. Use only a drop or two on each pivot point.

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Basic Operation

Throttle – Throttle up the power to your track by either firmly pressing the
Direction button on your transformer or remote once or quickly dropping and
advancing the throttle to put the engine in forward.

Operation Buttons

Use the operation buttons on your transformer as described below.

Horn/Whistle - To sound the whistle, firmly press the Horn/Whistle button.
The whistle will sound for as long as you continue to depress the button. It
will stop when you release the button.

Bell - To sound the bell, firmly press and release the Bell button. To turn the
bell off, press and release the Bell button again. The bell will continue to ring
from the time your turn it on until you press and release the button again to
turn it off.

·Direction – Your train is programmed to start in neutral. To put the engine
into forward and then to change the direction of the train or to put it into
neutral, firmly press and release the Direction button on your transformer. Just

as you must stop your car between forward and reverse, this engine will not go
directly from forward to reverse; it goes into neutral between directions. If the

train has been moving forward, the first press of the Direction button will put
the train from forward into neutral, the second press into reverse, the third

press back into neutral, and the fourth back into forward. To prevent accidental
high-speed start-ups, this engine is programmed to restart in neutral each time
the track voltage is turned off for 25 seconds or more.

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

put the engine in neutral, then press the

You will want to do this during the initial neutral upon

Each time you shut down the engine completely, it will automatically

Feature to Be Activated:

Speed Control On/Off
Lock into a Direction/Unlock

Button Code:

1 Whistle, 2 Bells
1 Whistle, 3 Bells

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch:

When used with the RailKing Remote Lock-on (sold separately),
Loco-Sound-equipped engines gain Proto-Cast™ and Proto-Dispatch

™

features.
Proto-Cast: This feature allows you to play audio recordings through your

engine’s speakers. You must supply the audio source (a small portable is
sufficient) and a male-to-male mini cable (1/8” plug, like that used for the

headset with a portable CD/tape player) to connect your audio source to the
remote lock-on. To use Proto-Cast, simply plug the mini-cable into your

audio source (usually into the headphone jack) and into the “Audio” port on
the right side of the remote lock-on and adjust the volume.

Proto-Dispatch: This feature allows you to broadcast your own voice
through your engine’s speakers. You must supply the microphone and a mini
cable (1/8” plug, like that used for the headset with a portable CD/tape player)
to connect your microphone to the remote lock-on. To use Proto-Dispatch,
simply plug the mini-cable into the microphone and into the “Mic” port on the
left side of the remote lock-on and speak into the microphone.

When these features are in use, the locomotive’s own sounds (engine sounds
and bells, whistles, and horns) will be muted so that only the sounds you

broadcast will be heard. Because these two features are voice activated, there
will be a 10-15 second delay after you stop speaking into the microphone or

turn off the audio source before the engine sounds resume. To stop using the
feature and return to normal operation, unplug the cable from the lock-on jack.

If using parallel tracks with multiple Loco-Sound-equipped engines,
Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch transmissions from one track may be picked up

by the other nearby engines.

If you experience popping and interference, try cleaning the track with
denatured alcohol as described in the “Cleaning the Wheels, Tires and Track”
section of this booklet.

Note: M.T.H. does not recommend using Proto-Cast and Proto-Dispatch
at the same time.

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

– To adjust the volume of all sounds made by this engine,

Proto-Sound 2.0

Volume Adjustment Knob

Figure 1 . Location of the Proto-Sound 2.0 Volume Adjustment Knob

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Maintenance:

Lubrication and Greasing Instructions

The engine should be oiled and greased in order to run properly.

You should regularly lubricate all side rods and linkage components and
pickup rollers to prevent them from squeaking. Use light household oil and
follow the lubrication points marked “L” in Fig. 2. Do not over oil. Use only
a drop or two on each pivot point.

Engine-mounted PCB:

The locomotive’s internal gearing was greased at the factory and should not
need additional grease until after 50 hours of operation or one year, whichever
comes first. To access the gear box, do the following:

• Unscrew the chassis screws as shown in Fig. 3 and remove the boiler.

• Once the boiler is removed, you need to remove the two screws that screws
the PCB board and bracket to the motor mounting bracket.

x2

x1

Grease Drive Gear (G)

Body Mount Screws

Body Mount Screws

Figure 3. Locations of Body Mount Screws and Diagram for Greasing the
Drive Gear

Lubricate Siderods (L)

Lubricate Pick Up Rollers (L)

Lubricate Pivot Point

Figure 2. Lubricating the Engine

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Carefully lift the PCB board and bracket to access the gear box.

Open the gear box by unscrewing the screws on the plate located in front of

Use a grease tube dispenser to put a small amount of lithium-based grease

Reassemble the engine in reverse order.

Remove the side rods (the rods that connect each drive wheel to the other)

Make sure the old tire has been completely removed from the groove in the

Slip the new tire onto the wheel. You may find it useful to use two small

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

• Make sure the tire is fully seated inside the groove. Use a razor blade to trim
away any excess tire that doesn’t seat itself inside the groove properly.

One set of replacement tires is included with the model. Additional tires are
available directly from the M.T.H. Parts Department (phone: [phone];
fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]; mail: 7020 Columbia
Gateway Drive, Columbia MD 21046-1532).

ProtoSmoke® Unit Operation

This steam locomotive contains a smoke unit that outputs smoke through the
smokestack on the boiler of the engine. The smoke unit is essentially a small

heating element and wick that soaks up and then heats a mineral oil-based fluid
that emits a harmless smoke. The smoke is then forced out of the stack by a

small electric fan.

With a few easy maintenance steps, you should
enjoy trouble-free smoke unit operation for years.

• When preparing to run this engine, add 15-20
drops of smoke fluid through the smokestack (see
Fig. 4). We recommend M.T.H. ProtoSmoke,
Seuthe, LGB, or LVTS fluids (a small pipette of

ProtoSmoke fluid is included). Do not overfill the
unit or the fluid may leak out and coat the interior

engine components.

• If you choose not to add the fluid (or have
already added the fluid but choose to run

smoke-free), turn off the smoke unit switch located
under the engine body (see Fig. 5). Failure either

to add fluid to the unit or to turn it off may damage
the smoke unit heating element and/or wicking

material.

• When the smoke output while running the engine
begins to diminish, add another 10-15 drops of

smoke fluid or turn the smoke unit off.

• When storing the unit for long periods of time,
you may want to add about 15 drops of fluid to prevent the wick from drying

out.

Proto-Smoke

ON/OFF Switch

Figure 5. Location of the
Proto-Smoke Switch

Add Smoke

Fluid Here

Figure 4. Add Smoke
Fluid Through the Smoke

Stack

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

After removing the engine from storage, add

6). After removing the chassis and inspection

3. Once the

7 to remove.

Location of the

headlamp bulb

Figure 7. Location of the Headlight Bulb

Remove These

Four Screws to

Inspect the Smoke Wick

Figure 6. Removing the
Smoke Unit Cover

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Troubleshooting Loco-Sound™ Problems

Although Loco-Sound has been designed and engineered for ease of use, you
may have some questions during initial operation. The following table should
answer most questions. If your problem cannot be resolved with this table,
contact M.T.H. for assistance (telephone: [phone]; fax: [phone];

[e-mail], 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia MD
21046-1532).

Starting Up

Horn

Bell

Remedy

Remedy

Remedy

Remedy

When I first turn the power on, the
engine will not begin to run. I have to

turn the throttle off and then on again
to get the engine to operate.

I can’t get the horn to blow when I
press the whistle button.

I can’t get the bell to ring when I press
the bell button.

You may be pressing the button too
quickly. Try pressing the whistle button
more slowly, taking approximately one
full second to fully depress the button.

You may be pressing the button too
quickly. Try pressing the bell button
more slowly, taking approximately one
full second to fully depress the button.

This is normal behavior. To prevent
accidental high-speed start-ups, Loco-

Sound is programmed to start up in
neutral anytime track power has been
turned off for several seconds. See
the "Basic Operation" section for more
details.

Lock-out Remedy

I can’t get the engine to run after I
power up the transformer. It sits still
with the engine sounds running.

The engine won’t lock into forward,
neutral, or reverse.

The engine is locked into the neutral
position. Follow the procedure in the
“Lock into a Direction” section.

Engine speed must be below 10 scale
mph (approx. 10 volts or less in
conventional mode).

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

®

or ScaleTrax™ or traditional tubular

14 for a complete list of compatible transformers and wiring

Volume Remedy

The sounds seem distorted, especially
when the whistle or bell is activated.

Loco-Sound volume is set too high.
Turn the volume control knob on the
bottom of the chassis counter­clockwise to reduce the volume.

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

Transformer Compatibility and Wiring Chart

Note that many of the operational commands described in these instructions
require a bell button, so if your transformer does not have its own bell button,
you should consider adding one to get the full benefit of the system.

Transformer

Model

Center Rail Outside Rail

Min/Max.

Voltage

Power

Rating

Transformer

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 0-24v 300-Watt Electronic

Dallee Hostler Left Terminal Right Terminal Electronic

Lionel LW A U 8-18v 75-Watt Standard

Lionel KW A or B U 6-20v 190-Watt Standard

Lionel MW

Outside Track

Terminal

Inside Track

Terminal

5-16v 50V.A. Electronic

Lionel RS-1 Red Terminal Black Terminal 0-18v 50V.A. Electronic

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

Lionel Post-War

Celebration

Series ZW

A,B,C or D

A,B,C or D

U

Common

8-20v

0-20v

275-Watt

135/190 Watt

Standard

MTH Z-500 Red Terminal Black Terminal 0-18v 50-Watt Electronic
MTH Z-750 Red Terminal Black Terminal 0-21v 75-Watt Electronic

MTH Z-4000 Red Terminal Black Terminal 0-22v 390-Watt Electronic

* Conventional Mode Only

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RailKing 4-6-2 K-4 Steam Engine

CAUTION: Electrically Operated Product:

Not recommended for children under 10 years of age. M.T.H. recommends
adult supervision with children ages 10 - 16. As with all electric products,
precautions should be observed during handling and use to reduce the risk of

electric shock.

WARNING: When using electrical products, basic safety precautions should
be followed including the following:

• Read this manual thoroughly before using this device.

• M.T.H. recommends that all users and persons supervising use examine the
hobby transformer periodically for conditions that may result in the risk of
fire, electric shock, or injury to persons, such as damage to the primary cord,
plug blades, housing, output jacks or other parts. In the event such conditions

exist, the transformer should not be used until properly repaired.

SERVICE & 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.
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, email or FAX MTH Electric Trains, 7020 Columbia Gateway Drive,
Columbia, MD 21046, 410-381-2580 (FAX No. 410-423-0009), or on the internet at
[e-mail] or our web site, www.mthtrains.com, stating which product

you have, 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 at MTH.

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 letter, including your name, address, daytime phone number, a copy of your sales
receipt, the Return Authorization number and a full description of the problem, must be

included to facilitate the repairs. Please include the description regardless of whether or
not 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

Li

onel L.L.C.