Rapido Trains FL9 Manuallines - page 12
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the headlight and backup light should be on dim and the markers should be on as well.
See “F12 Switching Mode” below.
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 Switching Mode
If you press F12, the headlight and rear light will both be on dim. This is appropriate
for switching operations, which would be common in yards and terminals, such as New
Haven and Boston. This is the only way to turn on the rear light on our model FL9 as
during normal operations it was the only time that it would have been used. Press F12
again to turn off the switching mode lighting.
F14 Grand Central Terminal Mode
We’re hoping that you will find this nifty feature on our FL9 model to be so enthrall-
ing that the number of people actually modeling Grand Central Terminal (GCT) will
double… to three. As originally designed, the prime mover was to be shut down when
third-rail power was provided to the traction motors. As anyone who tried to breathe
while near an FL9 on the platform at GCT can attest, locomotive engineers did not shut
down the engine in practice. It was left idling, much to the detriment of the health of
anyone required to be on the platform for longer than about three minutes.
If you are running south into GCT, stop at 125th Street and press F14. The locomotive
will switch into Grand Central Terminal Mode. The prime mover (diesel engine) is locked
in idle, and you can hear the traction motors whining quite loudly. If you are properly
following the rulebook and you want to shut down the prime mover, press F8. The prime
mover sounds will shut down. In Grand Central Terminal Mode, you will hear the traction
motors whining as well as the air compressor going off. If you have the steam generator
turned on, you can hear that too. Horn and bell work as usual.
Northbound trains from GCT should stop after leaving the Park Avenue Tunnel to switch
over to normal operation. Press F8 to fire up the prime mover and press F14 to turn off
Grand Central Terminal Mode. Proceed to Woodlawn and points northeast.
If your train does not stop at 125th Street, you can switch to and from third-rail power
on the fly. The prototype and model are both designed to allow the changeover at full
track speed.
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.