ARISTO-CRAFT TRAINS LIVE STEAM MIKADO 2-8-2 User manual
09/10//05 NEW
LIVE STEAM MIKADO 2-8-2
INSTRUCTION MANUAL ART-84100-01
ARISTO-CRAFT TRAINS / Polk’s Modelcraft Hobbies, Inc.
698 South 21st Street, Irvington, NJ 07111 USA
Tel: (973) 351-9800 Fax: (973) 351-9700
WWW.ARISTOCRAFT.COM2
Dear Model Railroader,
Congratulations on your purchase of the Aristo-
Craft 1:29 Live Steam Mikado!
The fun of running a locomotive as they were
intended to with real steam power is the key part
of this locomotive and the technical hard work is
Congratulations!
done by the magic of our technology that takes work out of the project
and leaves more running time for enjoyment.
Should you have any questions regarding operation, proper usage
or maintenance required on this or any other Aristo-Craft product,
please do not hesitate to contact us at the following address:
ARISTO-CRAFT TRAINS / Polk’s Model Craft Hobbies, Inc.
698 South 21st Street, Irvington, NJ 07111 USA
Tel: (973) 351-9800 Fax: (973) 351-9700
e-mail: [email protected]
Our customer service department phones are open from 10:00 AM
to 5:00 PM Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
Visit our website: www.aristocraft.com
© 2005 Polk’s Modelcraft Hobbies, Inc.
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Locomotive Features & Accessories
This locomotive has the following features and accessories which makes it look and
operate in a superior manner:
An integrated radio control system for speed control, reversing, and to activate
several sound effects. This R/C system operates on the universally accepted 49
mhz frequency and is FCC-approved in the U.S.
A well for a warm water bath for the butane gas.
Auto-ignition for the flame using the tender control panel.
Easy-to-use-and-find butane fuel.
Wide-mouth oil access. (Oil not included)
D.C. electric motors for radio-controlled reverse and speed controls.
Two wall chargers for both 110v or 230v depending on the country where you are
located. An adaptor plug may be necessary for your country if the supplied plug will
not fit your receptacle.
A NiC_d battery pack to operate these electronic functions.
Tools such as two syringes for filling and removing the steam oil, a metal funnel to
fill the boiler and butane bath, two metal screwdrivers for the live steamer locomo-
tive adjusments and others.
Additional mechanical boiler functions to make maintenance as easy as possible.
Insulated wheels for running on powered layouts with other locos.
A Goodall valve and water bottle to refill the boiler under pressure before the water
cools.
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Live Steam Trains should not be used by anyone under the age of 14. This is not a
toy, and while not any more dangerous then the use of a stove while boiling water
for a cup of tea, it does take some common sense and the ability to make rational
actions if something doesn’t work as prescribed.
Hot water is scalding and must be treated as such, so do not open a pressurized
locomotive water tank until it has cooled sufficiently. To do so would create a reac-
tion much like opening an auto’s radiator cap under full pressure. DON’T do this.
Do not smoke when filling the butane into the tender. This is a flammable material
and is similar to the situation when relighting a gas stove burner when the pilot light
goes out.
Use only distilled water, available at supermarkets and drugstores widely, as regu-
lar water has contaminates that could eat away at your copper boiler. This is espe-
cially true if you do not thoroughly drain the water from the boiler after each use.
The Aristo-Craft Live Steamer has a drain cock to allow you to do just that.
Do tighten the hose to the boiler of the locomotive prior to adding the butane mate-
rial to the input in the tender.
Do not use boiling water in the supplemental hot water bath for the butane tank. It’s
not necessary and could cause handling problems with the scalding water. If you
like you can drain this hot bath water after steam-up and before you actually begin
running. This will provide a fresh hot water bath for the running period after the
water has reached the starting pressure.
Do not run your loco without proper steam oil that is formulated for the super-hot
conditions of running a steam locomotive. This is not included, but is available from
where you purchased your loco.
Do not overfill your boiler beyond the two cups of distilled water (500 ml total).
Live Steam Operation Safety
Please read all of these warnings very carefully before using your Aristo-Craft Live
Steam Mikado for the first time!
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If your auto-igniter does not cause the flame to ignite and the butane container is
filled, then send the loco in for service and do not try to adjust the flame yourself.
We have added spare O-rings that you can replace if the steam releases through
those valves. Please write to us for spares rather than continue to operate without
O-rings in top shape.
Please check you loco after 30 minutes of running to see that the water level in the
sight glass still indicates that you have sufficient water in the boiler. DO NOT RUN
YOUR LOCO WITHOUT WATER IN THE BOILER.
If your loco falls off the track, then immediately close the butane valve until all
butane flow is off and the flame thus shuts off.
Do not use this loco indoors. It’s only for outdoor usage as there is residual oil and
water that falls to the track.
Any modification of the loco will void our warranty and perhaps the safety of the
loco. Do not modify the loco at all for proper safety.
Live Steam Operation Safety (continued)
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Locomotive History
The Mikado 2-8-2 steam locomotive was one of the most common of the steam
locomotives built and used in the United States and Canada. It was a workhorse, a
locomotive that could do it all. Primarily used in freight operations, it was occasionally
employed in passenger service, right up to the end of steam operations. Large and small
railroads operated Mikados due to their extreme versatility. Some seemed to be light and
delicate, treading on small rail, others were plodding behemouths. It depended on the
job that needed to be accomplished.
During the age of the Iron Horse, the era of steam, almost 10,000 Mikados were built.
The Pennsylvania Railroad alone possessed over 550 of these locomotives.
When the U.S.A. became involved in World War I, the United States RailroadAdministration
decided to standardize the design and manufacture of locomotives in order to save time
and materials. This gave birth to what is known as the USRA Mikado. Over 800 light and
heavy USRA Mikados were erected by the 3 major locomotive builders: The American
Locomotive Company, Baldwin and Lima.
Some railroads used the boiler, cab and other components from existing Pacific
locomotives in order to save time and money in the construction of new Mikados.
Prototype Photo: Michael Hauptmann
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R/C System / Battery Charging Preparation
The very first step is to charge the NiC_d battery pack located inside the tender of the
locomotive. There is an included wall pack that must be plugged into a wall outlet first
and has a jack plug to insert into a hidden receptacle jack beneath the cylindrical coal
pusher on the top of the tender that unscrews (See fig. #1).
First remove the decorative coal load on top of the tender, revealing the control panel
underneath it. Then move the leftmost slide switch with the tender facing away from you
to the “charger” position and then plug the charger lead into the battery charging con-
nection power jack as illustrated (See fig. #2).
The red indicator light located in front of the coal pusher will turn to orange for the
approximate five-hour charge time and then the light will go out after the charge is
complete. The first charge-up may take overnight, but will recharge faster the second
time.
After the LED light goes out, the charge is complete and you can begin the testing
phase of operation.
fig. #2
Inserting the plug
fig. #1
Receptacle jack location
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To begin the function testing process, link the plug in front of the tender to the socket at
the end of the wire coming from the rear of the locomotive (See fig. #3). This allows all of
the R/C and electronic functions from the control panel of the tender to function in a
manual mode without the use of the transmitter.
R/C System Testing
fig. #3
Locomotive-to-tender connection
Manual mode testing
Remove the pressure fit coal load from the top of the tender to expose the control panel.
1) Push the left slide switch to the “operation” position and you will see a red indicator
light turn on.
2) Now you can test the sound buttons and the headlight button. These remain in opera-
tion until depressed a second time.
3) Next test the forward or reverse direction buttons and you will see the radius rod arm
move (see fig. #4).
fig. #4
Radius Arm
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R/C System Testing (continued)
A. Ignition Button - Press to ignite engine flame. Ignition
LED will light when button is pressed.
B. Speed and Directional Controls - Press to make your
engine speed up or slow down or change direction
C. Special Effects Controls - Press to active loco sound
effects or front lights
D. Mode Switch - Switches your loco to three different
phases - ignition, charger, and operation
Fig. 5 Tender Manual Control Panel
E. Remote/Manual Switch - Switches your loco from
manual control to R/C control.
F. Low Battery LED - Signals when your battery
power is running low.
G. Encoder Switch - Dipswitch location, must match
with dipswitch in transmitter.
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R/C System Testing (continued)
1) Take your R/C transmitter, open it by removing the installed screws, and insert the
provided 9v alkaline battery (See fig. #6).
2) The extendable antenna needs to be screwed into the transmitter through the opening
on the top right of the transmitter. The antenna should be extended when using during
the test as well as during regular operation.
3) There is a six-position dip encoder switch on the tender that must be matched to the
encoder switch order that is located on the inside of your transmitter. This dipswitch
encoder allows for up to 620 people operating their Live Steam Train simultaneously
without one interfering with the other. Obviously, only several people are likely to operate
at the same time, but the procedure is the same regardless of the number running (See
fig. #7).
4) Push the second from left slide switch on the tender from manual to remote and you
will see the indicator light turn green. The R/C hand-held transmitter will take over control
of your locomotive, allowing you to perform the same functions you just tested manually.
5) Repeat the same testing functions that you performed in the manual mode.
NOTE! The ignition switch for the butane is not on the transmitter for safety reasons, so
that you do not ignite the flame unintentionally. Please use the switch on the tender’s
control panel for ignition.
Remote Mode Testing
Now it is time to test the R/C system transmitter and functions...
fig. #6
Inside the R/C transmitter or “throttle”
fig. #7
Close-up of transmitter dipswitch panel
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