Lionel GP-20 User manual

Lionel GP-20

Diesel Locomotive

Owner’s Manual

Lionel GP-20

Diesel Locomotive

Owner’s Manual

71-8471-250

9/05

You purchased a tough, durable locomotive—the GP-20 diesel locomotive built by Lionel.

From the crisp detail and expert decoration on the outside to the brute power under the hood,

the Lionel GP-20 is ready for duty on your model railroad.

Congratulations!

Features of this locomotive

• Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation

• Operating diesel horn

• Operating headlights

• Interior lighting

• Two operating couplers

• Two powerful maintenance-free motors

The following Lionel marks may be used throughout this instruction manual and are protected under

Lionel®, TrainMaster®, Odyssey®, RailSounds®, CrewTalk™, TowerCom™, DynaChuff™,

StationSounds™, Pullmor®, ElectroCoupler™, Magne-Traction®, CAB-1®Remote Controller,

PowerMaster®, Lionel ZW®, ZW®, PowerHouse®, TMCC®, Lionelville™, Lockon®, Wireless Tether™,

LionMaster®, FatBoy™, American Flyer®, TrainSounds™

The name FasTrack®is used with permission from Pitsco, Inc.

Table of contents

Transformer operations

Running your locomotive with a Lionel transformer 4

Locking your locomotive into a single operational state 5

Sounding your locomotive’s horn 6

Using your locomotive’s magnetic couplers 7

Maintaining and servicing your locomotive

Lubricating your locomotive 8

Replacing your locomotive’s lamps 9

Replacing the traction tires 10

Notes 11

Limited Warranty/Lionel Service 12

3Move ‘em out!

Get your locomotive moving. Press the DIRECTION button on your Lionel

transformer. This sequences the reverse unit to the next operating state in the

repeating sequence: forward, neutral, reverse, and neutral.

Adjust track voltage until your locomotive moves at your desired speed. To

increase speed, increase track voltage. To decrease speed, reduce voltage. To stop the

locomotive, turn-off track power.

See page 5 for information on locking your locomotive into a single

operational state.

Place your locomotive on Lionel or Lionel-compatible

O gauge track.

2Power up your locomotive with your transformer.

Your locomotive is designed to operate on 8-18 volts alternating

current. Virtually all Lionel and Lionel-compatible alternating-current

transformers are suitable.

Do not power your locomotive with direct current (DC). Damage to

sensitive electronic components may occur.

Running your locomotive with a Lionel transformer

Transformer operations

Caution!

DIR

OFF

To select a single operational state for your Lionel locomotive (for example, forward only),

you can deactivate the reverse unit’s sequencing function with the reverse unit switch.

Get your locomotive moving in the desired direction, then slow it down without stopping.

Set the reverse unit switch to OFF. Refer to Figure 1 for the location of the switch. The

locomotive is now “locked” into your chosen direction.

When you no longer want single-direction operation, just slide the switch back to ON.

Your locomotive’s reverse unit will “reset” to forward after any power interruption

lasting five seconds or longer, regardless of the original locked-out direction.

Locking your locomotive into a single operational state

Transformer operations

Note!

Figure 1. Switch location

Front of engine

Rear of engine

Transformer operations

Sounding your locomotive’s horn

POWER

SUPPLY

Existing wire

Black wire

Red wire

Lionel no. 610-5906-001

SoundActivation Button for

activating the diesel horn

The no. 610-5906-001 button works with any Lionel AC transformer except

no. 6-4690 Type MW.

Press the HORN/WHISTLE button on your controller to sound the locomotive's horn.

If your controller does not have a HORN/WHISTLE button, install a Lionel Sound Activation

Button (available separately, part no. 610-5906-001). Connect the button as shown in Figure 2.

All track power must feed through the Sound Activation Button. Do not bypass the

button.

Common/Ground/U

Power/A

Figure 2. Sound Activation Button wiring

Note!

Transformer operations

Your Lionel locomotive is equipped with operating magnetic knuckle couplers, a

revolutionary design first introduced by Lionel in 1945.

Lionel magnetic couplers react to the magnetic field generated by a Lionel Remote-Control

Track section (available separately, 6-65149 or 6-12746 for O-27 gauge; 6-65530 for O gauge; or

6-12020 for FasTrack layouts).

As illustrated in Figure 3, place your locomotive’s coupler trigger disc over the central coil of a

Remote-Control Track section and press UNCOUPLE on the controller. The magnetic field pulls the

disc downward, and the knuckle opens. You may also press down on the uncoupling tab to open

the coupler.

One operating technique favored by Lionel railroaders is the “moving uncouple.” Press the

UNCOUPLE button as the locomotive passes over a Remote-Control Track section. The

magnetic field will open the coupler; the consist remains behind as the locomotive moves on.

But be careful—the speed of a newly uncoupled and moving locomotive can increase

dramatically.

Figure 3. Coupler operation

Using your locomotive’s magnetic couplers

Uncoupling tab

Maintaining and servicing your locomotive

Lubricating your locomotive

Help your Lionel locomotive lead a long and productive life on your railroad by

maintaining it properly.

We recommend that you purchase a Lionel Lubrication and Maintenance Kit

(6-62927), available from your Lionel dealer. Two basic rules to keep in mind: never over-

lubricate (a small amount will do), and avoid getting grease or oil on the locomotive’s wheels

or your track. You’ll know your locomotive requires lubrication when visual inspection reveals

dryness on the parts indicated in Figure 4. Remove accumulated dirt and dust before

lubricating and always lubricate any locomotive emerging from prolonged storage.

Figure 4. Underside details and lubrication points

DIR

OFF

Lubricate gears with

Lionel grease

sparingly

Lubricate gears with

Lionel grease

sparingly

Lubricate with Lionel oil

sparingly

Lubricate with Lionel oil

sparingly

Location of the body screws on the

underside of the frame.

Location of the body screws on

the underside of the frame

REAR

FRONT

Maintaining and servicing your locomotive

Replacing your locomotive’s lamps

Your locomotive is illuminated by two lamps inside the body, one at the front and one at

the rear. During the course of normal operations, you may find that these lamps require

replacement. Replace the lamps with Lionel part no. 600-8352-311, available from your

authorized Lionel Service Center or from Lionel service.

1. Remove the four body screws from the frame. Refer to Figure 4 on page 8 for the location

of those screws.

2. Lift the body off the frame, taking care to avoid tugging on the wires.

3. Locate and remove the expired lamp. Gently pull the expired lamp out of the socket. Refer

to Figure 5.

4. Install the replacement lamp, making sure that the socket has been returned to its original

position against the body.

5. Replace the body and the four body screws. Be sure that no wires are pinched between the

frame and the body.

Figure 5. Lamp replacement

Lionel part no. 600-8352-311

Maintaining and servicing your locomotive

Replacing the traction tires

Your locomotive is equipped with four traction tires. These rubber tires increase the

tractive effort of your locomotive, allowing it to pull more cars at once. During the course

of normal operations, the traction tires may become worn out. Because you must remove the

trucks and the side frames to access the wheels, we recommend that you have the traction tires

replaced by your authorized Lionel Service Center.

Other manuals for GP-20

Table of contents

Other Lionel Toy manuals

Lionel

Lionel Norman Rockwell Christmas User manual

Lionel

Lionel FastTrack Graduated/Elevated Trestles User manual

Lionel

Lionel NW2 User manual

Lionel

Lionel Santa's Sleigh Pylon User manual

Lionel

Lionel Boy's Set User manual

Lionel

Lionel Silver Bell Express User manual

Lionel

Lionel VISION Line User manual

Lionel

Lionel Breakdown B-Unit Diesel Locomotive User manual

Lionel

Lionel BNSF User manual

Lionel

Lionel Pioneer Zephyr User manual

Lionel

Lionel Boom Car User manual

Lionel

Lionel U30C User manual

Lionel

Lionel Heisler User manual

Lionel

Lionel 4-6-4 Dreyfuss Hudson User manual

Lionel

Lionel Alco PA-1 User manual

Lionel

Lionel ALCo S-4 User manual

Lionel

Lionel EM-1 2-8-8-4 Steam Locomotive User manual

Lionel

Lionel Playtime Playground User manual

Lionel

Lionel Lirr Passenger User manual

Lionel

Lionel Generator Car with Christmas Tree User manual

Lionel

Lionel The Polar Express User manual

Lionel

Lionel B&M Paul Revere GP-9 User manual

Lionel

Lionel TMCC Tie-Jector User manual

Lionel

Lionel Barrel Shed User manual

Popular Toy manuals by other brands

marklin

marklin 37321 instruction manual

Canon

Canon PAPER CRAFT Assembly instructions

GREAT PLANES

GREAT PLANES Pitts M-12S instruction manual

NOCH

NOCH 14261 manual

Hausler

Hausler 450 SE V2 quick start

Dynaflite

Dynaflite Daydream instruction manual

MiniacRC

MiniacRC MIGHTY MINI P40 WARHAWK Build instructions

Kenner

Kenner Batman 63651 instructions

LEGO

LEGO 8527 instructions

iKarus

iKarus ECO 8 Assembly instruction

Multiplex

Multiplex EasyStar II Building instructions

Walkera

Walkera 38 User handbook

Hasbro

Hasbro TRANSFORMERS BUMBLEBEE manual

MD MXION SWD user manual

Mattel

Mattel Disney Pixar Cars Cozy Cone Spiral Rampway instructions

marklin

marklin 39671 user manual

Meccano

Meccano 15103 instructions

LEGO

LEGO TECHNIC 8735 instructions