Rapido GMD-1 User manual

FRANÇAIS AU VERSO

GMD-1

GMD-1 LOCOMOTIVE PRODUCT GUIDELINES

Thank you for purchasing this model of Canada’s most unique locomotive, the GMD-1.

This is the ﬁrst freight locomotive produced by Rapido and the ﬁrst locomotive produced

by the MLW factory. (Funny that MLW’s ﬁrst model is a GMDD prototype.... don’t tell

any Alco fans!)

As always - but especially as this is the ﬁrst locomotive from the MLW factory - please do

not hesitate to contact us should there be anything wrong with your model. Whether you

have a warranty issue (missing parts, exploding model, etc.), a question (“Why won’t

the class lights work with my 87-year-old AC controller?”) or a comment (“Mmmm....

GMD-1. Aaaarrrglglglhhhh.”) please give us a shout. More warranty information is

available towards the back of this manual.

You can reach us by email: [email protected], by phone (1-855-LRC-6917 or

+1-905-474-3314) or by snail mail at the address below.

Please do not send any models back to us without ﬁrst speaking to us to get authoriza-

tion. You’d be amazed at how many models arrive at our location with no documenta-

tion whatsoever. And if models get sent to one of our old addresses, they might as well

have been beamed into the mouth of a wormhole as we’ll never see them.

If you’ve ﬁnally got around to opening this model after your retirement in 2042, you’re

on your own. Sorry.

Rapido Trains Inc.

500 Alden Road, Unit 16

Markham, Ontario

L3R 5H5 Canada

Tel. (905) 474-3314 - Toll Free 1-855-LRC-6917

Fax. (905) 474-3325

Email. [email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Nomenclature ...................................................................................................4

Break-In ............................................................................................................4

Prototype Practices .............................................................................................4

How to Hold Your GMD-1...................................................................................5

Extra Stuff in the Box .........................................................................................5

What is that Empty Space on the Roof? ................................................................ 6

Sand Boxes .......................................................................................................6

Checking and Adjusting Your Locomotive..............................................................6

Missing or Damaged Parts ..................................................................................7

Removing the Shell.............................................................................................7

Operation – DC (Silent) ......................................................................................8

Installing a Decoder ...........................................................................................8

Operation – DCC/DC with Sound .......................................................................9

• Locomotive Address ...............................................................................9

• Turn On the Sound ............................................................................... 10

• Functions ............................................................................................10

• Functions: More Information ..................................................................11

• Horns .................................................................................................12

• Sound Volume Settings .........................................................................13

• Sound Volume Settings Chart ................................................................14

• Factory Reset ......................................................................................14

• Awesome Slow Speed Thingy ...............................................................15

• More Information ................................................................................15

• Limited Lifetime Warranty .....................................................................15

• Acknowledgements ..............................................................................16

GMD-1 DCC FUNCTION QUICK REFERENCE

F0 HEADLIGHT

F1 BELL

F2 HORN

F3 STRAIGHT TO 8 (ON/OFF)

F5 DOPPLER HORN

F7 DIMMER

F8 STARTUP/MUTE/SHUTDOWN

F9 NUMBER BOARDS

F10 CLASS LIGHTS

F11 BRAKE

F12 SWITCHING MODE

NOMENCLATURE

You’ll notice that we only refer to the GMD-1 as the GMD-1, with a hyphen between the

D and the 1. Some early sources such as Extra 2200 South used the incorrect “GMD1”

and that incorrect name has become popular, but after a lot of digging we have deter-

mined that the hyphen should ALWAYS be there.

When we made the FP9A, it was a matter of choosing whichever name we thought was

best. GMD refers to both “FP9” and “FP9A” in the pages of one locomotive manual, and

CN refers to it as FP9 and FP9A, not to mention FP-9A and FP9-A. So there were plenty

of names to choose from!

But the GMD-1 does not have a similar plethora of options. The original locomotive

manual, the original documents from CN, and even the blueprints from General Motors

all unanimously refer to the locomotive as a GMD-1. These are what are called primary

sources – documents produced by the locomotive manufacturer and owner. The docu-

ments that refer to “GMD1” are secondary sources usually produced by railfans.

It’s obvious to us which sources should be trusted, and we hope it’s obvious to you too.

So it’s the GMD-1 from now on!

BREAK-IN

No, we don’t mean you should sneak into your buddy’s layout room when he’s on vaca-

tion to steal his GMD-1s. Instead you should buy more of your own.

Every locomotive needs a break-in period. Your GMD-1 has been tested at the factory...

for about 30 seconds. That is not enough time to get the gears to mesh nicely or to even

out any jerky operation in a new motor. We suggest that, after reading this manual, you

put your GMD-1 on a test loop and just let it run in each direction for an hour or two.

Fast and slow.

There already should be enough grease in the gearbox so you don’t need to add any.

Just let the thing run.

PROTOTYPE PRACTICES

The GMD-1 almost always operated in groups of two or three, and sometimes up to

ﬁve in a train. If you ordered just this one, call your hobby shop immediately and see if

they have any more. If they are sold out, sign up for our email newsletter so you won’t

miss the next production announcement and you can get your locomotive a companion.

You’ll make your engine even happier if you buy it ten companions. GMD-1 locomotives

feel more conﬁdent and less anxious when they are in a pack...

The 1000-series GMD-1 locomotives were not equipped with steam generators. If you

wish to pull a passenger train with a pair of 1000s, you will need a Steam Generator

Unit behind it. Fortunately, we manufacture those too!

Our model will pull far more than the prototype. Please ignore that and order more.

HOW TO HOLD YOUR GMD-1

The GMD-1 has numerous very delicate parts. If you want to back date it to be the qual-

ity of a model produced in 1978, then rip all the parts off. We’re assuming you don’t

want to do that, so the GMD-1 should be picked up carefully. The fuel tank and the

middle of the long hood are both easily accessed and well balanced — if your hands

are big enough, the best way to pick up the unit is to grab it from above with your thumb

and foreﬁnger on either side of the fuel tank. Always make sure your hands are free

of shmutz before touching your engine. I suppose a 1:1 ﬁngerprint could look like the

remains of an HO scale zebra that wandered onto the tracks, but I doubt that is the look

you are aiming for on your layout.

If you are taking your GMD-1 to the club all the time and regularly handling it, stuff will

break off. We suggest wrapping your GMD-1 in a plastic bag before placing it in the

packaging or in your holder so you can catch bits that fall off. White glue is the recom-

mended adhesive for reattaching the bits, although you can also use CA if you are very

careful and very brave.

EXTRA STUFF IN THE BOX

You can run your GMD-1 right out of the box. You don’t need to add anything to it as

all of the basic grab irons and other details are installed. (The exception is the area on

the long hood above the radiator for CN 1954 1000-series models. If that applies to

you, see the next section.)

However, every GMD-1 locomotive is unique. Different crews in different parts of the

country added extra grab irons and other details as and when they were needed. It is

impossible for us to install all of these extra parts at the factory because, during the lifes-

pan of a given paint scheme, a set of grab irons could be removed and replaced with

a ladder, and then the ladder removed and replaced with a set of stairs. If we chose to

install the stairs, the loco detailing would be wrong for those guys who model an earlier

year.

The same holds true for the all-weather windows and sun shades and wind deﬂectors on

the cab. On most units, we installed the sun shade and wind deﬂectors on the ﬁreman‘s

side because they remained there throughout the model’s service life. But the engineer’s

side received an all-weather window around 1974. Because the 1954 scheme and the

1961 scheme both lasted well past 1974, we left everything off the engineer’s side. You

can choose to install the all-weather window or the wind deﬂectors according to the year

you are modelling. As to whether or not to install the sun shade, refer to photos.

We had to make some decisions that will make the model inaccurate for the earliest

classes in the very early days, so all units have spark arrestors installed and all have

frame-mounted handrails. Note that all 1000-series GMD-1s from the second order on-

ward were delivered with frame-mounted handrails, and that all 1000-series GMD-1s

from the fourth order onward were delivered with spark arrestors. So if you are model-

ling 1959 and you want 100% accurate details, look at photos of your chosen unit

before you start hacking away at your model. You may not need to.

The vast majority of early-order units were modernized with spark arrestors and frame-

mounted handrails by 1965.

We suggest you refer to photos on www.cnrphotos.com and either ﬁnd your speciﬁc

number or look for other locomotives in the year you are modelling for guidance as to

what details to include and what to leave off. You will ﬁnd just about all of the details you

need to accurately customize your locomotive in the polybags hidden in the foam insert.

WHAT IS THAT EMPTY SPACE ON THE ROOF?

For CN 1954 1000-series engines, we were in a quandary. All of these were delivered

with standard radiator covers which were replaced on most units by tall radiator shutter

frames starting in 1966 . As the units stayed in 1954 colours into the 1980s, we didn’t

feel we could force the later guys to hack off the normal rad covers or force the earlier

guys to hack off the shutter frames. So we didn’t install either of them.

If you are modelling the late 1950s or early 1960s, install the standard, low covers. If

you are modelling the late 1960s or later, install the tall shutter frames.

We recommend using white glue sparingly to install the parts. If it oozes, you can clean

it up with a damp cotton swab or a damp tissue or even a clean toothpick. White glue

will not leave a permanent stain on your model the way CA does.

SAND BOXES

The GMD-1 was delivered with eight sand boxes, and these were mounted to the trucks.

They are included with all the extra detail parts. If you install all of them on your 1000-se-

ries loco you will need a huge minimum radius and really easy vertical curves... But nev-

er fear! CN removed them over time, ﬁrst cutting them down to four and then to none.

In our opinion, reliable operation is more important than installing a detail that might

cause you a big headache. If you plan to actually run your GMD-1, just leave them off.

CHECKING AND ADJUSTING YOUR LOCOMOTIVE

We try and make sure that every locomotive is perfectly up to spec before it leaves the

factory, but if the karaoke was particularly good the night before your model was as-

sembled there may be a couple of bugs. Doing a quick pre-service check will solve most

operational glitches.

• Check to see that all wheelsets are correctly in gauge using an NMRA RP-2

Standards Gauge. Should any of the wheelsets be out of gauge, than remove the

affected wheelset from the truck by prying off the bottom lid of the gearbox with

a small ﬂat screwdriver. The wheelset can be regauged by grabbing each wheel

and twisting. Reverse the steps to replace the wheelset, and ensure the gearbox

cover is snapped into place before placing on the track.

• Checkthatallunderbodypipingandappliancesarermlyinstalledandclearof

the track. Of particular note are the air hoses on the ends of the locomotive and

both coupler trip pins. Bend up any low coupler trip pins so they don’t interfere

with your switches and crossings. We recommend using Kadee part #237 (Trip

Pin Pliers) or Micro-Mark part #80600 (Trip Pin Bending Plier).

• Makesurethatthetrucksswivelfreelyandwithoutbinding.Iftheycatchonany-

thing, check to ensure that the ends of the trucks don’t bind against the steps. If

they do, see that everything is ﬁrmly installed.

MISSING OR DAMAGED PARTS

If you open your GMD-1 box and discover that something has obviously been bumped

in transit and is damaged, please contact us. We know that some of you don’t like to

touch your models, but if it is a matter of gluing a spark arrestor back on you can do it

yourself in less than a minute with a drop of white glue. If you really want to send your

model back to us for us to install that spark arrestor, we would be happy to. But if you

do send it back to us for us to put that one part back on and other stuff falls off when we

send it back to you, then tough tooties. We’re not ﬁxing it again.

If you see some grab irons are missing, read the section above about “Extra Stuff in the

Box” and it may well be that we left off those grabs deliberately. If there are big gaping

holes where grab irons obviously fell out, then please give us a shout as that should not

be the case! More information about our limited lifetime warranty can be found towards

the end of this manual.

REMOVING THE SHELL

If you need to open up your GMD-1 (to install a crew, install a decoder, etc.) it is actually

quite easy to do. Just be sure to remember these important points:

• Wehaveatransporterlockonthemolecularpatternofyourlocomotive.Ifsome-

thing pops off while you are removing the shell, our starship’s transporters will

automatically lock on to the little part and beam it directly into the heart of the sun.

Don’t bother looking for it. It’s gone. You might hear the transporter effect as the

part is beamed away. I know it would have been more useful for us to beam the

part back onto your workbench but someone’s been ﬁddling with our transporters

and we haven’t been able to ﬁx them. Sorry.

• Tothatend,pleasemakeeveryefforttoensurenothingiesaway.Workona

clean, white surface. In fact, paint all the walls, the ﬂoor and the ceiling white,

wear white coveralls, and remove everything else from within a three-mile radius

of your workbench, especially (but not limited to) vegetation, people and wind.

• Turnthelocomotiveupsidedowninafoamcradle(paintedwhite,ofcourse)and

remove the coupler screws. Pull the coupler boxes out of the ends and turn the

loco right-way up. Now wiggle the shell off. Carefully. Remember the transporter

lock.

• That’sit,really.

• No,really.

OPERATION – DC (SILENT)

If your GMD-1 locomotive is not equipped with a sound decoder, it should function like

most other HO scale locomotives. The gear ratio is 14:1 so there is a good chance that

it will MU (multiple unit) with your existing ﬂeet. Put it on the track. Give it some juice.

Watch it go.

But please note that we can’t guarantee that your GMD-1 will actually MU with locomo-

tives from other manufacturers. There are just too many variables involved - things like

how much or how little drag the gearbox has, the speed of the motor itself or the current

draw of the lighting. All of these affect how a unit runs and what its start voltage will be.

The gear ratio is only one factor, albeit a big one.

(Of course, you can easily ensure that all of your locomotives from all manufacturers MU

smoothly together by upgrading your layout to DCC. Jason likes to say that DC is a great

system, but so was Betamax...)

In DC, the number boards are always on and the headlights are directional. The class

lights are installed and wired, but they will not work in DC.

INSTALLING A DECODER

The GMD-1 contains an ESU-designed motherboard which is connected to the track,

motor and lighting outputs. A blind plug is attached to the motherboard using a 21-pin

connector. To install a decoder, remove the blind plug and install a 21-pin decoder

(recommended) or a 21-pin adapter to attach an 8-pin or a 9-pin decoder. Your chosen

decoder should have six function outputs.

We recommend the following 21-pin decoders:

• ESU#54615-LokPilotV4.0DCCwith21MTC

• TCS#EU621-BEMFsix-functiondecoder

We feel the 21-pin connectors are superior because there are enough pins to ensure that

all your lighting functions are connected. The necessary resistors are included on our

ESU-designed motherboard so you don’t have to futz around with resistors. Just plug in

one of the two recommended decoders and you have DCC.

ESU has made a GMD-1 function mapping which can be downloaded into their non-

sound decoder (54615) so that the function buttons and motor control are exactly the

same as our factory-released sound versions. This is available for download on the

GMD-1 page in the Support section of our web site. You will need an ESU LokProgram-

mer to write the function mapping to the 54615 decoder. If you don’t have a LokPro-

grammer, you can adjust CVs in the usual way.

The silent ESU 54615 decoder with our GMD-1 settings can be purchased prepro-

grammed from your favourite retailer. Just order ESU item number 91644. As the sound

version uses custom sounds we recorded ourselves, the GMD-1 sound ﬁle is not avail-

able as a download from ESU. We will be selling GMD-1 sound decoders separately; if

they aren’t on our web site by the time you read this, call Jason and yell at him.

OPERATION – DCC/DC WITH SOUND

We go to extreme lengths for accuracy, in sounds as well as in looks. Our sound decod-

ers are LokSound Select decoders by ESU, programmed with sounds we recorded from

GMD-1 #1118 on the Alberta Prairie Railway in Stettler, Alberta. 1118’s guts are origi-

nal, so the sounds are correct for the 1000-series and 1900-series GMD-1 locomotives.

Most importantly, we recorded 1118 under load, pulling 12 covered hoppers at a good

clip along the Alberta Prairie “mainline.” Locomotives sound different when they are

working. We were one of the ﬁrst manufacturers to record locomotives under load for

our sound decoders, and while others have since followed in our footsteps few manu-

facturers are as insane about it as we are. You know we’ve done everything possible to

ensure the model sounds right — we even have wheel slip!

More detailed decoder instructions, including all sorts of weird CV settings we don’t

understand, can be found in the ESU Loksound Select decoder manual. This is available

for download on the GMD-1 page in the Support section of our web site.

LOCOMOTIVE ADDRESS

Your Rapido/MLW GMD-1 comes from the factory with a decoder address of 3. We

suggest if you are using DCC control that you ﬁrst test that the locomotive responds on

address 3. Once you have veriﬁed that the locomotive is responding you should assign

it a unique address (we suggest the road number of the locomotive) before going any

further. This can be done either on your programming track (recommended) or on the

main if your system supports programming on the main. Be aware however that if you

do program the locomotive on the main and you have any other locomotives on your

layout assigned to address 3 (the normal default address for new locomotives) that ALL

of them will likely also be changed to your new address!

TURN ON THE SOUND

Press F8. It will start up. That was easy enough. If you press F8 when the locomotive is

already moving, it will skip the startup and the sound will just turn on. Press F8 again to

turn the sound off.

Note that if you are listening to your GMD-1 idling nicely and then you select another

engine, your GMD-1 still thinks F8 is pressed so it will keep idling along. However, if

someone else selects your GMD-1’s number and F8 isn’t pressed on his or her controller,

the GMD-1 will promptly shut down. He or she will need to press F8 again.

Ah, bless... We’re being gender neutral by saying “he or she” when 99.999% of model

railroaders are male. Suzanne we hope you appreciate that.

If you are operating with sound on a DC layout, the sounds won’t come on until the volt-

age is up around six volts or more. This is normal.

FUNCTIONS

F0 Headlights

F1 Bell

F2 Horn

F3 Straight to 8

F4 Sarco Valve (Spitter) - Slow

F5 Doppler Horn

F6 Sarco Valve (Spitter) - Fast

F7 Dimmer

F8 Startup/Mute/Shutdown

F9 Number Boards

F10 Class Lights

F11 Brake

F12 Switching Mode

F18 Brake Set/Release

F19 Air Release

F20 Sarco After Shutdown

Other manuals for GMD-1

Table of contents

Other Rapido Toy manuals

Rapido

Rapido GMD-1 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