15
way to turn on both the front and rear headlights at the same time. Press F12 again to
turn off the switching mode and return to your regularly scheduled lighting.
F14 Head-End Power
You’re probably thinking to yourself “Why does my RS-18 come with a HEP sound
effect? They never had HEP!” and to that we would tell you that you’re wrong. Did
you seriously forget about the Tempo? Every time someone forgets about the Tempo, a
random Rapido employee starts doing the moonwalk uncontrollably around the office.
I mean, it’s hilarious, but when they’re in the middle of a meeting or trying to split an
atom, it’s not an ideal outcome. So please stop forgetting about the Tempo, press F14,
and hear the unmistakable roar of the HEP generator come to life. If you don’t want your
passengers to have heat and hydro, press F14 again to turn the HEP off. Skinflint.
F16 Steam Generator
Press F16 at any time to start up the steam. Why did we include this when RS-18s don’t
have steam generators? Many fleets of RS-18s came equipped with pass-through steam
lines, so there’s a good chance you’re running one in passenger service. So if you have
a Rapido Steam Generator Car nearby or a non-sound equipped unit that has a steam
generator, your RS-18 can pinch-hit with accurate steam sounds. We’ve moved this out
to the back woods of functions because there’s a solid chance you might be running a
freight train and, as such, don’t need steam heat.
When you accelerate, the volume of the steam generator gets lower as you wouldn’t
hear it as clearly when the train is moving. If you want MORE STEAM you can adjust the
volume of the steam generator by adjusting the CV value. Please refer to Sound Volume
Settings section before attempting this.
F18 Ground Lights
The ground lights are on all the time by default, and we think the design improvement
from the original SW1200RS inspection lights means that we created yet another
monster and then made it even better! But should you want to turn them off, just press
F18. We originally called these Track Inspection Lights, but were dutifully corrected by
Richard that the switch in the cab said “ground lights”.
F19 Number Board Lights
The number boards are on all the time as a default. We hate having to turn number
boards back on after a power failure. If you want to turn off the number boards, just
press F19.
F20 Spitter Valve
To save you from the saliva clean-up should you try to mimic the sound of the spitter
valve, we’ve provided it’s sporadic sounds on F20. By default it’s always on, as the real
thing would always be going when the locomotive is running (and for a few minutes
after it’s shut down). But if you prefer to not hear it at all, just press F20 to silence the spit.