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If you have a DCC system that only allows eight functions, you can remap the
functions following the guidelines in the ESU LokSound V5 manual, which can be
downloaded from the support section of our web site. Or you can upgrade to a
newer DCC system, which may be less stressful.
F9 Full Throttle
ESU’s “Full Throttle” feature allows you to play the prime mover of your RS-18 like a
musical instrument. When you press F9, you turn on “drive hold.” This keeps the speed
of the engine constant at whatever speed step your throttle happens to be on. Then as
you increase the throttle, you hear the prime mover revving up. This sounds awesome,
whether you’re taking off from a commuter station stop at warp speed, or trying to get
that long, slow freight over the grade.
“Full Throttle” is even neater when you throttle down, as it allows you to simulate
“coasting” which is such an important part of running a real train. When you press
F9 again you turn off “Full Throttle” and the engine will accelerate or decelerate to
whatever speed step your throttle happens to be on. For realism it’s a good idea to take
note of what speed step your throttle was on when you turned on “Full Throttle” and be
back at that speed step when you turn “Full Throttle” off. Otherwise your RS-18 may fly
like a bird.
F10 Brake
F10 works just like the brakes on a real engine. Press F10 and you put on the brakes.
Turn off F10 and the brakes come off so you start moving again. When we started
making sound-equipped engines, very few people used the brake function. However,
ESU’s Drive Hold feature has made the brake function more popular. So we’ve moved it
up to F10 to match the ESU standard.
F11 Classification Lights
We’ve stepped up our game with the most Canadian thing we can think of on a
locomotive … CLASS LIGHTS! Now by pressing just one button, you can cycle through
almost any colour you want. White. Green. Red. Blue. Pink. Fuchsia. Cyan. Ok, maybe
some of those aren’t available. When you press F11, you’ll get a colour. Press F11
again to turn off the class lights. Press F11 yet again and you’ll get the next colour.
We’re sure you get the idea now. Oh, and they’re directional too.
Information on Canadian class lights and what the colours mean can be found on the
internet, so we hope that you will learn to use them appropriately.
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. This is the only