14
F14 Emergency Light
Much like the Gyralite, some roads (ok, it was just SP) equipped their locomotives with
an emergency light that would come on with a loss of air (basically, an emergency
brake application). Your actual locomotive is not equipped with real working air brakes,
so we’re leaving this to a function button. Like most other lights, pressing F14 toggles
between on and off.
F16 Cab Light
Need to read your orders? Can’t find your coffee? Now where’d I put my lunchbox? No
problem. Just turn on the cab light using F16. If you’ve resolved what you have to do, or
you’re done with your coffee, hit F16 again to turn the light back off.
F17 Flashing Beacon (if equipped)
How is it possible we still have yet another beacon? I mean, I’ve lost count now. Imagine
if one locomotive had all these light functions? It’d be a disco rave! Either way, F17
toggles the flashing beacon on/off, but only if your unit is equipped with one. If not, it
will do nothing. Absolutely nothing.
F18 Turn off Track Inspection Lights
These lights shine down onto the roadbed. Why did we include them? Because they
look neat, of course. Oh, and your engineer will be happy at night when he’s making a
shove. By default, they are on. Pressing F18 will turn them off.
F19 Turn Off Number Boards
The number boards are lit by default, a big improvement over many of our early models.
It was annoying when you’d lose power because of a short somewhere else on the
layout and then you had to go through the tedious task of turning your number boards
back on. If you really want them off, press F19.
F20 and F21 Air Dryer (Spitter Valve)
To save you from the saliva clean-up should you try to mimic the sound of the spitter
valve, we’ve provided its 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
.
HORNS AND BELLS
... AND MORE!
Ah, yes. The part where we describe how every SW we’ve seen has a different horn.
Some have the melodramatic single chime “blat” horns (Leslie S-25), some have a three-
chime Leslie S-3 or Nathan P-3 horn, or for the NH fans, a Hancock tooter. (That’s the
one that sounds like a wimpy whistle...OK, Bobby’s really fired now.) But if you really
want to, you can just blurt out loud: HONK HONK! ...Wait, how did this make it through
editing? And not only horns, but we’ve got bells, brake squeal and even different sound
recordings for the air dryer! How cool is that?
