7
• Returning back to the underframe,
there are 4 screws outside all corners
of the fuel tank (5), not to be confused
with the 2 larger ones on the front and
rear of the fuel tank that hold down the
motor mount. These 4 screws secure the
long hood to the chassis. Once these
are removed, return the locomotive
back right-side up on its wheels.
• Now that all the screws are removed, take hold of the long hood, and tilt it
SLIGHTLY forward (6). We say slightly because if you tilt it too far, you’ll break
the tab that locks the long hood into the frame (7). Breaking that will be seriously
bad news. Once the front tab is disengaged, you’ll be able to fully remove the
shell so that it may roam free across the flat plains of North Dakota. Ok, maybe
we got a little carried away there. How about South Dakota? Montana? Texas?
• Any requests for replacement hoods or cabs because you broke the little tabby
things will be met with laughter followed by a very polite suggestion that you find
a nearby lake and jump into it. We do suggest wearing appropriate attire when
jumping into the lake, and to not have your mobile phone on you when you jump
in (unless you have a bag or rice available).
OPERATION – DC (SILENT)
If your SW1200 locomotive is not equipped with a sound decoder, it should function
like most other HO scale locomotives. Put it on the track. Give it some juice. Watch it go.
If you are new to the hobby (or just like to occasionally “play trains”) and you have a
DC-powered train set, please contact us before operating your SW1200 as it may not
be safe (for your engine and/or your wallet) for you to use your controller.
Some train set throttles put out a very high maximum voltage that is not suitable for scale
model trains. The maximum recommended voltage is 16 volts DC. Similarly, controllers
designed for large scale trains put out a much higher voltage than your SW1200 can
handle.
If you use a train set throttle or a throttle designed for large scale trains, your locomotive’s
circuitry may end up looking like a bag of popcorn left in the microwave after you
accidentally punched in an extra digit into the timer. In such situations, we’ll try our
best to fix it for you. But we may have to charge you for the replacement parts and/or
the labour involved. That’s because you didn’t read this bit of the manual. In DC, the
number boards are always on and the headlights and ditch lights (when equipped) are
directional. The class lights are installed and wired, but they will not work in DC.
