All locomotives are DCC equipped and controlled with wireless throttles. Diesel locomotives are operated using Iowa Scaled Engineering’s ProtoThrottles. Steam locomotives are controlled using NCE radio cabs.
| For DIESEL | ProtoThrottles | |
| Lanyard | Please place the lanyard around your neck. | |
| Turn ON | Press MENU button ONCE; the engine number should be displayed. | |
| Direction | As in the prototype, first move the THROTTLE lever to IDLE, then select direction by moving the REVERSER handle to F (forward) or R (reverse). | |
| Speed | Notch THROTTLE to 1-8 to move the engine (typically no more than 4-5 is needed). The engine will continue to coast, even at IDLE. | |
| Brake | Just like the prototype, one must use the BRAKE to slow down or stop, otherwise the engine will continue coasting. Reduce THROTTLE to IDLE, then apply the brakes by moving the red BRAKE handle to the RIGHT; the farther you go, the more brakes are applied. Gently modulate to creep up to a car to couple. Moving the handle fully LEFT will release the brakes (and allow you to move the engine). | |
| Headlight | Knobs at bottom control rear & front headlights; set one or both to DIM | |
| Bell | Toggle ON & OFF with the brass-colored BELL button | |
| Horn | Gently pull the brown HORN handle towards you | |
| Turn OFF | THROTTLE to IDLE, BRAKE released (to the left), REVERSER in the center position & both HEADLIGHTS OFF; then press SELECT button for 1-2 seconds until POWER DOWN is shown; then press the DOWN button. | |
| Miscellaneous | • Unfamiliar screen appears: press & hold MENU button to return to the Home Screen • Throttle goes to sleep: press MENU button ONCE to turn back on • Engine not responding to throttle: double-check that the BRAKE has been released (completely to the left) • Toggle display backlight ON/OFF: press MENU button • Always feel free to ask for clarification |
Troubleshooting the ProtoThrottle
Inevitably, everyone has a problem with a ProtoThrottle. 99% of the time, it is one of the following…
| For STEAM… | NCE intermediate radio cab | |||
| Turn ON | Press HORN button ONCE | |||
| Select Loco | Press SELECT & enter engine number, then press ENTER | |||
| Direction | Toggle forward/reverse with DIRECTION button | |||
| Speed | Rotate knob clockwise to increase speed; counterclockwise to slow | |||
| Headlight | Press keypad 0 to turn ON | |||
| Bell | Toggle ON/OFF with keypad 1 | |||
| Whistle | Press HORN button (press keypad 3 for short whistle) | |||
| Turn OFF | While holding SHIFT/ESC button down, simultaneously press HORN | |||
| More fun Keypad functions for Steam Locomotives… | ||||
| Steam Release | Toggle ON/OFF with keypad 4 | |||
| Interior Cab Light | Toggle ON/OFF with keypad 5 | |||
| Class/Marker Lights | Toggle ON/OFF with keypad 6 | |||
| Mute Sound | Toggle ON/OFF with keypad 8 | |||
| Water | Toggle ON/OFF with keypad 9 |