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Xenon Light
The Xenon Light (or HID – High Intensity Discharge light) is used all the time as an ad-
ditional light source to illuminate the right of way. The light provides a bright almost
spotlight effect that shines out ahead of the locomotive to give the engineer even better
visibility and to warn the public again of an approaching train. We recommend you
turn this on whenever running the train, and please remember to turn it off well before
you dim the lights for stations or oncoming trains. This will blind your passengers from
a very long way away.
Emergency Horn
The Emergency Horn is used for emergencies. If you are approaching a level crossing
and the guy driving that 1975 Chevelle looks like he is off in La La Land, blast him with
the emergency horn. Use it for trespassers, bears, anti-vaccers, or anyone else you find
annoying. Yes, we're really going after the anti-vaccers in this manual. If you think vac-
cines are bad for your children or grandchildren and the kids don't have a clinically
proven allergy to a vaccine, you are an idiot.
Strobe Light
"Hey guys! The new F40 has a strobe light! Let's include a working one on the model!"
Yeah – that was a complete waste of time. The real F40 strobe light ONLY goes on
when the engine was not shut down correctly to alert shop crews of this fact. I wish I had
known that BEFORE specifying the model features. In the summer the shutdown method
makes no difference but in the winter if an engine with Hotstart (remote start) is shut
down incorrectly it could cause damage to the locomotive, such as frozen components
and pipes because the normal shutdown/start up sequence has been cancelled. Press-
ing the emergency shutdown switch instead of the normal shutdown switch would cause
this light to flash but you would not normally ever see it flashing under normal operating
procedures. So if you are operating on a friend's layout, make the strobe flash after
shutdown just to freak out your host, especially if it is his engine.
LOCOMOTIVE ADDRESS
Your Rapido F40PH-2D comes from the factory with a decoder address of 3. We suggest
if you are using DCC control that you first test that the locomotive responds on address 3.
Once you have verified that the locomotive is responding you should assign it a unique
address (we suggest the road number of the locomotive) before going any further. This
can be done either on your programming track (recommended) or on the main if your
system supports programming on the main. Be aware however that if you do program
the locomotive on the main and you have any other locomotives on your layout assigned
to address 3 (the normal default address for new locomotives) that ALL of them will likely
also be changed to your new address!
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