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Austrains 80 Class Diesel Locomotives 

DCC Sound Installation with LED Headlights

Now available with our NEW Remastered Custom Sound Project

including "Full Throttle - Drive Hold" feature

About the NSW 80 Class

The 80 class are a class of diesel locomotives built by Comeng for the Public Transport Commission between 1978 and 1983.

They were an evolution of the 442 class and were the first locomotives in Australia to feature factory-fitted cab air-conditioning and fibreglass body panels and the first in New South Wales delivered without buffing plates. To reduce the need for repainting, the fibreglass panels were pre-coloured hence the class retained their original liveries for longer than had previously on locomotives.


An initial order of 30 was followed by an additional order for 20. The first order were delivered in Indian red livery, while the second received the reverse livery with a yellow nose and Indian red wings. They were initially introduced on the Main South line before being transferred to the western region for use between Lithgow and Broken Hill. They quickly spread and regularly hauled freight and passenger services on all main lines.

After being fitted with Australian National radios in 1990, locos 8034-8045 commenced operating through to Adelaide but ended in May 1991. Following the formation of National Rail, all were reallocated to the national operator in July 1995 and this saw their operations extended to Melbourne, albeit as trailing locomotives. Following National Rail taking delivery of the NR class locomotives, the 80 class loco began to return to FreightCorp in January 1997 and as they were surplus to their requirements, 30 of them were put in storage by April 1997. All were included in the sale of FreightCorp to Pacific National in February 2002.

Pacific National operate 12 mainly as shunters at Enfield, Kewdale, Port Waratah, Port Augusta and Port Kembla with 10 in store at Chullora and Werris Creek.

Twenty-seven have been scrapped and only 8006 has been preserved.

DCC with Sound and Light Modifications

In 1997, Austrains released the 80 Class locomotive, which was a DC only model.

The model has operating 12 volt incandescent bulbs for headlights, which in DC will operate directionally.

In 2009, Austrains released a 2nd run under their new "BASIX" range brand name, which was DC only and bulbs for headlights.

Both these models can be converted to DCC or DCC with sound, so they can run with the Auscision 80 Class model.


For this DCC installation, we recommend the ESU LokSound 5 (Sound) with our remastered Custom Sound Project for the NSW 80 Class or the LokPilot 5 (No Sound) for those not wishing sound.

Our Custom Sound Project is NOT the Generic sound file from ESU and Auscision.....It's Better!

And it does contain prototypical recorded sounds.


Add LED headlights to the Austrains 80 Class

Here at DCC Solutions, we offer a lighting upgrade for the Austrains 80 Class to replace both 12 volt incandescent bulbs with LEDs.


Unlike ESU/Auscision factory sound which uses 2 sound slots to operate the lights, our light modification does not use any sound slots for lighting, so all the 10 sound processing channels are available to play sounds when using all the lighting, so you will get the full sound experience all the time.

The DCC Solutions NSW 80 Class Custom Sound Project

is packed with sounds and features not found on other sound decoders,

especially factory fitted sound

Factory Fitted Sound only offers you the very basic sound 

So why not get fully featured sound from DCC Solutions

Our Custom Sound Project now includes these fantastic features:

Custom Built NSW 80 Class Sound Project

This is not just a basic factory sound project but a completely custom-built sound project by DCC Solutions that contains recorded sounds with customised sound programming plus extra features that will make your NSW 80 Class Austrains model a uniquely, impressive driving and sounding loco that will turn heads! 

Full Throttle – Drive Hold

This feature allows you to simulate a hard-working loaded train by pressing the F1 function button. When the button is pressed, the motor will remain at a constant speed, while the sound can be controlled independently by adjusting the speed on the throttle, so this can simulate a hard-working locomotive. This exciting feature gives the operator the ability to have the loco crawling in notch 8 or coasting at 100 km/h along the track. Release the Drive Hold function button, and you simply go back to throttle-controlled speed, motion and sound. Available only from DCC Solutions, our Drive Hold will stop your loco when you reduce the speed to zero, even while the function is still active. Your ESU factory sound or sound from other providers will not stop your loco at speed step 0 with the drive hold switched on, which can damage your model because you ran into something.

Coasting On Demand

This feature allows you to enter coasting mode whenever you want with a press of a button. Often, when coming to a stop, the throttle of a real locomotive is put into idle and the locomotive coasts to a stop. Another situation that occurs is that once a train is up to speed when operating over rolling countryside, the driver can coast to maintain a certain speed. By pressing the coast function button, the sound drops into coasting and remains there. Using the throttle speed control, you can now speed up or slow down the train, with the sound remaining in coasting mode. Press the function button to exit coasting, the sound will return to the speed that's set when exiting.

Working Brake

Press the Brake Function button, and your locomotive will come to a stop at a much shorter distance than if you were to bring it to a stop by reducing the throttle speed. Release the brake and your locomotive will move off again, or choose to have it remain stationary when the brake is released. The brake can also be used while driving to slow the locomotive up.

Working Dynamic Brake

Apply the Dynamic Brakes and the Prime Mover will wind down to idle and slow up, then the Dynamic Fans engage to assist with cooling. Reduce the throttle, and the decoder's dynamic braking logic will reduce your speed faster than normal. Disengage Dynamic Braking and the primer mover will return to it's notched speed and the fans will turn off.

Brake Squeal on Deceleration

Activate this function and when you reduce the throttle speed, your locomotive will begin braking and slow up quicker as you continue to lower the throttle speed, and you will hear the squeal of the brakes. Accelerating will release the brakes.

Random Start-up Sequences with Move Off and Stopping Sounds

Now, with random start-up sequences, your start-up and shut down will not always sound the same.

As your locomotive begins to move off you will hear the sounds of brakes releasing with random speed activated wheel squeal, rail noises and other sounds. Some of these sounds are random or speed sensitive that will turn on/off automatically depending on your take-off speed. When the locomotive comes to a stop you will hear the squeal of the brakes, air releases and then the compressor will cut in automatically to fill the reservoirs with air until full and will cut out.

Remastered Horn Sounds

New remastered NSW Nathan P5 playable and short blast horn.

Random Sounds

While the factory fitted sound will only offer you 1-2 random sounds, DCC Solutions will have up to 10 random sounds that will play when either the loco is stopping or moving, to create even more realism to running your model.

Manual Notching

For those who really want to drive their train and manually control the notching rather than letting the decoder do it.

And includes all these great features to make your Austrains 80 Class model drive and sound impressive

  • ALCo 12-251CE Turbo NSW 80 Class Custom Built Sound Project

  • NSW Nathan P5 Short Blast and Playable Horn

  • Random Start-up sequences, including Automatic Hot or Cold Engine Start

  • Air and Brake Release Sounds when loco moves off and stops, including Brake Squeal

  • When the loco stops after braking, the compressor cuts in to fill the reservoir and will turn off when the tanks are full

  • Speed sensitive Wheel Squeal and Rail Noise when the loco moves off

  • Full Throttle Drive Hold - Lock the loco speed and control the sound independently to simulate a heavy loaded or empty train

  • Coasting On Demand

  • Working Brake to bring your locomotive to a stop even when Full Throttle Drive Hold is active, unlike other ESU sound files

  • Proper Working Dynamic Brakes: When activated, automatically slows down with Dynamic braking, cooling fans operate 

  • Directional Coupling and Release with brake line release plus auto active shunting mode to reduce the speed of the loco

  • Stop & Drive Random Sounds including fans, compressor, rail noise, track wheel squeal, air releases and more!

  • NSW 80 class compressor

  • Wheel Squeal

  • Brake Squeal on deceleration and off on acceleration

  • Guard's Whistle

  • Manual Notching - manually control the notching rather than letting the decoder do it

  • And more (See below for full list)

  • Modified Lighting Option for new LED Headlights

  • Low beam to High beam Headlight operation

  • Motor settings tuned for slow speed performance, perfect for shunting

  • Sound volumes tuned to specifically suit the Austrains 80 Class Locomotive Model using the DCC Solutions speaker

  • Play 10 different sounds simultaneously

  • Individual sounds slots and master sound volumes can be adjusted by the user to suit personal requirements

  • DCC Solutions High Performance Dynamic Speaker producing fantastic sound

  • Full function button remapping to suit your personal requirements

  • This Sound Project is also suitable for other brands of 80 Class Models

DCC INSTALLATION AND MODIFICATION FEATURES

Standard DCC Installation: Non-sound decoder with no lighting modifications

Premium Sound Installation: ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder with our Custom NSW 80 Class Sound Project-No light modifications

Premium Sound Installation and Headlight Modification: Upgrade the headlights to LEDs plus our ESU LokSound 5 Custom 80 Class Sound Project

DCC Solutions SOUND and FUNCTION Labels

Premium Sound Installation and Light Modification using the ESU LokSound 5

F0    Directional Headlights

F1    Full Throttle Drive Hold

F2    NSW 80 Class Horn

F3    High Beam Headlight

F4    Dynamic Brakes

F5    Coasting on Demand

F6    Brake

F7    Brake Squeal on Deceleration

F8    Prime Mover Start Up/Shut Down/Mute

F9    Reserved (Light Mods)

F10  Reserved (Light Mods)

F11  Reserved (Light Mods)

F12  Reserved (Light Mods)

F13  Reserved (Light Mods)

F14  Reserved (Light Mods)

F15  Fan

F16  Compressor

F17  Coupling /Uncoupling + DCCS Shunting Mode

F18  Wheel Squeal

F19  Guard's Whistle

F20  Sanding Valve

F21  Volume Fader - Reduces Sound 50%

F22  Front Headlight

F23  Manual Handbrake Ratchet Set/Release

F24  Spitter Valves

F25  Manual Notching

F26  Notch Up / Short Air Release

F27  Notch Down / Cab Door

F28  Rail Clank

Note: The above functions are for the LokSound 5 Decoder programmed with DCC Solutions Premium Custom Sound Installation with Light Modification.

The functions and sounds will be different from any standard generic ESU Sound Files or other Sound Decoders. To learn how to use these functions, see the Info & Help page.

All functions can be reprogrammed to suit your own personal requirements.

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