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Austrains CL-CLF-CLP Class Diesel Locomotive 

DCC Sound Installation with Light Modification

Now available with our NEW Remastered Custom Sound Project

including "Full Throttle - Drive Hold" feature

About the CL-CLF-CLP Class Locomotive

The CL class were a class of 17 diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Government Railways between 1970 and 1972, to work freight and passenger services on the Trans Australian line. They were some of the first 3000 horsepower locos to see service in Australia. 

In 1992, Morrison Knudsen Australia purchased the class from Australian National Railways (ANR) for remanufacturing. This process brought the class up to modern standards, with numerous changes throughout the mechanical and electrical systems. At this point, they were converted into two subgroups, 7 CLF (for Freight) and 10 CLP (for Passenger). The main difference was the fitting of Head End Power to the CLP type for passenger duties. Following the rebuild, they were leased back to ANR under a 12-year arrangement. They took up their intended duties as they re-entered service in 1993 and 1994. As a result of the structural problems resulting from the transfer of functions to National Rail Corporation, and growing debt levels, the Commonwealth Government decided to sell ANR in 1996, so this class ending up with the successful bidder for the freight operations, GWI Australia, in late 1997. Their Australia Southern Railway became part of the larger Australian Railroad Group (ARG) in 2000, following GWI’s purchase of Westrail. Queensland Rail (QR) purchased the WA and NSW operations of ARG in 2006, with the acquisition also including ARG’s Melbourne to Adelaide P&O intermodal service. At this time, five CLF class were working this traffic, and were allocated to QR. Five CLP class were part of ARG’s NSW Manildra fleet, also joining QR. The other seven remained with the scaled-down GWA for mostly SA operations. QR’s fleet has been concentrated on intermodal services since then, with their use expanding to nationwide as QR National’s services. Locomotive power shortages as the services increased often saw the class in front-line use, although the delivery of nine 6020 class in late 2012 enabled the withdrawal of all from mainline use. 

CLF 4 is currently the only unit operating in a support role, with the majority of the others currently stored near Albury in NSW.


DCC with Sound and Light Modification

The Austrains CL-CLF-CLP Class was released in 2007 and includes an 8 Pin socket for fitting a DCC decoder. The model included an LED headlight plus ditch lights. In DC/DCC, the headlights and ditch lights operated directional together.


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


We offer a light modification for the Austrains CL-CLF-CLP Class to separate the lights for a more prototypical operation

Standard factory lighting in the model has all lights “ON” in the direction of travel, requiring just 1 function lighting outputs in DCC.

Upgraded from the factory standard 1 to 2 Function lighting outputs with the DCC Solutions light modification where we will separate the front headlights, and ditch lights for individual DCC control to provide you with an extra light option when running your Austrains model. Directional light control will still be available.

The DCC Solutions NSW CL-CLF-CLP Class Custom Sound Project

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

So why not get fully featured sound from DCC Solutions

Our Custom Sound Project now includes these fantastic features:

Custom Built CL-CLF-CLP 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 CL-CLF-CLP Class Austrains model a uniquely, impressive driving sounding with prototypical lighting operation loco that will turn heads!

Three Sound Projects Available:

EMD 16-645E3 Prime Mover Sound for the CL Class

EMD 16-645E3C Prime Mover Sound for the CLF Class

EMD 16-645E3C with Head End Power (HEP) Prime Mover Sound for the CLP Class

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

A new remastered Leslie SuperTyfon RS-5T or Nathan P5 Chime 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 CL-CLF-CLP Class drive and sound impressive

EMD 16-645E3 Turbo CL Class Custom Built Sound Project

EMD 16-645E3C Turbo CLF Class Custom Built Sound Project

EMD 16-645E3C Turbo with Head End Power (HEP) CLP Class Custom Built Sound Project

  • Leslie SuperTyfon RS-5T or Nathan P5 Chime 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!
  • CL-CLF-CLP 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)
  • 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 CL-CLF-CLP Class Locomotive Models
  • Play 10 different sounds simultaneously
  • Individual sounds slots and master sound volumes can be adjusted by the user to suit personal requirements
  • Full function button remapping to suit your personal requirements
  • DCC INSTALLATION OPTIONS

    Standard DCC Installation: Non-sound decoder

    Premium Sound Installation: ESU LokSound 5 sound decoder with our Custom CL-CLF-CLP Class Sound Project

    Premium Sound Installation and Light Modification: Upgrade the Function lighting outputs with the DCC Solutions Light Modification to separate the lighting for individual function control on your DCC throttle, plus our ESU LokSound 5 Custom CL-CLF-CLP Class Sound Project

    DCC Solutions SOUND and FUNCTION Labels

    Premium Sound Installation using the ESU LokSound 5

    F0    Directional Headlights

    F1    Full Throttle Drive Hold

    F2    Horn

    F3    High Beam Headlight

    F4    Working Dynamic Brakes

    F5    Coasting on Demand

    F6    Brake

    F7    Brake Squeal on Deceleration

    F8    Prime Mover Start Up/Shut Down/Mute

    F9    Ditch Lights On/Off

    F10  Reserved (Light Mods)

    F11  Reserved (Light Mods)

    F12  Reserved (Light Mods)

    F13  Reserved (Light Mods)

    F14  Directional Ditch Lights

    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  Spitter Valves

    F24  Manual Handbrake Ratchet

    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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