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Roco Victorian F Class DCC Sound Installation
with Stay Alive and LED Headlights

Roco F Class_Install Page_edited.jpg

Now available with a NEW​ Remastered Custom Sound Project

including "Full Throttle - Drive Hold" feature

About the Victorian F Class

The F Class are a class of diesel locomotive shunters built by Dick Kerr Works, which was part of the English Electric Company in the United Kingdom for the Victorian Railways between 1951 and 1953. They are similar to the British Rail Class 11 and NS Class 600 shunting locomotives also built by English Electric during this period, but modified for use on the Victorian Railways broad gauge, with a total of 16 units built.

The first 10 F class (F201-F211) have the distinction of being VR's first diesel locomotives. They were mainly used in shunting service around Melbourne but were also used at Geelong, Seymour, Wodonga and Bendigo and perhaps other locations. Over the years quite a few changes were made: they were delivered in a black paint scheme then went to red with a yellow stripe and finally VR's familiar blue and gold, near the end of their careers at least one was painted V/Line orange/grey. 

 

Six identical units were purchased by the State Electricity Commission of Victoria in 1952. They later sold all six units to the Victorian Railways; the first, SEC3 in 1956, three more, SEC4, 5 and 6 in 1959, and the remaining two, the former SEC1 and SEC2, in May 1971. These locomotives received the numbers F212-216 on entry to VR service.

The withdrawal of the F class locomotives began in October 1979 with F214. The remaining locomotives were withdrawn between November 1979 and July 1987, when the last three locomotives, F202, F208, and F216, were taken out of service.

 

At the end of their service, 6 were preserved F202, F204, F208, F211, F212, F216 with the remainder all beig scrapped.

DCC with Sound, Stay Alive and LED Headlights

In 2014, European company Roco in Austria, produced an Australian model of the Victorian F Class shunting Locomotive, which includes an 8 Pin socket for fitting a small DCC decoder with incandescent bulbs for the front and rear headlights.

 

For DCC Sound we recommend the ESU LokSound 5 decoder programmed with the DCC Solutions Custom Victorian F Class Sound Project or the ESU LokPilot 5 for those no requiring sound. 

It is also recommended the installation of a DCCS PowerPlus Stay Alive to enable uninterrupted performance at super slow speeds, especially travelling through insulfrog points.

 

As part of the DCC Sound installation, upgrade the lighting to LEDs for both headlights.

YES... We have been able to fit a sound decoder, speaker, and stay alive inside the body of this limited space model. Simply Amazing!!....and sounds equally impressive!!

The DCC Solutions VIC F Class Custom Sound Project is packed with

sounds and features not found on other sound decoders

being offered on the Australian market.

So why not get fully featured sound from DCC Solutions

Our Custom Sound Project now includes these fantastic features:

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 top speed 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.

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.

Coupling and Release with DCCS Shunting Mode

Activate coupling or release and your locomotive will automatically reduce its speed to allow for a more realistic coupling or release operation. Once the coupling operation is completed, your locomotive will automatically stop while once uncoupled will continue to run at slow speed for a few more seconds before returning to the speed set on your throttle.

And includes all these great features to make your Roco F Class drive and sound impressive

  • English Electric 6KT Victorian F Class Custom Built Sound Project
  • Random Start-Up and Shut Down Sequences
  • Vic F Class Short Blast and Playable Horn
  • Air and Brake Release Sounds when loco moves off and stops, including Brake Squeal
  • When the loco stops after braking, the random compressor cuts in to fill the reservoir and will turn off when the tanks are full
  • Speed sensitive Wheel Squeal and Rail Noises when the loco moves off.
  • Brake squeal on deceleration and turns off on acceleration.
  • 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.
  • Stop & Drive Random Sounds including fans, compressor, rail noise, track wheel squeal, air releases and more!
  • Guard's Whistle
  • Wheel Squeal and Rail Clanking
  • Individual Coupling and Release Options depending on the locomotive's direction with DCCS shunting mode
  • Shunting mode for slow speed shunting operations
  • Low beam to High beam Headlight operation
  • Play 10 different sounds simultaneously
  • Sound volumes tuned to specifically suit the Roco F Class model using the DCC Solutions speaker
  • Individual sounds slots and master sound volumes can be adjusted by the user to suit personal requirements
  • Motor settings tuned to provide fantastic Slow Speed motor performance
  • DCC Solutions High-Performance Speaker delivering impressive sound
  • LED front and rear headlight upgrade
  • DCC PowerPlus Stay Alive Device providing uninterrupted performance at slow speeds, especially travelling through insulfrog points.

DCC INSTALLATION OPTIONS

Standard DCC Installation: ESU Non-sound decoder

Premium Sound Installation and Light Modification: ESU LokSound 5 programmed with the DCC Solutions Custom Victorian F Class Sound Project with a DCCS PowerPlus Stay Alive and LED Headlights

DCC Solutions SOUND and FUNCTION Labels

Premium Sound Installation and Stay Alive using the ESU LokSound 5

F0    Headlight

F1    Drive Hold - Full Throttle

F2    Horn

F3    High Beam Headlight

F4    Reserved

F5    Coasting On Demand

F6    Brake

F7    Brake Squeal on Deceleration

F8    Prime Mover Start Up/Shut Down

F9    Reserved - For Light Mods

F10  Reserved - For Light Mods

F11  Reserved - For Light Mods

F12  Reserved - For Light Mods

F13  Reserved - For Light Mods

F14  Reserved - For Light Mods

F15  Fan

F16  Compressor

F17  Coupling /Uncoupling + DCCS Shunting Mode

F18  Wheel Squeal

F19  Guard's Whistle

F20  Sanding

F21  Volume Fader - Reduces Sound 50%

F22  Front Headlight

F23  Rear Headlight

F24  Reserved

F25  Shunting Mode - Reduces Speed 50%

F26  Short Air Release

F27  Cab Door

F28  Rail Clank

Note: The above functions are for the LokSound 5 Decoder programmed with DCC Solutions Premium Custom Sound Installation with Stay Alive Device

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.

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