Roco Victorian F Class DCC Sound Installation
with Stay Alive and LED Headlights
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 The remaining locomotives were withdrawn between November 1979 and July 1987, when the last three locomotives, F202, F208, and F216, were taken out of service.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.