IDR 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 The remaining locomotives were withdrawn between November 1979 and July 1987, when the last three locomotives, F202, F208, and F216, were taken out of service.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
Originally, in 2014, the European company Roco in Austria, produced the Australian model of the Victorian F Class shunting Locomotive, which included an 8 Pin socket for fitting a small DCC decoder with incandescent bulbs for the front and rear headlights. This was the only ready-to-run Victorian F Class availble for 12 years until IDR model here in Australia decided to produce a more accurate version of the model.
In 2026, IDR Models released the Victorian F Class shunting Locomotive, which includes a 21 Pin socket for fitting a DCC decoder with operating the front and rear headlights along with shunting marker lights and a cab light. The model included a built in stay alive device.
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.
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.
Factory Fitted Sound only offers basic sound and features
So why not get fully featured sound from DCC Solutions
Our Custom Sound Project now includes these fantastic features:
Custom Built Victorian F Class Sound Project
A completely custom-built sound project by DCC Solutions that contains recorded sounds with customised sound programming plus extra features that will make your Victorian F Class IDR model a uniquely, impressive driving and sounding shunting 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 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.
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.
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 IDR 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
- Manual Notching - The operator controls the engine notching rather than the decoder controling notch changes.
- 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!
- 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 IDR F Class model's factory 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 for shunting
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
DCC Solutions SOUND and FUNCTION Labels
Premium Sound Installation and Stay Alive using the ESU LokSound 5
F0 Headlight (Low/High Beam)
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 Forward Shunting Markers (No.1 End)
F10 Reverse Shunting Markers (No.2 End)
F11 Cab Light
F12 Directional Shunting Markers
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 Spirax Valve
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 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.