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Trainorama 47 Class Diesel Locomotive 

DCC Sound Installation with Light Modifications

Now available with our NEW Remastered Custom Sound Project

including "Full Throttle - Drive Hold" feature

About the NSW 47 Class Locomotive

The 47 class are a class of diesel-electric locomotives built by A Goninan & Co for the Public Transport Commission in 1972/73. Twenty were ordered, with the first delivered in July 1972. After undergoing acceptance trails, the first entered service in September 1972 with the last delivered in May 1973. Originally intended for use hauling coal services in the Hunter Valley, they were allocated to Bathurst to operate services in the state's west from Lithgow to Euabalong West, Bourke and Cootamundra and all branches in between. Their excellent ride qualities saw them find favour with crews, although they did suffer from overheating.


In January 1981 it was decided to transfer the class to Broadmeadow to take up the duties they had originally been built for, that being used to haul coal services from Belmont, Dudley, Lambton and Pelton. They also saw use on services to Werris Creek, Tamworth and Moree. They continued to return to Bathurst Workshops for overhaul. A downturn in traffic as a result of a drought saw them placed in storage at Parkes in 1982/83 before all were reactivated in 1984 resuming duties out of Broadmeadow.


In April 1974 the first locomotive was withdrawn from service and scrapped as it was destroyed by fire and another in a collision in March 1977. Then, 4719 was withdrawn from service in 1987 and stored at the Bathurst Workshops as a source of parts to keep other units working, later being joined by 4715 in November 1988. Despite their favouritism with crews, their high maintenance costs saw them selected for withdrawal in 1989 with only six in service or under repair by November 1989. The last being taken out of service in December 1990.


In 1990 the Lachlan Valley Railway purchased 4701 and 4708 followed in February 1994 by 4702, 4703, 4707 and 4716. A later purchase was 4717. These were used to operate wheat services in the Cowra region in 1993/94. In June 1999 they commenced operating trip working services between Port Botany and the Cooks River container terminal in Sydney for Lachlan Valley Rail Freight, followed in July 1999 by a service between Cooks River and Carrington for R&H Transport Services. Five Lachlan Valley Railway units remain in service, primarily operating infrastructure trains for Southern Shorthaul Railroad. Disposition of the 47 class is as follows: 10 Scrapped, 4 Operational, 3 Stored, 1 Preserved, 1 Static, 1 Under Restoration

DCC with Sound and Light Modifications

In November 2006, Trainorama released the 47 Class Locomotive, which includes an 8 Pin socket for fitting a DCC decoder plus a factory installed 16 ohm speaker. The model has operating 1.5 volt incandescent bulbs for headlights, which in DC/DCC will operate directional.

In May 2023, Trainorama released an updated model of their 47 Class locomotive, which included a 21 Pin Socket for DCC and a factory fitted speaker. This model included LED headlights, white/red marker lights and numberboards.


For this DCC installation, we recommend the ESU LokSound 5 (Sound) with our remastered Custom Sound Project for the NSW 47 Class or the LokPilot 5 (No Sound) for those not wishing sound.


Add LED headlights to the Trainorama 47 Class (2006 release)

Here at DCC Solutions, we offer a lighting upgrade for the Trainorama 47 Class to replace both bulbs with LEDs.


A light modification for the Trainorama 47 Class to separate the lights for a more prototypical operation (2023 release)

Standard factory lighting in the model has all lights “ON” in the direction of travel, requiring just 2 function lighting outputs in DCC.

Upgraded from the factory standard 2 to 8 Function lighting outputs with the DCC Solutions light modification and we will separate the headlights, white markers, red markers lights and numberboard lights for individual DCC control to provide more prototypical lighting operation when running your Trainorama 47 Class model. Directional light control will still be available.

The DCC Solutions NSW 47 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 47 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 47 Class Trainorama 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.

Dynamic Brake Logic

There are no Dynamic Brakes on a 47 Class Locomotive, however we have included Dynamic Brake Logic in this sound project to allow your 47 Class loco to run in a trailing consist with other locos that may have Dynamic Brakes.

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 RVB Hurricane 5 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 Trainorama 47 Class model drive and sound impressive

Caterpillar D399 Turbo NSW 47 Class Custom Built Sound Project

  • NSW RVB Hurricane 5 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
  • Dynamic Brake Logic to allow your 47 Class loco to run in a trailing consist with other locos that may have Dynamic Brakes
  • 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 47 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)
  • Light modification to replace headlights with LEDs and programmed for Directional and On/Off operation (2006 release)
  • Modified Lighting Option for more prototypical light operation (2023 release)
  • Low beam to High beam Headlight operation
  • Motor settings tuned for slow speed performance, perfect for shunting
  • Sound volumes tuned to specifically suit the Trainorama 47 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 47 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 47 Class Sound Project. No lighting modifications

    Premium Sound Installation and Headlight Modification: Upgrade the headlights to LED's on the 2006 release model plus our ESU LokSound 5 Custom 47 Class Sound Project

    Premium Sound Installation and Light Modification: Upgrade to 8 Function lighting outputs on the 2023 release with the DCC Solutions Light Modification to separate all lighting for individual function control on your DCC throttle, plus our ESU LokSound 5 Custom 47 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    NSWGR 47 Class Horn

    F3    High Beam Headlight

    F4    Dynamic Brake Logic as a Trailing Unit

    F5    Coasting on Demand

    F6    Brake

    F7    Brake Squeal on Deceleration

    F8    Prime Mover Start Up/Shut Down/Mute

    F9    Front White Markers On/Off

    F10  Rear Red Markers On/Off

    F11  Rear White Markers On/Off

    F12  Front Red Markers On/Off

    F13  Directional Marker Lights

    F14  Numberboards On/Off

    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  Numberboard Switch - Front_Front+Rear_Rear

    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 Modifications.

    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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