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Trainorama 42 Class Diesel Locomotive

DCC Sound Installation

Now available with our NEW Remastered Custom Sound Project

including "Full Throttle - Drive Hold" feature

About the NSWGR 42 Class Locomotive

The 42 class were a class of diesel locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the New South Wales Government Railways in 1955/56 with only six locomotives being built. They were powered with the EMD 16-567C Roots Blown Prime Mover, with a top speed of 114 km/h.

The design was based on the American Electro-Motive Diesel EMD F7 locomotive and were very similar to the GM class then being built by Clyde Engineering for the Commonwealth Railways.

They initially worked express passenger services including the Brisbane Limited, Intercapital Daylight and Melbourne Limited and later the Southern Aurora and Spirit of Progress. As newer locomotives arrived, they were concentrated on the Main South line, operating freight services.

By April 1978, the Australian Federated Union of Engine Men had placed a ban on the 42 class operating as lead engines due to cab conditions. In 1980, 4201 had its cab upgraded during overhaul to overcome these issues, but with their replacement imminent, it was decided not to upgrade the rest of the 42 class. All were withdrawn in 1983.

Three have been preserved and are still operational 4201, 4204 and 4206 with 4202, 4203 and 4205 all scrapped.

DCC with Sound

The Trainorama 42 Class was released in May 2010 and includes an 8 Pin socket for fitting a DCC decoder plus a 4 pin sound ready speaker socket with two 8 ohm speakers, making it a simple solution for sound. In DC/DCC, the headlights operate directional.


For this DCC installation, we recommend the ESU LokSound 5 (Sound) with our remastered Custom Sound Project for the NSW 42 Class or the LokPilot 5 (No Sound) for those not wishing sound.

The DCC Solutions NSW 42 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:

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 NSW 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 Trainorama 42 Class model drive and sound impressive

  • EMD 16-567C Roots Blower NSW 42 Class Custom Built Sound Project

  • NSW 42 Class 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!

  • NSW 42 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 Trainorama 42 Class Locomotive Model

  • 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 NSW 42 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    NSW Nathan P5 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    Reserved (Light Mods)

F10  Reserved (Light Mods)

F11  Reserved (Light Mods)

F12  Reserved (Light Mods)

F13  Reserved (Light Mods)

F14  Reserved (Light Mods)

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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