Well, I've finally had the last relic from my DC days converted to DCC sound, thanks to some help from the good folk at Trainworld in Melbourne. My A Class Freight Victoria locomotive has finally seen some use on the layout as evident in the short YouTube clip above. A81 was gifted my way after parting with my former Philden Road layout in 2021, and for the good part of the past year has sat in my display cabinet waiting for availability of a sound equipped decoder. Meanwhile, I culled and sold my other DC locos in favour of what was readily available with factory-fitted sound. That pretty much sounds like 2022 doesn't it?
| A81 becomes my 3rd Bulldog locomotive to join the roster on my sound eqipped fleet. |
It would be a bit harsh to compare the differences between my A Class and the other DCC locos on my layout, as my Model of A81 is from the original 2009 version that had the 8-pin decoder technology for its time. Next year this model will be pushing 14 years old. As a 2nd hand model, this locomotive has already travelled from it's previous owner in Perth via the Sunshine Coast before journeying from Brisbane to Melbourne and back! Thankfully her scale miles have been kinder than her postal miles!
The only downside to operating an 8-pin DCC decoder seems to be the lack of lighting function and individual control of the numberboards and marker lights etc., meaning it's a case of headlights on, all lights on. The cab figures are also of the basic variety, simply two blue dudes in both ends of the loco cab. It is nice however to reflect on how the quality of models being produced are still improving. Here I am embracing second generation DCC technology, and it's probably only a matter of another decade before there'll be something entirely different tempting modellers to upgrade to the latest features.
Given that this model has already been re-run once in the past 10 years, waiting for a third production run of the A Class with DCC sound I thought sounded a Bit Fanciful. Even if a re-run were suddenly announced, who knows how long it would take to arrive? So thankfully I could get this loco sound converted, and put it to work earning it's keep in 'The Yard'. And thankfully it sounds pretty good!
