I'm new on this forum. I have a very small 2-rail switching layout with a conventional 12V DC HO power pack. I would like to use "onboard sound cards" on some of my diesel locomotives. Is there a way to do it with a standard DC power pack or it can only be done with DCC or any other modern device? I'm back in O scale after a 20 years break !!! 
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Pat
welcome back to O scale. Most sound decoders offered today are "dual mode", they will operate in command or conventional mode. Some sounds, like manually triggered bell and whistle/horn sounds are unavailable when operating strait DC. There are some lower cost devices available to allow control of some sounds when operating on DC. When MTH began offering 2 rail locomotives with Protosound 2 the designed them to operate in 3 modes, conventional AC, conventional DC and DCS. MTH Protosound 3 locomotives will operate in the same 3 modes plus DCC.
You can have sound with conventional control but the functions may be limited. Be advised that many dual mode decoders require higher starting and peak voltage than in the pre-sound era. The NMRA standard for DC power supplies states that 12 volts is the minimum peak voltage under full load and the recommended practice is 16 volts.
The MTH Proto 2 two rail offering will give basic sounds on straight DC with almost any off the shelf poer pack or AC for about the same money as almost any one elses engines which only give sound if you use a premium control system.
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