Will the newer Backmann locomotives with Sound Value operate on a DC layout and what kind of performance can I expect?
Any DCC locomotive, with or without sound, will require a higher throttle setting to start moving than a straight DC loco. This is because the decoder circuitry does not pass any power to the motor until it detects at least 5 volts on the track. Which pretty much means not mixing DCC equiped and straight DC locos on the same track.
Len
Running DCC locomotives on a DC layout is pushing a square peg into a round hole, it can be done, but really isn't meant to be. It'll run, but not as well as it would on DCC as intended, plus you don't get to use most of the sound features properly.
You can do it, just like you could walk coast to coast backwards, but the intended method is so much better.