MyLocoSound have announced their next generation of low cost soundcards for large scale railways. Like their predecessors, the steam  diesel and electric tram soundcards are highly adjustable to suit a wide variety of US, European and other locomotives. However, a number of major improvements have been made

MyLocoSound Universal is physically smaller than its predecessor; it retains the installation simplicity of screw terminals but at a lower price of $89.00. However the quality and variety of sounds has been improved. The bell can now be turned on and off at will and a guard’s whistle has been added

For steam, improved plain and chime whistles are provided. A safety valve blow off and a Westinghouse brake pump are available at the press of a button. For diesel, there are British two tone horns or the booming single tones heard in the US and elsewhere. An airbrake release has been added and a turbocharger can be switched in if appropriate for the locomotive.

Previous MyLocoSound products have used purely synthesized sound to produce a low cost soundcard which is readily adjustable.

To achieve greater realism, but still at the low price, MyLocoSound Universal uses a blend of recorded sounds from actual locos with the adjustability of synthesized sound.

Whilst it’s great to have a highly adjustable soundcard, the benefit is lost if you have to take the locomotive apart each time you want to make an adjustment. A handheld TV remote control can used to make all the adjustments from outside the locomotive. These remote controls can be purchased from places such as Jaycar, and only one is needed to work with any number of soundcards.

Whilst modern, multi-function radio control systems can take advantage of the new sounds, MyLocoSound Universal also works well with simple track powered railways. On these, the sounds can be triggered in three ways. Firstly, the steam whistle and diesel horn can be set to sound automatically when the loco moves off and at timed intervals