In ref to post #33; once I chipped my DCC ready Bachmann Alco S-2 it became one of the smoothest running non-sound locos I have, comparable to my Proto 2000 Alco S-1 or my Atlas Alco HH-660 which are both sweet runners that will crawl along so slowly they barely move.
I plan to upgrade the other Bachmann factory fitted DCC non-sound locos on my roster.
You could have shown how you made the grade crossing, fettling it from a Shreddies packet across two or three posts, making it a....... serial