I've also used allout-graphics with On30.  You want to take advantage of the sheet size and get as much as you can on the sheet.  The setup fee is a one time deal.  Depending on what you are after per car, you cost per car could be as low as $1.  It all depends on the sheet layout.  I wouldn't waste space on numbers unless it's gross weights and such. 

Compared to custom thin-film decals, custom dry transfers are more expensive.   I prefer dry transfers.  No setting solutions.  No shine to dulcoat. 

-John

I must disagree with regard to the manuals.  The Steam Technical Reference still applies.  The decoder IS a Tsunami with the only caveat being that only CV's in the Bachmann CV listing (see Product Reference on this site) are supported.

For a dynamo light effect, CV33=65, CV34=66, CV49=15, CV50=15.  Setting a value for CV113 has worked for me in the past on Bachmann OEM Tsu's.  At the very least, all of these should be settable via Program on Main mode.

One thing that Bachmann does is set CV30=4.  This mass remaps F9-F12 in place of F5-F8.  There are also individual feature remaps on some of these function keys.  This can be confusing if you're familiar with the open market Tsunami.  Setting CV30=0 and resetting the function key CV's back to defaults (see OEM Users Guide pg 23) will restore things.  Note that there are no Fx5 or Fx6 functions on the OEM unit and injector sounds are not supported.

-John

The Fireman Fred random sound CV's are not present in the OEM version.  The equalizer CV's are also not part of the OEM version.  The whistle selections are more restrictive than the open market equivalents.

To be of any serious help, we need more info on the DCC system being used and the changes being attempted.

-John R

What exactly are you trying to change?  There are a couple items that are not in the OEM flavor Bachmann uses but the majority of the CV's are present and functional.

-John

There are 4 LEDs in the Railbus and 4 in the Trailer.  These are not blindingly bright (and shouldn't be).  In both cases, the LEDs are evenly spaced along the roof of the cabin.  For the Trailer, be sure that the connector cable is fully inserted.

In a darkened room, it should be very clear that all of the LEDs are working or not.  If not, contact Bachmann's support.

-John

Try cleaning the drivers on the engine.  Rubbing alcohol on a q-tip.  Rub the treads and the back/flange of the wheels.

Also, give the wheels a visual inspection for gunk (fibers, hair, etc).  Remove any gunk you find.

-John

If you haven't run the engine much, it may need some break-in time.  The hum could be do to a stall state as it tries to get the wheels rolling.  The CV2 adjustment should help to get the start voltage high enough to get motion at speed step 1.  Give the engine a good break-in.  If you don't have a loop to run on, prop the engine up under the cab and pilot so that the drive wheels are above the rails.  Keep the tender on the track.  Run the engine in forward for at least 30 min.  Change the speed a couple times as well.  After the forward break-in, do the same thing in reverse.  While your at it, run it as slow as it will go and look to see if the wheel rotation is smooth.

Longer term, I'd suggest replacing the factory decoder with one from Digitrax or Lenz.  These have better speed control features and may offer quieter running. 

-John

In DCC, the direction of travel is determined by the decoder; not by the polarity on the rails.   In other words, no.  The reversing ability of the track is tied to DC power.

-John

Adding a DCC decoder will not improve any running characteristics under DC control. 

The Bachmann decoder is a very low-end decoder.   There are other low cost, non-sound decoders on the market with superior speed control.   

-John

Lindsay -

First, yes DCC decoders will work on DC.

You asked about improved operation.  What exactly are you seeking to improve?

-John

Bob -

Interesting idea.  What sort of grades are you running on?

-John

The points are your source of power to the frog.  Poor contact due to dirt, glue, paint and other debris where the points touch the stock rails is the source of problems.  A good cleaning often can correct this but not always.

Routing power directly to the frog is a worthwhile effort.  This bypasses the points and provides a more reliable means of powering the frog (and points).  There are several ways to achieve this.  What's right for your setup largely depends how you're operating your switches.

-John

The EZ-DCC should do.  With any DCC system, it's the number of things pulling power from the system that determines the amps you'll need.  If you don't plan on more than 3 or 4 locos on the layout, you should be fine.

In regard to your xmas loco, I suspect that it's a Mogul (2-6-0).  The Moguls are not DCC Ready meaning that you'll need to do some modifications to install a DCC decoder.  As far as I know, Bachmann Service will not do this sort of work.  I'd suggest going to your local hobby shop.  If they aren't able to do the work, they may know of a modeler who's willing to it.

For simple DCC control, a tiny Digitrax DZ series decoder will fit in the boiler.  If you're looking for sound too, then there's a bit more work involved because sound decoders are physically bigger and you need to put a speaker someplace.

This may appear challenging but it really isn't as tough as it may appear.  There are folks who have documented the "how-to" on the internet.

-John

The Gas-Mech is a short wheelbased loco.  As such, it's prone to dead spots and irregularities in the track that can cause power pickup problem.  Bigger locos can ride through things that the Gas-Mech won't.  Double check your switch frogs and points.  Check for loose railjoiners (you do have power drops on each rail section - right?).

It's possible that it could be a decoder issue.  If you have a known good spare, swap it in and see if the behavior persists.  If your track is good and it behaves badly with an alternate decoder, inspect the power pickups on the Gas-Mech and make certain that the internal connections are not loose.

I know of a Gas-Mech locally that has a couple hundred hours of abusive use.  It's been very reliable and has only needed an occasional wheel cleaning.

-John

All you need is a program that lets you type, and select font and type size.  There are products out there that will let you create a "decal" on a PC printer.  You can't get white though (unless you have access to an obsolete Alps printer).

Woodland Scenics has a whole range of letters, numbers and fonts in various colors including white.  These are dry transfers, so you'll need to apply them by rubbing individual letters or numbers.

There are also businesses that will create custom water-slide decals and custom dry transfers.  This is a pricier way to go but you will get exactly what you want.

-John