Improving Our Steam Engines Performance

I'll admit right up front, I am a hopeless steam engine fan. And the last 10-20 years has seen some really marvelously detailed plastic steamers that often rival the brass ones. And those plastic ones run better (smoother, better electrical pick-up, etc, etc) than many of the brass ones.

VIA Rail 6404 runs through the wash area after completing maintenance in the shop and new paint on my layout, The Trenton Subdivision in N Scale. 

Just finished this Kato USA, Inc. F40, including modifications to the shell, installing an MRC sound decoder and a full repaint in VIA colours. Decals are from Highball Graphics Decals. 

Has anyone had success with getting a Paragon2 decoder to continue to drive the motor after loss of DCC signal with either the original or additional keep alive capacitance?

I'm having problems with a BLI Paragon2 EMD NW2 Switcher (BLI part 1205) using it's Keep Alive capacitance to continue driving the wheels when it loses the DCC signal (whether by turning off the command station track power, lifting one side of the loco or running it onto unpowered track).

Another rebuilt for my N-Scale Cleveland & Eastern Railroad got its finishing touches.

Base model is a KATO F7 A Unit. where I removed the engine room windows, as well as the lower lamp housing on the front. I applied some decent body works by cutting back some lower skirting. I also added a winterization hatch on the last blower.