Replacing Rail-Joiners on Bachmann E-Z Track

[Griffin (TheBlueSnowplow)]

Solved the problem, all of the locomotives' wheels were filthy. A quick clean and they were all up and running. Thanks for all your help.

[jbrock27]

Now, who would have thought that??...

You are welcome.   Glad I could help (it only took me posting cleaning directions 3 times because it kept getting deleted ) and glad it worked out fer ya

Have fun!

[ZeldaTheSwordsman]

Reading through this thread, I had a feeling that would be the case when you said that the locos wheels had never been cleaned. A pity most of the other people in this thread were too busy trying to market multi-meters to actually spot that part. Even though the usual culprit in these cases is that the track, the wheels, or both are filthy.

Having been using E-Z track since Christmas 2003, I find that holding the rail down with your fingers and using a gentle tug with needle-nose pliers tends to be a simple way to get the joiners off. As far as maintenance of the track goes, do not use abrasive cleaning implements on the steel alloy rail track unless it's exceptionally filthy or coated with something like paint. If it's just a normal clean, you risk abrading away the conductive plating.

I would also recommend you begin slowly replacing your existing track with the nickel-silver stuff. The steel alloy rails are mediocre conductors of electricity at best, and they get filthier faster and more easily than the nickel-silver rail.

[jbrock27]

I would also recommend you begin slowly replacing your existing track with the nickel-silver stuff.

A solid and oft made recommendation here.   "Which is better, steel or nickel silver track?"
I had pointed out earlier that steel track creates and contributes to problems but that comment was deleted by one of the Administrators here, along with the 2 other times that I had posted my instructions for wheel cleaning.  It was someone other than Yardmaster, but whom I don't know, since no one took credit for it.