Steam Locos & EZ Track

[Dave T]

I have a large investment in EZ track. I change my layout frequently. All of the diesel locos go through crossings and turnouts with no problems. My steamers on the other hand hate the remote and #5 turnouts and crossings. I checked wheel gauge - no problem there. The needle springs in the turn-outs are too flimsey to anchor the points to the rails. The frogs on turnouts and crossings also seem to lift the front trucks of the steamers, causing de-railing.
Anyone have similar problems and/or solutions?
Thanks and Bah-Humbug!!

[adari]

Same here.

[tommy4u2]

 Yes I just got a 4-8-2 nw and I am haveing the same problems I have crossovers on my line and it just cant get thru them, If the front trucks don;t come of the track then the tender derails and just like you said all my deisels work fine I removed the front truck on my engine and that helped alot

I read some where on this forum you have to file the frogs down and I have no idea about the weak spring Maybe someone will tell us how to correct it

[tommy4u2]

Ok
I just read a entire artical on this subject and the ways to correct the problems follow the link below to read it

http://trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=911

Tom

[sour rails]

     I don't have much, therefore I don't have much of that problem.  But I've heard others say they added weight to the front trucks and also the front portion of the tender as well.  Hope this works.

[grumpy]

I had similar problem with a 4-8-2 . I found that the turnout  had a slight twist in it which lifted the loco slightly. The problem was solved by fastening the turnout tightly to the base eliminating the twist.
Don

[AGRTERP4LIFE]

I have had similar problems with the my 2-8-0 and my switches.  I read the link provided by Tom, and it covers many of the issues I have dealt with.  My main two issues have been switch derailments (of which, the front trucks have jumped track) and rough transitions over rail joints.  I also believe that there is a spring issue, because my switches do tend to stray towards the curve after not being changed for a while.  This leads to a derailment in the middle of the train, where the locomotive and tender will go one way and the first car will go off the other.