Hi...

[alfredeaux]

I have three of your nickle silver EZ track crossings (I think they are the
30-degree kinds) the ones suggested to create a figure 8.  One of them works very nicely - the cars roll thru the diamond very smoothly - the other two cause the cars to shake violently, but fortunately they do not derail. 

Also, I have the same problem with the EZ track crossing gate section - as the train goes over the actuator, the cars shake badly, but do not derail.

What do I do? 

Thank you for your attention.

[Paul M.]

Make sure your rail joiners are connected properly. Also make sure your cars are in gauge and roll freely. If this still persists, don't sweat it. As long as the cars don't derail, it's fine - even prototype freight cars do this.

[Guilford Guy]

Are the cars very light?

[Santa Fe buff]

I would check your track for incorrect connects on your joints. Then I would try adding some weight to your rolling stock. They sell weights widely, and they are usually sold in units for 2 grams per weight. My friends cars shake at certain times, but it doesn't do any trouble. (You said they didn't derail) Please be careful when adding weight,  you must distribute it evenly. Just as if you were loading a real railroad car. If you put 4 grams on top of one truck, put 4 grams over the other truck in the same position. Try to avoid weights on the top of the car, if it gets top heavy- then it'll react like an over-sized SUV; It'll likely fall over, or fall over easily. I would put 4 grams over each truck, and 2-4 grams in the middle. Do this on cars that shake, other cars that don't shake, likely are already enough heavy.

Good luck.

Josh

[ta152h0]

Make the cars heavier. I had that problem with the passenger car sets, in my case the Rock Island set of four passenger cars..

[Santa Fe buff]

Not to mention Athearn cars! Their Ready-to-Run passenger cars are all molded together.  No way to open it up...

Josh

[grumpy]

EZ track requires that you fasten it firmly to the base especially the turnouts, crossingsand most accessories . Fastening you crossings flat to the base should solve your problem.
Don

[Daylight4449]

Not to mention Athearn cars! Their Ready-to-Run passenger cars are all molded together.  No way to open it up...

Josh

Actually i have opened up both regular and streamlinded to install lights.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear Al,

Try using a "3 point" suspension on your rolling stock.  Adjust the screw holding the trucks to the bottom of your car so that one truck only swivels, and the other truck is loose enough to swivel and rock a little. 

Next, get a NMRA HO track gauge.  Check the gauge of your wheelsets, and check the gauges and clearences at the diamond of your crossing.

Hope this helps.

More to follow.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik
   

[Joe Satnik]

Dear All,

Although Bachmann tells you to use a HO 30 degree crossing to make an 18" Radius 30 Degree Figure 8, it really doesn't fit very well.  The crossing is somewhere between 11-7/8" and 12" long, but I figure (using geometry and trig) that it should be around 9-5/8" long to give a figure 8 that lies flat with no gaps.

Just in case HLR wants to re-design the 30 degree crossing for an 18" R figure 8 someday, (doubtful), here is the formula:

Length = 2R x tan(deg/2)

where R is the radius of the curved track sections, and deg is the # of degrees of the crossing.

= 2 x 18 in. x tan(30/2 degrees)

=36 in. x tan(15 degrees)

=36 in. x 0.26795

=9.646 in. or about 9-5/8"

Terry Toenges has used (with fitter straights) the 30 degree crossing in his layouts to allow a parallel siding (made with "remote switches") to cross itself, for example:

l  l /
l  l/
l /l
l/ l
l  l
l  l
l /
l/
l
l

so the 30 degree crossing may have been designed for that purpose. 

There is a chance that it was made about 12" long for no discernable reason, or because that was the length limit for the blister packaging machine.

If you want your 18"r-30 degree figure 8 to lie flatter, buy a package of four half straights (4-1/2" long, item #44514), and place one between the 3rd and 4th curves away from the crossing on all four legs.

That is the simplest fix (fewest pieces to buy), but there are more elegant ($) fixes.  I'll post them if anyone asks.   

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik.