The rail seems to be in the rail joiner, I checked again to make sure.  The engine doesn't lose power (stutter) when it goes over the 30 degree piece but when it gets to the part where the track actually "X"'s in the middle of the 30 degree piece - where there is a combination of plastic and the nickel silver.

I tested it again and found out that the engine is stuttering more so than stopping when it crosses over the areas of the 30 degree that are plastic.  I tested it first with just the engine and then with the engine and a small caboose.  The engine and the caboose stutter but they both stay on track.

Is there something I can do to keep the connection when the engine goes over the 30 degree piece - maybe small pieces of nickel silver or is there a trick I can use with rail joiners?

I just recently purchased a Bachman 30 degree crossing piece (44540).  I also have twenty-two 18" curved pieces.

The pieces seem to fit together nicely as a figure 8 but when the engine goes over the 30 degree piece it slows down.  At first I thought it was not a big problem so I added a couple of cars but now the two cars that I added now derail and the train stops.  Is there something that I need to do to the 30 degree piece for the cars to run successfully over it?

I am very new to this all and my end is beginning to spin with all of the minor differences.  What is the difference between a coupler and an uncoupler?  Are they just different ways of accomplishing the same thing?

All but one of my trains use the same coupling.  The trains that are the same use a horn hook coupler (at least that's what I found online).  The one that is different uses a knuckle coupler.

How hard is it to change the couplers?
How is it done?
Where can I buy horn hook couplers?
Are knuckle couplers more common than horn hook couplers?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks to everybody for your advice.

I saw a post on this topic from about 4 months ago that mentioned that you could use the following E-Z Track pieces to make a figure 8.  Eighteen 18" radius, four 6" tracks, four 9" tracks, four 2" pieces and a 90 degree crossover.

I also saw that this can be accomplished with twenty-two 18" radius and one 30 degree crossover (44540).

1.I have all of the above (one of the 18" is a rerailer w/ power) except the four 6" straight pieces.  I do not see any 6" pieces, will four 5" pieces work?

2.For the 30 degree scenario I still need two more 18" radius and the 30 degree.  Is the first option preferred of the second or will either work?

Thanks, that answers my question.  Is there anything I need to do to mark this question as answered or completed?

I am a novice at this so I hope this makes sense.

I just purchased some curved HO track and realized that they were shorter than the pieces that I have.  It turns out the pieces I bought are 22" radius curved track.  So I put together my other curved pieces and measured across the middle.  I measured from outside to outside and I came up with 38".  So I assume I have 19" radius curved track.

Is this the correct way to measure track?  Is there such a thing as 19" radius curved track or is there only 18" and 22" radius?