Quote from: jward on December 19, 2024, 10:13:54 AMWhat are you going to do when flex track doesn't solve the problems you are having with switches? What I described and how to fix them are problems not exclusive to EZ Track. If you are not willing to fix the problems you are having why ask for solutions here? The problems you are having are entirely related to switches, and using flex track is not going to solve them. What will you do when you switch to another brand of track only to find similar problems there? Despite efforts to make it plug n play, model railroading has always been a DIY hobby. If you are not willing to put in the effort, you can't expect the results you desire.

Well, if you read the OP you would know I was asking if the switch was defective, and how to trouble shoot that. I never asked how to fix something brand new. And the answer is yes, the piece is defective, and the replacement is also defective. So again, I do appreciate the advice on how to fix some issues, but if I am paying just as much for an EZ track switch as I would for flex track switches, I would expect it to be a plug and play piece that doesn't require modification, hence the label "EZ".

That said from what I have read of other brands, the switches are pretty solid. But if I did have to make a modification on flex track, well that is expected given flex track is a totally manual setup where you literally cut track to fit remove ties etc. as I am sure everyone here knows far more about than me

Quote from: trainman203 on December 17, 2024, 09:03:39 AMLen's video was one of the best I've seen on YouTube. The guy is competent, he doesn't ramble, and gets to the point..... unlike a lot of swell headed self-appointed windbag experts that appear too often.

Then a weak point spring appears to be the issue.  I have had that problem on one particular number 5 Bachmann switch on my layout.  The only problem is that my switch is completely buried in ballast and scenery so I can't flip it over to work underneath.  With a finished situation like mine, I need to install some kind of external switch stand to hold the points of the switch in place. The only problem is that there's no good place on the Bachmann throw bar to secure it.  As a result, when I'm switching this particular spur, I have to very carefully check the point to make sure it's secure against the stock rail.  It's kind of an aggravation but it's a lot better than ripping the whole thing out to service below.

I appreciate the suggestion, but to be honest these seem like extreme fixes for what seems to be some of the lowest quality track around. And really for the price the charge for the turnout it shouldn't be so low quality. I get that "EZ" track makes it simple to setup a track in minutes with built in power connections and a solid base for you to be able to set it on the floor if needed. But if key parts like a turnout are so shotty they require you to reengineer it yourself, then why bother with EZ track? The base makes it unrealistic for modeling anyhow. Seems like this track is meant for a very simple and temporary setup like a Christmas train scene etc. Once I get my table built, I will likely go for one of the flex track options.

So, I got a new turnout and this one works when the train is going slow, but everything, including the locomotive, derails at speed. And the wheels generally making a clicking sound as they roll over the frog arms. There are some rough edges I will try to smooth out, but this seems to be really bad quality control. The manual switch for throwing the frog arms is even reversed on the two different right turnouts. For one you move it toward the turnout to engage on the other you move it away. So, they obviously have no "standard" assembly method or at least no one doing inspections to ensure proper assembly. I must have gotten lucky that my left turnout works flawlessly. This is definitely making me want to steer away from the EZ track for the future.

33" was the right size for caboose, and the other two cars that came in the RTR set. And they all roll far smoother and feel much better with the added weight.

Just an update, I replaces all plastic wheels with metal today and those cars still derail, I also tried to file down the end of the transfer rail a nit but still no luck, so I returned it for a new one as I do not have any spare sprint steel or equivalent nor a desire to rip apart something brand new where if I broke it I can't return it.

Quote from: trainman203 on December 16, 2024, 06:11:20 PMLet's get a report after all track and all wheelsets are checked with an NMRA gauge.  Let's also hear if any cars have truck mounted couplers and/or plastic wheels.  The type of car doesn't matter, the wheels and couplers do.  If one car is making it and others aren't, the problem is probably mostly with the cars.  It could be the weight of the cars, they may be too light.  Google NMRA recommended car weight.

This discussion is getting circular. We're saying the same things over and over again.  We need some harder information to solve the problem.

There are no truck mounted couplers. Three cars do have plastic wheels which I will be replacing as soon as the metal ones arrive. All other cars have metal wheels. And I got a new car today that is a 60' Bulkhead Flatcar, also with metal wheels, and it has the same issue derailing on the right turnout, but the left turn out is fine.

But I think the video Len posted is the problem. In slow motion you can see the wheels slip in just slightly kicking the transfer rail off the main and it then derails. What is interesting is if you push a car through by hand holding it at the top it is fine, but when you roll it through at speed, (push it and let it roll down the track) it will derail just as if it is pulled by the loco. Also, if you push it through by hand holding it closer to the trucks it derails so when the torque is from the chassis as it is when it is pulled it derails.

Quote from: Len on December 16, 2024, 04:01:40 PMThis video covers manual switches, but I've run into the same issue with EZ-Track remote control switches. I used 0.020 spring stock from a local craft shop on mine to cure 'point picking'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K-9RtDj0t4

Len

This does indeed seem to be the problem I have filmed it in slow motion and just as it hits the point where the transfer rail meets the main rail the wheels slip in just enough to cause it derail. Not sure why my loco and one tank car make it through fine, but I have even tried adding a load to weigh some cars down and they still derail. That said I am not sure going through the process in the video is worth my time, since I can exchange it for a new one. And given the left one works I can only assume this is just poor-quality control.

But I did have a simpler idea I wanted to run by some people with more knowledge. If the rails are steel alloy, can I lightly magnetize the transfer rail so it wants to hold the main rail when in the transfer position or will that be a problem for the electrical track?

Quote from: jward on December 16, 2024, 10:39:24 AM

Quote from: furstukin on December 15, 2024, 09:30:35 PMI get your logic, but I have a loco and 1 car that makes it fine on either turnout, and 5 cars of questionable quality that don't, but they all work great on the other turnout. So I would again say it is not the cars but the turnout, since one turnout works with all cars and the other only works with the loco and my highest quality rolling stock car.

You should definitely check the track with an NMRA guage. That is a good tool to have in this hobby as it helps you find problems and correct them.

Now the questions:
Do these cars deral at the points, or somewhere else? What is your track configuration coming into the switch? Is it straight track, or a curve? Does the curve run the same way as the switch itself, or the opposite way? WHat locomotive are you using? What cars are derailing? WHat cars are they coupled to when they derail?
Are all your rail joints properly seated on the other track sections? SOmetimes where the cars go off the rails is not the place where they actually derail. I've seen wheel flanges ride on top of the rail for quite a distance before they hit the ties.

The turnout is coming off a straight section of track into an 18-degree turn. All connections on the track are smooth/flush with no rough edges I feel. The cars that derail are: a coal car, a tank car, a log dump car, a gondola, and the caboose. The one car that makes it is a Bachmann tank car, and the locomotive is a Diesel F7 Thoroughbred. The cars that derail do so in any configuration whether they are pulled directly behind the loco, behind the one tank car that can make it through, pulled alone or with additional load behind them. And they all seem to derail the same exact way, as they start to turn right the front right wheel fails to catch the track switch and they try to continue straight as the rest of the train is turning. It is very similar to if you have a train running through a turnout and suddenly your 3 y/o flips the switch on the turnout back to straight lol.

The caboose also has plastic wheels that I want to replace, I assume they are 36" but is there a way to tell for sure?

I got a Thoroughbred train set this weekend and I found the caboose bogies can spin 360 degrees which makes it the most difficult car to get on rail as they can literally sideways if you are not holding both in place with your fingers. None of the other cars in the set or the other rolling stock I bought from either Bachmann, or another brand has bogies that spin they are usually stopped by the coupler housing. So is that normal for the caboose bogies to spin like that?

Quote from: JonJet on December 15, 2024, 10:13:52 PMFor cars of a lesser quality...

Bring them up to standard and they should work fine

Even if they look gorgeous...it's what is underneath that does the real work

I can screw trucks/couplers to a brick and it will track perfectly

But even the prettiest Barbie will derail on bad undercarriage

Yeah, I will need to upgrade some of these, but I just got everything 2 days ago, so still brand new to this.

Quote from: JonJet on December 15, 2024, 09:22:47 PMIf all Your accusations against the turnout are true...

You have one railcar that is faulty as well...or it would derail like anything else

Having any railcar make it thru without any issues points to the other railcars...not the track

Check the wheels/gauge/truck tightness

Also insure that all cars meet at least the minimum NMRA weight standard

For HO Scale the standard is 1oz plus 1/2 ounce per inch of length

7 inch car = 1 oz plus 3.5 oz = 4.5oz total weight...MINIMUM

I get your logic, but I have a loco and 1 car that makes it fine on either turnout, and 5 cars of questionable quality that don't, but they all work great on the other turnout. So I would again say it is not the cars but the turnout, since one turnout works with all cars and the other only works with the loco and my highest quality rolling stock car.

Quote from: trainman203 on December 15, 2024, 07:39:43 PMYouTube has multiple videos about servicing tracks that suffer derailments.  As you would guess, there are multiple issues that can occur and multiple places with the tracking with the cars.  I would do a little research with those videos first

I did look at that first and so far none of the suggestions seems to be an issue for me. I have a smooth contact on the edges where the transfer bar meets the main rail (nothing like a hair or grain of dust causing a gap), there are no rough edges I can feel on the sides or top of the rails, and the decouple bars on the cars don't seem to be too low. I am going to try a new tack configuration and see if the right turnout still has that same issue, if so, I can't see anything else but it being faulty somehow.

I just got the left and right turnout switches added to my track today and seems like the right one is not working properly. They both have power, and the remote switch makes the transfer section move for both, but almost every car I have derails from the right turnout. I tried all kinds of configurations but only one car consistently makes the transfer. Any other car pulled behind the locomotive, or behind the one tank car I have that has no issues, immediately derails as the front wheels fail to catch the turnout. If I try to roll to cars across the turnout by hand they seem to make the transfer, but when they are pulled, they go off track.

So, after an hour or more of frustration I decided to turn the train around and started testing the left turnout. And surprisingly I had no issues at all. Every car in any configuration, makes the transfer on the left turnout without issue.

So that leads me to believe the right turnout is faulty but would love to hear some opinions before I try to exchange it.

I am just getting into model trains, and I am finding one of the more interactive things my kids love is loading and unloading cargo from flat cars, gravel cars, etc. So far, I have created some real logs using a ~1/4" stick I cut and dried. I also got some 1/4" PVC pipe painted it flat white to hide the print that was oversized and wrapped 3 with jewelry chain adding a clasp at the top to allow a crane to pick it up (If I get a crane lol). And I have some 1/4" copper pipe I am going to paint aluminum and do the same thing as the PVC. Anyone have other suggestions on cargo for my kids to play with?