>Another tip: To keep the bar from falling off the post every time you handle the loco, slip a >short piece of 1/16" inside diameter model car or airplane silicone fuel tubing over the post.  >Roughen just the post tip with coarse sandpaper to help grip the tubing.

Great idea, Bob.  That post disengagement can be annoying.  In fact, much as
I like my new 4-4-0 I find it a real bear to re-rail--getting the pony on track,
and the drivers, and the tender wheels, which you can't see because of the
covers over them--and then the post falls out of the draw bar 

But, again, problem solved and I'm grateful for this forum.

eagle37

You were very close, Yampa Bob, and sent me in the
right direction.  Thanks to you, problem solved.  Looking
at the post, I saw that it was in the drawbar hole closest
to the engine.  I moved it to the other hole.  That did it.
Apparently--obviously--the drawbar was pulling the wheels
off the track.  Many thanks!
eagle37

>as the harness can drag on the sleepers & lift the drivers off the ground.
>as the harness can drag on the sleepers & lift the drivers off the ground.

Thanks for the response.  I'd hope this simple solution would solve the
problem.  Unfortunately not.  The harness easily clears the track.  Usually,
the engine will just sit on the track with it's drivers spinning. 

What's a "bogey?"

eagle37

To reply to myself :-)--it just occurred to me (while reading
a post about weighted stock) that this engine may be too
light.  I have a 4-6-0 that takes the curves just fine.
Would it help the slipping problem to weight the
4-4-0 somehow?
eagle37

Just put a Bachmann DCC Spectrum 4-4-0 on my layout.  It functions
just fine in the yard but the wheels slip on the main line curves.  This
is a 4X8 layout, small, but my guess is that the outer and inner ovals
are common enough, i.e., not unusually tight.  I don't know exactly
what the radii are but they are as big as 4X8 can accomodate.  As I say, the wheels
slip on the curves and the engine will not pull even a light car or two
around them.  I bought it for the yard but, still, it seems
to me it ought to be able to go around the main line when I want it to.
What's happening?
eagle37

Not able to send a personal message.  Tried three time.
Keep getting the message that I'm not entering the
code letters correctly--but I definitely am.

eagle37

Many thanks to "Hunt." The EZ turnout I was having
trouble with has a metal frog, which is not powered.  As
a guy in my hobby shop says, an engine with a longer
wheel base would have no difficulty, since at any given
time one set of wheels would be on powered track;
however, with a short base 4-4-0, there could be--and
was--an unpowered spot.  Plugging in the  black wire
under the turnout solved the problem.  Thanks to you,
a  happy Memorial Day weekend!
eagle37

Thanks, Jack.  Actually, though, this section of track is not yet ballasted.  Also,
the engine dies on the frogs.  The rails either side of the frogs are powered.
eagle37

I have a new Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 which stops dead on the
EZ Track #10 turnout frogs.  Obviously, in terms of power supply,
there is a dead spot there.  I think this is a design problem that has
subsequently been fixed but is there any "homemade" fix for this
problem (my track is ballasted and fastened down.  I'd hate to have
to take up this turnout.
Thanks,
eagle37

I have a new Bachmann 4-4-0 which has real problems
crossing EZ Track turnout frogs.  Frequently seems to ram right
into them.  Is there any way to modify these frogs? 
eagle37

In the thread on turnouts, someone mentioned that
many "engineers" do not run their trains at "reasonable
speed."  What is "reasonable" speed?  Are you saying
trains are usually run too slow or too fast?  I do find that
I have more trouble with turnout when I try to run at
very slow speed.
eagle37.

Do you think tapping that pivot pin lightly using
a nail-set would tighten it?

I also find the frogs on my turnouts are poorly
designed. Too much space.  Wheels drop in the
spaces like sacks of cement.

eagle37.

Anyone have any suggestion for making a crossing (auto crossing) for
EZ track or where I might find such a thing? 

eagle37

Can anyone think of a reason why the front wheels of the front truck of my
Bachmann 0-6-0 opens the points of the EZ-track turnouts as it passes over them--of
course resulting in derailing. The problem occurs on all right turnouts--
i.e. as the engine approaches the turnout. The engine navigates the points
o.k. but those front wheels open the points and go over to derail. Making
me crazy!

I have a new Bachmann USRA Light 2-10-2 steam loco, DCC
and am having trouble programming an address for its
decoder.  I get the message d nd.  The program track setup
seems to be o.k., since I've had no trouble programming
another loco.  I'm using a Digitrax Zephr.  Going to Digitrax
online I read that some locos do not draw enough power and
require a resistor across the terminals in order to program.
Would this be an engine with that issue?  Or is it more likely
that the engine has a bad decoder?
eagle37