track and turnouts

[chenson11]

1st post so be kind. I like to play with the trains, but when they derail it is really frustrating. I hunt for the problem and the more I fix the more problems I encounter. I tried flexy track and it was alot harder to put together than it needed to be. I am working in HO and N gauge. Turn outs in both gauges are a desaster. The line is boring without sidings and turnouts. I have Bachman, Lifelike, and Tyco stuff in both gauges. Any suggestions on track assembly?