E-Z Track Fustration

[Anonymous]

Mid way through building my layout with N scale Unitrack I decided to switch to EZ track for economic reasons. I modified the track by snapping off the connectors on the EZ track and removing the unijoiners on the unitrack. They matched up perfect. A test run of my Trainmaster resulted in beautiful performance on the Unitrack turnout but derailed everytime it ran through the EZ track turnout! I guess you get what you pay for!

[bcammack]

"Many people have payed just a little less for nearly half the quality!" - Anon

www.toytrainheaven.com has the best prices on Unitrack, retail, and there's always eBay for used stuff.

[Wdlgln005]

This topic has been covered in the Bachmann forum too. Your best bet is to check the EZtrak turnouts & file down the points. You have to be sure nothing picks the points. I like your solution for joining EZtrak with Unitrak.

[TrainFreak409]

I don't think any brand of locomotive or rolling stock likes the Bachmann E-Z Track turnout. Even the Bachmann locomotives derail over them, and you would think that Bachmann would at least make their switches so that their own products could pass through them without problems.

~[8]~ TrainFreak409 ~[8]~

[Anonymous]

Your BEST bet is to tra***he Bachman JUNK and stick with products that will work and last. ANYTHING is better than their crap!!!!

[twhite]

Actually, the Bachmann EZ track is pretty good, not crap. I'm in HO, but I've used EZ track for test layouts. In HO, as in N, their turnout points have to be filed down on the point ends, or the rolling stock will just go wherever it wants. The only thing with EZ track, like ALL sectional track--if you're going to be using it as a permanent installation, make sure that you either solder all the railjoints, or use feeders, since connections every eight inches or so cuts down on conductivity pretty badly. Most of my layout is Sinohara flex, but I do have a section of wide-radius EZ track in one spot, and I've had no trouble with it at all. But be sure and file down those EZ turnout points!
Tom

[Roadtrp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gtirr

Your BEST bet is to tra***he Bachman JUNK and stick with products that will work and last. ANYTHING is better than their crap!!!!

That is crap advice (no offense intended).

QUOTE: Originally posted by twhite

Actually, the Bachmann EZ track is pretty good, not crap. I'm in HO, but I've used EZ track for test layouts. In HO, as in N, their turnout points have to be filed down on the point ends, or the rolling stock will just go wherever it wants. The only thing with EZ track, like ALL sectional track--if you're going to be using it as a permanent installation, make sure that you either solder all the railjoints, or use feeders, since connections every eight inches or so cuts down on conductivity pretty badly. Most of my layout is Sinohara flex, but I do have a section of wide-radius EZ track in one spot, and I've had no trouble with it at all. But be sure and file down those EZ turnout points!
Tom

That is GOOD advice.
Repeating Tom's last sentence BE SURE AND FILE DOWN THOSE EZ TURNOUT POINTS! That solved all of my EZ Track problems.

[:)]

[Anonymous]

help, ihave e-z track on my temporary layout but have dead spots even after cleaning the track, what is the best snap together track that i dont have to sorder that would work better?im kinda tired of working on the bauchman ez track instead of enjoying running my trains. any help would be greatly appreciated. plumloco

[rrinker]

The rail joiners in EZ Track are very poor. Tighten them up a bit with a small pliers (but don't squeeze them too hard) and that should help a lot. I have some EZ Track i used as a test track, it got assembled twice, once as an upstairs tets tracka nd then again when I put a larger test track int eh basement. On a 4x8 simple oval, I had two power feeds and STILL had dead spots with nearly new track pieces
I wouldn't say it's junk per se, but compared to Atlas and Kato, it's not even in the same ballpark. I don't know how it stacks up against Life-Like Power-Lok.

--Randy

[grayfox1119]

I have used E-Z Track for our Dept56 New England Chriatmas village display, for 6 years counting this year. The layout covers 6 4'x4' 3/4 inch plywood tables shaped in an "L". The track covers all 6 boards, and loops through villages and up an incline and along the side of a mountain. This is NOT a permanent set up ( only 3 months ), so E-Z-Track was the best answer for pulling apart and re-installing each year in November. This year, for the 1st time, I ran into a problem. The train, pulled by an 2-6-0, would go 3/4 of the way from the SINGLE DC feed point, and stop. A voltage check with my handy multimeter quickly indicated that I have a bad connection ( high resistance) on one rail joiner. It was clean, looked tight, but obviously it was NOT. I took a small flat blade screw driver, and carefully pushed the on the rail joiner where it meets with the bottom of the rail, and all was well the rest of the season so far. The lesson here is, rail joiners can become loose fitting and still look tight. For that reason, permanent layouts should solder these connections.

grayfox1119

[twhite]

What I forgot to say on my last post here, was that I replaced all of the EZ track joiners with Atlas. The other posts are right, the EZ track joiners are not the best, and work loose quite quick. That, plus soldering the curves and feeders when necessary, have resulted in smooth running on my EZ track section. With all track laying--sectional or flex--you have to be careful.
Tom

[Anonymous]

thanks for the info guys. i had noticed the joiners were a little loose ,but being new to MR ing , didnt suspect a problem .thanks again plumloco already figured out i have lots to learn in this hobby