I have a DCC Sante Fe Engine with sound (HO) and when I run it over my Bachman Crossover the rear truck slides off the main line and heads down the tracks to the inner line and causes the layout to short.

What could be the causes of this happening?  I have checked the track gauge, the "air" hose position and length, the condition of the track, the switch itself, and the condition of the truck.  I am a befuddled newbie just returning to model railroading.

I recently purchased an F7-A Sante Fe Warbonnet HO engine with sound.  I have put my non sound FT-A Sante Fe engine behind it. 
I noticed the second engine seems to "push" the first and at times is enough to derail the back wheels on the first.

Is there a way to synchronize the speeds of the two engines to stop this from happening?

Thank you

gehdoc97

hello
I am a novice in model railroading and just purchased a left and right #6 crossover for my new layout design.
The instructions are not clear to me how you wire these especially when talking about them not being "polarized"
Can someone help me understand how to wire these to the switches that came with them and then to my accessory box?
I plan on having the two switches attached and using only one feed into them if possible.  There are also two black wires that look
like they are suppose to plug onto a metal tab recessed underneath the track bed - I am using Bachmann EZ track with gray ballast.
It would help if you could include pictures because I can "understand" a pic better than written instructions.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Gary Holloway

I have a layout I designed using AnyRail and the
Bachmann track options.  The layout has a problem in making a complete connection.
In looking at the track layout pieces on the bench they have numbers that do no match
the Bachmann catalog numbers - They are both 9" ST HO but cannot match them to the
catalog or the AnyRail software - how can I match up the track to the catalog in case I need
to order more or to confirm the track pieces I need to meet a layout design.  Anyone have
a suggestion for this?

BTW - thanks to all the advice I was able to fix my decoupling and derailing issues - couplers were
all at different heights etc.  I purchased gauges for HO and used coupler tools to realign and the train
and I are now all happy!

anyone know of train layouts for model railroading covering grape growers, harvesting, processing plants, buildings, etc?  We have a lot of brand and independent grape growers here with acres of grapes on well maintained and not so well maintained grape fields.

Thanks for all the help so far - I really loke and appreciate this site and the forum with the wealth of knowledge - it keeps thw hobby fun.

gehdoc97

Hello again- newbie here

I have placed a magnetic decoupler under a straight piece of EZ Nickel Silver Track away from the powered rerailer with the metal
plate on the decoupler still installed.  The decoupler is very balky and sometimes it works on a car and other times it will not - it also
does not like most of my other cars - all HO scale and all Bachmann Silver Series.

Can someone help me ?  Did I install it correctly? What areas should I look for to troubleshoot this issue?  I thought if you backed onto the
magnet, shut off the cab power, waited a few seconds, then pulled forward slightly it should decouple and then you could back the car
into it 's position.

Thanks again for the help - alot more to learn I guess.'

gehdoc97

Hello -
I seem to have alot of derailments especially with my caboose and a small coal car.  I was talking to another railroader and he had the same problem.  When he returned his track and got turnouts with steel frogs he has not had any derailments.  

Is there an issue with the plastic frogs on turnouts such that maybe they are not level, stable, etc?

I would like to stop the derailments.  I currently have two left and two right turnouts and they are all plastic with the same problem.

Thanks again for the help.

Gary

Hello - I recently purchased an InterMountain loco ES40DC and cannot seem to change the loco address from the default of #3.  I am using an EZ Trak DCC Control Center and according to InterMountain I cannot change the address using it.   

Does anyone have any ideas without being too technical as I am a newbie just getting into model railroading as I approach retirement?

Please respond to garyh2104@gmail.com since I cannot always get to the message board.

Thanks again

Gary