Mine haven't exploded yet, but I wear safety goggles, and a hard hat just in case. Here is my adapter for Lionel to American Flyer - someone else came up with the idea, I add the little wire wing things too keep it from twisting and coming loose.
Here is my adapter for Ives to Lionel.
If I use both adapters at the same time (asking for a really big explosion) I can couple Ives to American Flyer!