diff --git a/gtsam_unstable/nonlinear/Expression-inl.h b/gtsam_unstable/nonlinear/Expression-inl.h
index 85920735a..c40dfb405 100644
--- a/gtsam_unstable/nonlinear/Expression-inl.h
+++ b/gtsam_unstable/nonlinear/Expression-inl.h
@@ -198,36 +198,29 @@ struct Argument {
 template<class T, class AN, class More>
 struct Record: Argument<T, typename AN::type, AN::value>, More {
 
+  typedef T return_type;
   typedef typename AN::type A;
   const static size_t N = AN::value;
-
-  ExecutionTrace<A> const & myTrace() const {
-    return static_cast<const Argument<T, A, AN::value>*>(this)->trace;
-  }
-
-  typedef Eigen::Matrix<double, T::dimension, A::dimension> JacobianTA;
-  const JacobianTA& myJacobian() const {
-    return static_cast<const Argument<T, A, AN::value>*>(this)->dTdA;
-  }
+  typedef Argument<T, A, N> This;
 
   /// Print to std::cout
   virtual void print(const std::string& indent) const {
     More::print(indent);
     static const Eigen::IOFormat matlab(0, 1, " ", "; ", "", "", "[", "]");
-    std::cout << myJacobian().format(matlab) << std::endl;
-    myTrace().print(indent);
+    std::cout << This::dTdA.format(matlab) << std::endl;
+    This::trace.print(indent);
   }
 
   /// Start the reverse AD process
   virtual void startReverseAD(JacobianMap& jacobians) const {
     More::startReverseAD(jacobians);
-    Select<T::dimension, A>::reverseAD(myTrace(), myJacobian(), jacobians);
+    Select<T::dimension, A>::reverseAD(This::trace, This::dTdA, jacobians);
   }
 
   /// Given df/dT, multiply in dT/dA and continue reverse AD process
   virtual void reverseAD(const Matrix& dFdT, JacobianMap& jacobians) const {
     More::reverseAD(dFdT, jacobians);
-    myTrace().reverseAD(dFdT * myJacobian(), jacobians);
+    This::trace.reverseAD(dFdT * This::dTdA, jacobians);
   }
 
   /// Version specialized to 2-dimensional output
@@ -235,7 +228,7 @@ struct Record: Argument<T, typename AN::type, AN::value>, More {
   virtual void reverseAD2(const Jacobian2T& dFdT,
       JacobianMap& jacobians) const {
     More::reverseAD2(dFdT, jacobians);
-    myTrace().reverseAD2(dFdT * myJacobian(), jacobians);
+    This::trace.reverseAD2(dFdT * This::dTdA, jacobians);
   }
 };
 
@@ -252,9 +245,27 @@ template<class T, class TYPES>
 struct GenerateRecord {
   typedef typename boost::mpl::fold<TYPES, CallRecord<T::dimension>,
       Record<T, MPL::_2, MPL::_1> >::type type;
-
 };
 
+/// Access Argument
+template<class A, size_t N, class Record>
+Argument<typename Record::return_type, A, N>& argument(Record& record) {
+  return static_cast<Argument<typename Record::return_type, A, N>&>(record);
+}
+
+/// Access Trace
+template<class A, size_t N, class Record>
+ExecutionTrace<A>& getTrace(Record* record) {
+  return argument<A, N>(*record).trace;
+}
+
+/// Access Jacobian
+template<class A, size_t N, class Record>
+Eigen::Matrix<double, Record::return_type::dimension, A::dimension>& jacobian(
+    Record* record) {
+  return argument<A, N>(*record).dTdA;
+}
+
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 /**
  * Value and Jacobians
@@ -552,10 +563,9 @@ public:
     trace.setFunction(record);
 
     raw = (char*) (record + 1);
-    A1 a1 = this->expressionA1_->traceExecution(values,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A1, 1>*>(record)->trace, raw);
+    A1 a1 = expressionA1_->traceExecution(values, getTrace<A1, 1>(record), raw);
 
-    return function_(a1, static_cast<Argument<T, A1, 1>*>(record)->dTdA);
+    return function_(a1, jacobian<A1, 1>(record));
   }
 };
 
@@ -636,15 +646,11 @@ public:
     trace.setFunction(record);
 
     raw = (char*) (record + 1);
-    A1 a1 = this->expressionA1_->traceExecution(values,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A1, 1>*>(record)->trace, raw);
-
+    A1 a1 = expressionA1_->traceExecution(values, getTrace<A1, 1>(record), raw);
     raw = raw + expressionA1_->traceSize();
-    A2 a2 = this->expressionA2_->traceExecution(values,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A2, 2>*>(record)->trace, raw);
+    A2 a2 = expressionA2_->traceExecution(values, getTrace<A2, 2>(record), raw);
 
-    return function_(a1, a2, static_cast<Argument<T, A1, 1>*>(record)->dTdA,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A2, 2>*>(record)->dTdA);
+    return function_(a1, a2, jacobian<A1, 1>(record), jacobian<A2, 2>(record));
   }
 
 };
@@ -736,20 +742,14 @@ public:
     trace.setFunction(record);
 
     raw = (char*) (record + 1);
-    A1 a1 = this->expressionA1_->traceExecution(values,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A1, 1>*>(record)->trace, raw);
-
+    A1 a1 = expressionA1_->traceExecution(values, getTrace<A1, 1>(record), raw);
     raw = raw + expressionA1_->traceSize();
-    A2 a2 = this->expressionA2_->traceExecution(values,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A2, 2>*>(record)->trace, raw);
-
+    A2 a2 = expressionA2_->traceExecution(values, getTrace<A2, 2>(record), raw);
     raw = raw + expressionA2_->traceSize();
-    A3 a3 = this->expressionA3_->traceExecution(values,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A3, 3>*>(record)->trace, raw);
+    A3 a3 = expressionA3_->traceExecution(values, getTrace<A3, 3>(record), raw);
 
-    return function_(a1, a2, a3, static_cast<Argument<T, A1, 1>*>(record)->dTdA,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A2, 2>*>(record)->dTdA,
-        static_cast<Argument<T, A3, 3>*>(record)->dTdA);
+    return function_(a1, a2, a3, jacobian<A1, 1>(record),
+        jacobian<A2, 2>(record), jacobian<A3, 3>(record));
   }
 
 };