Acela Express
- Thread starter maglev
- Start date
Google is your best friend.
http://images.google.com/images?q=%2B%22acela+express%22&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=%2B%22acela+express%22&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images
Welcome to The Gauge
If you are talking about the model, it is a beauty and it does have opening doors. Two of our club members own them and they are sweet runners as well.:thumb:
If you are talking about the model, it is a beauty and it does have opening doors. Two of our club members own them and they are sweet runners as well.:thumb:
On the subject of Bachmanns Acela stuff, are the couplers the normal knuckle couplers, or do they use a different device?
Welcome aboard! There is always the chance some one has asked a question previously but that's OK. Some members may have missed it or joined up later. If you want you can use our "search" feature above and type in Acela to see any threads with that word in it.
Ralph
Ralph
Wildcatfootball said:
the Acela uses draw bars, which are much better. they allow you to run a train forwars and backwards without the couplers"bunching up" and causeing derailments when the power car is in back. you have to be carefule though, as the draw bars are easily cracked, and its hard to get replacements. i still haven't found any for my Acela, and i'm about to just buy a whole new locomotive set (mine are damged anyway...)
The pantographs also are easily messed up, although not always damaged. there is a brass tab that a wire on the pans hook up with that can be easily borken if you aren't carful. also, if the pantograph gets pull back, the wire ofetn gets un hooked, and then you need to fiddle with it for a while. they cn run on overhead power if you want. 22inch curve minimum.
Otherwise its a great model, the locomotive doors do swing open ( to a diecast interior
). i wonder why they put them there.The HHP8 aclea is different though. I assume you mean the Acela express.
Hi maglev,
I've also one Acela in H0. I replaced the drawbars between the cars with Roco short couplers. The Acela is equiped with standard NEM 362 coupler boxes so every other short coupler or Kadee will fit in. That works very well and you're not in danger to damage your drawbars. Unfortunately it doesn't work on the locos. All in all it's a nice model, as well as the HHP-8 loco. Strongly recommended.
I'll post pictures of the coupler if you or any other member want to see it.
Tobias
I've also one Acela in H0. I replaced the drawbars between the cars with Roco short couplers. The Acela is equiped with standard NEM 362 coupler boxes so every other short coupler or Kadee will fit in. That works very well and you're not in danger to damage your drawbars. Unfortunately it doesn't work on the locos. All in all it's a nice model, as well as the HHP-8 loco. Strongly recommended.
I'll post pictures of the coupler if you or any other member want to see it.
Tobias
I would like to see the other pictures. So the engines can not hook on to other cars, i.e. Amtrak Superliner cars? sign1
nope, the aclea only works with its cars.
and i don't have any pictures of my acela, since they got put ut of service literally 4 months after i got them, and i was never able to repair them. i've had the sitting collecting dust for the past 2 years. i'm going to break down and get a new locomotive set, because bachmann won't answer any calls or emails for spare parts. even when i call them, i never get anyone. ever.
and i don't have any pictures of my acela, since they got put ut of service literally 4 months after i got them, and i was never able to repair them. i've had the sitting collecting dust for the past 2 years. i'm going to break down and get a new locomotive set, because bachmann won't answer any calls or emails for spare parts. even when i call them, i never get anyone. ever.
Coupler details
Here are some detail fotos of the couplers and coupler box. The new drawbar for the connection between loco and car was made from two standard NEM (european style) couplers. The short couplers are from ROCO. Bachmann used NEM coupler boxes and short coupling kinematics. I included pictures of the self made new drawbar comared to the original, the coupler box on a car end, detail foto of the ROCO short coupler and two cars coupled with ROCO couplers.
Hope it'll help.
Tobias
Here are some detail fotos of the couplers and coupler box. The new drawbar for the connection between loco and car was made from two standard NEM (european style) couplers. The short couplers are from ROCO. Bachmann used NEM coupler boxes and short coupling kinematics. I included pictures of the self made new drawbar comared to the original, the coupler box on a car end, detail foto of the ROCO short coupler and two cars coupled with ROCO couplers.
Hope it'll help.
Tobias
Attachments
the locomoticve doen't actually tilt at all, while the passenger cars can be tilted by hand, i don't think they actually tilt on the layout. I can try, because as it turns out i have a dummy coupler from my Lionel Challenger that conveinetly fits the acela's drawbar box with a kunckle type coupler, so i can use one of my trains to pull the cars around tommorow.
the doors are held closed byt a spring, so you really can't hold them open for pictures. I'm still curious why they installed that feature.
The lights are definitely cool. the forward locomotive has ditchlights and the to middle white lights glaring ahead, while the tail end has deep red lights on it. it looks so cool. the cars light up to, but its hard to see unless its dark.
the doors are held closed byt a spring, so you really can't hold them open for pictures. I'm still curious why they installed that feature.
The lights are definitely cool. the forward locomotive has ditchlights and the to middle white lights glaring ahead, while the tail end has deep red lights on it. it looks so cool. the cars light up to, but its hard to see unless its dark.
Did a little foto shooting,
here are the results. I used the dummy loco for the pictures, much easier to show the lights turned on. The cars tilt only in curves, like the real ones. There's some kind of curve on the upper side of the trucks. If you swivel the truck, it "leans" into the curve. As mentioned before by green_elite_cab, you can only hold the doors open with a finger or so. The cars tilt in curves on the layout and the couplers are mounted flexible to follow the move of the car it is mounted to. But you can hardly notice it. Saw the price for a trainset including tracks and power pack in the US. Huuuh, seems I was very lucky to get mine for only $150.
Tobias
here are the results. I used the dummy loco for the pictures, much easier to show the lights turned on. The cars tilt only in curves, like the real ones. There's some kind of curve on the upper side of the trucks. If you swivel the truck, it "leans" into the curve. As mentioned before by green_elite_cab, you can only hold the doors open with a finger or so. The cars tilt in curves on the layout and the couplers are mounted flexible to follow the move of the car it is mounted to. But you can hardly notice it. Saw the price for a trainset including tracks and power pack in the US. Huuuh, seems I was very lucky to get mine for only $150.
Tobias
Attachments
Yeah, Walthers list's the H0 Trainset $348.00 regular and $246.98 sale. On eBay USA it's priced between $200 and $240!
Tobias
Tobias
and to think i got mine for $150 like yours in a department store. thats crazy prices there! if onlyt he locomotive sets would go down. they are already like #90 though, so i think i'm getting near able to afford them.