help with the acela

[commando]

hi here people i got an amtrack acela a few years ago i have a few thing broken on it. a few of the windows on the first class car and dummy engin have been poped in. i need to know how to take the cars apart to glue them back in. also on of the small couplers between the engins and cars broke do you know where i could by a new one. can some one please help me

[ABC]

Any hobby shop that stocks model railroading supplies would typically carry HO Couplers. Yours probably has a Bachman E-Z mate medium shank coupler.

[commando]

i'll try that what about taking the cars apart

[ABC]

Here's a link to the parts diagram for the HO ACELA HHP-8 DCC READY
http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/H830x-IS001.PDF

[FECfan]

couplers: http://estore.bachmanntrains.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66_68_88&products_id=196

dummy loco: http://www.bachmanntrains.com/home-usa/dwg/dwgs/81945.pdf

the passenger cars may be tough to find a diagram though...

[Stephen D. Richards]

Commando, call Bachmann service about the short shank Acela couplers.  They are specific to the Acela.  EZ Mate and EZ Mate II will not work on the Acela.  Much easier to read the tech manual than try to explain how to take the body shells off!  They are on the Bachmann site as well.  Hope that helps.  Stephen

[jonathan]

Commando,

I own an Acela Express train set  There is another acela type set called the Nor'easter, which included the HHP8 and some acela style cars with standard couplers.  The express set has couplers like no other trains you will find. The service dept keeps these in stock on a regular basis.

The loco at the top of this photo is the express engine.

We can better help you, if we know which set you have.

The express engines and cars, can only be opened by first removing the black rings around the front and/or rear doors.

As stated previously, check the diagrams in the product reference section of this web site.

Standing by.

Regards,

Jonathan

Addendum:  Now that I've had a little sleep:  The coupler mechanism on the express set is called the "draw bar assembly".  If yours is broken, you will probably need the whole assembly, not just the coupler.  I ordered one last year for about $9 with shipping.  There is a spring in the assembly that is incredibly hard to install; harder than putting a spring in a knuckle coupler.  I finally gave up on the spring.  Car works fine without it.  Removing the shell off the cars and engines is tricky.  After you remove the black rings around the front/rear doors (easy to do), you must gently pull the shell away from the chassis and put a toothpick between the shell and the chassis.  Do this several times around the loco or car.  Eventually the shell will release from the chassis.  Careful, the loco lights are mounted to the shell.  You will have to keep the chassis in close proximity to the shell.

Caveat:  I am doing this from memory.  My set is packed away for the winter as I have a garage layout (don't run trains in the winter months).

If you have the Nor'easter set, sorry, I have no experience with that one.

J

[Daylight4449]

Pardon me but i believe the accela in question is the express. my logic is this.

Amtrak- The railroad that covers most of the u.s.a passenger service
Accela- one of amtraks fastest and most luxurious express's
northeast corridor- an electrified express route that handles many locomotives such as the accela and the hhp-8 featured in the set "noreastern"
Amtrak also used  f40 ph locomotives as was in a set made prior to the noreaster however these were more along the commuter lines as they were diesel electrics, not electric locos.
So basicaly, the accela was not amtrak but one of their trains

However you are right, he may or may not know this and we must know the set.