My Amtrak Acela Spectrum passenger cars and locomotives are equipped with drawbar couplers. I find it very difficult to couple the cars and locomotives together, much harder than if they had knuckle couplers. Is it possible to somehow retrofit my Acela cars and locomotives with knuckle couplers?
The drawbar coupling system is a European design and used quite extensively. With the Bachmann Acela model, the drawbars work with the tilting feature. There is a Kadee adapter, but a simplier method is learning to work with the drawbars....less expensive for sure.
The problem with the Acela drawbars is that they often don't sit straight, plus you can't see the rectangular opening trying to insert the drawbar. You can pick up one car to see better, you can hold a screwdriver under the drawbar to raise it level, or you can keep plunging the two cars together, hoping to get lucky.
A best way would be to turn the coaches and locomotives on their side, couple up all the drawbars, and then rerail the train and start running.
David Harrison
Sorry, Acela Website Is No Longer Availablde
Forgive my ignorance but I have searched and could not find a picture of what a drawbar connection looks like. I do understand the use of it but don't think I have ever seen one.
Thanks
wb2002