Acela Passenger cars

[Mr. C]

Is there a better way to uncouple and couple  these cars without tipping them on their side?

[jonathan]

Mr. C,

According to the instructions, one can simply pull the cars apart.  I do it this way sometimes.  I only apply just enough pull force to get the cars apart. 

The other method (which you probably discovered) is to lay them on their side and use a fine needle nose pliers to squeeze the male coupling.  This is probably easier on the couplers, but not as convenient.

Regards,

Jonathan

[full maxx]

I have one also and its very difficult to get them together...but easy to get apart

[Mr. C]

Did anyone try replacing the couplers with something other?

[full maxx]

I thought about it but decided against it as I want them to stay together as the same train so my little engineer can't hook them to something else

[jonathan]

There are adapters available, so one can put knuckle couplers in as a replacement.  I did not for this reason:

I put the Acela Express train together (full prototypical consist) in the Spring, when my garage is warm enough to run trains.  I disassemble the train in the winter, when the garage is too cold to run trains.  That's it... When I'm not running the Acela, it has it's own track (track #1) in my passenger terminal yard.  Ordinarily there is no need for coupling and uncoupling.  I service the engine during packing and unpacking.

Regards,

Jonathan

this area is still under construction, but the basics are in place:

[full maxx]

Hey Jonathan can you direct me to the adapters for changing to the knuckle couplers

[jonathan]

FM,

Bachmann sells 'em.

I believe if you head to Products/HO/Couplers, you'll find the NEM knuckle coupler inserts that fit into the Acela cars.

Regards,

Jonathan

[full maxx]

kewll tanks alot   so how many do you get for $21.50

[ABC]

That price is for a package that a dealer buys. You would buy just one pair of couplers from your dealer. It is probably going to cost you around $2-$3 a pair.

[full maxx]

I assume I will need 2 short for the engines and 6 long/med for the cars

[hawaiiho]

I've been looking at the Acela for some time but have shied away because

of the couplers.  This thread got me looking again and searching.

I'm not sure about the lengths, as the conversions appear to come in

only one length(medium).

Caboose has the conversion couplers singly(1 pair) for under $1.50

Trainworld On Line and Trainsets Only have them in 12 pair packages

for about $13.

I hope this helps  and doesn't violate and rules.

[full maxx]

Ebay also has long and short nem couplers...I'm gonna get them as my little engineer likes to take the power engine off and put the dummy engine in front and push them by hand, so it would be a lot easier to put it back right with knuckles and I think I will get the 12 pack as I would like to lengthen the "bullet train" in the future...the engineer calls it a bullet train

[full maxx]

so would these work between the cars http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220574363422&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT and these work http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230448301077&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT on the engines to keep the correct clearance between all cars

[full maxx]

ok ordered received and installed but they leave a little bit of a gap, more so at the engines