EZ-MATE 78035 Coupler

[bernie7787]

  Can this coupler replace the coupler on Acela  Passenger cars?

[richG]

According to advertising I see, the cars already have EZ-Mate couplers.

Rich

[Conrail Quality]

Yes, they will work, but you might want to consider the Kadee #18 coupler. They will cost you more than the EZ-mates, but they are sturdier and more reliable.

The Acela cars are oddballs in the Bachmann North American line in that they are equipped with European NEM couplers, not EZ-mates.

Timothy

[richG]

I was going by the below advertisement. What is the difference?

http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/bac/bac13109.htm

Rich

[Conrail Quality]

What you posted was an Amfleet car, built by Budd in the mid-70's for Amtrak. These are conventional coaches that are Amtrak's everyday equipment on the east coast, where tunnels in Baltimore and New York prevent Amtrak's double-decker Superliners from being used. In the late '90's, Amtrak management decided that to promote Amtrak's new Acela service, it would paint its Amfleets in a scheme similar to the Acela.

What Ernie is talking about are these:

the coaches built by Bombardier in the late '90's for Amtrak's high-speed Acela. They are semi-permanently coupled to each other and the power cars, hence why Bachmann did not equip the models with standard knuckle couplers; the prototype doesn't have them.

Timothy

[richG]

Ok, thanks. I definitely was not aware of the difference.

Rich