Go to my website, click on modeling techniques and scroll down to couplers.  A lot of people break the drawbars...there are two sizes of drawbars, short for power car to end car coupling and long for coupling between any two cars. Drawbars can be ordered from Bachmann parts department.

Some people also have broken the actual housing into which the drawbars insert.  And if the spring has come loose, this repair is difficult.  Best to remove the wheelset to better access the sprung holder.

http://web.mac.com/msibnsf/iWeb/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed.html

David Harrison

Here's my website where the Bachmann Spectrum Acelas run alongside other electric models.


David Harrison

http://web.mac.com/msibnsf/iWeb/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed.html

Whose loco is that on the right?

David Harrison

The reason why there is a NEM/Kadee like EZ Mate coupler for the Acela is that many people have trouble coupling the NEM drawbar couplers so the adapter-like Kadee design coupler was created.  In many cases with European locomotives and cars, the coupler either makes coupling easier or allows coupling European equipment to American types.  However for the Acela, the NEM adapter couplers only makes coupling easier for Acela equipment and it was not designed to allow Acelas to be coupled to other types of models.

David Harrison

Hey, I'd like to see some pictures of your layout.

David Harrison

Quote from: edmondbond on March 28, 2008, 10:17:13 AM
Subject: Spectrum HHP-8 Locomotive and Acela Passenger Cars Coupling â€" No Good

I have purchased four Spectrum Amtrak Acela passenger cars and two Spectrum Amtrak Acela HHP-8 locomotives.  I have successfully coupled the cars together using the EZ Mate, Mark II NEM couplers, but no luck with the HHP-8 locomotives and the cars.  The HHP-8 conforms to the NMRA Specification.  The coupler when installed on the Acela passenger cars does not conform, and vertically misaligns too high â€" it sits on top of the HHP-8 coupler. Help???

On the real Amtrak Northeast Corridor, the HHP-8 and the Acela passenger cars never couple together.  The HHP-8 is designed only to pull conventional passenger cars like the Amfleets and the old fashioned passenger cars from the 1950/60s.  The Acela passenger cars are found ONLY in trainsets of six pulled by Acela power cars.  THey are NEVER mixed.

They should never be mixed on the models either.  All manufacturers offer couplers like the EZ mate/Kadees  for conventional cars and locomotives.  Bachmann's Acela trainsets originally came with NEM drawbar couplers and Bachmann and other manufacturers offer NEM conversion couplers that look and operate like EZ mates and their Kadee clones.  But just because the  they both can use NEM/Kadee, still doesn't mean Acela passenger cars and conventional cars and locomotives can be coupled together.

Now you might say you don't care what the prototype does or does not do....you personally like and want to run Acela coaches with HHP-8s.   If you're gonna be that stubborn, you need to learn how to scratchbuild and adapt mismatched designs.  But the truth remains...they were never intended to couple together.

David Harrison

http://web.mac.com/msibnsf/iWeb/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed.html

Since there's no edit function, let me repost the URL.  I might have grabbed the wrong one.

http://web.mac.com/msibnsf/iWeb/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed.html

David Harrison

The wiring instructions are on my website.

http://web.mac.com/msibnsf/iWeb/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%20Speed/Acela%20Express,%20The%20Need%20For%

David Harrison

I mentioned to the Bach Man at Amherst that since I model the Acela Express in HO scale, I still want to journey to Europe to ride the fast trains there.  Well, in three weeks I'll be there.  On Tuesday, it'll be the Eurostar from London to Paris.  On Wednesday, the TGV Lyria to Zurich, then the Cisalpino to Milan, followed by the Night Artesia back to Paris.

Then its the 200 MPH TGV East to Frankfurt, only to board the ICE to Hamburg where a day is set aside to visit Wunderlande, the world's largest model railroad layouts.  Then another night train back to Paris and finally the Thalys to Amsterdam.

I probably won't even mention modelling the Acela while I'm over there.  And I think the Lyria also goes on the 200 MPH line too.  Now if only I could get a "head end" ride!!!!!

David Harrison

Coming back to this again...Conrail..there  was no prototype E60CF. Are you asking Bachmann to make a model of something that never existed? There was a single cab version called an E60 and only six were built for an isolated mine to power plant operation in Arizona.  Nothing like a single cab E60 ever operated on any mainline in the US.

Then two of Amtrak's E60s were sold to another isolated mine operation, but these were double ended of course and had unusual pantographs added.

Also there were 41 E60C-2s which were also double ended.  Two went to still a third isolated mine operation while the others went to Mexico and were never used I believe.  They finally moved back into the US a few years ago, prompting theories that they were going somewhere...but I think the "somewhere" was to a scrapper.

Now there was another isolated automated  electric operation in southern Ohio, Muskingum, but they used an E-50, sort of an improved E-44. But of course the E44 family looks nothing like the E60s.

David Harrison

OOps...I read your first post too fast.  ECP versus ECF.  Sorry

David Harrison

My yearly  trip schedule is West Springfield, MA in January, the NMRA summer National show when its held in the eastern half of the US roughly, I Hobby Expo in Chicago in  October, Trainfest in Milwaukee in Wisconsin. Those are the only four shows I do.  It's too hard to get  helpers at shows.

There is an outside...outside chance that I might attend the Timonium show in Baltimore this February if ...and thats a big if...if the cards fall right.  Weather is the biggest factor.  I'm only considering this because the layout will already be on the east coast following the Springfield show.

I wonder (out loud) whose house I might stay at for a few days (hint, hint).

David Harrison

Dear Frankford el car....Does your suggestion take into account the feeders underneath the crossover?  Have you made this conversion?

David Harrison

There was a new DCC onboard release by Bachmann in 2007.  E60CP Amtrak Phase III, #65503 for starters.  Would that fit the bill?

David Harrison

Put it this way....there are 100 modelers, 75 of them like main line railroading, steam or diesel; 5 like narrow gague, five like only pre world war II, 2 like Canadian, 2 like European...keep going til there's only one modeller left.

That one modeler is divided between niche interests like rapid transit, commuter versus any other odd ball trains.  Now the manufacturer has to decide who will models be made for.  Easy to see who wins and who loses.

No there are no inexpensive models of CTA equipment available in HO.  The North Shore Electroliner which ran on the "L" up til 1964 is coming from Con Cor at about $400.  NYCTA fans were lucky when Proto 1000 from Life Like did the New York IRT cars.  Walthers has said there'll be no more right now until stuff runs through the pipeline.  P1K was rumored to be interested in doing a CTA 6000 PCC car in HO scale like Mikes Train House is doing in Lionel/O scale in the Rail King Line.

So if you want CTA and don't want expensive brass....change to Lionel O scale. 

P.S. MTS wants to do the 3200 series CTA in HO brass.

David Harrison