A sharp-looking ready-to-run model of Amtrak’s Acela Express is the newest arrival in Bachmann’s Spectrum N scale line. The model is equipped with a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder and is usable on DC or DCC layouts. The powered café car and dummy locomotives and passenger cars are available as separate-sale items or as a train set that includes a powered café car, two dummy locomotives, a business class car, a first class car, a DC power pack, and an oval of sectional track.
History. In 1996 Amtrak awarded a contract to the Bombardier/GEC Alstom consortium to build a train able to cruise at up to 150 mph on the electrified Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, D.C. In late 2000, a year behind schedule, the first of 20 high-speed trains entered service.
Acela Express trains have 6,250- hp electric locomotives at each end and six passenger cars in between. The trains suffered some initial problems. But they look good, move fast, and the seats sell out. Annual ridership has grown from just under 500,000 in its first full year to more than 2.5 million.
The model. Bachmann’s Acela Express is a great-looking model. Die-cast metal frames give the train pleasing heft (the unpowered cars weigh 2 ounces while the powered café car weighs 5¼ ounces). The tooling is precise with metal frames meeting the plastic upper carbodies in perfect gap-free joints.
Painting is similarly first-rate with excellent lettering and striping. The flush-mounted, tinted windows are outlined with black to represent rubber window gaskets. Even the molded underfloor equipment access door latches are neatly highlighted in silver. The cars are the correct scale 89 feet in length and have interior lighting.
The motorless locomotives have a full lighting package. In DC or DCC mode the bluish-white headlights and ditch lights of the forward-facing locomotive are illuminated. Changing direction extinguishes the headlights and illuminates a pair of bright red marker lights.
Bachmann’s N scale Acela Express has a nonstandard hook-and-loop coupling system. The coupler components are small, and so is the space between cars, so coupling takes some patience. The resulting closely coupled train looks realistic but requires a very broad 19″-radius curve.
Mechanism. A can motor mounted below the windows of the café car powers the train. The printed-circuit boards for the dual-mode decoder and car interior lighting are located above the car’s windows. Electrical feeds from the trucks extend upward to touch contact pads on the PC boards.
Our first sample didn’t run well, a problem Bachmann believes to be limited to a few early production sets. If you happen to purchase one of these sets, the repair is simple:
1. Remove the trucks from the café car by pinching the truck frames together and unsnapping
them from the floor. Then remove the body by gently spreading its lower edges and lifting it away.
2. Four small bronze-colored contact pads are visible on the top of the PC board. Gently bend each pad slightly downward, and snap the trucks and body shell back in place. Each power truck has one traction tire. The plain wheelsets should be nearest the couplers, otherwise the gears may not mesh.
Performance. That pair of traction tires, combined with a weight of more than 5 ounces, provides enough pulling power to handle a prototypical two-locomotive, six-car Acela Express consist. On DC, the lowest sustained speed was 5.6 mph. Using DCC, the train crept at 4.4 mph, but the motor growl was quite noticeable at low speed.
The verdict. Bachmann has produced a well detailed, accurate, and neatly decorated N scale replica of North America’s fastest passenger train. The model’s performance is good, and the dual-mode decoder gives it flexibility.
N scale Acela Express
Price: $450
Manufacturer
Bachmann Industries
1400 E. Erie Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19124
www.bachmanntrains.com
Description
Plastic-and-metal ready-to-run passenger train
Features
Die-cast metal frames
Drawbar pull: 2.4 ounces (12 illuminated passenger cars on straight, level track)
Dual-mode DC and Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder in power car, DCC controlled locomotive lights
Eight-wheel electrical pickup
Five-pole motor with flywheel
Light-emitting diode (LED) directional headlights, ditch lights, and markers
Power car weight: 5¼ ounces
Male-female couplers
Minimum radius: 19″
NMRA RP-25 contour nickel-silver wheels (in gauge)
i personally don't like this train. my reasons being that it broke on me twice. most of the trains i have being either steam or desiel locomotives from bachman all pretty much broke on me. the acela wasn't too reliable for me.
i own an Acela. it runs pretty good. i had to get my powered car replaced because it wouldnt work for what ever reason. this train is good, for a bachman, but it does have its flaws.
i bought this train 3 years ago. it worked ok but then broke. one of the wheels would pick up power, only one side did. i sent it in to bachman and have yet to here from them
What type of decoder is it?
Bachmann needs to use this basic mechanism and car design to make up a Canadian LRC in VIA
Does anyone know if it has spring loaded pantographs?
I believe the model includes Bachmann's own decoder.
I purchased two complete trainsets for modeling a Boston-Washington layout. Both run very well with the typical 8 car configuration. The pantographs are spring loaded, however, the rotation of the pickup will need a slight adjustment to operate correctly. The fit and finish of the model is excellent! A real beauty running at near top speed (what other speed would an Acela operate at?). The only issue I have is with the coupler fit (the design is great). Most of the couplers connect with no problems – a few require them to be “snapped” together. If you plan on transporting, this maybe a consideration.
The addition of a sound decoder would bring the rating from a 4 to a 5.