Lionel 2021 Acela: Improving Your Odds of Success

bruce,dave olson did mention it in the demos with dave acela video. electric was chossen for this model. cant remember exactly why.

Makes sense  I have the OG 2005 version

for those still thinking of getting one if there still out there. do it. once I got my engine back from lionel. the full set has run flawlessly ever since.

the set does take a little tweaking as discussed here. once its done it runs flawless. the real show stopper is the bestro sounds dinner.

What are the biggest differences between the OG 2005 and the newest version?

Don,

The biggest difference is that the 2005 set had an automatic door opening capability. Also the 2021 Acela has a powered trailing engine which the 2005 set did not.

thanks

I saw one running at Timonium yesterday. Looked beautiful and ran flawlessly. Was a great crowd pleaser.

The set runs great but one of my catenary does not go down

drives me crazy...check to see if the hook inside that slot on top is engaging with the caterpillar drive deep inside the top of the train..I still cant figure out why one door doesn't close...might be the micro switch...

My pickup roller has pulled out

does anyone know how to open the passenger car.

Update

nothing wrong with pantograph

I was only using Bluetooth

when I did a reset with a cab remote

all is well

at my local train club

https://youtu.be/rrO9WOSEVFY

Very nice demo. Looks like it is running well. I hate the rhythmic thumping sound coming from the Cafe Car--a problem I also have. I'd like to come up with some sort of default method to kill it on every start up. I don't mind the twang from the overhead wires.

thanks !

I just bought the polar express version with the add ons

I hope my wife does not see this post

I have a question

my couplers are tough to uncouple

I saw the thread on using a micro file

do you recommend filing them ? Or just slightly enlarging the loop by slightly bending it ?

thanks

Filing. I haven't tried bending out of fear the loop coupler would break open.  You can try it and report back.

I bought the smallest micro file

but I cannot file easily as it’s a tad big

I have to insert and slowly slide it out

also on my business car, one pickup is loose but the wire is still secure

is there an Easy way to open the car.

Or shouid I bring to my local hobby shop for repair

Never tried opening an Acela car. I would only bring it to repair at a Lionel Authorized Service Station/Center. I personally send my Lionel problem cars back for repair at their HQ in North Carolina. Turn around time varies from 2 to 8 weeks. For items under warranty, they are very good about giving you a free FEDEX shipping label.

From what I know they are not accepting repairs for items out of warranty

Unless you are good at reparing complicated things and the like. DO NOT TRY TO OPEN THE CAR send it back. I opend one of mine up and it was a nightmare to get open and back together. One of my door lights on the top was out. Turns out the wire and solder trace you solder too on the printed circuit board just fell off. Not worth sending back for me at least. so I just left it as is and managed to get the car back together without scratching or damaging anything.

Gave my son the polar express Acela

For Christmas !

made a shelf layout in my sons room to handle those curves !

https://youtu.be/PBZ58-IOCD4

That's a fabulous job and a lot of work. Generous dad!!  I wouldn't have enough nerve to do it without also putting up a Lucite fence. I have no idea why Lionel defaulted the Bistro Car to produce that rhythmic thumping sound. Just torturous!

Thank you!

my home layout does not have O72

so I had to build this to run the Acela

you got me thinking, I may add the plexiglass

does the thumping supposed to be the rail sounds ?

I've ridden the Acela over many years and never heard those thumping sounds from inside the train. I think there is a kill button for it on the CAB2. My Bistro Car is currently at Lionel repair for the 2nd time with audio module problems. The pantograph wire sounds from the engines sound realistic.

@Rsicinski posted:

Gave my son the polar express Acela

For Christmas !

made a shelf layout in my sons room to handle those curves !

https://youtu.be/PBZ58-IOCD4

Keep telling yourself that, Raphael.

Thanks for the video!

Sebastian looks great!

Picked mine up at York and finally had time to put it on the track.

Followed all the guidance in this post.

Unfortunately, one pantograph on the rear loco will not go up.

I emailed Lionel for a warranty repair.

Also, the clear plastic door in one of the cars was loose in the box.

I requested warranty repair on it also, as I read above that disassembling the cars is not a pleasant experience.

Otherwise, a very nice set.

Just do a factory reset with legacy

pantograph should go down

I used a micro file for the loop part of the coupler

they now come apart very easily

Thank you.

I have done the reset from the manual and also the suggested resets in this post.

I also do the power down of the cab2 base (numerous times).

All other features on both locos work fine, including the actions of the other 3 pantographs.

@Jeff2035 posted:

All other features on both locos work fine, including the actions of the other 3 pantographs.

Jeff,

So with both the pantograph "lock" and "down" switches in the "run" position, a full factory reset, and reversing engine direction, the one pantograph still doesn't rise? When you press the pantograph lift command on the CAB2 and put your ear to the pantograph, do you hear any motor sound? I was wondering if the problem is in the mechanical linkage from the mini-motor to the pantograph. Did you try gently lifting the pantograph while initiating the command?

Hi Bruce,

Yes, I did all of what you suggested.

I did not hear any motor noise and I did try gently lifting it up.

Using the cab2 up/down buttons; that worked for 3 of the 4 pantographs....just not the defective one.

I have actually done your suggested test run with both locomotives a few inches apart, and when going from forward to reverse everything worked as it should except the one pantograph.

(and no derailments )

Jeff,

Sounds like you do need to send that engine back. I also had a car with that internal glass door coming loose. My Acela engine has been in warranty repair one time, bistro car two times, and business car one time. It is all running perfectly well now!!

Bruce, thank you for taking time to assist.

And, thank you for compiling the guidance.

I printed it out and followed all your recommendations.

Very helpful and likely kept me from causing any damage.

I am sure all new Acela owners on the Forum are appreciative.

I have a new issue

when I stop my engine, I have to do a reset otherwise when I start again the cab light flashes

amy ideas ?

@Rsicinski posted:

when I stop my engine, I have to do a reset otherwise when I start again the cab light flashes

any ideas ?

That used to happen to me all the time. My cure was to stop using the ZW at full throttle and instead use a PH-180 or Z1000 brick without a controller. I can only guess the engine is sensitive to any resistive losses in both wires to the track.  So try changing your transformer and/or add a second set of wires from the transformer to the track ground and center rail to lower line resistance. Of course, you can simply use larger diameter (lower gauge) wires if you have them.

The reset instructions at the end of the first message both worked to get the engine restarted.

So I went from z1000 Brick directly to rail.

all good, your a genius!

I hope Dave Olsen is on this thread.

Glad you got the engine working again. I spent countless hours trying to solve the blinking engine problem with the Acela. It turned out to be a simple solution but very unique to this engine. None of my other Legacy engines behaved this way.

I'll modify the words in the top message to reemphasize the importance of using the lowest-resistance, direct path from the transformer brick to the track. 

Thanks again

I assume when I run at my local club I’ll have the same issue

they have z4000 there.

any experience with those transformers?

@Rsicinski posted:

they have z4000 there.

any experience with those transformers?

No problems reported with the Z4000 or ZW-L.

Thanks

My front engine one of the catenary’s do not go down but I hear the motor.

any thing I can do?