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From: RailRide
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  • i have 3 issues with it. 1)the real acela tilts in curves 2) it doesnt have the ditch lights like the real acela 3) unless they already do the doors should open/close. otherwise awesome model

  • @t3subde

    (1) It does, at speeds over 30SMPH. I disabled the feature owing to transformer amperage restrictions at the time The 6-car Lionel Acela can draw in excess of 6 amps with all features active.

    (2) it does, I didn't have command control to operate them separately at the time

    (3) The doors do open. I disabled them because of issues related to operating them without proper lubrication, which I had not done at the time.

  • I wouldn't call it "The Cadillac of your collection." Instead, I'd call it, "The Bugatti of your collection." Let me explain why. 1. Your model and the Bugatti Veyron are both very fast. 2. They're both very stylish. 3. They're both very expensive. (In real life, an adult ticket goes for around $200, and w/ the model, you paid a few thousand for it, and a Veyron goes for over $1 million!) and 4. They both are very impressive in all of the videos on YouTube that they're in.

  • nice train whare do you get it???????????????????? sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo­ooooooooocooooooooool

  • @TheRailwaytrains

    The set's three years old---the place where I got it closed down before it was shipped.

  • @TheRailwaytrains lionel has them

  • Comment removed

  • how did you get all those sounds? i don`t got when i got it.

  • @mcrrocks80

    They're built in and play automatically.. If you have the LIONEL Acela, that is.

  • sweet train. it would really suck if it derailed... how much did the train cost?

  • @poofy917

    'Coupla grand

  • @RailRide ohhhh man that is stupid

  • I love how your layout is spread out around the living room! 3 questions How big is your living to fit that entire layout in it? How much did it cost to make that layout? And how did you convince your wife to let you do that?!? My wife wont even let me make a train layout around the christmas tree!!!!!!

  • @randomstuff1282

    1: 11x17

    2: I already had the track from previous years of floor layouts as a youth, so it was only the lumber...less than $150 worth since it's made of 1x3s for the trackway, , 1x2s for supports, and a single 4x8 to make the curves and footings. I'm not counting the new cordless jigsaw in that figure (I didn't have one).

    :3: That's easy :). You'll see references in my videos to those ' running behind the couch' shots as being "Proof I'm not married" shots.

  • where did u get it from

    how much was it?

  • @EvRayTatnall

    I pre-ordered it when it was announced two years prior to release a few years ago. The particular dealer I ordered it from is long-closed now. In fact, I had to meet the owner at Penn Station to pick up the set because it arrived after he closed the shop.

    And yeah, a couple of grand for the whole thing...but I had two years to save for it.

  • @RailRide what website?

  • @mcrrocks80

    Train World, Charles Ro, or Nicholas Smith Trains may still have a set, but we're still talking about $1600 for the two loco/three coach set. Only one run was ever made.

    It's not a cheap train, and the cars won't run through anything less than 072 or maybe 060.

  • I like your video. I want that set!

  • does lionel still make this set?

  • @sounderfan1

    It was a one-shot deal. 2000 sets were made (once they had orders for that many), allegedly with the promise that there will only ever be one run.

  • can someone tell me what the different ranks of train sets mean?

  • @MrPennyworth007

    You might have to clarify what you mean by "ranks".

  • @RailRide like o, g, HO n.

  • @MrPennyworth007

    All of my trains are 'O' scale

    (and for those who are aware of the differences, some of them are entry-level pieces that are a bit smaller than 'scale')

  • how fast can it go

  • @MegaLilkeith

    I don't know. Matter of fact, I don't think anyone who bought these sets is in a position to want to know, considering how much these cost :)

  • Were was the diner car?

  • @disneylandguy10

    Fifth car. See a close-up at about 2 minutes into the "Part 2" video.

  • Will other high speed trains be made in O Scale?

  • @Trainmaster189

    From Lionel? Probably not.

    From MTH? well, since they are making European trains, I asked their president how long would we wait for to see a TGV in the catalog. He said "Give it time".

  • what happens if it derails???

  • @mdog917

    Nothing pretty, I'm pretty sure I don't want to know :D

  • I love the Acela set from Lionel. Even though I never owned the set but, it's the first model of a high speed train in O scale.

  • Comment removed

  • That looks awsome, can we get these in the UK? thats one of the nicest O scale models of a modern image train I have seen for a while

  • @nikvanlanduyt

    Lionel's site only lists one dealer in the UK on their site(Tennent's Trains), but some US dealers do ship internationally. TrainWorld in New York is one, and I do recall seeing the set there. Their URL is the same as their name (add the dot-com as usual).

    Go to Lionel's website and find the product number before you call--they are rather busy, and they look up their stock at computer terminals by those numbers.

  • Does the pantogragh rise up?

  • @numanboy

    They do, but I had them turned off (along with all the other features) since the train was pushing the limit (6 amps) of my transformer's circuit breaker.

  • cant the doors open? if they can, can u make a video on it?

  • @Tornn96

    They do open, but I did not have command control at the time. I turned off the features because my transformer only has a 6 amp breaker, and just turning on the coach lights tripped it after a lap around the room.

  • where to buy the Lionel Acela with all 8 cars

    I always see the one with 5 cars

    thank you

  • @zi663

    The "set" was only sold as 2 power cars+3 coaches, and an add-on package of three more coaches

  • How come the headlight and ditch lights are lit on the rear power car instead of the front? Is something wired backwards, or do you control the lighting directly?

  • The lighting (and sound) of the rear power car is controlled via an infrared link running under the couplers from the head end. If the alignment of the transmitter/ receiver pairs at each coupler is off, then stuff like what you described occurs. If you look at the second part of this video, you'll notice the headlights straighten themselves out by the third shot.

  • They actually make an O gauge Acela??

  • *Did*, as in past tense :) . Lionel released this set in 2006.

  • Now if only you could make the ditch lights flash....

  • NOW, that i take a closer look at this vid  the passenger cars remind me of Metro North / LIRR M7s... Although Lionel did a crappy job on the M7s.. like i said before MTH would have done a better job on them...

  • wow!!!! super cool!!!!

  • NIce set dude. I have the "Acela Express" set too but HO. but I run it on a 12 amp so I can do things like open the doors, raise and lower the pantograph and all the other gremlin things

  • do no how to reset the cars mine are not going back in

  • That I can't help you with. I don't have TMCC, and I shut off the doors on my set (under conventional, they usually open when the loco is in neutral) since the door drive screws need to be lubed and I haven't done that yet.

  • yeah i no that but i got to work now thanks

  • what is the id # for the acela i cant find it

  • The set number is 6-31714. I'm not certain what you mean by " id # "

  • WoW, Now that's a set! Just beautiful. I'm starting to add to my old collection. Now MTH has a premier set with a 1/48 scale. What scale is this Acela? How does lionel work, with scales, do they use different scales for certain trains.  I'm trying to figure out between MTH Premier, and just now looking into lionel, Don't know much of Lionel, But the fact of how much i love this video

  • The Acela is 1:48. Taking into account that O Gauge trains were never inexpensive, the less-expensive ones are smaller than scale (since they're intended to operate in smaller spaces) and as you go up in price, you get closer until at the top end, you get models that are specific scale models of real cars/locos.

    Google the "O Gauge Railroading" forum (it's at the top of the results) and ask there--plenty of folks will spell out the intricacies (much of it wasn't planned by the manufacturers)

  • this a nice set, man.. where u purchase?

  • Stuyvesant Hobbies, Manhattan.

    But the owner retired so the store is no more. I actually picked up this set up after the store closed, and paid the owner, in his car, across the street from Penn Station, almost three years ago :)

    Maybe two or three of the trains appearing in these videos are brand-new. The rest of them have been sitting in boxes for a few years before I got around to videotaping them.

  • I remember Stuyvesant because I went there quite a bit. The one thing that bothered me was the store was too small to store much stuff and you didn't know what he had until you asked. Then he had to get it from his warehouse. That's why I usually go to Trainland,Nassau Hobby and Willis for stuff. Just Trains in Delaware for mail order Williams.

  • how did you buy all the trains

  • Little by little. A locomotive here, a couple of freight cars there. Save up for a set once in a while. I've been doing this since 1986 of so, when I first discovered train shows, so I bought a lot of stuff that way once I had my first job.

    Nowadays, stuff that's in train catalogs (O gauge ones, that is--I don't know about HO) usually doesn't hit stores for 6 months to a couple of years, so there's usually time to save up for stuff you see and want.

  • thanks

  • Nice.

  • nice train

  • To get technical, the first class car, and the end-busneiss car's are both facing the wrong directions. the doors are suppose to be on the inside of the train, not on the same end as the locomotive. Not exactly sure why this is, but this is how the trainsets are built

  • And it only took 48,000 pageviews for someone to notice that :)

    But I'll look over some shots of the real thing next time I video mine.

  • umm the end buisness and first class are both facing the correct direction, the doors are in fact soppost to be on the ouside, its a common misconception, the only thing wrong i see is that theres an extra end buisness stuck in there instead of a buisness (btw i'm not paying attention to the direction of each car besides the end cars) nevertheless its a great set, i just have the bachman one and its not as good as the Lionel one

  • Matt Needs This Plus 3 Matching Add -on CarsTo Make it Complete I wish Lionel would Make More of Sets Like This.

  • is that track O27?

  • Yes. K-Line made 027 track with 072 curves (Lionel only went up to 054), which is what I used here.

  • Does the model tilt when turning just like the real thing

  • yes

  • Cool what gauge is this?

  • O Gauge.

  • The Acela is Beautiful, in model-size and life-size.

  • Nice, very nice!!!

  • watch?v=aUc62jD-G0o

    :)

  • What gauge is this?

  • Your point? Nerds rule this planet.

  • You should make a track designed for this with slight angles on curves and try to run it down full speed.

  • I'd probably need a layout four times the size to even think about doing that "safely". 150MPH in O scale is about 5 feet per second.

  • This makes me wanna get back in to Models so back...but I would love a back yard setup!

  • Does the one powered engine pull those good?

  • It's twin-motored, so it does okay with the six-car set. Certainly better than the M7 set :)

    As it comes out of the box with just three coaches and the trailing loco, it does just fine. I still wouldn't try to run 150 scale MPH with it though.

    Thing about the Acela is that it's a big power hog. With all the functions turned on, a full 6-car set can pull in excess of 6 amps, which is more than small-ish transformers can handle.

  • thats enough electric to make a light ge p42 move a little

  • WHERE DID YOU GET THAT

  • Stuyvesant Hobbies. But the owner retired, so that shop is no longer around :)

  • Very nice! Ihave a chance to buy one a "like new" set with add on 3 pack. Is it worth it. i see u said your z-4000 cant handle all the options, I have the same transformer. Itcan handle 10 amps what exactly happens can u explain.

    Thanks

  • I have a Z-1000, not the 4000. The Z-1000 has a 6-amp breaker, and a fully-activated Acela draws a little more than that.

    A Z-4000 should handle it just fine.

  • what a train wow!!! sounds incredible

  • it is a sweet train

  • I think I found myself a Model Train Buddy!!!

  • I'm glad the Acela worked for you. I'm on the OGR forum and a lot of guys bitched about their misbehaving Acelas.

  • Well, to be fair, most of what could go wrong has been switched off on my particular train. My transformer isn't quite powerful enough to run all the features--in fact the (6 amp) breaker popped after a lap and a half of running with just the coach lights turned on.

  • what transformer are you using?

  • MTH Z-1000.

  • cool i am using a lionel ZW

  • niceee. although the third coach is a end buisness when its sopost to be an normal buisness, i have the bachmann HO Acela, not as good...

  • that is probably the coolest, most accurate, most detailed, and most expensive O Gauge train iv'e ever seen (well at least out of lionel)

  • Definitley not 'O'.

    Next cheapest would be HO--it is the most common scale. Cheap is relative though. If you can tolerate toy-quality equipment you can get back into the hobby quite cheaply--but the inexpensive stuff may not run well or hold together well enough to not frustrate you. Anything that's going to last long enough to let you know if you really want to continue in this hobby won't be cheap.

  • hey right when the train starts your "power track " wasnt buckled properly

  • i would run mine but my cat took a dump on the tracks so i got to clean it up later. :(

  • Now I'm thinking of jokes about using kitty litter for ballast :D

  • accualy i used cat litter for ballest LOL :)

  • What scale is Fastrack

  • O scale.

  • That is truly impressive! Almost makes me wish my layout were O if I could have one of those puppies!

  • I Love the Acela :D

    it costs $2000 from Lionel directory

    man if i had more money, I would've had that no prob.

    BTW, i heard lionel now has the Amtrak Acela HHP w/ Phase V Amfleet cars on sale.. I've seen the locomotive from Bachmann at first.

    Now lionel has officially made one.

  • Well, probably 1600-1700 now, but yes, rather pricey.

    Lionel "will have" the HHP8 train--I doub't it's in production yet-- they'll figure that out once they have their orders from their dealer network and know how many to produce. It may take a year or so, being that almost all of the set is brand new molds.

  • what's plate?bachmann???hou much?i'm chinese

  • Bachmann makes the Acela in HO and N scale. You can find stores selling them via Google.

    Mine is O scale (about twice the size of HO) and is made by Lionel.

  • Lol! It costs about $4000++ and its very rare nowadays as majority were sold out

  • This one was slightly more than half that figure. Although all sets were sold out at the manufacturer level, there are still sets floating around the dealer network, and usually at less than MSRP. You can get the base set for about $1800 and the add-on coaches for under $500 if you shop around.

  • and for $500 you can get the bachmann acela trainset

  • That works if you're an HO scaler. Ho trains tend not to run so well on O gauge track :D

    This is not to say that an 'O' scale Acela *has* to cost that much (Lionel is putting out an HHP-8+Amfleet set with track & transformer for *under* $500, number 6-31779). It's just that this particular set, with all it's gee-whiz Buck Rogers-ness is what's out there *right now*. There could be others in the future that cost less.

  • Thats cool! where did you get it, a hobby shop or did you have to order it?

  • As mentioned earlier, I ordered mine from a Lionel dealer (since retired) before they were produced--it wasn't clear whether you'd be able to find them after they hit store shelves.

    With the possible exception of Williams by Bachmann, the O-gauge companies produce according to the orders they get from dealers, so it may be 6 months to a couple of years before delivery. Usually you pre-order them through your local hobby shop that carries that particular brand of trains.

  • I want to buy one.

  • I went to TrainWorld, and the price said "Sept 2005." Does this meant that they are out of stock?

  • That's probably the original date they were expected to be delivered, and didn't update the ad/ webpage.

    Make sure you have the set number if you call them up for a price quote--they're notoriously busy if you're not buying.

  • i've seen one of these at a train show and looked it up on the internet. There was an article on these and they cost like $2,000. Where did you get this?

  • MSRP was $2000. The set can be found for as little as $1600 (maybe even less). As stated in the previous comment, I got these from a Lionel dealer (since retired). TrainWorld (dotcom) probably still has some.

  • Where did u get this? BTW awesome video!!!!!!!! I also watched the 2nd one and realized how deatailed the interior is. What is it made out of?

  • I pre-ordered it from a Lionel dealer. These sets were announced and orders taken, two years before delivery. It was stated right up front in the catalog that they would wait till they had orders for 2000 sets before going ahead with production, and that it would take two years to deliver.

    The cars and locomotive are ABS plastic with cast-metal trucks and sheet-steel chassis.

  • I wish i had one of those...

  • very cool

  • she is a one beautiful machine if u don't mind ca we get a vid with the doors open and interior veiw i am workin on ho bullet layout i wish the ho spectum model was that detail

  • If you don't mind me asking, I have the HO Spectrum Acela from Bachmann and I haven't noticed any missing details. Whats missing? Besides sound of course.

    Otherwise, this is a great video. I dig, I dig.

  • The major major detail that is not excusive to the bachmann set is the door openin and sound dnt get me wrong it is a good set but at the same time Bachmann freight trains get way more detail really added to there sets com[are to the passenger rolling stock

  • very nice, and i love the elevated layout

  • andrewstop acting like a smart ass

  • One way to operate it in a more suitable environment for high speed operations and Command Control is to find a club or a museum that has 3-Rail Layout with large radius curves and TMCC equipment. It would be possible to find such a place if you were near a metropolitan area.

  • I'm already aware of clubs in the region that can support such operation. The NJ Hirailers is one. In fact I have video of their layout in my account.

  • make a graffiti on it

  • mine is made by Bachmann and it is n scale

  • warning do not run on same rails with other trains crash immenent!

  • i wish my acela made noise that was awesome!!!!! you know trains are now starting to come back because the cost of gas

    car avrg. 20 mpg

    train avrg. 250 mpg!!!!!

    i love trains check out my acela train vid

  • Are you running with Legacy or TMCC? If not, then you are definetly missing out.

  • Conventional control right now (I could do some more inventive camera angles if I had any sort of remote control :) ). Don't have any Legacy units yet, but a mix of DCS, TMCC and conventional locos at the moment. Eventually I'll get a command system, but firs I need to build a layout that can support more than one train at a time.

  • Well you look like you have a few tracks. With command control, you can place any train on any track and it wont move or do anything until you tell it to. Each locomotive can be controlled independently even if 2 trains run on the same block.

  • Oh, I know how command works. It's just that until I have a setup that can support multiple trains, it doesn't really do anything for me. Right now all I have is the single track loop with three sidings for odd cars. Not much potential even for moving a switcher around in there while anything else is running. Command is on the list of future stuff, but there needs to be some more construction before it'll be useful.

  • This set is like $2,000. holy shit!

  • Not so bad with two years to save for it :)

    But yeah, lots of greenbacks. Can't do that anymore, so I'm glad I got it when I did.

  • yah I don't think anyone can do that anymore with the economy now lol :P I think scratchbuilding is going to start to be a priority again ( at least in the other scales)

  • whoo! What do you do for a living? Lionel's expensive.

  • They've always been expensive (the rule of thumb was always two weeks' salary for a middle-class wage earner for a top-of-the-line set). But this set was announced two years before it was to be delivered, so there was plenty of time to save for it :)

    Not to cheerlead Lionel, but they're marketing a line of trains called "Conventional Classics" at prices that are modest by comparison. They just don't have techno-features :)

  • fuck u asshole

    trains where the first powerful means of transportation

    so i suggest that u chage ur name to imawaste!

  • ...Not only that, but trains are in EVERY country, and there are plans for a future trans-Atlantic rail tunnel, which would then trigger similar projects, and the end result would be that trains would,eventually, literally, be all over the world. On top of that, the computer you're using ( along with your food, gas, car, and the materials to build the ROOF over your head) would've been transported BY RAIL. Trucks and planes are near worthless in comparison to the abilities of a railroad.

  • are those real sound or sound effects

  • The sound effects come from the train. Lionel recorded sound effects from the real Acela, and the onboard computer plays the proper sound effects in unison through both power units.

  • This is amazing, I love it.

  • nice

  • wow...a beautiful work of art. pat on the back to those lionel people, they've really done it now.

    wish i had one...wish I had the house with enough room to support it in the first place!

  • shame such a "sophisticated" train is prone to problems/gremlins...this makes it not quite so sophisticated. this year, roco from austria will be releasing in ho/oo gauge an electric train set which can raise and lower its pantographs and open/close the train doors with relevant sounds via dcc control. to do this in oo/ho gauge is impressive!. in development and to be ready in 2-3 years roco also have the siemens maglev train coming!...all info released at the nurnburg toy fair this winter!

  • I don't know if my particular train has problems--I had to shut off the features because the transformer I have isn't really intended to run trains like these. It has a 6-amp breaker, and this train pushes it to its limit.

    Some have had problems, true, but the people who do not have them tend not to say anything on online messageboards.

    And it is still the *only* O scale high-speed passenger train.

  • Awesome K5LA hybrid horn!

  • awesome video bachmann spectrum ho scale have the same things

  • although i hate Lionel and love MTH, this is an extremely impressive model.

  • This is by far the best Lionel model that I've ever seen! I'm usually not a fan of them because of the three rail thing, and most of the trains look like toys more than models, but this is the exception!! Absolutely fantastic!! Too bad you couldn't show off the tilt and the pantograph stuff, but I totally understand why you couldn't! 5 stars!

  • Hi

    I'm fairly new to railroading business - is it a o scale or ho scale model ? I have just ordered my first ever trainset from lionel as i could not control my eagerness to have one and being far away from US the cost does a lot to me (Im from India)

    Can you tell me what will be the cost of this acela and the track ?

    The one which i ordered costed me 300 $ lol and I hope to have one acela soon as it is my dream train ( I travelled from Boston Newyork very expensive though :))

  • The version in this video is O scale. Lionel's suggested retail price was $2000 for two locomotives and three cars, plus another $750 for the three-car add-on that made it a 6-coach set like the real Acela.

    Street price for the main set hovers around $1800, and about $450-500 for the add-on.

    For $300, you most likely have something other than an Acela if what you ordered was indeed a Lionel set.

  • Ofcourse i did not ordered an Acela but i would soon ! and thanks for the detailed information i appreciate it

  • your set is probably coming w/ a small transformer and 0-31 curves. the problem w/ the bigger trains like the acela and mth premier trains is that they take a lot more power for sounds and such and they require larger radius curves. For example, the acela needs 0-72 curves at the minimum

  • I've heard of the set running successfully on 60 inch FasTrack curves, but I haven't been able to test that yet. The power cars will definitley run through less than 072, as they were able to get into the yard without any trouble when I was running them by themselves.

  • That it so nice. Thanks for posting this.

  • 2006? That's the same number engine I have in HO scale. Take a look at my Acela video.

  • The Lionel version is 2026 and 2029

  • I wish that bachmann would include all of these features with the trainset. This would also mean that the trainset would cost alot more money.Another thing is that on the HO scale bachmann version is that the paint on the locomotive where there is blue around the lights and roof is too dark!Nice Video