? 3376 Giraffe Car Cam Plate ?

TPete,

This is just a guess mind you, but I would surmise that the cam is spring loaded to prevent it from catching any other Loco/Car detail that might stick out that far.  It would just drop down under pressure and not derail the rolling stock.  FWIW.

I can't help you with your question about the original giraffe car cam plate, but here is a link to instructions on the Lionel web site:

Giraffe Car pdf

The third page shows the modified pieces that came with the reindeer car a few years ago to use the tell-tale with Fastrack. Unfortunately, these parts aren't in the system/available, but they might help you with some ideas for modifying your tell-tale to work with Fastrack.

I had an email correspondence with Mike Reagan a while back about getting parts for using the tell-tales with Fastrack, so he is aware of interest in the parts. Hopefully the next time Lionel produces an operating car with the tell-tale system, they are going to make extras of the parts for sale by the service department.

The thing is, if it doesn't need to be sprung it would be a simple matter to cut a slot, at the appropriate distance from the outside rail, in the roadbed of a FasTrack straight section and install a home made cam plate.

Pete

trestrain...i to sent mike e-mails re:the plate that attaches to the underside of a piece of fastrack back in jan.

sent him another one a few days ago and he replied saying he hasnt forget about the part but was having problems with the factory etc etc etc. back in china.

terry........

OOH, there's that China thing again!

        To answer the question asked as to why the cam is sprung - I was told it is due to the fact that the steam locomotives eccentrics hit the cam and if it was not spring loaded, it could crack or snap off the eccentric arm.  If anyone has another answer, I'm all ears.  Dennis M.

You could make a activator out of some brass tubing installed at the proper height to make the car work.  Using this method, you could make it as long as you want...I am thinking of doing this because the Lionel one when installed, catches on the front pilot of the GG1 and derails it...It is kind of odd that Lionel would make this and it won't work with all their engines...

Marty

thop, thanks for the info. I'll look for them then.

I have several giraffe car activated sections (rails) on my layout, 5 in and out of tunnel portals on my mountain and on my bridges.  

The rails do not have to be fancy, sprung or flexible.

I use slats from an old broken window shutter, about 1 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick.  I cut the 1 inch height to what is needed to work the lever on the car and taper the edges to and from.  A piece or two of 3/4 x 3/4 inch x 1 or 2 inches is glued to the side to allow a screw or two to be driven into layout to hold the rail is place.  I slot the screw hole to allow movement in and away from the rail for adjustment.

The a giraffe car rail can be seen in the bridge below.  It is painted gray.

Charlie