Question About Lionel Giraffe Car Track Trip Article

Classic Toy Trains Forum
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I really enjoyed the “A new and improved Lionel giraffe car track trip” article in the CTT November 2013 issue. I’ve seen videos of David Smith’s layout in the past and I really enjoyed watching the multiple giraffe and elephant cars operating on his layout. I’ve wondered how he was able to get the cars to operate through bridges and in other locations without a telltale.

I’ve collected a number of giraffe cars, an elephant car, and a reindeer car so I can enjoy similar scenes if I am able to build a layout in the future. I use Fastrack and I have one Fastrack compatible telltale at the moment (came with the Reindeer Car from a few years ago). The track and the cars are in storage at this time, so I can’t play around with them while looking at the magazine article.

I think I understand the general concept of the Plexiglas trips, but I am confused by the final part of the article “Tweak the trip bar”. In the text, it says “…I had to lower the point of activation about 1/4 inch. To do so, I modified each giraffe car trip bar by bending it slightly upward.”

I could be very confused, but it sounds like raising the one end of the trip bar creates a slight “V” shape (because of the pivot point in the middle), and it causes the other end of the trip bar (the part that contacts the track trip) to ride higher than on the original cars.

The caption for photo number 7 says “The car’s trip bar must be bent to accommodate the slightly elevated position of the new track trip.” So, it seems to confirm that the acrylic trip is taller.

Why not just make the acrylic track trip shorter in height, rather than bending the trip bar up 1/4 inch?

I probably don’t have a correct understanding of the modifications, so I’d appreciate it if someone who does understand what is going on could explain it.

Also, I’d prefer not to have to modify the car parts, so if anyone has any ideas how to add a tr

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I made mine like this: http://www.jcstudiosinc.com/GiraffeCarActivator

The tubing can be raised or lowered in the roadbed to achieve the desired result, and held in place with a drop of ca. No alteration of the car trip bar is necessary.

The reason for modifying the trip bar is that David reduced the height of his activator plate by 1/4" to allow for clearance of some locomotives and rolling stock. The acrylic trip is lower, not higher. The caption on photo seven is incorrect.

Pete

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Texas Pete,

Thanks for the reply and clearing up the CTT article.

I also liked the activator in your link. It looks good.

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Pete…It was my understanding that David lowered the activator plate on curved sections to allow clearance. That precipitated the modification to the trip arm. From my limited experience with the activator plate system, it works fine at the manufactured height on a straight section of track. Did I not understand everything? [?]

BTW, I like the wire system because I can adjust the height easier and it is so simple. Why did you use tubing rather than just solid wire?

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As per the paragraph below the “Tweak the trip bar” heading on page 54, the original device is spring loaded to allow for wide rolling stock to clear. David’s solution for use of a rigid cam plate is ingenious and practical, but since the trip bars are modified the plates must all be the same height, curved or straight.

I used tubing because I had it on hand, but wire should work long as it’s not too soft.

Pete