I am looking to confirm that Gilbert actually produced the #695 traick trip in 1946 & 47. These track trips were to use the brass buttons on the bottom of the locomotive chassis to activate an accessory. I have read and heard that they were produced and that they weren't produced. Could someone confirm they actually have one or have actually seen one?
Thanks so much.
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I can't totally confirm, but I don't think anything was put in production that used the brass buttons. Gilbert installed them in some engines from that time period, but the equipment to use them was catalog but never made. Kinda like Lionel and the 703 Hudson of the same time period that was never made. Aspirations exceeded production capabilities of those early postwar years.
I am looking to confirm that Gilbert actually produced the #695 traick trip in 1946 & 47. These track trips were to use the brass buttons on the bottom of the locomotive chassis to activate an accessory. I have read and heard that they were produced and that they weren't produced. Could someone confirm they actually have one or have actually seen one?
Thanks so much.
Yes, they were.
Examples are quite scarce ("rare"). I have had the opportunity to examine one owned by a friend. See page 70 of the "TM American Flyer Illustrated Price and Rarity Guide to S Gauge 1946 - 2011".
Bob
OK, I didn't know that. Did they make a special track section or connector for the button to trigger? I don't think I have ever seen one.
OK, I didn't know that. Did they make a special track section or connector for the button to trigger? I don't think I have ever seen one.
The (first) No. 695 is a clip-on trip used to activate the No. 587 Block Signal and the No. 588 Semaphore. For an illustration, see page 28 of the 1946 catalog.
Hope this helps.
Bob
Its my understanding that only a few of them were made to test out the new system. It didn't work well so the item was dropped. Gilbert wanted to use the buttons system to activate various accessories, mainly signals as mentioned by Bob. Loco's went into production with the brass buttons, but the track trips were cancelled after testing showed them to be unreliable and sometimes caused locomotive derailments. The 697 was used instead.
Gandy
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