I have a couple of bobbing head giraffe cars. Only problem is they're pre-FasTrack era so the included tell tales won't work. Has anyone created their own tell tales or modified the non-FasTrack tell tales?
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It seems that you could cut the roadbed of the FasTrack to mount the cam actuator\tell tale base or lock-on for the giraffe to duck the tell tales.
There was a write-in suggestion in a recent O-gauge magazine (I forget exactly which) that described a method of doing this, but without pictures it was absolute greek. I would just buy the fastrack to tubular sections and swap out where appropriate. I just posted recently that I wish they would produce a fastrack friendly version of the giraffe car and the ducking brakeman.
Tubular to FasTrack adapters are not an option. Each adapter is 5" which means I'd need a total of at least 20" of straight track. Don't really have that kind of space on my compact 5x10 layout. Lionel has made tell tales for FasTrack. Problem is they don't have any spares in stock nor can I find any for sale anywhere. I've tried making some from popsicle sticks but getting them to the right height is REALLY tedious. Too low they don't work, too high they lift the car off the track.
Cutting the Fastrack won't work. The bumper piece would sit too low. My next step is to measure the track height difference between tubular and FasTrack and build an appropriate sized shim to lift the old style tell tale to the correct height. If that works I'll post pics and dimensions for others.
Am I to understand- don't have one- that these cars activate off of track mounted cams?
If so,
-where's the cam located on the track?
-how high does the cam stick over the rails?
- a pic of one on a tubular track would help along with answers on 1 & 2.
I'm thinking that if the theory is correct one could make a drop in cam to activate these cars with 2 holes drilled onto the fastrack for placement and they could be moved with just the holes remaining....if I'm right.
I have plenty of evergreen and plastruct laying around to make one, but lack a car to use for it....I would send a ramp/cam to somebody to use though- you drill the holes.
I have one fastrack camplate adaptor left in stock. You use your original sprung camplate. (or I have one if you need.) 20.00 + postage.
Chuck
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