Looking for a Tri-ang Giraffe Telltale

[Gerrard]

I've bought a Tri-ang Giraffe Car (R348) that's in excellent condition, but need the Telltale (that makes the Giraffe duck), and the metal track strip that causes it to duck.

If anyone has either of those that aren't wanted, I'd be very interested.

 

Thanks.

[Paul H Vigor]

1 hour ago, Gerrard said:

I've bought a Tri-ang Giraffe Car (R348) that's in excellent condition, but need the Telltale (that makes the Giraffe duck), and the metal track strip that causes it to duck.

If anyone has either of those that aren't wanted, I'd be very interested.

 

Thanks.

What do you get if you cross a giraffe with a duck?

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The metal track strip is in fact a length of Super 4 rail, from a single straight track, without fishplates.

 

This is fitted upside down to two plastic base plates, which have edges to clip fit between the sleeper strip, and the running rail.

 

To get the Giraffe Car working, it is possible to attach a length of rail upside down to the centre of the track using blue-tak...

 

The sets originally contained two activating rails, already attached to the base plates.

 

The tell tale is purely cosmetic, and needs to be fitted to the track at the place where the Giraffe starts to duck.

 

The clip fit tongue is the standard one also used for the loading gauge, etc.

 

The closest thing to the original is possibly an overhead wire support.

 

The flaps are plastic, and pivot on a metal pin that is fitted into the plastic arm of the tell tale.

 

One way to find loose original parts is to search though the photos of job lots of parts on eBay, etc...you never know what you may find.

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2021 by Ruffnut Thorston
Typo

[Gerrard]

8 minutes ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

The metal track strip is in fact a length of Super 4 rail, from a single straight track, without fishplates.

 

This is fitted upside down to two plastic base plates, which have edges to clip fit between the sleeper strip, and the running rail.

 

To get the Giraffe Car working, it is possible to attach a length of rail upside down to the centre of the track using blue-tak...

 

The sets originally contained two activating rails, already attached to the base plates.

 

The tell tale is purely cosmetic, and needs to be fitted to the track at the place where the Giraffe starts to duck.

 

The clip fit tongue is the standard one also used for the loading gauge, etc.

 

The closest thing to the original is possibly an overhead wire support.

 

The flaps are plastic, and pivot on a metal pin that is fitted into the plastic arm of the tell tale.

 

One way to find loose original parts is to search though the photos of job lots of parts on eBay, etc...you never know what you may find.

 

 

 

Thanks very much for that helpful info.

[Gerrard]

31 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

What do you get if you cross a giraffe with a duck?

Ha ha ha. Good to see humour is alive and well here 

 

I don't know the answer to that one, but I do know what you get if you have a dirty old ginger Tom that's eaten a duck.

[Paul H Vigor]

21 minutes ago, Gerrard said:

Ha ha ha. Good to see humour is alive and well here 

 

I don't know the answer to that one, but I do know what you get if you have a dirty old ginger Tom that's eaten a duck.

I don't know the answer either! Hoping one of our resident wags may enlighten us!?

[GoingUnderground]

Adding to Ruffnut's comments, you could make the actuating strip out of a rail and some plasticard. If you do, be careful that the actuating strip isn't too high or it will foul the pinion driving gear on locos. 

 

For the Telltale you could use a catenary mast, just remove the "spring" wire, and make your own "comb" for it out of paper or very thin plasticard.  

[33C]

1 hour ago, Paul H Vigor said:

What do you get if you cross a giraffe with a duck?

A goose?

[Paul H Vigor]

42 minutes ago, 33C said:

A goose?

Any advances on a goose!? 

[Paul H Vigor]

Just now, Paul H Vigor said:

Any advances on a goose!? 

Toying with 'Towering Duckferno'!

[cypherman]

It is obvious.

It's an ostrich..... lol

[Hroth]

12 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Any advances on a goose!? 

An Emu.

Angry* and improbable!

 

* And wouldn't you be, with a hand up your fundament?

[Phil Parker]

The telltale isn't uncommon, but the rail is IMHO (and I own at least 9 giraffe cars) very rare. I suspect it got left clipped in the track when the model was put away. As others have said, it's a piece of steel super 4 track.

 

Now if you want REALLY rare, find a giraffe's right ear.

[Hroth]

2 minutes ago, Phil Parker said:

The telltale isn't uncommon, but the rail is IMHO (and I own at least 9 giraffe cars) very rare. I suspect it got left clipped in the track when the model was put away. As others have said, it's a piece of steel super 4 track.

 

Now if you want REALLY rare, find a giraffe's right ear.

 

You'd think some clever individual would be ebaying 3D-printed replacements for such things, and flogging them on ebay for silly money?

 

Its about time someone replicated a Turbospace Battle Car to mount on a Spud motor bogie...

[Ruffnut Thorston]

 

8 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

The telltale isn't uncommon, but the rail is IMHO (and I own at least 9 giraffe cars) very rare. I suspect it got left clipped in the track when the model was put away. As others have said, it's a piece of steel super 4 track.

 

Now if you want REALLY rare, find a giraffe's right ear.

That’s why it can Pay to look quite closely at job lots of track.

 

The plastic base plates for the activating rails were also sold as spares...I can’t remember the S. Number off hand though.

 

This is one of those parts that is a total mystery when you see one, a strangely shaped chunk of dark brown plastic....unless you know, that is.

[sandwich station]

9 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

Now if you want REALLY rare, find a giraffe's right ear.

 

A giraffe with a right ear.

 

 

[sandwich station]

Not for sale but I thought I would post a few pics of the bits you want, so you know what you are looking for.

 

 

[Ruffnut Thorston]

The telltale has a spacer sleeve over the metal pin, between the plastic flaps and the post.

 

This is a length of the insulating sleeving used on the Tri-ang X.04, etc. Motors.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Ruffnut Thorston
Typo

[sandwich station]

35 minutes ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

The telltale has a spacer sleeve over the metal pin, between the plastic flaps and the post.

 

This is a length of the insulating sleeving used on the Tri-ang X.04, etc. Motors.

 

 

 

Yes, I noticed that when taking the picture.  

[Gerrard]

11 hours ago, sandwich station said:

Not for sale but I thought I would post a few pics of the bits you want, so you know what you are looking for.

 

 

 

Thank you! That's really helpful.

 

[Gerrard]

3 hours ago, Ruffnut Thorston said:

The telltale has a spacer sleeve over the metal pin, between the plastic flaps and the post.

 

This is a length of the insulating sleeving used on the Tri-ang X.04, etc. Motors.

 

 

 

The man's right! Thank you.

Tri-ang were nothing if not resourceful.

[Gerrard]

21 hours ago, Phil Parker said:

The telltale isn't uncommon, but the rail is IMHO (and I own at least 9 giraffe cars) very rare. I suspect it got left clipped in the track when the model was put away. As others have said, it's a piece of steel super 4 track.

 

Now if you want REALLY rare, find a giraffe's right ear.

 

I didn't know that so many right ears got damaged that way, so are rare. So by sheer luck.......

 

And alas, no one got it right...... "What do you get if you have a dirty old ginger Tom that's eaten a duck?"   A Duck-filled-tatty-puss  

 

Thanks for all the good tips, info and advice on what to look for everyone.

[Phil Parker]

5 hours ago, Gerrard said:

I didn't know that so many right ears got damaged that way, so are rare.

 

There isn't a hole in the cardboard packing, so the model rests on his ear, that's why they go missing. 

[Enterprisingwestern]

On 16/04/2021 at 14:36, Phil Parker said:

Now if you want REALLY rare, find a giraffe's right ear.

 

Book yourself on this and take a Stanley knife?

 

https://www.zsl.org/meet-the-animals/giraffes

 

Mike.

[Steamport Southport]

On 15/04/2021 at 22:03, Paul H Vigor said:

What do you get if you cross a giraffe with a duck?