Postwar Giraffe Car, 3376, 3386
The
lionel Giraffe cars were plentiful, fun for kids but a bit of a problem
to maintain.
The
primary maintenance problem was the cam follower
The
Cam follower is often broken or cracked. It stuck out
and was easily snagged. Many that are still available are
fragile from age. I was able to design a replacement that
can be 3D printed. I used PETG and .1mm layer height and 3
profiles. The pivot pin fits in nicely and the serrated part
of the pin holds it in.
Comparison
of the original Cam Follower (Cracked and bent ) to the new 3D printed
one on the right.
With the 3D printed version I did not have concerns about draft
angles. Since there are hollow spaces in the 3D printed part I could
make the re-enforced areas thicker without adding weight. The 3D
printed part acts like the old one and clears wheels and other areas as
the original did. The pivot pin and 2 circular end clips are re-used
from the original.
3D print
files Giraffe-follower .stl and .step I used PETG
and .1mm layer heights for proper hole sizing and bottom radius detail.
Another
problem is the cam follower spring. 3376-26
Many
of the springs broke or rusted. Some cobbled together replacement
springs but they may not work well. If the spring is too stiff, it
may overcome the spring on the CAM Plate assembly along side the track
and not get full retraction. The right spring is
critical. In this picture the spring is not correct. It was
before I could get the correct spring.
Make sure the Giraffe bar is in good shape
Make sure the contact point on the Giraffe bar is smooth, no dents or
catch points.
The pivot bar should move freely in the Giraffe bar and the metal pin
holders. The pin can easily fall out when the shell is removed so be
careful. There should also be a weight in the end of the bar, to cause the
Giraffe to go up. It is real easy to push the Giraffe down and
lock it in place. If the locking tab is about 1/3 of the way
from the head. If broken off, the head will not lock down.
The
car itself may bee too light
The
car tends to rock side to side. With the Cam Plate on one side of
the track, it may rock sideways going over and not get full
retraction. Light cars usually need weight added when
heavier cars follow it. I added 2oz of weights to help
stabilize the car and keep it on the track in a long train. Make
sure you do not block the screws that hold the body on and make sure all
the mechanisms clear the weights.
My Mods for the Giraffe Car
The
Cam Plate is spring loaded and will compress when wide Diesels or when a
steam engine with low linkage goes by. While this is a good
workaround to activate the Giraffe car and allow larger engines through,
I did not like the Idea of my linkages on some engines hitting the Cam
Plate.
I
designed a lower, slightly wider cam plate for 3D printing.
It clears all my steam and diesel engines and there is a little flex to
allow something a little wider or variances in tolerances.
It was done with PETG and .1mm layer height. This one is for O
track, not the lower O27. In this picture I have it on
both sides of the track.
Along
with this I had to adjust the Cam follower on the Giraffe car so
it would ride a little lower. I removed the raised contact on the
one end. About 5mm/.2" difference. This dropped the
follower about .1" in the front, allowing it work with my lower Cam
Plate actuator. Many of the pictures above show the Cam Follower
with the lowered end.
Lower cam follower going across the
modified actuators.
The
Giraffe isn't all the way down, but good enough for what I
want. Step files are included if you want to modify
the follower. If lowered too much There may be other track
side accessories that may not clear.
I
used PETG and .1mm layer height and 3 profiles.
Last update Nan 22, 2025
