Hello by trigger shifters you mean rapid fire? a thumb lever/index finger arrangement? these unfortunatly can not be changed you need new thumb shifters that can be set on friction. some of the first shimano have a little lever (like the DT shifters) that you could move to a friction setting. IMHO this was big fault of the rapidfire sytems. if they broke on the trial you either rode home in the little cog or adjusted the limit screw.
Yes that is the system I salvaged the drive train from. What is it that makes you say they can't be fitted to regular friction shifters?