Possible scenario?
Frame was "normal" when it left Rattrays. The extra stays were added later when the frame was turned over to touring use, possibly by a later owner. The work could have been done by Rattrays or by a local guy with a torch, but a later respray at Rattrays made it all look original.
Just musing. Several have mentioned the possibility that the stays were meant to stiffen a touring load, but no one has commented on whether it would work or how suitable for touring the bike would be otherwise. Certainly the chainstays look nice and long.
Peter Storey
Where it is 90+ degrees
On The Waterfront
in beautiful Brooklyn, NY
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Bob Reid <bob.reid1@virgin.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>
> Richard wrote,
>
> >i would assume that the gain in stiffness by 'butressing'
> > the seat stays would be negated by the shear act of
> > adding these small struts. the heat involved in the brazing
> > operation will certainly not help the area onto which
> > these add-ons were, well, added.
>
> How does that square with the tube manufacturers at the time who were
> balatantly advertising the changes in the metals micro structure when the
> frames were brazed up giving increased / improved strength around
> the heated
> zone ?. This was one of their more popular sales pitches.
>
> I'm going with the notion that the additional supports to the
> stays were for
> some perceived (real or otherwise) benefit in braking - but like everyone
> else I'm probably guessing. I'm going to take up with one of the original
> employees who had been with the company since 1937. Out of around 30,000
> frames made, this is probably a pure oddity, and there us a good
> chance that
> he will remember it. They had no reputation for straying off the
> conventional path - like the Flying Gate and such like, in fact, quite the
> opposite so this may well stick out.
>
> The other view is that this was (as were many) built at the customers
> request with these additional stays, too replace an older machine that was
> so equipped. Custome building was something they did have a
> reputation for
> - hence you rarely find two machines the same. Oddly enough it's also
> equipped with a head-clip, when most machines turned out at that time and
> earlier were using Brampton conventional headsets.
>
> Bob Reid
> Stonehaven
> Scotland