Thanks to everyone who tried to identify the strange half lugged 49
Claud Butler that I asked for help with a couple of weeks ago.
Apparently it does not appear in any C-B catalogues, and so may be
something produced when CBs were experimenting with bi-lams. The pics
of it are now on Norman Kilgariff's excellent website at
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/
As a collector / restorer of vintage lightweights, I frequently find old frames which sadly have lost their identity, and some of them will probably never be identified. There are some, however, which are of such quality that it would be tragic not to at least try to find out their origins, and I wonder if list members would like to help identify one such frame. This one was among a collection I bought, and had been powder coated, but appeared to be somewhat rough under the coating. I have now had it stripped, and underneath I find that, apart from a very small top tube ding which has now been braze filled, the metal is as good as the day it was made. It had simply been poorly prepared and refinished. Here are the clues:
A 22" track / path frame, probably British, from the mid to late 50s. 6 figure frame number,117115 , across the bottom bracket, and along the steerer tube. Nervex series Professional lugs. Reynolds rapid taper chain stays, and 27.2 mm seat pin size probably mean 531 double butted tubes. No drillings for head tube badge Double plate drilled fork crown, round section 22mm blades, and what I think are Stallard ends with mudguard eyes. 3/16" plate track ends, with a "blip" on top which is drilled for mudguard eyes, even though the curved bridge is not drilled. No braze-ons. There are no signs that the frame has been modified in any way, and the workmanship is excellent.
If anyone feels they can help, and would like a set of pics, please email me.
Peter Brown, Lincolnshire, England.