Tom Ward's Ephgrave is I am sure the genuine article albeit probably modernised with Campy dropouts. The frame number 1929 LE is correct for an Ephgrave of about 1953. I have never seen one with the date stamped on the BB shell too but the date also ties in. The Simplex double roller guide is also correct for 1953 - it was normally used with a Juy 53 type front mech and either a TDF or Juy 51 rear mech combined with the Simplex double lever mounted on one boss. The twin wire Simplex gear mechs (Juy 51, 543 and very rare TDF variant) did not need a double cable roller - the second wire was attached to the main gear wire just in front of the chainstay stop with a solderless nipple and used a standard single right hand lever. The lollipop decoration to the top of the seatstay caps was not introduced until 1955 or so - so its absence would be correct too. I really find it unlikely that somebody would have gone to the trouble of adding the Simplex double cable guide to add authenticity to the frame.
Hilary Stone, Bristol, England
>
> Thomas E Ward wrote:
>>
> (cut)
>> One other bit of information--possibly a clue to something--is that the
>> roller guides for the derailleur cables, brazed onto the top of the bb
>> shell, include one with two rollers (for the rear, of course). Wasn't one
>> of the early Campagnolo rear derailleurs a twin cable type? I've never
>> seen one, but the Campagnolo timeline mentions it. Could this help to
>> justify the presence of the Campagnolo dropouts as original?
>
> From: Chuck Schmidt
> "1950 - Campagnolo employs 123 workers. The Gran Sport twin cable,
> parallelogram rear derailleur prototype is shown at the Milan trade show."
>
> This was a prototype and never reached production.
>
> The two rollers on your frame would be for the twin cable Simplex or
> Huret derailleurs from the mid-1950s.