1954 English 3-speed

[DebW]

Hi DebW

Oh yes, came across the following, not sure if it is the same:




Sally

The 3-speed coaster brake was the S3C hub. We used to see those in the shop in the 70s. I've got an AW hub, without coaster brake.

Further web investication reveals:
The S3C hub came out in 1970. Your poster looks older than that. There were a number of earlier 3-speed coaster brake hubs, such as the TCW in 1952 and the KC in 1922. The AW wide-range 3-speed that I've got came out in 1936. SA even made some fixed gear (non-freewheeling) multi-speed hubs.

Another oddity of my 3-speed: The trigger shifter is labeled "3 or 4 speed". It has a round window to show the gear setting: H, N, L, B

The double-ended cables on my 3-speed were used until 1966.

The full chaincase on my bike was supposedly discontinued for the US market in 1953. Either that date wasn't a firm change-over, or perhaps my bike was sold in England? The tapped hole on the right chain stay to secure the chaincase was continued for several years after the chaincase itself was no longer installed.

The 3-speed cable pulley is a clamp-on. By Sheldon Brown's table, it should have been a braze-on on my gent's frame, clamp-on for a lady's frame of the same year.