# Hercules Pullman help



## sparkey (May 1, 2011)

Hi,
 I hope someone on here can tell me something about this bike. I picked it up cheaply from E-bay thinking it would make a nice bike for around town. However, it needs a bit of work and I'm trying to decide if it's a rare bike that should be restored meticulously or a cheap knockabout that I can just repair using stuff lying around.

Everything was on the bike that needed to be, it's just that I started stripping it down to clean before I thought to take photos - that's why the rod-brakes, lights and shifter are not fitted. Only the saddle (a no-name mattress one) and the shifter lever (a Sturmey Archer 70s-80s vintage one) seem to be non-original - everything else has a similar wear patina.

I've attached a set of photos to help because I've not been able to find any information about this particular model anywhere on the internet. It looks similar to the "popular" model, but it's got extra stuff like the dynamo front hub (and lights) that looks like it was there from new.

The only dateable bit of the bike is that front hub which has the code "455" stamped in - I assume April 1955. The rear hub is not a Sturmey Archer, but a Hercules B Type 4 - I picked up from somewhere that this hub was made by Brampton for Hercules (hence the B), but I'm not sure of the significance of the number 4 - it's a three speed.

The frame number (8783 ZV) is stamped on the LH rear dropout (which, judging by the location of the mudguard mounting hole is Pre-Raleigh takeover - that and the "Birmingham" badge). The chainring is the "HV" style, not the "Hercules" style and it has a large "H" and small "c" stamped underneath the bottom bracket.

It has a (used to be) chromed tube running alongside the cross-bar and fitted into brazed lugs at either end that held the cable from the front light (Sturmey Archer) to the rear (Delite?). Was that it's original purpose, or did it used to hold the gearshift cable?

There are some shadows of old pin-striping and transfers in places, I think indicating that this is probably the original colour (although faded). Any help on the actual text of the transfers?






















OK, just discovered that there's a 5-attachment per-post limit, so other photos will follow.

Many thanks for any help anyone's able to give.

Regards,
Alyn.


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## sparkey (May 1, 2011)

*Hercules Pullman - further photos*

Here's another 5 photos.




















Many thanks,
Alyn.


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## sparkey (May 5, 2011)

*Further details found about Hercules Pullman*

Well, thanks for all your help. I've managed to turn up some interesting information since posting this, which I'll add here in the hope that Google picks it up for anyone else searching.

The Pullman was Hercules' top-of-the-range bike in April 1955, when it cost £22, 19s and 6d (up by a pound from this catalogue page I found). That equates to about £465 in today's (2011, UK) money, but was about 9 months' of the average salary at the time. The equivalent proportion of today's average salary would be £16848 - about the price of a brand new Ford Focus. Extras included with the bike were a reflector, a chromium plated pump, holdall saddle bag, kickstand, dynohub with dry battery pack and the chromium plated cable sleeve I pointed out in my pictures.

So it looks like I'm missing most of those, bar the actual dynohub and lights (I've not got the dry battery pack) and the rear reflector. At least I know what colour it should be now, and the design of the chain guard. I also know I need to find a proper Her-cu-matic lever and a Brooks B22 saddle - may be whistling in the wind there.

Cheers,
Alyn.


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## sparkey (May 11, 2011)

Got the maths badly wrong there didn't I? £465 (the present inflation-corrected price) would have been 9 month's salary in 1955. £22,19,6 would have been 10 days' wages. Sorry.


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