Hi 37schwinn,
I appreciate greatly Mr. Columbia's website, which has helped me a lot in learning about my bicycle . The Columbia frame number lists are very useful, but I suspect that the wartime numbers are a bit more complicated than the listing. I'll try to explain...
I bought a Westfield Columbia MG154118 in Champagne, France about six months ago. The Liberator site is very good for specific US Military Bicycle information, but I found that there was very little real dating information available, apart from the list you quote, and another which discusses the various contracts and when they were placed.
I started to collect all the numbers for Military Columbias and Daytons that I could find on the internet, with other details where possible (which is why I asked about your L1 and M4 stamps, Thanks again). such as the change from curved to straight bar etc, to try to get a dating sequence for these events. I now have 40+ Columbias, and 20+ Daytons listed, and I am starting to see patterns in the numbering.
I intend to put these lists on the CABE shortly to encourage others to add details.
Although I know Mr; Columbia says there's no significance to the crank stamping such as L1, L8 etc, putting frame numbers in order with these stamps shows them increasing in a logical order, probably with J being 1942, K being 1943, and L 1944, the number following being the month. I've recorded numbers 1 to 10 so far, which seems to fit with this assumption.
If we start with your Compax W149035, crank tube stamped K7.
According to the Columbia frame number lists, W149035 was used for a bike in 1954. But not this one, which is earlier since it has blackout features, and the reinforced frame. The list also says that W was used in 1944. But those numbers end in A, and your Compax doesn't. So, it's not from this 1944 sequence either. Since neither sequence (or any other) fit the bike, then there must be exceptions not noted in the lists.
If we then look at the K7 stamping, only bicycles known to be from 1943 have K as a stamp. If we ignore the W, and put just the number into the 1944 sequence with other known MG and crank tube numbers we get:
MG140418 K6 Lady's military
W149035 K7 Compax
MG151142 K8 Men's military
Which is in the correct numerical order for both the crank tube numbers and frame numbers. So, I propose that the W signifies something else, like M possibly signifies military, and MC possibly signifies Marine Corps. (Some late contract numbers start with W, I'm not sure if this is significant).
For Compax G77552A crank tube stamped L8.
You point out that the frame number starts with G, but we've seen that letters at the start varied through this period for various reasons (MG, MC, W etc.). I think the A at the end is more significant than the G at the start. If you look at the Columbia number listing, then the only numbers ending in A are 1944. If you then take the number 77552A, it is quite close to the last number in the year's sequence, W85244A, so it would make sense that it was made later in that year. So, if I assume that's correct, then the L8 could be August 1944. Unfortunately, I don't have sufficient frame numbers from after January 1944 to demonstrate this.
For Columbia MG198492 crank tube stamped L1.
L1 on the Columbia fits in well with the end of the number series in Jan 1944, (Last in sequence MG200000), and the start of the 1944 A suffix series at W5001A
This then fits into the early 1944 sequence:
MG198492 L1
MG6771A L1
MC14625A L1
MC14626A L1
MC14629A L1
Note that none of these A suffix numbers start with X, as they strictly should do from the Columbia listing.
I hope that makes some sense, It's only thery at the moment, and I'm happy to discuss it.
Thanks for reading,
Best Regards,
Adrian
