Hello
I've recently acquired a WM20 and would like to know it's census tank number?
Frame: WM20 36054
Engine: WM20 94641
So that would appear to be a 1941 frame fitted with a 1943 engine.
The bike was withdrawn from government service in 1968.
Any help much appreciated.
Chris

email (option): christophertubman@yahoo.co.uk

Click 'Return to Website' (above) then click 'Tank Numbers'. That tells you how to get it.

Delivered under contract C7287 (the large one for 17000 machines). I calculate that it would have been C4352646.

If not disposed of until 1968 then it should be in the post-war Key Cards which will confirm post-1948 registration and last wartime census number (it might well have been issued a 'rebuilt' serial prior to 1948).

Cheers Dean, message sent.

email (option): christophertubman@yahoo.co.uk

Hello Rik,
The bike came with it's original (!) riders instruction book and the first page is stamped 7287/24/2
So that is the contract number plus what?
Many thanks for your help!
Chris

email (option): christophertubman@yahoo.co.uk

Nice to have a book with it, Chris. I wonder if it was sold off that way or someone managed to find it afterwards ?

There is no great mystery about the numbers - '24' was the 'Catalogue Reference' for C7287...i.e. the 24th BSA contract from a point in the 1930s when a new system was introduced. They did sometimes get the references a little out of order though...and /2 was the suffix applied to Driver's handbooks - Spare Parts Lists had a /1 suffix...it was simply a means to assist ordering the correct publication.

This is the pair relating to my Norton contract :-

Henk usually replies promply but he is an hospital at the moment so you may need to wait a few weeks.

Sorry to hear about Henk, hope its nothing too serious.

I have had a look at the postwar keycards and there is an entry which could be your machine (card 056A).

Postwar registration 81YC43
Frame or engine 36054
Contract C7287
Census (rebuild) C1433450
Last Location 215(ESSEX) SQD RCT(V) 14/4/67
And a date which could be when sold off 22/3/68

The problem with these cards is that apart from typos of which there are many sometimes an engine number was used instead of the frame number, so this could be referring to a machine with another frame number fitted with the engine originally factory fitted in your frame, and because it has a rebuild number it can't be clarified, unless there is some clue on your machine?

Rob

email (option): robmiller11(a)yahoo.co.uk

Hello Rik
Thanks for that, much appreciated.
Chris

email (option): christophertubman@yahoo.co.uk

Hello Dean
Sorry to heart that, hope he's ok.
Thanks for your help.
Chris

email (option): christophertubman@yahoo.co.uk

Hello Rob
Thanks for your help!
It's all still a bit of a mystery as the original green log book shows that the bike was first registered on 11.10.1968 and it shows the frame number 36054 but no engine number.
The bike has four owners registered on the green log book but only two registered former keepers on the new V5C, one of which is the lad I bought it from and he owned the bike for thirty eight years.
He's ex-Royal Signals and as far as I can tell the bike is very original although it has been fitted with a later gearbox but I have the original box as a spare.
Thanks again for your and the other lads help with this.
Chris

email (option): christophertubman@yahoo.co.uk