How about this decal!

[kartjockey]

Interesting!  I have never heard of any talk about a western decal.  Or the endorsement of Valvoline.  Maybe that is the brand of oil that is in my pyramid of cans!

http://www.bikermetric.com/the-servi-cycle-by-simplex-manufacturing-of-new-orleans/

[pd]

I wasn't aware of the different cities named on the decals , either . But , it does make sense that it would be that way . 

It seems I've read somewhere that Simplex named Valvoline as one of the quality oils to use if original Simplex oil wasn't available , but , I don't recall where . Other than that , I've never seen a Simplex endorsement for Valvoline , either .

Pete .

[carryall]

Were there any slight changes or manufacturing differences between the plants?  Did the St. Louis plant send prefabbed frames, engines and materials elsewhere just for assembly or were they responsible for producing the bikes from scratch?
On the subject of manufacturing, is there a list of ServiCycle dealers from around the Country?  It would be intereting to see were various bikes may have been originally purchased.  I understand there was a ServiCycle dealer or two in Minnesota where I found mine.

[Ricks]

Were there any slight changes or manufacturing differences between the plants?  Did the St. Louis plant send prefabbed frames, engines and materials elsewhere just for assembly or were they responsible for producing the bikes from scratch?
On the subject of manufacturing, is there a list of ServiCycle dealers from around the Country?  It would be intereting to see were various bikes may have been originally purchased.  I understand there was a ServiCycle dealer or two in Minnesota where I found mine.

Not St Louis, but New Orleans.  The San Francisco and Baltimore plants were assembly plants only, no manufacturing.

[carryall]

Duh, I knew that.  Not sure why I typed St. Louis.  Has anyone ever come across a national dealer or parts supplier list? 

[pd]

Duh, I knew that.  Not sure why I typed St. Louis.  Has anyone ever come across a national dealer or parts supplier list? 

It's possible that such a list might be found in a box somewhere in the library of Tulane University .
But , I wouldn't bet on it .

Pete .

[Ricks]

Duh, I knew that.  Not sure why I typed St. Louis.  Has anyone ever come across a national dealer or parts supplier list? 

I believe that KartJockey has one, maybe more. Tom?

[carryall]

Makes you wonder if sitting around some old pole building, or barn, there's a corner piled up with old bikes and extra parts inherited and then moved, from when grandpa had a dealership in the 40s-50s, and just been piled up as unidentified junk. 

[Bob53]

I went to Tulane to check their archives on Simplex. Not much there. A lot of blueprints. a couple of books that I have seen before, pictures, and magazine articles. Very disappointed in the trip. I thought I might something really cool and not seen before. Not near the information I was was expecting. Bob

[kartjockey]

What were the blueprints of?

[carryall]

An engine blue print along with a exploded view of a ServCycle blue print would be a nice wall hanging picture I think.

[Bob53]

No blueprints on the engine or any of its parts. Nothing on the clutch assembly. I remember blue prints of pulleys, hubs, rear sheave, not much that I thought would have been there. Bummer! I talked to the guy that controls the archives. The collection came from Wollard's wife when he passed. The guy I talked with thought there should be more info since the bikes were manufactured right there in New Orleans. I wanted to see production numbers, serial numbers, and technical info, but it just wasn't there. He even put out feelers to the biker community, old timers, and everyone else he knew in the area, he was a bike guy too, for more info to build the data base larger. Zip! Nada! No responses. He was surprised also. Our site has more info than the university. I guess no one thought this info was valuable through the years. I'm glad I was only 2 hours away from New Orleans when I decided to check it out. I've wanted to go there for info for a long time. I had great expectations of a stash of valuable info on the Simplex. But I tried. Wasn't a total failure, buy not what I was hoping for. Bob