Re: hawthorne trackster..
Camelback is a descriptive name for a frame style with a top tube that flows straight back from the head tube and then takes a dive to its connection with the seat tube. The term goes back to the teens when that frame style became popular as a way to modify the design of a standard diamond frame to produce a lower seating position for shorter riders. At the time the Motobike style was also relatively new and was essentially a camelback with a second top tube. The two terms took root and became universal in the industry to describe the two frame styles.
Straight bar is a later term and is used to differentiate motorbike type frames that use a straight lower top tube from those that don’t, most commonly it separates Cantilever Schwinns from “Straight Bar” Schwinns, from “DX” style Schwinns with scimitar shaped tank apertures.
Many balloon frames are none of the above and while Cantilever is a Schwinn term and innovation everybody swooped in on the design and the term once the patents expired. DX was a model name and never really left the Schwinn lexicon although it is does conjure an image when needed.
This brings us to the bike in question; it is a Cleveland Welding produced bike from approximately 1950-1953. It is a 24” frame and is a style that was not produced in the 26” size. CWC produced true “straight bars”, a variety of “DX” style frames, parallel curved double top tube frames, frames with kinked lower top tubes, and some that are unique to the degree that they follow no other convention.
The frames with kinked lower top tubes were produced beginning in 1936 and continued as a popular CWC frame style until WW2. I refer to this frame style as the “Bent Tank” as the style doesn’t have an official name. The style did not reappear after the war on the 26’ bikes but continued to be produced in the 24” frame size. The dropouts on your bike mark it as one of those produced after 1949 and before frames were again modified around 1954.
As a CWC product it will have a serial number on the bottom bracket beginning with a letter, followed by 5 numbers and a Cw suffix which may also be perceeded by an A or 2 numbers. The serial number should pin down the date of production further. I you post it I’ll translate it for you.
