Century View Camera Rail. HUH??

I just acquired one of the early Century View Cameras, and the rail has me baffled. It has a set of gears on top, and underneath. On the bottom is also a brass rail, much like some of the later ones standards rode on. But the front and rear standard will not ride in the grooves properly for the gearing to work from the bottom set. I have attached a pair of pic. One of the top side, and one of the bottom side. Any idea???? Or where I might find out why? Or is this just one of those things that you accept, and go on?

Freneticist said:

I just acquired one of the early Century View Cameras, and the rail has me baffled. It has a set of gears on top, and underneath. On the bottom is also a brass rail, much like some of the later ones standards rode on. But the front and rear standard will not ride in the grooves properly for the gearing to work from the bottom set. I have attached a pair of pic. One of the top side, and one of the bottom side. Any idea???? Or where I might find out why? Or is this just one of those things that you accept, and go on?

Click to expand...

Without knowing which Century you have it's had to say for certain. I suspect that the extension you have is not for your camera. I have accumulated several extention rails as over the years the same way.

One other possiblitly is that you have part of a configuration of an intermediate track system that mounted between the tripod (or stand) and the camera. You are missing a block that would mount to the camera then both would "ride the rails" along the side with the extra brass guide allowing the photographer to move the whole camera along a horizontal axis.