Tzigane

I've been riding a reasonably light weight Fuji that I rebuilt last summer, it's light enough to get on and off the bus racks - I commute to school in another city and combine bussing and biking - but it has derailluers. I hate derailluers, and skinny tires. With the weight of my textbooks I'd just feel a little more secure with a fat tire.
My idea of heaven is an old Raliegh three speed, but at this age there's no way I can lift one on and off the bus every day. This leads me to wondering: Can I somehow build a lighter three speed?

I have a spare Sturmey Archer hub, but what kind of frame do I need to find to accomodate the larger wheel? I would prefer something older, I really like lugged frames and no-one seems to be doing *that* anymore.

Has anyone done this? Any input would be helpful at this point.