Hi all,
I have a 318E which has both a 'Madison Hardware' tag and black wheels. What's interesting about these wheels is that they look a lot like the wheels of a 384. When were the black wheels used? Also, how long ago did they first start re-wheeling locomotives? How soon were the original wheels deteriorating?
Some locos needed new wheels fairly soon, just a few years. The all black wheels were made by Lionel in the late 40s early 50s I think. These are different than the black production used on the late 30s in that the rims are blackened, not chromed. There must have been a whale of a demand after WWII for these, Im guessing that they were available through authorized service stations only.
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