A friend of mine had a few sets of trucks he said were from Madison Hardware, and I definitely found them interesting. They were postwar staple-end electromagnetic trucks, but there was two pickup shoes on the bottom. One shoe on the coupler side powered the solenoid for the coupler, while the other one opposite the coupler had a yellow wire coming off it. Every one of them was set up this way. Does anyone know the story behind these? He didn't know why they were made, and it's got me curious now (my guess is for operating cars but every one I've seen has only one shoe).
Trevor
Rob
Madison Hardware did have loads of them. I purchased several dozen when Lou offered me them "on special".They were (are) all new, old stock. Over the years I decided that they were probably factory rejects. There is nothing wrong the way they are assembled. But it is very easy to accidentally bend the coupler out of it's proper position. I suspect that these trucks came from a batch that was done with the bottom plate made from the wrong material (too soft). i am still happy to have them. in today's market, the naked truck (with wheels) is worth what I paid.
And now they're worth $30 a pair.
ADCX Rob And now they're worth $30 a pair.
Good to know. :)
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