INTRODUCING THE RADIO LINE

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At home, Radio Steel’s war efforts sparked a newfound confidence in its line of products. Radio Steel came out with the Radio Line, a modern line of newly minted wagons and scooters. Advertisements for the line emphasized the strength, durability, and dependability of the classic wagons, especially the fact that they were all made as one-piece steel bodies with “no sharp edges. Safe, rounded corners!”

Antonio even tasked a special engineer, Robert W. Hunt, to run a series of tests on a new set of “Congo” bearings for the Radio Flyer’s wagon wheels that he could use to guarantee their longevity to his customers. One of the tests spun the wheel at a velocity equivalent to ten miles per hour with a twenty-pound load per wheel. After 1,000 miles, Hunt reported that the bearing had jiggled an imperceptible 0.0016 inches closer to the center of the wagon’s axis. After 2,500 miles, that number was 0.0026 inches, and after 4,000 miles, 0.0028. To Antonio’s great satisfaction, Hunt’s report concluded, “At the end of the running of 4,000 miles, the bearing still worked more than satisfactorily.” After the tests were a success, Antonio included a lifetime guarantee for all Congo bearings with every wagon.

The cover of the 1946 catalog for the Styled in Steel Radio Line.

A postcard with a rendering of the main office and plant of Radio Steel & Manufacturing Company on West Grand Avenue.