How the Radio met the Flyer

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Ever wonder why those little red wagons were called "Radio Flyers?" I didn't, until I happened upon a bit of nearly forgotten history concerning life before, of all things, rural electrification and child labor practices.

In the 1920s, radio stations started changing the way everyone in the world got information. A small crystal set required no external power source and allowed a person in range to monitor broadcasts from big stations in the cities. Soon inexpensive vacuum tubes proliferated, dropping the price of stand-alone radios around which the entire family could gather.

Remember, most of the country survived without the luxuries abundant electric power provided. Many of radios entertaining the country, especially in the rural areas, were built to use battery power instead of rare household alternating current. The batteries for these "farm radios" could run the set for a few hours to a week, depending upon the size of the batteries and the radio model. After running low, someone in the family would have to haul the batteries to the nearest automobile repair shop, establishments also making an appearance on the landscape, where an on-site generator would charge them.

These batteries, though similar in size and shape, were a different animal from today's automotive starting/lighting/accessory batteries. A lead acid SLA battery needs to maintain a charge to preserve the integrity of the anode and cathode plates. They would not last long under farm radio punishment, sitting uncharged until someone had the time to get them to the charger.

These radio batteries were common but seldom seen today. "Ironclad" or NiFe batteries use a nickle and iron chemistry to produce power lower in voltage and peak current than today's lead acid batteries. Thomas Edison developed these ironclads, so named because they had iron casings and were nearly indestructable, able to sit discharged for decades without damage.

Ah, but how were these radio batteries delivered to the remote chargers?

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Some of the cabinets holding these new radios were built by recent Italian immigrant Antonio Pasin. After saving some of his earnings from his cabinet work, he started a side business building small wagons, perfect for kids. Before you start thinking his new Liberty Coasters were intended simply for child's play and fun, remember his background in radio cabinet making, and examine the wagon in question.

Low center of gravity. Relatively large wheels, perfect for pulling over even moderately rough roads common in the teens and twenties. Finally, the body of the wagon ruggedly built, perfect for hauling loads much heavier than the few pounds of a child.

These wagons were designed and built, I believe, to allow children to haul farm radio batteries to the charger.

The original wooden Liberty Coasters eventually gave way to newer and more familiar stamped steel models using mass production methods pioneered by Henry Ford. Mr. Pasin changed the name of his new company accordingly to Radio Steel and Manufacturing Company. A new product emerged to give the wagons a new and more appropriate surname.

Glancing over the official Radio Flyer website, the only source for the Flyer name is listed as Mr. Pasin's "reflected . . . wonderment of flight." I don't think that quite tells the tale at all, since the original source of radio's connection with flight has seldom been seen for seventy years.

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Let's go back a bit and explore the rural farm of the twenties and thirties. Remote, with bad roads. Though necessary, charging trips with those old wooden wagons would have been a real chore. There are other ways of providing power, however.

How about wind?

When most think today of farm-based wind generators, most probably think of the wind pumps, mounted on towers and connected to water pumps. These were perfect for pumps use, since the pumps themselves preferred fairly low speeds to get the job done. In higher wind speeds, the tails of these mills would direct the blades away from the wind, protecting them. Sadly, this design is not really suited for generating power. Alternators prefer to spin at the high speeds that would wreck a wind pump.

An airplane's propellor, however, was found to be perfectly suited to power generation.

From a 1992 article in Home Power Magazine:

The late 1920's hosted a flurry of activity by experimenters trying to adapt an airplane type of propeller to the wind generator. When making electricity, airfoils are far more efficient than waterpumper wheels because the power curve of a spinning airfoil closely resembles that of an electric generator. Technical articles began appearing in the scientific journals speculating on the efficiency advantages of airfoils over wheels. By 1931, the first patent was issued to Harve Stuart for what became known as the "Stuart (wind generator) Airfoil." Wind generators would never again be confused with waterpumpers. (Home Power, issue #27, Feb/Mar 1992, p. 14, author Mike Sagrillo)

Once that patent was filed, a host of competing wind generator sets appeared on the market and proceeded to offer power aid to the hapless lads and lasses lugging wagons across the west. As this postcard reveals, Zenith at one time offered a valuble coupon for a 6-volt Wincharger if one purchased one of their farm radios. Power had come to the farm long before the power lines.

And the radio met the airplane.

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People quickly realized the potential of radio wind chargers systems. With a slightly larger tower, blade and battery bank, a host of modern conveniences made it to the rural farms. Again from Sagrillo's article:

Some companies offered all the conveniences of the city with a complete line of 32 volt DC appliances. Virtually all the electrical appliances we have at hand today were available to the 1930's and 1940's farm household. In the kitchen were mixers, toasters, hot plates, coffee pots, electric irons and refrigerators. Over in the parlor was the vacuum cleaner, fan sewing machine, and, of course, the radio. Bedrooms held electric blankets, heating pads, and hot water bottles. Those families fortunate enough to have indoor plumbing could indulge themselves with electric shavers, curling irons, and space heaters. In the summer kitchen were cream separators, butter churns, and the ever popular washing machine. Electric milkers and sheep shears were used in the barn. Electric drills, grinders, and saws could be found in the workshop. All of these appliances ran on 32-volt DC electricity! (Sagrillo, ibid, p. 16)

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What happened?

The 1936 Rural Electrification Act. When the power lines finally arrived at farms, the owners were given a choice by the installing electric cooperatives; keep your windmills or enjoy our power. These cooperatives needed to sell the power they delivered, and were not about to allow alternative power sources cut into their bottom lines. Those conveniences the wind towers offered gave farmers a taste of the good life with uninterrupted convenience. The power lines offered that convenience in greater abundance and without worries over wind.

Many towers were brought down and the gensets ignominiously shoved into a hayloft. Others were disabled by a rifleshot. Still others were simply disconnected and left to rot (Sagrillo, ibid, p. 17).

But those wagons rolled on.

After all, young hands could still haul groceries, dogs, firewood, each other. Little red wagons are just plain fun and useful, even if the origin of one brand's name is all but forgotten.