What are some unique axle types?
The oldest type of axle is the wooden axle with clouted iron shoes covering the top and bottom wear area of the wood axle arm. The wheel as retained via a lynch pin. This was most common on Conestoga’s, schooners, freight wagons. The lynch pin was also incorporated on steel axles most commonly military vehicles. The thimble skein axle is a method replacing the clouted axle with a thimble of iron on the wood axle, this is what you find on most all farm wagons of of the late 19th century. The most sophisticated is the collinge axle which was an oil bath axles with brass locking nuts to retain the wheel. Another odd axle you will find on some European carriages is the mail axle having the wheel retained via 3 bolts passing through the hub and fastened to an inner captured plate.
