Have you noticed some of BRIO Trains Toys Collections have red wheels? In the mid-1990, with the advent of the Trains of the World Series, BRIO started using other colors on their locomotives, and even then, red wheels persisted through the mid-2000s. But why it have to be red wheels?
One of the reasons is that the red wheels come from history. Early steam engines in Germany used bright red paint on their wheels to make it easier for safety inspectors to detect metal fatigue and cracks. This practice may date back to the 1920s, which was prevalent because rail systems were nationally and not privately owned.
Not all European countries did this, but the red wheels from Germany may have stuck out to the BRIO designers. The look of real steam engines certainly is striking.
