I remember the Royal Speeds, made by the Brewer brothers? Beautiful sulkies, hand painted.
Reg Walsh made an all hickory sulky
http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/coll...ase/?irn=38352
If a shaft did snap, the hickory's grain didn't give a long spike.
I have seen the wooden rimmed, steel spoked race wheels with decorative paint work on the rims. And the tubeless glue on tyres. These were still used in the late 60's early 70's I think. I remember a guy named Ken, 'the wheel man' making his rounds through the trainers at the Melbourne Showgrounds, picking up and dropping off wheels each week.