30" Guage and 36" Guage Crowns
Historical Data:
Crown Metal Products entered the park train industry when Ken Williams,
owner of the business, acquired a small park engine -- probably a Cagney.
Before long, he had built his first steam engine, and ultimately began producing
live-steam park engines.
Initially, Crowns were only offered in relatively small sizes --
15" guage and 24" guage. Later, the company offered larger 36" guage engines
for several of the new theme mega-park chains.
Spotting Features:
The 36" guage Crowns were heavily customized by at least two buyers.
Two identical early 1970s locomotives went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg,
VA in a fancy European dress
which included a Belpaire boiler shape. At least one engine, an odditiy
built to 30" guage, was constructed as a replica of the Union Pacific's #119,
which was one of the locomotives at Promontory.
The "standard" 36" guage Crown is a nicely-proportioned machine
with a wagon-top boiler, balloon stack, and tall drivers. As with the smaller
engines, a diamond stack was occasionally substituted. The design makes no
claim to being a miniature of a standard-guage locomotive, but here the oversized
cab works much better than in the smaller Crowns. At least it keeps the rain
off the engineer's head! Some locomotives have a distinctive clerestory roof
on the cab, others have a more common-looking deck roof.
Technical Data:
Manufacturer: Crown Metal Products
Production dates: 1969? - 1987?
Approximate Number Built: 18?
Guage: 36"
Power Source: Coal, oil, or propane-fired live steam
Appearance: Steam
Wheel Arrangement: 4-4-0
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