Crown Metal Products was a manufacturer of railroad rolling stock based in
Wyano, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Ken Williams in 1946 and initially sold pot cleaners and then electric fence wires and other products. In 1959, the company began to transition into producing
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
locomotives, a personal interest of Williams. The company went on to produce steam locomotives and passenger cars of various sizes for
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
railroads
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...
. The firm ceased production in 1989; however, much of its rolling stock continues to operate at various locations around the world.
Background
The firm has its roots in 1946, when Ken Williams, a machinist and railway enthusiast of Wyano, Pennsylvania, founded Crown Metal Products in
Sutersville, Pennsylvania
Sutersville is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 605 at the 2010 census.
Geography
Sutersville is located at (40.235910, -79.803777).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has ...
to produce pot cleaners. In the 1950s, Williams purchased a miniature steam locomotive, presumed to have been built by the
Cagney Bros., and decided to construct his own locomotive of the same design. In the summer of 1959, Williams was visited by Gaylon and Sallie Borders of
Flora, Illinois
Flora is a city in Clay County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,803 at the 2020 census.
History
Flora was founded by Samuel White. White was born September 10, 1831 in Warren County, Ohio. He and his family came to Clay County in 18 ...
, who had taken an interest in his locomotive. Gaylon then placed an order for a locomotive of Williams' design, which would become the first locomotive to be built by the Crown Metal Products. This locomotive was given the name "Little Toot", and over the following decade, more locomotives would be produced for parks, zoos, and other amusement attractions.
Designs
The locomotives produced by Crown were
narrow gauge
A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and .
Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...
live steam locomotives of various sizes, ranging from gauge to gauge. All locomotives built were of the
4-4-0
4-4-0 is a locomotive type with a classification that uses the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement and represents the arrangement: four leading wheels on two axles (usually in a leading bogie), four po ...
wheel arrangement, with the exception of Carowinds locomotive no. 1 "Melodia", a
2-6-2 rebuilt from a
0-6-2T built by
Porter
Porter may refer to:
Companies
* Porter Airlines, Canadian regional airline based in Toronto
* Porter Chemical Company, a defunct U.S. toy manufacturer of chemistry sets
* Porter Motor Company, defunct U.S. car manufacturer
* H.K. Porter, Inc., ...
in 1897.
Most locomotives were styled after the typical American 4-4-0 type locomotives of the mid 19th century, with most having two domes, similar to the
Jupiter locomotive,
The General, and the
Inyo. However, some of the gauge offerings featured three domes in the vein of locomotives such as the
William Crooks and the
Countess of Dufferin
The ''Countess of Dufferin'' was the first steam locomotive to operate in the Canadian prairie provinces and is named after Hariot Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, Countess of Dufferin (later Marchioness of Dufferin and Ava), the wife of the Earl o ...
. The locomotives were built to burn coal or wood as fuel, though many were later converted to
propane
Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used a ...
or
compressed air
Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and o ...
.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Williamsburg (formerly known as Busch Gardens Europe and Busch Gardens: The Old Country) is a amusement park located in James City County near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. Located approximately northwest of Virgini ...
purchased two gauge locomotives that, while built to the same specifications as the typical Crown offerings, were given European style appearances. Similarly, their
sister park in Tampa bought two locomotives of the same size, these having African styling.
Crown also constructed the open-air excursion coaches that were usually provided with the locomotives sold, as well as a set of standard gauge excursion coaches for the
Greenfield Village's Weiser Railroad.
Decline
By the 1980s, tighter
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966. The purpose of the FRA is to promulgate and enforce rail saf ...
regulations for operating steam locomotives, the inherent dangers of boiler failures, as well as the significant amount of work required to keep steam locomotives maintained on a daily basis, resulted in the Crown locomotives falling out of favor, with more parks opting for diesel locomotives or steam-outlines (locomotives powered by diesel or gasoline locomotives but given the outward appearance of a steam locomotive) for their railways. The most popular steam-outline locomotive is the gauge replica of the
C.P. Huntington
''C. P. Huntington'' is a 4-2-4T steam locomotive on static display at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, California, USA. It is the first locomotive purchased by the Southern Pacific Railroad, carrying that railroad's number ...
locomotive produced by
Chance Rides
Chance Rides Manufacturing is a roller coaster and amusement ride manufacturer. The company was formed on May 16, 2002, when the former Chance Industries Inc. emerged from bankruptcy. The main office and manufacturing facility are located in Wic ...
, which continues to be produced for park railways around the world. Crown Metal Products was shut down in 1989, with all remaining orders fulfilled by 1990.
Ken's son, Bert Williams, continued to support the Crown locomotives, providing replacement parts and service through his company,
Castle Ridge Products of
Claysville, Pennsylvania
Claysville is a borough in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States and part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area since 1950. The population was 728 at the 2020 census. Claysville Elementary School, part of the McGuffey School District is ...
, until 2004. That year, the necessary tooling, jigs, inventory and rights were purchased by
Tweetsie Railroad
Tweetsie Railroad is a family-oriented heritage railroad and Wild West amusement park located between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina, United States. The centerpiece of the park is a ride on a train pulled by one of Tweetsie Railroad's t ...
in
Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Blowing Rock is a town in Watauga and Caldwell counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The population was 1,397 at the 2021 census.
The Caldwell County portion of Blowing Rock is part of the Hickory– Lenoir– Morganton Metropo ...
. Tweetsie Railroad currently handles parts, restoration and service of Crown locomotives.
List of Crown Metal locomotives
A large number of Crown-built locomotives continue to operate at amusement parks, recreational parks, and tourist railways. Below is a partial listing of parks that currently operate, or previously operated, Crown locomotives:
See also
*
List of locomotive builders
This is a list of locomotive builders by country, including current and defunct builders. Many of the companies changed names over time; this list attempts to give the most recognisable name, generally the one used for the longest time or during ...
References
Back in the 70's, Crown Metal Products Company purchased the patent and manufacture of steam locomotive air brake equipment from Westinghouse Air Brake Company (now WABTEC) of Wilmerding, Pa., U.S.A. As main railroad steam locomotives were superseded by diesel units, Crown Metal Products could only sell this equipment abroad. Such was the case of a large order placed by Argentine State Railroads which then amounted to some $ 440,000.00, covering compressor and air brake equipment spare parts, the largest order received by Crown at that time.
External links
Unofficial Crown FansiteSurviving Steam Locomotive Search - Crown Metal Products
{{Amusement rides
Amusement ride manufacturers
Defunct locomotive manufacturers of the United States