Fate Bankruptcy Founder Ken Williams | Founded 1959 Defunct 1989 | |
 | ||
Industry Ridable miniature railway Headquarters Wyano, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
Crown Metal Products was a manufacturer of steam locomotives based in Wyano, Pennsylvania founded by Ken Williams in 1959. The company produced steam locomotives and carriages of various sizes for amusement park railroads. The firm ceased production in 1989, however, many of the engines produced continue to operate at amusement parks across the country.
Contents
Background
The firm has its roots in the early 1950s, when Ken Williams, a machinist and railway enthusiast of Wyano, Pennsylvania, purchased a miniature steam locomotive, presumed to have been built by the Cagney Bros., and decided to construct his own engine of the same design. In the summer of 1959, Williams was visited by Gaylon and Sallie Borders of Flora, IL, who had taken an interest in his engine. 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 engine was given the name "Little Toot", and over the following decade, more engines would be produced for parks, zoos, and other amusement attractions.
Designs
The locomotives produced by Crown were narrow gauge live steam engines of various sizes, ranging from 15 in (381 mm) gauge to 3 ft (914 mm) gauge. All engines built were of the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement, with the exception of Carowinds engine no. 1 "Melodia", a 2-6-2 rebuilt from a 0-6-2T built by Porter in 1897. Most engines were styled after the typical American 4-4-0 type engines of the mid 19th century, with most having two domes, similar to the Jupiter engine, The General, and the Inyo. However, some of the 3 ft (914 mm) gauge offerings featured three domes in the vein of the William Crooks engine. The engines were built to burn coal or wood as fuel, though many were later converted to propane or compressed air. Busch Gardens Williamsburg purchased two 3 ft (914 mm) gauge engines 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 engines of the same size, these having African styling.
Decline
By the 1980s, tighter Federal Railroad Administration regulations for operating steam engines, the inherent dangers of boiler failures, as well as the significant amount of work required to keep steam engines maintained on a daily basis, resulted in the Crown engines falling out of favor, with more parks opting for diesel engines or steam-outlines (locomotives powered by diesel or gasoline engines but given the outward appearance of a steam locomotive) for their railways. The most popular steam-outline engine is the 2 ft (610 mm) gauge replica of the C.P. Huntington locomotive produced by Chance Rides, 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, until 2004, when the necessary tooling and machinery was donated to the Tweetsie Railroad, who currently handles the restoration and service of the engines.
A large number of Crown-built engines continue to operate at amusement parks, recreational parks, and on tourist railways. Below is a partial listing of parks that currently operate, or previously operated, Crown engines: