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 Posted - April 07 2012 : 9:57:22 PM
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While at the Bunker Hill WV show, I found this unusual HO gon, not sure who the maker Crown is. Anyone know? Only $4, so it gets added to my eclectic consist collection  . At least it's B&O, a fav of mine.
Curious as to who made this. Or, someone can tell me what CROWN is. 
Jerry
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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 Posted - April 07 2012 : 11:53:42 PM
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It's the same one Life-Like sold for years that came to them from the Varney line. I'm guessing Varney era because of the sprung trucks. Maybe it was sold under another name?
The Tyco Depot
Edited by - NickelPlate759 on April 07 2012 11:54:51 PM
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Posted - April 08 2012 : 10:23:16 PM
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Funny, I see a Varney resemblence now that you point it out, but the other Crown cars are not like that.
To answer: Crown Cars were the first product that that gave Kader Industries - now the parent company of Bachmann - an entry into the model railroad market. They were introduced by Mantua (Tyco) as a "subsidiary" line in the early 60's. It was a short-lived brand, but oddly enough - Tyco's new made-in-Hong-Kong cars appeared shortly thereafter.
The crown cars all soon reappear from AHM... then Bachmann. At thtis time they drop the spring trucks and the "Crown" brand is removed from the chassis, though the "OK Globe" ID mark remains for a time on AHM releases.
Compare any Crown tri-dome tank, boxcar, caboose, or HD Flat to a Kader release (AHM , Bachmann, Life-Like, Lionel) - it is the same car.
As you can see, Kader had no qualms about supplying the materials for other vendors, even at the same time. Athearn used to be the same way. But since their purchase of Bachmann in the early 1980's, most of Kader's heritage stuff has remained in that line.
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Posted - April 08 2012 : 10:54:40 PM
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quote:
To answer: Crown Cars were the first product that that gave Kader Industries - now the parent company of Bachmann - an entry into the model railroad market.
Originally posted by spiderj76Â -Â April 08 2012Â :Â 10:23:16 PM
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Ah, so Kader bought Bachmann? Interesting. Love learning new stuff.  And the little historical twists and turns of the model railroading industry. Thanks, Tony L.
- Jerry -
" When life throws you bananas...it's easy to slip up"
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Posted - April 09 2012 : 12:29:55 AM
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It looks like they both got the same tooling:
http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/lifelikefreightcars/id46.html
http://www.ho-scaletrains.net/ahmhoscalefreightcars/id45.html
This one definitely has the older Varney/Life-Like body mounted coupler boxes with the melted or peened over plastic pin.
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - April 10 2012 : 6:05:57 PM
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I hate to be the person to point this out, but we're all wrong! I have the January issue of Model Railroader 1964, and on the inside cover it has a "Crown Products" add, at the bottom of the page it says the following:
Division of Mantua Metal Products Co., INC. Woodbury Heights NJ
Withthis add, they show pictures of the following cars:
50 ton Box Car (Interesting way of classification to a box car!)
3 Dome Tank Car.
50 ton Gondola Ca.
50 ton Flat Car Tandem Trucks & Load.
8 wheel Steel Caboose
VERY interesting! The cars all look to be 40 foot length, except the caboose in the picture! Its shorter, and resembles the Athearn "Off Center Cupola Caboose"
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - April 15 2012 : 7:47:53 PM
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| I have seen Crown cars sold in small boxes, and possibly carded with a plastic bubble like a Hot Wheels car, sold by AHM. Most of the Crown cars are clones of Athearn tooling, except for that 40' Gondola.
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Posted - April 15 2012 : 9:59:36 PM
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quote:I have seen Crown cars sold in small boxes, and possibly carded with a plastic bubble like a Hot Wheels car, sold by AHM. Most of the Crown cars are clones of Athearn tooling, except for that 40' Gondola.
Originally posted by lvrr325Â -Â April 15 2012Â :Â 7:47:53 PM
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ODD! As the 1964 add in Model Railroader I have, states they are a division of Mantua! Weird!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - April 15 2012 : 10:20:56 PM
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| Strange that Mantua would import stuff to compete with itself, pretty sure these were made overseas from day 1. Like so many other HO items, the dies never die, the importer just keeps on changing.
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Posted - April 25 2012 : 12:14:45 AM
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Thank you, I've been wondering too. I'm in the middle of doing rehabilitative surgery on a Crown three-dome texaco tanker.
--CRC
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