Doe River George Getting a Crown Steamer?

Tarheelrrds · **Joined:** Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:33 am **Posts:** 23

Hillbilly World engine

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Tarheelrrds · **Joined:** Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:33 am **Posts:** 23

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Phil Raynes · **Posted:** Tue May 22, 2018 11:03 pm

The Crown has been waiting on new injectors now for over 6 months, but we recently received 4 of the correct size, purchased from Dry Gulch USA (in Oklahoma), so work can now continue on her restoration and upgrades.

Also delivered May 19th were two open (but roofed) passenger cars to Doe River Gorge, purchased from Dry Gulch USA. They need to be reassembled before operation, but will be operational soon. Here is a link to the Camp's new page, with further links in their story: http://www.doerivergorge.com/news.php

Phil Raynes · **Posted:** Sat May 26, 2018 10:43 pm

Both of the "new" Dry Gulch cars have now had couplers installed and the brakes re-installed & tested. A clearance trip was taken today to test the brakes & check clearances in the tunnels for both cars (one turned out to be several inches wider than the other). No issues emerged & the test was a success. They are now cleared for use during the summer camping program. When time permits, painting and other possible upgrades will take place. Photo by Mark Milbourne, camp staff.

Andrew Durden · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2018 2:24 pm

Phil Raynes wrote:

Both of the "new" Dry Gulch cars have now had couplers installed and the brakes re-installed & tested. A clearance trip was taken today to test the brakes & check clearances in the tunnels for both cars (one turned out to be several inches wider than the other). No issues emerged & the test was a success. They are now cleared for use during the summer camping program. When time permits, painting and other possible upgrades will take place. Photo by Mark Milbourne, camp staff.

Hi Phil,

Just out of curiosity, were the old Six Flags cars scrapped?

Also, what type of injectors did you acquire for the Crown?

Phil Raynes · **Posted:** Wed May 30, 2018 9:05 pm

No, the old 6-Flags cars are sitting on the passing siding at Pardee Point. Each has a defect making them currently unfit for passenger service, but could be used again after repairs.

We bought four 1" Penberthy Injectors, made in the USA. (I noted where they were made because I have heard that those made in China have been known to have defects sometimes.)

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 1:26 pm

A recent photo from a park trains site at Facebook, showing a bit more progress.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... ater&ifg=1

https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/ ... e=5BD48CD4

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:08 pm

Looks like the Crown is going for a turn-of-the-century look but retaining the ET&WNC road name.
Such a shame, it'd looked great in green and gold as ET&WNC # 15...
I'll have to make a point to get an anonymous donation to them soon or see if the ET&WNC society has a way to donate through them.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:30 pm

p51 wrote:

Looks like the Crown is going for a turn-of-the-century look but retaining the ET&WNC road name.
Such a shame, it'd looked great in green and gold as ET&WNC # 15...
I'll have to make a point to get an anonymous donation to them soon or see if the ET&WNC society has a way to donate through them.

According to a poster at the Facebook page "Park, Zoo and Amusement Ride Trains,"

Quote:

The camp's leader wanted a more colorful scheme. We showed him the Eureka, so that is what we are aiming for. It will have a solid red oak cab after all the backhead piping is finished, the boiler will be an imitation Russia Iron Blue, and will have a diamond stack with Radley-Hunter innards. Oh, & several of us wanted it in ET&WNC green with a cap stack, but we were overruled!

The "more colorful scheme" would have been a typical red and blue job like most amusement park locomotives! Seems that was what the superintendent was used to seeing, and that's what he thought would be authentic.

The same poster at the Facebook site in an earlier entry:

Quote:

Like many people who see park trains in red, blue & gold trim, that is what he associated with "old" steam trains!

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:33 pm

J3a-614 wrote:

According to a poster at the Facebook page "Park, Zoo and Amusement Ride Trains,"

Quote:

The camp's leader wanted a more colorful scheme. We showed him the Eureka, so that is what we are aiming for. It will have a solid red oak cab after all the backhead piping is finished, the boiler will be an imitation Russia Iron Blue, and will have a diamond stack with Radley-Hunter innards. Oh, & several of us wanted it in ET&WNC green with a cap stack, but we were overruled!

The "more colorful scheme" would have been a typical red and blue job like most amusement park locomotives! Seems that was what the superintendent was used to seeing, and that's what he thought would be authentic, at least that's how I interpret some of the other comments in that discussion.

Yep, I was familiar with all that. I'm glad the volunteers were at least able to reign in some sanity on the paint job.

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:36 pm

She'll still look good in a Baldwin inspired paint scheme, but like so many others, I would have chosen the Southern inspired green and gold, or some variation, that the ET&WNC actually did use.

But that's not our call. . .

J3a-614 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:40 pm

Some other details, the text with the newest photo, as written by poster Dennis Larrick:

Quote:

36" gage Crown Metal Products 4-4-0 #3, built for Pioneer City in Davie, FL in 1966, looks out on Tunnel #2 of the old Tweetsie grade at Doe River Gorge, Tennessee. The former oil burner is being converted to coal. The restoration group is blessed with volunteers. Randy, a professional sign designer, donated the Baldwin-esqe work on the tender, and Jerry, a professional woodworker, is donating the historically accurate red oak cab based on pictures of Dan Markoff's "Eureka". A local fab shop built the Radley Hunter stack waiting on the pallet. Please understand that in today's society the public cannot be permitted to wander an active youth camp when kids are present, but the staff is friendly to serious fans who make proper prior arrangements and who are willing to contribute to the project in some way.

Hrrumph, why a Radley-Hunter stack? A cap stack, a small diamond or a cabbage head would be better.

Oh well, not our call.

Paul-NC · **Joined:** Fri Jun 20, 2014 6:26 am **Posts:** 60

p51 wrote:

Looks like the Crown is going for a turn-of-the-century look but retaining the ET&WNC road name.

ET&WNC did exist in the late 1800's.

p51 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 10, 2018 3:17 pm

Paul-NC wrote:

p51 wrote:

Looks like the Crown is going for a turn-of-the-century look but retaining the ET&WNC road name.

ET&WNC did exist in the late 1800's.

Yes, I'm very aware of that, but they didn't have that kind of paint and lettering at the time.

Jennie K · **Joined:** Fri Feb 13, 2015 2:48 pm **Posts:** 198

None of the 36" Crowns were ever built to burn coal, Monroe built those boilers to be fired with propane. I don't know if there is going to be enough grate area to maintain steam using coal.