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P.O. Box 601105 Sacramento, CA 95860-1105
Hall-Scott Truck Chassis |
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Bill Morgan, on Facebook asked: “Is that the 1953 450 Steel Truck Demo for Ivers? 52023, Job # 6023” PBM’s Tom Shafer replied: “Hi Bill, I have never found a match for this chassis, and it may have ended up being made into a school bus. The front end does not match that of the Ivers truck, which had the Tanner-type windshield and curved corners. Note that this one has the normal, 4 piece windshield.” | ||
(Special) Cross View Mirror Visibility |
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These photos show Dick Whittington’s photographic process for highlighting the area of the photo that’s visible to the cross-view mirror. Yellow film was applied to darken the rest of the photo. The black and white photo show the result. Photo folder is marked 12/53. December 1953? | ||
Fleet – L.A. City Schools |
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Bus drivers posed in front of their fleet. | ||
Delano Joint U.H.S. |
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As noted by Louk Markham, this these are 1930s fleet photos. | ||
Ambulance Conversion |
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Duarte-Sightseeing & Slim Holt Coach |
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Our Crown Corp sales records show 4 different coaches delivered in 1967 & 1968: | ||
Highway Post Office |
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While the research is not yet complete, we speculate that this was one of the tandem 2AD-426-11 HPO’s created for General Highway Services – Continental Western lines. If so, it would be one of these VIN numbers: 35044 35231 | ||
Mobile Library |
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El Rancho USD Mobile Library |
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Based on our archive records, we believe this was an AD-743-11 built for El Rancho Unified School District VIN 35125 running a Cummins 743. Our Crown Corp sales records note the coach is fleet #37, so it’s not certain if that is this mobile library. | ||
Yellowstone Park Company |
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Hewlett-Packard Instrumentation – Neely Mobile Lab |
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US Air Force Band |
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Photo 07 identified this as RD-568-11 (568 is the correct model nomenclature for 8V71 Detroit Diesel) | ||
Utah Parks Company |
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Goodall’s Charter, San Diego |
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Additional Info: | ||
HPO Dallas TX |
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Highway Post Office | ||
none |
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Almost all of Warren Bowen’s Crown photos start with the photo series 100.##.##, so this is unusual in that it starts with 511. | ||
Front Panel Die Stamping Press |
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Photograph of the manufacturing process. Specifically the stamping of the front fender. | ||
Crown Machine Shop |
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These Crown Machine Shop photos were probably taken at different times because they photo-id numbers don’t match and there is a mix of Dick Whittington and Warren Bowen photos. If we had to guess, we’d say that these were from the period of time when Bowen was taking over from Whittington. | ||
Crown Parts Store |
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Streached Out Ford Transit |
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While a lot is known about Crown photographers Warren Bowen and Dick Whittington, we know little about this LA-area photographer J. Soto. | ||
Roberts Ilima Tours |
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US Air Force Mobile Avionics Lab |
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Barshow & Baleria Metro |
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Barshow & Baleria was a coach builder in San Jose, Calif, so it’s not clear if/how this is related to Crown. | ||
San Dieguito Union High School |
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US Marine Corp Air Station El Toro CA |
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Crown Shop Interior Final Assembly |
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Field Service Crew |
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Photo folder is marked 1953. | ||
Wayne Accessible Bus |
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This is a fun little accessible bus. It is a Wayne “Special Needs” bus built on a Ford chassis and sold by Crown. | ||
Wayne Custom High Headroom |
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Photo folder is marked 11.53. November 1953? | ||
Tulare City Schools 13-Row Custom |
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Intercity Demonstrator |
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Possibly Associated Charter? | ||
Wayne-Marmon Herrington |
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Wayne body schoolbus | ||
Nova Hopi Tours |
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Crown “silversides” touring coach. Aparently Nova Hopi was operated out of Flagstaff, AZ and operated tours to the Grand Canyon: | ||
Chicago Gray Lines |
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It’s a pretty good guess that this #411 similar to #415 found in the Crown Build/Sale records: | ||
Mid-Continent Coal Basin Mines |
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No records of this have been found in the Crown Sales/Build records, but here a nice story about the operation: | ||
Crown Dry-Wall Action |
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Shows how the walls were constructed to keep them dry and free of rust. | ||
Northern Pacific Transport Co. – Entrance Door & Paneling |
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Crown supercoach model a – 779 built for the Northern Pacific Transport Company. 41 passengers on recliner seats with approx. 36 inch centers. Solex glass, graduated density in side sash. We had initially narrowed this down to three buses (1954-33083, 1957- 33699, and 1963-34651). Bus some of these photos were taken in 1957, which eliminates the 1963 coach as a possibility. | ||
Northern Pacific Transport Co. |
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See Also 43-41-xx Northern Pacific Transport Co. | ||
Wet Wall Results |
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Old Crown Body (Side panels removed) | ||
Airport Transit |
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38-54-01 Interior from Rear (missing) Based on Sales/Build records, this is probably one of the 3 coaches sold to Airport Transit in 1953. | ||
Barshow & Baleria Ford Metro for Alum Rock USD |
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Crown Corp acted as a sales dealer for multiple other coach builders, including Barshow & Baleria. | ||
Mexican Bus (Third One Built) |
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33-27-01 – 3/4 view right-front (missing) | ||
11-Row Custom |
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The folder for these photographs has some interesting notes. First, it lists this as “obsolete”. Next, it mentions that this was built with “distressed merchandise”. Finally, it mentions Bid Buster and the years 1951-1952. We are trying to figure out who that is, and if this identifies the coach as those years. | ||
Mexican Bus (2nd One Built) |
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Western Trail Stages |
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This bus was once owned by Pacific Bus Museum’s Ralph Cantos and was featured in movies. | ||
Gene Autry |
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31.38.01 3/4 from right-front (missing) | ||
Kalama School District |
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This is an interesting bus. Note that there is only one red light on both the front/back. And look at the neat square stop arm. | ||
Custom V.A. 450 Chassis |
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Engineering study of the 450 Chassis | ||
Grant Union High School |
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These photos are unnumbered and do not have a photographers mark. They were mixed in with the Dick Whittington collection. Grant Union High School (Sacramento) Note says “See 1946 (22-64-2) | ||
Wheelchair Elevator on Wayne Body |
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Side lift elevator for Handicapped children – On Wayne Body | ||
Rio Linda 1954 Custom |
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See also this, seemingly unrelated, photo that has the same id numbering prefix (49-145-05): | ||
10-Row Custom (Pilot) obsolete (Muroc) 1952 |
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San Diego Marine Corps Recruit Depot |
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Folder says 1952 on it | ||
Fife Public Schools, Wash. |
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Fife Public Schools, Wash. 8/1952 We have serveral Fife coaches in our Crown Sales/Build records which allowed us to identify this exact bus as VIN: 32907 Year:1952 Fife School District #9. | ||
Supercoach School Body |
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We only have this one 3/4 view from the front-right, but the enclosing folder mentions these other photos: | ||
Engine I.H.C. 450 Vertical 1952 |
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This engineering photo of the International Harvester Red Diamond RD450 gasoline engine. These engines were installed amid-ship, vertically, as illustrated in this other engineering photo series. | ||
Cross Town Lines |
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Some photos are missing | ||
Mexican Bus (1st One Built) 1952 |
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Shoreline Public Schools Wash |
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Washington State District 412 | ||
Tanner Motor Tours 1952 |
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This is an unusual photograph, in that it has been marked up with pencil and ink pen. The note says new 955 (September 1955?) Owner and seems to be describing the new paintjob it is to receive. Additionally, the folder includes the following notes: | ||
Ford Transit Display Bus |
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This series is from Crown Coach Show Car Leasing. It is a Ford Transit Display bus. | ||
Meier Transportation Co. Fleet 1952 |
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Kent Public School District No. 415 |
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La Conner School District No 311 Wash 12/1951 |
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Klamath Falls Ore |
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Includes Bend Ore. | ||
Bend School District No 1 Oregon |
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Lincoln County School District Oregon |
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This photo is actually a “composite” paste-up of two different photos. The Lincoln schools bus was cut out and pasted on top of the background of Klamath Falls photo 19-43-3. This was how “Photoshopping” was done before the days of Photoshop. 🙂 | ||
South Bay School District No. 304 Wash |
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Citrus Union High School & Junior College |
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These photos were found separated from their folder… | ||
Lynden School Dist. No. 504 Wash |
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Sunnyslope School District No. 102 |
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This July 1950 photo of Washington State Sunnyslope School District is interesting in that it was taken by a photographer named Hal Coops of Industrial Photo Service. The other photos in the same folder have no photographer marks/#’s and simply say “Local Photo”… | ||
Crown Super Coach Chassis A-504 |
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Zillah School District No. 205 Wash |
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Kalama School Dist. No. 402 Wash |
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Includes build specifications sheet… | ||
Crown Super Coach Chassis A-504 1951 |
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Engineering photos | ||
Mercer Island Schools Wash |
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Exclusive Distributor in Washington State: Mercer Island Motors, Mercer Island Wash. | ||
Tanner 1951 |
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We have records for Tanner Motor Tours buses #121 and #125, but not #123. | ||
Crown Super Coach Chassis A-779 |
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This series of engineering photos of the A-779 is an interesting collection that illustrates the photographic process. This includes original images and final composites. | ||
Crown Super Coach Chassis A-779 1951 |
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These engineering photos show the chassis for the A-779 numbered 32639, which was built for Kern County Union High School in 1951. | ||
Super Coach School Bus 1951 |
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There are a lot of great photos in this series; full-front/side/rear as well as interiors. | ||
Crown Super Coach Chassis |
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Miscellaneous 1950 Crown Super Coach engineering photos by Dick Whittington. | ||
Upper Skagit Valley Schools Wash |
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Engine H.S. 504 Horizontal |
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Riverside City Schools Fleet |
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This single photo shows Riverside City School’s fleet. A detail was pulled from this photo to highlight the buses at the end of the row. | ||
International Horizontal 450 Engine |
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Class A School District Idaho |
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The folder for this series of photos lists 8 photos. Unfortunately all have been misplaced except #7. 08.04.04 3/4 left-front 08.04.07 interior to front (dashboard) | ||
Shoreline Public Schools District 412 |
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Naches Valley School District JT. 3 Wash |
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Eureka High School District |
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Highland School Dist. 203 Wash |
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Includes Dick Whittington photo as well as fleet snapshots by unknown photographer. (Presumably someone from the school district.) | ||
Fleet El Monte U.H.S. |
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Folder identifies a second set of photos (24.46.1), that seem to have been misplaced, showing the fleet again in 1952. | ||
Covina Union High School Fleet 1950 |
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This photo is one of a pair. This 1950 Dick Whittington photo shows the Covnia fleet in 1950. Image 62-12-3 is a Warren Bowen photo of the fleet taken in 1956. | ||
Montebello Municipal Bus 22 – LA Library Collection |
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1943 “Metro”-style coach with entrance door behind the front wheels, and exit door near the rear. | ||
Rosslyn Hotels |
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Los Angeles ODT |
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501 East 7th Street, Los Angeles |
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Carter’s Ink Company #6 |
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Rolling Sanctuary – Zion Hill Baptist Church |
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This is a pamphlet created by the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Los Angeles to introduce their new Crown Coach, dubbed the Rolling Sanctuary. | ||
Crown Cargo Coach – LA Library Collection (Photocopy) |
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Atlantic Richfield Co Convertible – Warren Bowen (Photocopy) |
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VVE 045 license plate is about 1967 or 1968. Divided bumper (`1949-1953) and 3×1 ½ bars on side indicate that this is probably a conversion of an older bus.
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Crown Cargo Truck Wedgewoodf Gas Ranges – LA Library Collection – Warren Bowen (Photocopy) |
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1942 Los Vegas Needles Phoenix Stages – LA Library Collection – Dick Whittington (Photocopy) |
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US Air Force Fleet |
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Gray Line of the Black Hills |
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Gray Line Hawaii – Golden Grayliner II |
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Grayline Hawaii named these buses: | ||
Roesch – 40′ Deck-and-a-Half |
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“The unmarked 40 footer is a 1959 delivered to Roesch in San Bernardino, the only 40 foot deck and a half not delivered to Tanner Motor Tours (who had 8 delivered 1957-58). So, the total of these 40 footers was 9. One survives at the LeMay Museum in WA, and there may be more survivors around, who knows… Roesch also bought a single deck 1959 40 footer in 1959 as well.” – Tom Shafer via Facebook | ||
Red-EO-Tape (Red Skelton Video Production) |
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“1960 – Red Skelton opens the RED-EO Video Production Company in Hollywood at the old Charlie Chaplin Studios. His 3 camera TK-41 Mobile Unit has the first live color cameras in the city.” | ||
General Highway Services – HPO 50 Dallas TX |
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This bus is clearly marked #50, which our records show being built in 1966: https://pacbus.org/archives/crown/record-lookup/record/2708 But this photo is clearly marked 10/22/1963… Perhaps our records are confused and it’s actually this bus: https://pacbus.org/archives/crown/record-lookup/record/2477 | ||
Postal Servies, Inc – HPO 268 |
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Lockheed Missiles & Space Co |
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Northern Pacific Transport Company (7/30/1963) |
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Crown Delivery Cards |
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These delivery cards have been digitized and the data contained on them have been added to the Crown Record Lookup. | ||
Interior of Goodall’s coach – 1964 |
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There are no exterior photos, so its not clear which carrier this was for… | ||
(Eastern)??? Arizona Junior College -1964 |
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(Eastern)??? Arizona Junior College | ||
Don Burns Racing – Garden Grove CA (Photocopy) |
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This photocopy is a bit of a mystery. We don’t know who the photographer was or when the photo was taken. | ||
Riverside CA – Unknown CFE Member (Photocopy) |
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3 HPOs on Rail Cars – LA Library Collection (Photocopy) |
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HPO 118 LA Library Collection (Photocopy) |
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Ilima Tours Sightseeing 1/27/1966 |
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1940s Ford Chassis |
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LA County Sheriff Prison Bus 1970 |
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Oceanside Transportation System |
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Knickerbocker Transportation – color – remake |
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This is a 5×7 color photo. On the back it says “remake”. The colors have faded. | ||
Los Angeles County Sheriff (5/1970) |
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Naval Mobile Guidance Facility (1970) |
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35′ Highway Post Office (HPO) |
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Grand Teton Lodge Company 6/13/1966 |
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The Grayline Sightseeing 1966 |
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National Reactor Testing Station #154 |
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Crown Carriage 1916 |
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Highland Transportation 1921 |
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Original Stage Lines 1923 |
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Photo taken in front of Crown Carriage Co 7th St L.A. Calif. | ||
Mack Chassis 1923 |
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Wooden bus body on a Mac chassis at the Crown factory in 1923 | ||
Alhambra City HS 1924 |
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Crown Biplane 1920s |
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In addition to buses, Crown also made biplanes. | ||
REO Speedwagon Chassis 1930 |
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Rosslyn Hotels 1935 |
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Rosslyn Hotel was located in LA and was still standing in 2010 | ||
All American Sleeper Coach 1936 |
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The All American Bus Lines was a transcontinental bus line that was not financed by railroads. | ||
Supercoach DE-8 Culver City Lines 1935 |
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Paramount Pictures Ford Camera Car 1936 |
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Dodge Ambulance Conversion 1936 |
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Crown built this custom ambulance conversion on a Dodge Sedan in 1936 for Crippen Ambulance Service. | ||
225 in Dodge 8/25/1938 |
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One of the last “conventional” style buses built by Crown. This 49-passenger body was built on a Dodge 3-ton truck chassis with a 225-in wheelbase. | ||
Rear Engine Crown Demo 1939 |
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SV – 999-07 Rear Engine Crown Demo 1939 | ||
Crown Stretch Limo 1940 |
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1940s air-conditioned drawing |
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City of Phoenix 1942 |
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Bremerton-Tacoma Stages ODT 1943 |
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Tanner Motor Tours 1947 |
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Super Transport Chassis Demo 1950 |
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Firecoach Demonstrator F001 1951 |
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LA Police Department 1954 |
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Two Crown Security Coaches built in the 1940s for LA Police Department | ||
San Joaquin County Sherrif 1950s |
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San Joaquin County Sheriff | ||
Highway Post Office 10/1959 |
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HPO built for the US Postal Service | ||
GMC Chassis 1917 |
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Visalia Union bus #1 built on a GMC chassis | ||
Tustin Union HS 1918 |
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Crown Corp Fire circa 1900 |
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Fire across the street from Crown Carriage Co. | ||
Los Angeles Tornado 1930 |
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On March 15, 1930 a rare tornado his Los Angeles. | ||
Lompoc Unified Bus 5 lift gate 1953 |
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Lopoc Unified School District shows rear lift gate built by the Parts & Service Division of Crown. | ||
GMC Van wheelchair 11/1/1968 |
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GMC Van wheelchair 11/1/1968 | ||
GMC chassis Ward Body Wheelchair 1974 |
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A Ward school bus body on a GMC chassis with wheelchair customization by Crown for Taylor Bus Service. | ||
San Jose Unified fleet 1957 |
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San Jose Unified’s 1957 fleet of 7 Supercoaches, including staff. | ||
LA City School Bus fleet 1955 |
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LA contractor fleet, City School Bus System, fleet of 22 of 86 Supercoaches. | ||
Madera Union High fleet Sept/22/1959 |
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Madera Union High fleet (LM C13-P7) | ||
Palos Verdes fleet 8/2/1963 |
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Palo Verdes Peninsula Unified School District’s 30+ coach fleet. | ||
Mercer Island School District 400 1959 |
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Mercer Island School District #400 in Washington state. Fleet of 10 buses. | ||
Oxnard School District fleet 1961 |
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22 Crowns + 5 other buses at Oxnard School District | ||
1956 Crown and Gillig Comparison (LM C8-P47) |
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The Gillig Brothers used many of the same off-the-shelf components as Crown. Steward Warner gauge panels. Ross Cam and Lever steering. Air door control. Exterior rear-view mirrors. Sun visors. | ||
Crown Emergency Door Patent #2229273 |
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2,229,273 | ||
Crown Roof Vent Patent USPTO #2294363 (LM C8-P8) |
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My invention relates to a vehicle body construction and has particular reference to a body construction for coaches, buses and the like in which a novel means is provided for ventilating and cooling the interior of the body. | ||
Crown Dry Wall Patent #2668735 |
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Crown Custom Chassis – Model A-450 (Vertical) |
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1950 IH Red Diamond 450 Gasoline Engine (LM C8-P31) |
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1950s Hall Scott Installation (LM C8-P43) |
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Mid 1950s composite of a Crown Supercoach Model A-779 with it’s amidship Hall Scoott horizontal installation. | ||
1953 Admidship Installation (LM C8-P44) |
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This shows a 1950s amidship Supercoach with 3 narrow belt rails. | ||
1941 front drop frame (LM C8-P9) |
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1941 front dropped frame, mid-engine chassis with unique driveline to mounted radiator fan. | ||
1945 Rear-engine hercules RXLD (LM C8-P13) |
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1949 Big Bear R-450-10 (LM C8-P25) |
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Big Bear Elementary School #4 in Southern California mountain now with chains on rear tires. | ||
1949 A-450-11 Red Diamond Edgemont School (LM C8-P27) |
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Edgemont School District No. 342, fleet #2 shown here in Washington state, with Mount Rainier in the background. | ||
Utah Parks Company 1959 (LM C10-P41) |
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1959 Utah Parks Company new sightseeing coach picture with predecessor White open-air touring bus. | ||
Post Card See California First 1953 (LM C7-P4) |
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Open-air Ford Transit bus modified by Crown in 1953. | ||
Wide-Trac Jeep prototype ~1960 (LM C3-P11) |
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This aluminum body “Wide Trac” Jeep was developed for Kaiser Industries for consideration by the US Army in ~1960. | ||
1962 Lockheed Missiles Space (LM C10-P59) |
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A variation of the Crown “Super Transport” truck series. This is one of 3 A-590-11s built for Lockheed Missiles Space. They were the property of the US Air Force, but operated by Lockheed. | ||
1932 First Crown Supercoach (LM C8-P2) |
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The first Supercoach in 1932. | ||
1934 Artists Drawing Super Coach (LM C8-P?) |
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Artists Drawing Super Coach | ||
1936 Anaheim Elementary School (LM C8-P5) |
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This 196 Supercoach was built for Anaheim Elementary School. This was one of the first integral-build all-steel bodies and chassis structure. | ||
1936 Supercoach Salinas (LM C8-P6) |
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Rear “boat tail” view of a 1936 Supercoach built for Salina Union High School and Junior College. | ||
1941 RXDL Citrus Union High (LM C8-P10) |
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1941 RXDL model built for Citrus Union High and Junior College as fleet #3. It was later sold to Glendora Unified School District. | ||
1938 Supercoach El Monte (LM C8-P7) |
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1938 rear-engine Crown Supercoach with conventional bus in front of El Monte Union High School | ||
1942 Supercoach Vallejo (LM C8-P12) |
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World War II era rear engine Supercoach built for Vallejo Unified School District in 1942. | ||
1946 rear-engine Arcadia City (LM C8-P15) |
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This 1946 rear-Hercules-engine R-404-9 Supercoach built for Arcadia City School District as #12. This is one of the first coaches to have the three vertical “trident” arrows on the front. | ||
1946 front-engine Avenal High (LM C8-P14) |
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This 1946 front-engine Supercoach built for Avenal High School-LUHS District. | ||
1946 front-engine Avenal High (LM C8-P14) |
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This 1946 front-engine Supercoach built for Avenal High School-LUHS District. | ||
1948 Experimental sash and front end for Guy Embree (LM C8-P22) |
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This is an 1948 experimental bus built for Guy Embree buses. It has a new-style front and sash. | ||
1970s Simplified Supercoach prototype (LM C8-P77) |
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In the late 1970s, Crown developed this prototype that sought to simplify the appearance and lower manufacturing costs. These changes were not accepted by customers and did not move forward. | ||
1970s extended rear light cluster (LM C8-P78) |
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Rear view of 1970 prototype with extened light cluster, new trunk door, and emergency exit concepts. | ||
1984 Chino Location (LM C8-P782) |
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In 1984, Crown moved to the former Freightliner plant on Monte Vista Avenue in Chino, CA… 30 miles east of the previous plant. This is a photo of the corporate offices. | ||
2A-38-426 84 passenger (LM C8-P84) |
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In the mid-1980s, Crown developed model 2A-38-426 as an 84-passenger 2-axel (not tandem) coach to compete with Bluebird and Thomas buses. | ||
MIT Super II Design (LM C8-P85) |
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In the late 1980s, Crown retained the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to design a “new and improved” front an rear end caps for the Supercoach II. The goal was to be able to produce coaches that would be more adaptable to alternative fuels, and bring some design aspects into the present… and to lower production costs. | ||
Super II Demonstrator 2R-38N-552 (LM C8-P86) |
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This 2R-38N-552 model was a 38-foot 84-passenger model. It was built as a “Super II” demonstrator. The end caps were made of a composite material, and were the only primary body change. It was esentially the same coach between the axels. | ||
Garden Grove #100 1951 (LM C7-P2) |
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Ford Transit Bus “Streached” by Crown | ||
Garden Grove #100 1951 (LM C7-P2) |
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Ford Transit Bus “Streached” by Crown | ||
Wayne Supermatic Windshield |
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This neat little collection of Wayne Supermatic Windshields was found in the Crown archives. This file seems to have started with a note from the desk of Crown’s Vice-President of Engineering Chas. Koors. | ||
Wayne All Metal Drawing |
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Found in Crown Photos archives | ||
Lompc Union High Crown #6 ~1949 |
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Lompoc Union High School | ||
Dry Wall Illustration and Photo (LM C8-P30) |
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This composite illustration of the Dry Wall System is based on an earlier Dick Whittington photograph (49-145-05). |