Neverland Ranch Railroad

[Bruce R Pier]

About twelve years ago I attended an AIMS (Amusement Industry Manufactuerers and Suppliers) Safety Conference in Cleveland. I met the two gentleman who were responsible for the maintainance of all the Neverland rides. All they would say about working there was that it was "interesting". Apparently they had to sign a non disclosure agreement to work there.

[Pennyf9Train]

is the Crown locomotive and the cars still on the former Never Land Ranch? I heard it was not sold during the 2005 trial, all the other amusement park rides were sold.

[RailNole]

I thought I read where someone in Texas had the 36" Crown and cars???

[Bruce R Pier]

That might be the old Legend City (Arizona) set. Built in 1963, I believe it was Crown's first 36" gauge. Legend City has been gone for at least 25-30 years now and the train has been in a warehouse in Texas for about the same amount of time. once and while it comes on the market. Being the first one of that size built, there were problems with it, some of which were addressed in later production. From what I understand that for what that was being asked for it ,it wasn't worth it.

[Castor Oil]

The Crown and coaches were sold to an LA-area amusement rides operator. As of last report, they're safely warehoused somewhere in Glendale. It was sort of quietly known on the Central Coast that the equipment was for sale even during MJ's lifetime, a good 4-5 years ago now, but being the thing was universally regarded as an albatross, nobody in the established steam scene seemed willing to bite. A well-known live steamer had been going up to care for the engine, which ran lamer than MTV's programming became after they dumped TRL and signed some Staten Island meatheads to rent a beach house. The tracks are still on the ground at Neverland, or were until very recently.

As for the Legend City engine (production no. 1), it's apparently been pulled from indoor storage and now sits stuffed and mounted al fresco at the entrance to some Southwest decorating center in El Paso: