When I first started working at Legend City in Tempe, Az the engine was so lame that if we had a heavy train and had to stop on the hill, we would have to back up and get another run for it. I asked the other crews why nobody had set the valves on it and they answered they had tried and it couldn't be done. I said "I can do it" before I thought about it and was immediately told "ok wise guy, do it". I figured that Crown had done some engineering on it and hoped the problem wasn't the eccentrics, or the length of the blades, and I ended up being right. First I made a tram and with some help using a come-along found the front and back dead centers on both sides. I then removed the steam chest covers and that is where I saw why there were problems. The steam and exhaust ports were cut on an angle and the edge of the valves were straight. When the valve started to open, it would start opening from one side of the port first. I think that the cores had moved in the mold when they poured the casting. I then decided I need a plan "B". I put the covers back on and went on to set them the way I do a live steamer. I put pressure in the boiler (not enough to move the engine), opened the cylinder cocks, put the engine in forward motion, had the guy in the cab open the throttle and again moved the engine with the come-along. While listening at the cylinder cocks, I could hear exactly when the steam entered the cylinder and checked where it was in reference to the dead center. I then adjusted the valve rod to where admission occured at the same place for front and back dead centers on both sides. After setting the valves, it ran like it was supposed to and was almost dead square. Everything else in the valve gear must have been pretty close to correct because this also brought reverse into adjustment. We never again had trouble starting our train on the grade. I made a tape of the engine running and have sent it to a few people and usually get the comment back that they have never heard a Crown that square.
I think this was the first 3' gage crown built so I don,t know if the others have the same problem.

The Legend City locomotive was indeed the first built, and apparently much was learned after its construction. I understand the cylinders, for example, were extremely small...even by Crown standards.

A scanned article on its construction can be found at:
http://ferrari3.tripod.com/CrownArticle.html
Some interesting stuff, including photos of the entire train loaded up on flatcars for shipment via rail to Arizona.