Photo archive history of Crane Stoves

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Mon Dec 31, 2012 9:53 pm

I had posted this online before but because those people who loved Crane Stoves are also Coal Lovers i feel this thread should be here as well. I am posting this thread for folks, family or dealers to see
some of the history of Crane Stoves and also to let people who still have a Crane Stove to view different set ups, paint schemes and options. this was my world 24/7 for the first 19 years of my life.

My father walked away from stoves and his company around 1989 (when the whole market crashed) and he never looked back... he left everything and the only thing saved were some of the photo's you
see here. I regret more then anything in my life not having the sense earlier in life to have saved things (parts, molds, plans, paperwork, equipment, etc,etc,etc.) I regret not realizing how difficult a time
this must have been for my dad. I will say that I have some great memories from all my father did and after walking away and never looking back he focused for 10 years on building his dream sailboat and
he did succeed in sailing it for one full season before he passed away 12 year ago.

Anyone is welcome to add their photo's or comments, I would like to get a some pictures of the Crane Stoker Stoves that may be out their (it was in the later years they were produced and most my photos
are earlier in Crane Stoves history).

thanks and hope you enjoy...

: (144.1 KiB) Viewed 38 times; View: New Page • Popup • Select:BBCode; 1980 the first trade show for Crane Coal Cooker; [nepathumb]39154[/nepathumb]

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:38 pm

part 2

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:53 pm

Part 3

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Mon Dec 31, 2012 10:56 pm

Part 4

coalvet · By: **coalvet** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:39 am

Doug, great photo history of the company thanks for posting. I used the model 44 for over 30 years before I picked up the 404 about 3 years ago. The lady I bought the 404 from, used it for about 2 weeks after she bought it. She showed me the sales receipt when she bought it 1982 I believe. She told me stopped using it after only 2 weeks because every time she would take the ashes outside her cats would sneak out the door behind her. At any rate the 404 was and is in brand new condition!

Rich

franco b · By: **franco b** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:52 am

Very interesting. Shows how much work and effort goes into building a company.

Flyer5 · By: **Flyer5** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:27 pm

Really nice history and memorabilia. Back in the pioneering and somewhat hay days of the hearth industry. Thanks for sharing. Dave

Rob R. · By: **Rob R.** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 8:40 pm

I have a book called "Coal Confort" that mentions your dad as a great resource for information on coal stoves, and burning coal in general. That cylindrical stove with the refractory liner looks like a wonderful unit.

whistlenut · By: **whistlenut** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:08 pm

I have an original "How to Burn Coal" that your dad must have drafted. Great logic, easy to follow....and there are hundreds of them still burning every day. I have seen a 'Tall Boy' for sale and it looks like a #44, but twice as tall.

Thanks for sharing so much about the company, and as I PMed you, the folks I bought Cranes from were VERY helpful about details, stories, and personal experiences. I do know where two original employees are living...and guess what: They are still burning in those stoves, not some new pellet rig with 5 microprocessors, 3 motors, a noisy fan, and worse yet a flimsy auger....a parts man's nightmare. KISS...keep it simple, stupid!

I knew nothing about a Crane stoker, so I'm all ears now.........

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:21 pm

Rob R. wrote:I have a book called "Coal Confort" that mentions your dad as a great resource for information on coal stoves, and burning coal in general. That cylindrical stove with the refractory liner looks like a wonderful unit.

Yes indeed, my dad not only wrote many things (like the coal burners almanac), but assisted many other as well. Even his boat was called the "black diamond" and for not being from PA. he sure knew alot about coal as well as coal stoves, His intelligence was far more then stoves and coal though, his brain just had ability to think in a very complex way and his confidence and non-fear allowed him to do things most of simply cant. One example of his ability was after he lost EVERYTHING and walked away from his stove company during the crash of 89' he started to focus his brain on his dream boat (a lyle hess designed 30' bristol channel cutter) and somehow without a nickle to his name... built this boat from absolutely nothing other then reading Larry Pardey's books, reverse engineering, collecting parts over many years such as the scrape wood from when the Duxbury Bridge was rebuilt (Black Locast), fishing weights, tire weights collected by friends, family, bar taverns (for the lead keel), he hand built this magnificent yaught over the course of 10 years and this feat would be hard for anyone (having a full set of scaled plans and 100k in the bank).... he did it with no plans and zero dollars! thats the kind of man my dad was... he was EVERYTHING to us and when he died in 2001 we lost a rare person indeed.

I guess by virtue of living with him and being around him I picked up a tiny bit of his knowledge and sales ability and even though he had his faults like anyone, he was good man and a good dad.

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:27 pm

whistlenut wrote:I have an original "How to Burn Coal" that you dad must have drafted. Great logic, easy to follow....and there are hundreds of them still burning every day. I have seen a 'Tall Boy' for sale and it looks like a #44, but twice as tall.

Thanks for sharing so much about the company, and as I PMed you, the folks I bought Cranes from were VERY helpful about details, stories, and personal experiences. I do know where two original employees are living...and guess what: They are still burning in those stoves, not some new pellet rig with 5 microprocessors, 3 motors, a noisy fan, and worse yet a flimsy auger....a parts man's nightmare. KISS...keep it simple, stupid!

I knew nothing about a Crane stoker, so I'm all ears now.........

You have the model 88! I have one that was donated to my family from a great person named Joe and went to his large spread in Conn. for a visit (calls himself Defiant on forums), Ive met some great people on these forums this year.
Most employee's or dealers of Crane Stoves would remember me as the teenager dragged around to every trade show and dealer meeting LOL looking back... i loved those times but never appreciated them the way i should have.

My dad did indeed designed and built stoker stoves (well prior to the huge fan club wave that exists today for them), I remember testing and adjusting and burning and pulling my damb hair out for a year during this process :cry:

he also designed those machines you put quarters into to get your gallon of spring water (back when nobody thought about paying money for water LOL). Someone actually posted one of the beta test units that was given to dealers here in a thread called "404 stoker" but that was NOT a Crane Stoker.... I wish i could show you one as im sure there must be some out their someplace

I personally hope to save enough money someday to buy my favorite stove ever... a 404 with cast iron trim kit! coalvet has my dream stove LOL... they are out their but when i see them posted they either sell to fast or they are asking $900.00 and i just cant afford it at the time i see it :mad:

these stoves cant be killed though, so i know it will be their for me someday!

KLook · By: **KLook** On: Wed Jan 02, 2013 9:42 pm

I think you got what was necessary from it. And it is serving you well. I lost my dad at a relatively young age also. Funny how much I missed him(and still do) after spending most of my young life fighting with him. You have a great heritage to chase down with these stoves. I am sure you will continue to meet people with a story to tell about your dad.

Kevin

Any ancestors up in Maine? There was a bunch of Cranes in Whiting and East Machias years ago, very old name up there.

Kevin

echos67 · By: **echos67** On: Mon Jan 21, 2013 10:48 pm

That's really cool how you shared the story and pictures of the family and stoves. Sorry for the loss of your father, he sounds like a very interesting guy that if anyone were to talk and spend time with they would come away the wiser.

dcrane · By: **dcrane** On: Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:07 pm

echos67 wrote:That's really cool how you shared the story and pictures of the family and stoves. Sorry for the loss of your father, he sounds like a very interesting guy that if anyone were to talk and spend time with they would come away the wiser.

hey thats nice to say echo, thank you... yep, dad was one of those guys who always knew what to do and how to handle anything. Its hard not having him around sometimes :cry:

but I got to experience alot with him and im thankful for that :up:

Photo archive history of Crane Stoves

Photo archive history of Crane Stoves

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