Salt Lake Foundry & Machine Shop

Freight Cars by Builder > Salt Lake Foundry & Machine Shop

Introduction

The date of establishment is uncertain; the company first appears in newspapers in 1872, but in 1883 was reported to have opened in 1870, yet in the same article is insinuated to have opened in 1871. It was closely operated Major Edmund Wilkes, superintendent of the three-foot gauge American Fork Railroad in Utah County. It was located one block south of, and was in direct competition with, the Utah Central Car Shops. The company advertised "Narrow gauge railroad work, switches, frogs and water stations; freight, hand, push and mining cars; ornamental housework, building fronts, buildings, etc."

Due to the close connection with the American Fork Railroad, it is likely that the Salt Lake Foundry was established to provide material and equipment for the construction of that company.

Facilities

The machine shop was a two-story adobe building, 60 by 40 feet. The upper floor contained the pattern room.

Behind the machine shop is a one-story adobe building containing, in order, the boiler room with a 15-horsepower engine, a tool room, the blacksmith shop with four forges, and the casting floor measuring 60 by 42 feet.

In 1882 a locomotive and boiler repair shop was built to the side, 20 by 60 feet, which had a capacity to rebuild two railroad locomotives simultaneously.

It was rail-served via a spur from the standard gauge Utah Southern Railroad which connected the American Fork Railroad in American Fork. In 1882 two additional tracks were added by the Utah Central to serve the new locomotive and boiler shop.

"Salt Lake Foundry," Salt Lake Tribune 1 January 1883.

Timeline

1871

Edmund Wilkes arrives in Utah on September 10, 1871, with his wife's cousin, Lloyd Aspinwall, to oversee the construction of the American Fork Railroad, a subsidiary of Aspinwall's Miller Mining & Smelting Company.

1872

The Salt Lake Foundry & Machine Shop is well-established; it is first mentioned in the newspapers when an employee attacks his wife.

"Suicide & Attempted Murder," Salt Lake Herald 6 December 1872.

1874

Edmund Wilkes leaves the American Fork Railroad.

The Salt Lake Foundry & Machine Shop advertises railroad work and freight car building in the Utah Gazetteer & Directory.

1879

Edmund Wilkes is no longer associated with the Salt Lake Foundry & Machine Shop; R.B. Margetts is president and T. Pierpont is superintendent.

"Advertising," Salt Lake Herald 12 October 1879.

1882

The company builds a locomotive and boiler shop to the side of the main machine shop with the intention of overhauling railroad equipment.

1883

The Salt Lake Foundry & Machine Shop produces all castings used by the Denver & Rio Grande Railway in Utah. It also takes a contract to overhaul the steam locomotives for the D&RG in its new locomotive and boiler shop. In January 1883 two D&RG locomotives were seen in the shop by a Salt Lake Tribune reporter, who was told that other locomotives were rebuilt through 1882.

"Salt Lake Foundry," Salt Lake Tribune 1 January 1883.

After this point, the Salt Lake Foundry drops its railroad production and focuses instead on mining equipment and domestic ironwork, advertising "engines, boilers, mill work, mining and hoisting machinery, mill work, etc." Its notable projects include lead blast furnaces for the Germania Smelter and the Leadville Works smelter, both in the Salt Lake Valley.

Wells, Iles Malvern. Lead-smelting. New York: J Wiley & Sons, 1904.