Check out this link:http://www.knightfoundry.org/This outfit might turn out to be a satisfactory supplier to some of our efforts.Dave

They have been discussed often here. Unfortunately Knight has been out of service for some time; I believe there has been a series of groups with different preservation schemes for the foundry succeeding one another, with no resolution yet. I beleive my colelague moderator Randy Hees knows more about their current situation.

Knight Foundry is a wonderful survival, and has great potential, and may in the future be a home to preservation resources and knowledge as well as new castings for various railroad restorations, for the time being, despite their press releases, they are cold, and not normally available for tours. The last time the foundry made a pour was about 1996 or so, two preservation organizations ago.There have been a series of failed efforts to save and restore the foundry, with many problems familiar to many railroad preservationists. At one time it was employee owned, then owned by a former aero-space worker, who operated it as an active foundry/machine shop until about 1990. The first preservation group continued to operate the facility, but couldn’t find a model to own or maintain it. The next group held a lease, and received some grants before one board member facilitated a sale of the property to a private individual. That board dissolved its organization and transferred all assets to the current board. I have faith in the current Board of Directors of the non-profit preservation group. The new preservation group has been successful in gaining significant grants, but until there is a solution to the ownership situation little can happen. In that respect it is a bit like the EBT situation. The current on project director (and friend of the owner) was involved in the destruction of the previous preservation organization and has promised new castings "soon" for at least 6 years (he refers to this type of optimistic thinking as an “information grenade, believing if you tell enough people that something will happen, it will.) It’s a shame. The facility is equipped very much like a 1860's steam loco shop, with a foundry, pattern shop, machine shop, and even a riveted pipe shop, and could under the right management produce a early 4-4-0 or a single. It consists of a group of buildings along Eureka Street in Sutter Creek. The main building houses the foundry with two cupolas, a machine shop (overhead belt) powered by a Knight water motor (similar to a Pelton Wheel), and the pattern shop. Other buildings housed a blacksmith shop, a brass foundry, the pipe shop, pattern storage, and wood and coal storage.By the way, as a “old technology” facility, the foundry best used as a source of basic heavy gray iron castings, not steel or other “exotic, modern” stuff. The machine shop while being very complete would not be able to compete with modern CAD equipment.I would be more likely to direct any questions to the board of directors listed on the web site than to the project director. Randy Hees (feeling a bit grumpy)Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad Resouces Fremont California www.spcrr.org

I only got to peek through the dirty windows during my brief visit, but it was plain this historic site was a true gem. I did note, however, that there were several small houses on the same narrow street. When and if the site does return to operation, I hope the NIMBY problem does not arise, as an iron foundry is not the cleanest of operations.

Several of the closest homes on Eureka Street once house the foundry workers. They offer an additional layer of historic integrity to the site. At one point there was a rumor that the current private owner of the foundry was trying to buy one or more of them. In addition to the NYBY issue (which so far has not been an issue) the foundry also has to deal with water rights to operate their water motors. There is limited parking, and no visitor amenities. Some years ago (after shut down) a truck hit one of the guy wires supporting the cupola/smoke stack, badly damaging the cupola and displacing the back wall of the foundry. There was a significant insurance settlement. The last time I was there (several years ago) little work had been done. They also need to address stream erosion which is threatening to undermine several of the secondary buildings.Preserving this foundry has all the complexities of trying to run mainline steam.

Randy,Here at the SF Maritime Park we had them make some feet for the deck parts of the Eppleton Hall. This was replacement in kind for the peices and they did a great job for us.I hope that they can preserve the site! By the way, do you know if the Society for Industrial Archaeology is still involved? At one point, the Foundry was a chapter of the SIA.Ted Miles