Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops were centered around the erecting and machine shop, where heavy locomotive maintenance was performed. The facility housed craftsmen who were experts in every step of overhauling and retrofitting the railroad’s equipment. Our page takes a deep dive into the erecting and machine shop with many photos, plans, and a historical narrative.
Roundhouses for locomotive maintenance are common on steam-era model railroad layouts, but much of the heavy rebuilding work was actually done in a separate erecting shop, which usually had a machine shop attached or very close nearby for fabricating the many replacement parts needed by a steam locomotive.
The Monongahela Railroad erecting shop at Brownsville, Pennsylvania is a great example of such a shop that could be built on a model railroad layout. With the large window areas, the Monon erecting and machine shops would be great for a model with detailed interiors. Placed close to the front of a model railroad layout and provided with interior lighting, the model would be an impressive focal point on any model pike.
