The Trafford Foundry

The Trafford Foundry. . , George Westinghouse, inventor and industrialist, had the vision to construct a factory and town on the sloping hillside where Trafford is located today. In 1902, the Westinghouse Company acquired parcels of land near a modest train station called Stewart's Station, which was conveniently situated on the Pennsylvania Railroad., The new town came to be known as Trafford City, taking its name from the British Westinghouse Electrical and Manufacturing Co Ltd located in Trafford Park, Manchester, England., The choice to establish a foundry in Trafford was directly influenced by the initial triumphs of George Westinghouse's innovations. Responsible for the introduction and development of alternating current for light and power, his groundbreaking achievements paved the way for the significant growth of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh. To meet the increasing demand for his products, Westinghouse made the strategic decision to construct the Trafford Foundry., An iron foundry, pattern shop, brass foundry, powerhouse, and laboratory originally made up the plant which employed over 500 workers. October 3, 1903, marked the first day of the foundry's operation. The initial purpose was to produce turbine and condenser castings for other Westinghouse plants., The iron foundry was the largest of the structures built on the property measuring 612 feet long by 184 feet wide. The exterior brick walls were 36 feet high, built to hold a steel truss roofing system covered with 3-inch-thick wood sheeting and slate shingles. At the peak, the roof was 80 feet high and built with a cupola and skylights to provide natural lighting., With generators as large as 42 feet in diameter, parts had to be built in sections and hoisted onto rail cars. The proximity of Trafford to the other East Pittsburgh works, in conjunction with the ease of using the Westinghouse interworks rail system, allowed the company to manufacture large turbines weighing as much as 130,000 pounds., (Caption):, The Pittsburgh Press - Oct. 4, 1901