Interior view of a pattern storeroom. Patterns mimicked the form of a foundry casting in wood. Pattern makers used drawings or samples to form the pattern. Patterns were constructed from sugar pine and given a protective coat of varnish. Often the corporate initials "C.P.R.R." or "S.P.R.R." or "S.P. Co." plus "Sacramento, Cal." and a year indicated when and where the casting was made. Patterns could be used over and over again and were often stored for long periods between uses. The Shops maintained several thousand patterns on site. In the early years empty corners of shops served this purpose. Eventually, a two-story brick building was constructed to house many patterns used in the general foundry.
