This had been a large complex featuring a sprawling 24-stall roundhouse. The facility received its first locomotive on December 26, 1887 and work on the 2,375-car capacity yard and a coaling tower were finished the next year.

   

A new 66-ft tall, 200-ton chute was built in 1906. In 1930, hot coals of a locomotive set it on fire. After an hour, the chute and 100 tons of the coal collapsed causing a roar of flames shooting upward and intense heat for a couple of blocks away. A smaller coal shed was installed after that and the mainline trains replenished their coal elsewhere across the division.

   

The roundhouse was known for its landscaping including a goldfish pool near the office. Chillicothe became not only a major repair facility, but also housed the “helper engines” that assisted the westbound freights up the 1.1% grade west of town to climb the 300 foot elevation out of the valley.

   

When the Santa Fe converted to diesel power, “helpers” were discontinued in 1949 as diesels did not need them. The turntable was also not needed since diesels were run in sets, facing back to back, and did not need to be turned to face the opposite direction. In 1956, the Illinois and Missouri Divisions of the railroad were consolidated with the headquarters put in Shopton, Iowa, eliminating the need for facilities in Chillicothe. The last section of the building with 4-stalls and the turntable, were left in case they would be needed.