Round House - Amboy, IL
N 41° 42.789 W 089° 19.928
16T E 305987 N 4620556
The "Round House" in Amboy, IL is now producing Ice Cream Toppings.
Waymark Code: WMT57
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 10/03/2006
Views: 123
Only one part of this Illinois Central Railroad roundhouse is still there. It and the entire roundhouse area has been converted to a factory that produces flavoring and toppings for ice cream and yogourt.
Three different web sites listed the same information. All were quoteing the same source: Lee County Historical Society. It says:
Another fascinating building was the engine house which the name "round house" was given. This building, circular and made of brick, was 216 feet in diameter and contained an open spacious court in which there was a turn-table with tracks leading away from it into 27 engine departments. There were large doors hung at the entrances in the inner walls. It was here that the huge "iron horse" could be moved about easily for repairs or storage.
The photo shows the main office of the factory. Above and behind it is the original brick wall of the roundhouse. The one section of the roundhouse that still remains can be clearly seen from an aerial photo from Terrasearver. It is to the right center.