Circa 1863, Rocklin was chosen by the Central Pacific Railroad as the location for a roundhouse because it lay near the point where the railbed steepens toward Auburn and because it was close to large stands of oak and pine. Each engine required 16 cords of firewood for the strain to the Sierra summit. Located at the intersection of Front Street and Rocklin Road, the roundhouse opened in 1867 with 25 service bays, a turntable, and an 8,000 square foot woodshed. Fires crippled operations in 1869 and 1873, but the roundhouse operated continuously until 1908. Remains of several service pits and the roundhouse's west-facing wall are still visible.