26-Aug-16 – The sign that sat on top of the 112-year-old Santa Fe Building in the Loop is a few weeks away from public display once again.

Illinois Railway Museum, located about 60 miles northwest of Chicago, has announced that all of the letters have been mounted onto a new steel structure. The museum is getting the sign ready for display by September 19.

“Over the coming month the electrical wiring will be completed to light them up,” said Dave Diamond, general manager of museum facilities, on August 12.

Also known as Railway Exchange Building, the 17-story office building on Michigan Avenue was originally used by Santa Fe Railway, now known as Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway. Santa Fe moved out in 1991 and when Motorola Solutions started leasing a floor in 2012, the company replaced the Santa Fe sign with a Motorola sign. (Left) Santa Fe Building when it still had its sign.

The sign was delivered to the museum in July 2012 and since then museum volunteers have been restoring it. Diamond said at that time the sign would be part of a collection of Santa Fe equipment.

Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railway museum in the United States. In addition to the Santa Fe sign, numerous trains will be on display during the museum’s upcoming Showcase Weekend.