In 2012, the Union, Illinois based Illinois Railway Museum (IRM) acquired the iconic Santa Fe Rail sign from the top of the Daniel Burnham Railway Exchange Building in Chicago.

This large, 70 ft. long sign, originally mounted by Federal Sign & Signal in 1962, was recognizable from many views of the city as part of the historic Michigan Ave streetscape along Grant Park.  After the IRM acquired the sign, it was brought to the IRM but needed to be restored before it could be displayed.  This is where hot-dip galvanizing (HDG) played an important role.

The sign was originally installed with blue and yellow neon that included a 22-ft. diameter Santa Fe cross logo to the left of the Santa Fe letters.  After the railroad began an extensive remodeling of the Railway Exchange Building in 1982, a new almost identical sign was designed and installed with the removal of the cross logo.  The railroad would go on to vacate its downtown offices and relocate to Schaumburg, IL in 1991.  It later merged with Burlington Northern in 1995 and relocated to Fort Worth, Texas.

The Santa Fe letters remained a fixture along the Historic Michigan Ave Boulevard District even after the railroad moved and sold the property, leaving its iconic sign behind for another 21 years until removal when Motorola relocated to that building.  At this time the sign was donated to the IRM in 2012 where it was kept in storage until 2016 when a grant from the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe (BNSF) Foundation enabled the complete restoration of the sign and support frame.

The galvanizer donated galvanizing services of more than 8,000 lbs. of steel, which was fabricated to serve as the signs structural framework.  HDG was chosen due to its corrosion protection, life cycle, financial sense, and minimal maintenance during the years to come. The historic Santa Fe sign was relit during an unveiling ceremony in 2016 at the Illinois Railway Museum, proudly displayed in front of there Santa Fe locomotive engine.

The restoration of the iconic sign using HDG is important to note because it shows that it is revered as a significant process.  Use of HDG on the sign not only shows it's relevance, but it serves as a testimonial and could prompt others to learn more about the process and embrace its use.