Buildings and Grounds

For many years the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe was headquartered in a tall building fronting on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.  I can imagine John Reed gazing east over the "Avenue" and across the green expanses of Grant Park to the blue Lake Michigan waters.  There was a large SANTA FE sign atop the roof proclaiming to the world that this was the hub of one of the mightiest railroads in the land.

Time moves on and Santa Fe relocated those functions to a newer building in Schaumburg IL.  And eventually of course, in the merger fever decades, things changed again and we know it now as the BNSF.

That sign remained on that building and became a landmark of sorts to railfans, and indeed, to many Chicagoans.  Finally the word came down that the sign was to be dismantled and removed.  IRM put out feelers, and eventually succeeded in getting that sign donated and it arrived in Union last Friday.

Santa Fe

The sign is now on the lawn in front of our ATSF 92 locomotive - a suitable and stunning backdrop.  Note that the sign is of the same type and font as the SANTA FE on the side of the locomotive in the second coming of the famed warbonnet scheme.