On Wednesday, Oct, 15, the train is expected to wind it's way through streets to arrive at the Museum to prepare for installation.

On Thursday, October 16, a 250-ton crane will lift the first of the Zephyr's three cars with a mechanical arm extending up to 140 feet in length, then lower it 40 feet below ground onto train tracks already installed on the lowest level of the Museum of Science and Industry's new underground parking garage. The process will be repeated until all three cars are inside the garage. While construction of the Museum¹s new 1,500-space garage is nearly complete, a 158-foot by 30-foot slot remains open in the center to allow for installation of the train.

The crane, a Manitowoc M250, will arrive in pieces on 30 flatbed trucks and will take six days to assemble on-site at the Museum. Fully loaded with one of the Zephyr's three cars, the crane will weigh 1,030,080 pounds. To spread the load, the crane will sit on a 30-foot-square mat of timbers up to 16 inches thick. A 225,000 pound counterweight will sit on the back of the crane to provide balance.

Because the Zephyr's three cars share wheels, the train will be connected as each car is lowered. Once the entire train is on the tracks, it will be pulled forward to the exhibition area.

Following its record-breaking run and subsequent 26 years as a passenger train, the Zephyr was donated to the Museum in 1960, where it was displayed outdoors as a permanent exhibit. But time and the weather took their toll, and since 1994, workers at Northern Rail Car Corporation in Milwaukee, Wisconsin have spent more than 16,000 hours restoring the train.

The restored Pioneer Zephyr and its exhibit, All Aboard the Silver Streak, will be the centerpiece of the Museum's underground garage, scheduled to open in early 1998. The train, featuring an on-board tour complete with animatronic and audiovisual enhancements, and all surrounding exhibtry will be enclosed in a climate-controlled glass structure, visible from all levels of the parking garage. The new garage is part of MSI 2000, the comprehensive master plan for restoring and enhancing the Museum of Science and Industry, one of the world's premier educational and cultural institutions.

The Museum of Science and Industry is located at 57th Street and Lake Shore Drive and is open every day of the year except Christmas. Museum admission is $6 for adults, $5 for senior citizens (65+), and $2.50 for children aged 3-11. Children under 3 are admitted free. Groups of 20 or more receive special discounts by calling (773) 684-1414, Ext. 2290. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. weekends and holidays; From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the Museum is open 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. daily. For more information or to plan a visit to the Museum, please call (773) 684-1414, or outside the Chicago area, 1-800 GO TO MSI (1-800-468-6674).

The Museum of Science and Industry is supported in part through the generosity of the people of Chicago through the Chicago Park District.