CTA 662 in the historic Pullman neighborhood, northbound at St. Lawrence and 111th Place, on route 4. Thanks to George Foelschow for providing the correct location.
This is the third installment in our ongoing series featuring color pictures of Chicago streetcars. (You can read our first post here, and our second one here.)
As always, half the fun is trying to guess some of the locations where we do not have the information. I am always impressed at how knowledgeable and clever some of our readers are.
If you can help us out with some of the missing facts, please let us know. When referring to individual pictures, you can either use the car numbers or the image numbers. As always, you can bring up a larger version of each picture in your browser by clicking on it.
Unfortunately, we don’t know the names of the shutterbugs who took most of these pictures. One is by the great Truman Hefner, a legendary photographer who I had the pleasure of talking to last year. As far as I know, he is still going strong in his late 80s.
When we do know who pushed the button, rest assured we will always give proper credit to the photographers who took these great pictures.
Enjoy.
-David Sadowski
CTA 350 at the east end of route 66 – Chicago Avenue.
CTA 556 southbound at Milwaukee/Desplaines/Kinzie, on route 56, according to Andre Kristopans.
CTA 521 is northbound southbound at Milwaukee/Desplaines/Kinzie, on route 56, according to Andre Kristopans. This photo looks almost like a painting.
CTA 547, signed for route 56 – Milwaukee, on a shoofly going around Lower Wacker Drive construction, circa 1951. According to George Foelschow, the car “is on Madison Street with the Madison and Wells “L” station in the background.”
CTA 553 on route 56 – Milwaukee.
According to Bill Shapotkin, CTA 277 “is at State/Wacker. Car is S/B. View looks N/W.”
CTA 563, advertising WBBM-TV. Chuck Amstein adds, “also at 94th and Ashland, looking northeast. Same details looking through and around the car as img671 and img666 (chimney, red neon restaurant sign, Beverly Motors sign).”
CTA 414. Tony Waller writes, “Image 665 is probably at California & Roscoe – the actual north end of Route #52.” Bill Shapotkin: “No doubt about it — this IS at California and Roscoe — view looks north.”
CTA 532 at the Imlay loop on route 56 – Milwaukee.
CTA 201, signed to terminate at Pulaski and Cermak.
CTA 550 on Madison, going by the Chicago Daily News building, just east of North Western Station.
CTA 585 on the north end of route 56 – Milwaukee, where the street is wider.
CTA 529 at North Western Station.
CTA 458.
CTA 225 is westbound on Belmont at Clark, on the short-turn loop via Halsted-Belmont-Clark, according to Andre Kristopans. Len Marcus adds, “turning southbound onto Clark Street.” This car is preserved at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
CTA 578 at the Imlay loop on route 56 – Milwaukee.
CTA 578 heads south on route 56 – Milwaukee, crossing both Damen and North.
Two Pullmans at the end of the line at Ashland and 95th, according to Andre Kristopans. Chuck Amstein adds, “the large building to the left of the streetcars is Beverly Bowling lanes (I practically grew up in there).”
CTA 230 at Chicago and Wells.
CTA 585 heads south on route 56 – Milwaukee. The landmark Montgomery Wards complex on Chicago Avenue is just barely visible at rear.
CTA 271 at North and Narragansett in November 1948. This was the west end of route 72, and streetcars turned back right in the middle of the street, as they did on many other lines.
CTA 629 on that section of route 4 – Cottage Grove that parallels the Illinois Central electric.
CTA 532 at the Imlay loop on route 56 – Milwaukee.
Red cars pass each other on a drawbridge on route 9 – Ashland. According to Andre Kristopans, this is the Sanitary and Ship Canal at 29th Street or so.
Car 501 heads southbound at 4700 North Milwaukee on route 56. The building at rear is still standing as of 2015.
CTA 5527 in route 9 – Ashland. Chuck Amstein adds, “75% sure img671 is at 94th and Ashland, looking northeast. The red neon restaurant sign at the left of the car can be seen through the car in img666. Also, the smokestack above the cars in both 666 and 671 appears the same.”
CTA 1725 is westbound on Randolph just east of Halsted on route 58 – Ogden. This is the approximate location of where the Kennedy expressway crosses Randolph today.
CTA 1010, signed for through route 3 – Lincoln-Indiana, is outbound on Lincoln Avenue at Catalpa, at the infamous Lincoln Avenue bend, according to Len Marcus.
CTA 585 on the north end of route 56 – Milwaukee, where the street is wider.
CSL 5377 at Southport and Clark, the north end of route 9 – Ashland.
CTA 566 stopped at a safety island. Chuck Amstein says 566 “is at 94th & Ashland, looking northeast. The blue and red sign at left matches that on the right side of img680 (at 95th & Ashland).”
CTA 540, northbound at Desplaines and Milwaukee, is on route 56, according to Andre Kristopans.
CTA 1746 on route 58, passes People’s Pontiac, then located at 3120-58 W. Ogden. The dealership later moved to 6060 N. Western, the same address as “Z” Frank Chevrolet.
CTA 3182 and 660 at the south terminal of route 4 – Cottage Grove.
CTA 460, eastbound at about 4600 W. 63rd Street, crossing the Belt Railway circa 1952-53 after PCCs were taken off this route. This car is preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum.
CTA 330 at Kedzie Station (car barn) in March 1951.
CTA 1046 is at Southport and Clark on route 9 – Ashland, according to Andre Kristopans.