In the first of two posts, as we close out 2015, we are featuring highlights from our recent E-book collection, The “New Look” in Chicago Transit: 1938-1973. Today’s highlights are from the CTA Transit News and mainly cover the period 1958-61. Watch this space for another helping in a few days.
There is a tremendous amount of useful information in the Transit News, and there are thousands of pages of material on this DVD data disc we are offering.
FYI, all current orders for The “New Look” have now shipped.
The “New Look” in Chicago Transit: 1938-1973
Edited by David Sadowski
Over a period of 35 years, between 1938 and 1973, Chicago’s transit system was radically transformed, for better or for worse.
This transformation included the creation of the Chicago Transit Authority in 1945 by act of the state legislature. CTA represented public ownership and unification of Chicago’s mass transit system. The Chicago Rapid Transit Company, Chicago Surface Lines, and (later) Chicago Motor Coach Company were all merged.
The venerable Loop “L” was supplemented by two new subways, under State and Dearborn streets. Several “L” lines and dozens of stations were abandoned. New rapid transit lines were built in three different expressways.
Streetcars and trolley buses were eliminated, as were many grade crossings. Two of Chicago’s three major interurbans expired.
High-speed rapid transit cars were developed by the Chicago Transit Authority, and put into use on the new Skokie Swift service and, eventually, throughout the system. Air conditioning became standard on rapid transit cars.
By the early 1960s, the CTA began calling it a “New Look” in transit.
Now, to examine this transformation, we have collected many original CTA source documents from this revolution together in one place, as our third DVD data disc release, The “New Look” in Chicago Transit: 1938-1973, edited by David Sadowski.
Since our previous release Chicago’s PCC Streetcars: The Rest of the Story covered surface system changes, this new collection’s primary focus is rapid transit. Naturally, there is some overlap between the two E-books, but The “New Look” includes over 1000 pages of new material, including:
An introductory essay by transit historian David Sadowski, which puts the era into perspective
Special commemorative publications put out by the City of Chicago in 1943 and 1951, when the State Street and Dearborn subways opened
43 entire issues of CTA Transit News in hi-res (an employee publication, primarily covering the important transition period from 1958 through 1961), plus additional scans from 1964-65, 1967-68, and 1969-70
High-resolution scans of the 1958 and 1961 CTA Annual Reports (all reports from 1945-76 are also included in lower-res scans)
Rapid transit system track maps
A short book, The Story of the Chicago Rapid Transit Lines (circa 1938)
Numerous CTA pamphlets, covering A/B “skip stop” service, Rider’s Reader, opening of the Congress rapid transit line, “New Look” (aka “Fishbowl”) buses, bus overhaul shops, and the elevation of the outer end of the Lake Street “L”.
In addition, we have included a variety of CTA technical publications, including the operation of various old interlockings, signal systems, and troubleshooting manuals for the 4000-series rapid transit cars.
# of Discs – 1
Price: $19.95
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Transit historian and author Andre Kristopans has sent us a preliminary list, which still needs work, of the CSL/CTA off-street turning loops:
Root/Halsted 1/1895 out 8/9/53
Cable Ct/harper 7/08 out 1960
Wentworth/63 11/08 out 6/22/58
Western/Flournoy 6/09 out 7/18/65
Cottage Grove/72 11/10 out 9/28/56
State/63 01/11 out 1/9/57
Western/Roscoe 7/11 out 1/24/51
Vincennes/80 8/11 out 1990’s
Clark/Arthur 11/11 active
Halsted/79 12/12 active
63/King 6/13 out 6/28/69 (temporarily reactivated circa 1977 when Ryan L out of service at 18th)
Halsted/Waveland 3/15 active
Clark/Howard 4/15 out 12/3/61
75/Lakefront 5/15 active (cul-de-sac)
Broadway/Ardmore 12/15 out 12/26/63
Torrence/112 3/17 active
Devon/Sheridan 5/17 (CMC) out 10/18/53
Archer/Cicero 12/17 active (relocated 1955)
Navy Pier 6/21 active (relocated 1959, relocated again 1990’s)
Madison/Austin 7/21 active
Milwaukee/Imlay 9/27 active
Montrose/Milwaukee 1/31 out 1980’s
Montrose/Narragansett 1/31 out 1990’s
Belmont/Pacific 5/31 out 1/9/49
18th/Lake Shore 6/33 out 3/9/49
Roosevelt/Columbus 8/33 out 4/11/53
Hamlin/Fulton (CMC) 6/35 out 2/11/53
87/Western 7/35 active
Belmont/Central 9/35 out 1/9/49 (relocated across street 1930’s)
Diversey/Western 9/35 out 7/1/55
Diversey/Neva 10/38 active
Caldwell/Central 8/39 (relocated 1961)
83/Green Bay 5/40 out 10/30/63
Bell & Howell 12/42 out 1976
76/Keeler 7/43 out 3/16/53
76/Kilpatrick 7/43 out 6/21/59
115/Cottage Grove 9/24/63 out 6/16/63 (south of 115th)
Montrose/Broadway 7/29/46 out 1970’s
Monroe Parking Lot 8/15/46 out 1972
Soldier Field Parking Lot 8/15/46 out 1990’s
Merchandise mart plaza 9/16/46 out 1990’s
Torrence/128 10/21/46 relocated to 130th west of Torrence 1980’s, out 1990’s
Torrence/112 10/21/46 out 4/25/48 (south of RR)
74/Damen 11/1/46 active
Irving Park/Cumberland 2/4/47 active (moved 1/24/64)
Damen/Elston 6/19/47 out 9/30/63
84/State 6/28/47 out 11/26/58
116/Burley 6/30/47 out 1990’s
Cortland/Paulina 8/31/47 out 4/17/59
31/Ellis 2/29/48 out 9/27/56
Narragansett/63 Pl 4/25/48 active
63/Archer 4/25/48 active (relocated 1990’s)
Harlem/64 Pl 6/15/48 active
Western/79 7/31/48 active
Devon/Kedzie 9/13/48 active
Irving Pk/Neenah 11/17/48 (moved from S to N of Irving Pk 7/9/58) out 1980’s
16th/47th Ct 12/12/48 active
Belmont/Halsted 1/9/49 active
Belmont/Cumberland 1/9/49 active
Belmont/Octavia 1/9/49 active
Western/Berwyn 1/10/49 active
Western/Howard 2/17/49 active
North/Clybourn 7/3/49 out 2000’s
Lehigh/Touhy 7/14/49 out 2/20/55
Cermak/Harlem (West Towns Garage) 8/13/49 out 1/16/57
Harrison/Central 8/14/49 active
Addison/Pontiac (CMC) 8/17/49 active
Western/Leland 11/14/49 active
Fullerton/Parkside 12/4/49 out 1990’s
North/Clark 12/4/49 active
North/Narragansett 12/4/49 active
Jersey/Peterson 5/13/50 out 1973
31/California 5/17/50 out 1990’s
111/Harding 10/21/50 active
Central/Milwaukee 11/17/50 out 9/24/70
Grand/Nordica 4/1/51 active
47/Lake Park 4/15/51 active (moved from W of Lake Park to E 7/26/66)
Cicero/Pensacola 5/10/51 active
Lincoln/Wrightwood 7/2/51 out 4/27/60
Elston/Kentucky 7/19/51 out 7/8/55
Pulaski/Peterson 7/20/51 active
Archer/Neva 11/2/51 active
Lincoln Village 11/13/51 out 1/30/55 (McCormick N of Lincoln)
Lincoln/Whipple 11/23/51 out 1970’s
Cicero/24 Pl 11/25/51 active
31/Komensky 12/6/51 active
Logan Square 12/19/51 out 1/31/70
North/Winchester 5/5/52 out 1973
Grand/Latrobe 5/24/52 active
Cermak/54 Av 5/25/52 active (moved 2000’s)
Fairbanks/Ontario 7/20/52 out 1990’s, new built 2000’s
79/Lakefront 8/11/52 relocated 2012
Roosevelt/Monitor 9/7/52 out 2000’s
Pulaski/Foster 9/8/52 out 1990’s
95/Western Evergreen Plaza 9/28/52 out 2015
Chicago/Mayfield 12/13/52 active (moved to Austin 1980’s)
Roosevelt/Wabash 5/12/53 out 1972
Racine/87 5/28/53 active
26/Kenton 6/18/53 out 1970’s
Desplaines/Congress 10/9/53 active relocated numerous times
Jackson/Central Fieldhouse 10/29/53 out 7/8/55
Niles Center/Pratt 11/15/53 out 1/15/54
Kedzie/63 Pl 12/15/53 active
42/Packers 2/14/54 out 11/9/70 (moved 4/22/63)
87/Cicero 8/13/54 active moved to shopping center across Cicero 1980’s
Ashland/95 11/4/54 active
California/Addison 11/26/54 out 2015
Grand/Natchez 12/20/54 out 2/22/67
Western/119 2/9/55 active
Cermak/57 Ac 4/17/55 out 1980’s
Jackson/Austin 7/8/55 active
Forest Glen garage 12/4/55
Damen/87 12/9/55 active
Cottage Grove/Burnside 8/22/56 out 2000’s
North Park Garage 12/4/55 no longer used as turnaround since 1980’s
Brother Rice High School 9/10/56 active
Cermak Plaza 1/14/57 active relocated to N Riverside Park Mall 1975
59/Keating 5/5/57 out 1990’s
Howard/Kedzie 1/26/58 out 11/19/60 (east of Channel)
Jackson/Kedzie Garage 7/3/58 not used as turnaround since 1990’s
83/Wentworth 7/14/58 out 1990’s
Teletype Corp 9/8/58 out 1980’s
Pulaski/104 9/17/58 active
Cicero/64 11/27/58 out 1990’s
Pulaski/77 6/21/59 out 6/1/62
79/Kilpatrick 6/21/58 out 1990’s
Indianapolis/101 7/5/59 out 1970’s
Cumberland/Montrose 8/3/59 out 7/13/64
Howard/McCormick 11/3/60 active
Cermak/State 11/19/60 out 9/28/69
McCormick Place 11/19/60 replaced 1970, out 1970’s
115/Pulaski 12/4/60 out 8/3/64
67/Oglesby 12/15/60 active
Howard/Hermiatage 12/3/61 replaced 1990’s
Pulaski/75 6/1/62 out 7/21/63
Pulaski/81 7/21/63 active
Beverly Garage 2/10/64 not used as turnaround after 1990’s
Skokie Swift 4/19/64 active
Old Orchard 4/20/64 moved 1970’s
Marist High School 8/24/64 out 2000’s
Randolph/Lake Shore 9/14/64 active moved to Randolph/Harbor 1970’s
55/St Louis 11/11/64 active replaced 2000’s
51/St Louis 1/13/65 out 1990’s
115/Springfield 5/10/65 active
King Dr/Burnside 6/20/65 out 1970’s
Ford City 8/12/65 active relocated 1990’s
Luther High School (87/Sacramento) 11/24/65 out 1990’s
Pratt/Kedzie 8/1/66 out 1990’s
Mercy Hospital 2/1/68 out 1980’s
Ashland/63 5/6/69 active
95/Dan Ryan 9/28/69 active
79/Perry 9/28/69 active
69/Dan Ryan 9/28/69 active
Cermak/Clark 9/28/69 out 1980’s
Jefferson Park 2/1/70 active
Irving Park/Keystone 2/1/70 active
Belmont/Kimball 2/1/70 active
Logan Square 2/1/70 active
Olive/Harvey 2/8/71 active relocated 1970’s and 1990’s
International Towers 6/7/71 out 1973
King Dr/96 1970’s out 1970’s
95/St Lawrence 1970’s active
Archer/Halsted 1990’s active
Archer/Ashland 1990’s active
Lincoln Village (Lincoln/Jersey) 1980’s out 1990’s
103rd Garage 1990’s active
Limits Garage 1860’s out 1990’s
47/Laramie 1970’s out 1980’s
Western/49 1990’s active
Archer/Leavitt 1990’s active
Kedzie/49 1990’s active
Pulaski/51 1990’s active
Skokie Courthouse 1990’s active
73/Kostner 1990’s active
59/Kilpatrick 1990’s active
71/Pulaski 1980’s active
Division/Austin 1970’s active
Clark/Wisconsin 1970’s out 1990’s
Chicago-Read hospital 1970’s out 2015 (relocated across Oak park Av 1980’s)
River Rd/Kennedy 1980’s – CTA stopped using 1990’s
Cumberland/Bryn Mawr – 1980’s active
Pavilion Apts – 1970’s active (relocated 1980’s)
Lincolnwood Town Ctr – 1990’s active
Bryn Mawr/Lake Shore 1980’s active
Wright College 1990’s active
Higgins/Harlem 1980’s active
Touhy/Overhill 1970’s – CTA has not used since 2000’s (replaced last Y terminal)
Evanston Twp High School Parking Lot 1990’s out 2000’s
74th Garage first used as turnaround 2015 active
Avon @ Golf/Waukegan 1990’s active
Pullman Plaza parking lot (Doty W/109) 2000’s
Grand/Columbus 1970’s out 1990’s
Desplaines/Harrison 1990’s active
Field Museum turn-in on McFetridge 1980’s active
King/24th Pl 1980’s active
McCormick Place South driveway 1980’s out 1990’s
Wilson/E Ravenswood 1970’s out 1990’s
Nature Museum (Cannon/Fullerton) 1980’s active
South Blvd/Sheridan 1973 out 1990’s inherited from Evanston Bus Co.