Another Fall Harvest

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025David Sadowski 8 Comments

CSS&SB South Shore Line Interurban #107
Location: South Bend, Indiana (College and Orange)
Date: December 27, 1964
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien
The South Shore Line electrified its Interurban system to Chicago in 1926 with cars like these. The last of these cars was retired in 1983. Street running ended in East Chicago in 1956, South Bend in 1970, and in Michigan City in 2022.

We are back with an all-new Trolley Dodger blog post, our 316th. Our fifth book, The Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railway, has arrived, to very positive reviews. Ordering information is below.

There’s much more to savor in this all-new post. We have a color photo essay covering the Lake Street “L” from 1959-64, a period of transition during which the ground level portion west of Laramie Avenue (5200 W.) was replaced by an elevated section on a solid fill embankment. Nearly all the pictures are by Charles L. Tauscher and Jeffrey L. Wien.

Today’s post also features previously unpublished CA&E pictures we recently acquired. Two were taken on September 19, 1953, the final day the interurban ran into Chicago over CTA trackage.

Add to this our usual new recent photo finds, and you have a complete traction meal, gluten free, with all the various food groups represented! It’s yet another Fall Harvest of traction photos from the Trolley Dodger!

Enjoy, and keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 2,242 members.

Our friend Kenneth Gear has a Facebook group for the Railroad Record Club. If you enjoy listening to audio recordings of classic railroad trains, whether steam, electric, or diesel, you might consider joining.

FYI, the Hoosier Traction Facebook Group celebrates electric transit in Indiana and the Midwest. It also supports the activities of the annual Hoosier Traction Meet (although not affiliated with the North American Transit Historical Society, which organizes that event).

Upcoming Presentation

FYI, I will give a presentation about my new book The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, October 8 at the Schaumburg Township Public Library.

You can attend in person, or watch on Zoom.

Admission is free, but registration is recommended, as we had a full house for the last one I did a few years ago. Copies of all my books will be available at the event at special prices. More info here.

Our Latest Book, Now Available for Immediate Shipment:

The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway

FYI, my latest book from Arcadia Publishing is now available for and in stock for immediate shipment.

The Chicago, Aurora & Elgin Railway (CA&E) ran electric passenger and freight service from 1902 until 1959. Although classed as an interurban, it was a hybrid of rapid transit and commuter rail. CA&E trains ran to downtown Chicago via the Metropolitan West Side “L,” ending at the Well Street Terminal. This was a high-tech endeavor funded by industrialists from Cleveland, Ohio, who wanted to open Chicago’s western suburbs for development. The result was a high-speed operation, built to steam road standards, with an electrified third rail powering the trains. It thrived until World War I, was modernized in the Roaring Twenties, weathered the Great Depression, and did its duty during World War II. A privately owned railroad, without subsidies, the CA&E began losing money in the 1950s due to highway construction that stopped it from running into Chicago. Efforts to save the railroad failed, and passenger service ended in 1957, with freight following two years later.

David Sadowski is the author of Chicago Trolleys, Building Chicago’s Subways, Chicago’s Lost “L”s, and The North Shore Line and runs the online Trolley Dodger blog. Photographs shown are from the author’s extensive collections and archival sources such as the Chicago History Museum, Forest Park Historical Society, and Lake States Railway Historical Association.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus Chicago Aurora and Elgin track map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Chapters:
01. The Fox River Line
02. The Third Rail Line
03. On the “L”
04. Main Line to Wheaton
05. Aurora and Batavia
06. Elgin and Geneva
07. Electric Freight
08. Forest Park
09. Into the Sunset
10. The Legacy

Title The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway
Images of Rail
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2025
ISBN-10: 146716254X
ISBN-13: ‎978-1467162548
Length 128 pages
The price of $24.99 includes shipping within the United States via USPS Media Mail.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

Our First Review

David Peterson writes:

Received my books today from Mr. David Sadowski. Images of Rail-The Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railway– Absolutely incredible book. Layout is executed perfectly. The pictures are rare and outstanding with very high resolution.

Photographs include detailed descriptions allowing the reader to know precisely when and where the pictures were taken.

Brief history of the creation and demise of the railroad is an easy read with pertinent details. Photos showing various views along today’s Illinois Prairie Path really bring the history of this once great railroad into context.

Photographs depicting the scrapping of the railroad and its rolling stock invoke a bit of sadness, but they are an important detail in the CA&E saga.

This book is a must read for CA&E fans, and fans of railroads in general.
It’s a fascinating story.

Thank you David for your work and dedication in writing this book. I highly recommend it.

And I thank Mr. Peterson and everyone who has purchased the book. Each of my five books has sold more than the previous one did, and given time, this one is going to be my most popular one yet.

The Chicago Aurora and Elgin

At 12:30 p.m. on July 2, 1943, CA&E cars 412-421-405 make up a westbound three-car train at Laramie Avenue (5200 W.) on the Garfield Park “L” in Chicago. The interurban owned the tracks west of here. This is certainly one of the better pictures I have seen taken here. At left, you can see Loretto Hospital (645 S. Central Avenue) in the distance. The negative for this image was improperly developed, and I spent a few hours doing restoration work on it.

The negative for this, and the image that follows, do show some damage, but they also show wood car #314 picking up passengers at Laramie on July 2, 1943. At right in this picture, you can see a scale, where you could weigh yourself for a penny. Many “L” stations had them.

CA&E 408 has stopped at Laramie Avenue on July 2, 1943 to pick up passengers on its way west. The red flags show that’s the rear of the train at right. Again, this negative was improperly developed– hence the plethora of tiny white dots on the lower left side of the picture.

CA&E 424 heads up a westbound train at Austin Boulevard on September 19, 1953, the final day of service into Chicago. Columbus Park is at left. When the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway was built in this area, a small part of the park got shaved off.

CA&E 431, at right, is heading outbound at Forest Park on September 19, 1953, while a CTA Met car is going inbound. This station was located just east of DesPlaines Avenue. The following day, two new platforms opened on the west side of the street, as the interurban cut back service to here and had to transfer passengers with the CTA. Car 431, a 1927 product of the Cincinnati Car Company, is now at the Illinois Railway Museum.

The Lake Street “L” in Transition, 1959-1964

CTA car 4424 is the leader of this two-car Lake Street “L” “A” train in May 1959 at the Clinton Street station. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

A CTA Lake Street “L” B train is westbound on ground-level trackage on South Boulevard in Oak Park in January 1960. The cross street to the right is Home Avenue. To the left, north of here, it’s called Forest Avenue. The house at right is still there. East of here, the street narrows, and this continues to Oak Park Avenue. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

The same location today.

An inbound all-stops Lake Street “L” train is at the Marion Street station on an April 1960 night. This station functioned, more or less, as the western terminal for the line, but there was actually one more stop west of here in Forest Park. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA #4425 is at the head of an inbound two-car Lake Street “L” “A” train at Lake and Central on May 19, 1961. Note the trolley bus wires on Central, used by the #85 bus. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

We are looking northeast from Lake Street and Lockwood Avenue on May 19, 1961. An outbound six-car Lake Street “B” train descends the ramp towards ground-level trackage on the western end of this line. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA #4409 is (apparently) the end car on an inbound six-car train going up the ramp on the Lake Street “L” on May 19, 1961. In the distance, you can see an outbound train at the Laramie Avenue station, where the steel structure starts. The north-south cross street here is Lorel Avenue, at about 5329 West. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

On May 19, 1961, CTA #4429 is at the front of an inbound two-car train, pausing while heading up the Lake Street “L” ramp just east of Long Avenue (5400 W.). It looks like some work is being done on the overhead wire. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

Here’s how the underpass at Long Avenue looks today. The ramp going up to the “L” structure at Laramie Avenue started just east of this viaduct.

An inbound CTA Lake Street “A” train, with car 4413 at the helm, heads up the ramp leading to Laramie Avenue while an outbound train passes on May 19, 1961. The cross street (behind the photographer) is Lockwood Avenue (5300 W.). The one-way street in the photo is Lorel Avenue (5327 W.). (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA 4409 is at the head of an inbound six-car Lake Street “L” train going up the ramp towards the Laramie Avenue station on May 19, 1961. At this point, Laramie was still the changeover point to third rail. Later, as construction continued on a new connection to the C&NW embankment, the changeover point was moved to Central Avenue. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

By May 19, 1961, work was already underway on creating a new connection between the Lake Street “L” and the nearby Chicago and North Western embankment. The existing ramp was, to some extent, in the way of the new connection, which necessitated creating a temporary wooden ramp. Meanwhile, a six-car train prepares to stop at the Laramie Avenue station on the steel structure. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

While not the greatest quality image, this does show the ground-level Lake Street “L” station at Central Avenue in the 1930s. There is a trolley bus heading north on Central, just about to cross the railroad tracks. This view looks east, with the Chicago and North Western embankment to the left.

CTA #4421 is at the front of a two-car Lake Street “B” train at Madison and Wells on the Loop “L” on December 15, 1961. From 1913 until 1969, trains on the Loop ran unidirectionally, counterclockwise, so this train is heading south. Lake Street trains ran around the Loop until September 28, 1969, when the line was paired with the new Dan Ryan service, and through-routed. That’s also when the Loop was changed to bidirectional as it has remained since. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA #4436 fronts a two-car “B” train at the Oak Park Avenue station on the Lake Street “L” on June 20, 1962. Four months later, the “L” was elevated, and the street running between Forest Park and Laramie Avenue came to an end. Notice how South Boulevard narrows just west of here. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA #4436 is part of a two-car train heading outbound (west) at South Boulevard and Forest Avenue in Oak Park on June 20, 1962. The Chicago and North Western station on the embankment would soon be relocated, and its tracks moved, to create space for the Lake Street “L”, which was moved there on October 28, 1962. This view looks to the northwest, and you can see the CTA’s Marion Street station in the distance. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

In September 1962, a two-car Lake Street train heads west along the Loop “L” tracks, having just turned from Wabash onto Lake. At this time, trains operated in the same direction (counterclockwise) on both tracks. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

In a slide processed in September 1962, a westbound Lake Street “L” train boards at Clinton Street, just west of the Chicago River. A “Baldy” 4000 is at the head of the train, even though it is not fitted with the trolley poles used on the outer portion of the line at that time. These earlier 4000s (built circa 1913-15) had center doors, nearly always unused, that were often covered up with the addition of another seat. The also had “bowling alley” (sideways) seating, another difference from the later “Plushies” from the early 1920s. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

A westbound Lake Street “L” “B” train of CTA 4000-series cars approaches the Cicero Avenue station in September 1962. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

In a slide processed in August 1962, we are looking to the northeast along that portion of the Lake Street “L’ that ran west of Harlem Avenue in Forest Park. To the left, we see the Chicago and North Western embankment; to the right, that embankment was being expanded, and this new portion would eventually provide space for a new yard for Lake Street trains. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

CTA Lake Street “L” car 4413 heads up an inbound “B” train in Forest Park on October 11, 1962. This was just 17 days prior to the outer portion of Lake being relocated onto the Chicago and North Western embankment at right. Here, you can also see how that embankment was getting expanded to create space for a new Lake Street “L” yard. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

A two-car train of 4000-series “L” cars heads east on the Lake Street line, crossing Western Avenue (2400 W.) in a slide processed in March 1963. As this was a few months after the outer end of the line had been relocated onto the Chicago and North Western embankment, the trolley poles have been removed from these cars. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

Scott Greig: “Lake and Central Park, with the Garfield Park Conservatory visible under the “L” structure.” This slide was processed in March 1963. The 4000-series “L” cars shown here were parked on a center track, since removed, that originally gave Lake a short express track but also provided some badly needed mid-day storage for the line, which did not have a proper yard until 1964. The Homan station was moved here after the line was renovated in the 1990s, as this served the conservatory, whereas the old location was just two blocks from another station. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

By July 28, 1964, when Jeff Wien took this picture, the 4000s were still running on the Lake Street “L”, but minus their trolley poles, now that the outer portion of the line was now running on the C&NW embankment. Soon these cars would be replaced by the new 2000-series, the CTA’s first with air conditioning. 4000s would continue in service on Ravenswood and Evanston until November 1973. The view here looks northwest from South Boulevard and Scoville in Oak Park, a short distance west of Ridgeland Avenue. You can see the Oak Park Avenue “L” station in the distance.

Recent Finds

CTA red Pullman #144 is turning from Clark onto Archer on one of those late fantrips, held after red cars were taken out of regular service in 1954. As to the date, I would guess it’s towards the end of 1957, as there is a billboard advertising the new 1958 Edsel. The photographer climbed onto a railroad embankment to get this shot, during a photo stop.

Here, we see Chicago Surface Lines “Matchbox” 1320 at Roosevelt and Michigan at 6:50 p.m. on July 2, 1943, running on the 14th-16th Street line. Horsecar service on Route 14 began in 1892 from Canal to Damen. Electric streetcars replaced horsecars in 1896. The route was extended west via 16th Street to Kenton (city limits) on January 27, 1913. Buses replaced streetcars on July 25, 1948, and bus service was discontinued on March 9, 1955. The 1300-series streetcars are known as Small St. Louis cars. Don’s Rail Photos: “1320 was built by St Louis Car Co in 1906 as CUT (Chicago Union Traction) 4849. It was renumbered (to) 1320 in 1913 and became CSL 1320 in 1914. It was retired on June 13, 1946.” These older streetcars were retired as the new PCCs were delivered starting in 1946. Sister car 1374 has been restored at the Illinois Railway Museum and is in operable condition. From the photograph, you would expect this was the east end of the line. This negative was somehow damaged during development, which explains why there are so many tiny white dots in certain sections of the image.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #4271-4272-4020-4447
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Wilson Avenue – North-South “L”)
Date: May 31, 1962
Photographer: Charles L. Tauscher
When the last 4000s were taken out of service in November 1973, the CTA chose 4271 and 4272 as the cars retained for the Historical Fleet. Now over a century old, they are still occasionally used on special occasions. The area seen here has been completely changed. Soon after the Wilson Shops and Yard were phased out, a fire destroyed the structure. Later, the Wilson Avenue station and trackage was completely rebuilt, a project costing about $250m.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #4437
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Belmont Avenue – North-South “L”)
Date: October 14, 1957
Photographer: Charles L. Tauscher
(Note- that’s the North Shore Line only platform at left for southbound trains.)

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #4166
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Damen Avenue – Logan Square “L”)
Date: April 14, 1958
Photographer: Charles L. Tauscher

After the Chicago Transit Authority took the last of the wooden “L” cars out of service in November 1957, several remained in use as work cars until around 1965. But there were also a few fantrips. We have previously posted pictures from an April 20, 1958 excursion, using cars 1024 and work car S-340 (a former 1700-series), a fundraiser for the Illinois Electric Railway Museum. Here, we see cars 1786 and 1799 at the Merchandise Mart station on a July 15, 1958 trip. 1786 was built by Pullman in 1908. 1799 was originally a trailer, built by American Car and Foundry in 1907. It was originally Northwestern Elevated Railway #290, but was later motorized and renumbered to 1799. Sister car 1797 is at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Two trains (made up of 4000s and 6000s) pass each other just south of Montrose Avenue on the North-South “L” in July 1967. At right, the tracks led to Buena Yard, where there was an interchange with the Milwaukee Road until 1973. Behind the photographer, there was a ramp leading up to the “L”. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

A fantrip train, with CTA car #4269 in the lead, is parked at Buena Yard in a slide processed in November 1966 (but was likely shot some months earlier). Until 1973, the Milwaukee Road interchanged freight with the CTA– mainly coal, for delivery further north along the North-South “L”. This was a vestige of the original service the Milwaukee Road offered here, before the Northwestern Elevated Railway took over the former commuter service to the north side, and turned it into the “L”. There were two electric locomotives used to haul freight cars. They were purchased by the Rapid Transit in 1920 and were still in use when freight ended 53 years later. This view looks north by northwest– the “L” structure is just to our right, out of view. (Charles M. Tauscher Photo)

CTA #4439 heads up a northbound four-car Evanston Express train at the Sheridan Road curve during August 1973. The last of the venerable 4000-series “L” cars would be retired on November 8th that year, after 50 years of faithful service. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

In January 1965, a northbound eight-car train of 4000s is running wrong way on what would normally be the southbound track on the North-South “L” at Granville. The best explanation is probably the weather– no route sign is in evidence, and eight cars was then too many to run on Evanston or Ravenswood, the two lines still using 4000s at this time. Verdict– sleet scraping, preventing the third rail from getting coated with ice, at a time when there wasn’t regular service on this track, generally used only on weekdays. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

A Douglas-Milwaukee “B” train is about to pull into the Logan Square Terminal in a slide processed in March 1965. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

Chicago Rapid Transit Company gate cars 389 and 388 make up a two-car train at the Canal Street station of the Metropolitan main line on July 2, 1943. The two cars will be split at the Damen, North, and Milwaukee station, with one car going to Logan Square, and the other to Humboldt Park. Canal was adjacent to Union Station and there was a walkway connecting it to the “L”.

Although the negative for this image has signs of faulty home development, in general, this is a very nice picture of Met car #2905 in Douglas Park service (to Lawndale only) at the Canal Street station on the Met main line on July 2, 1943.

ICG Illinois Central Electric South Chicago Branch
Location: Chicago, Illinois (71st and Exchange)
Date: July 1966 (processing date)
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien
The Illinois Central Suburban commuter service electrified in 1926. The original Pullman suburban electric cars were retired in the late 1970s and replaced by bilevels built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1971. The service is now called the Metra Electric and has a number of branches. South Shore Line trains share trackage with the Metra Electric in Illinois. The IC Pullmans were similar to the contemporary cars used on the Erie-Lackawanna in New Jersey.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #6187
Location: Chicago, Illinois (43rd Street – North-South “L”)
Date: June 6, 1954
Photographer: William C. Hoffman

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #6281
Location: Chicago, Illinois (47th Street – North-South “L”)
Date: June 6, 1954
Photographer: William C. Hoffman

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Loop
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Wabash and Washington looking north)
Date: July 29, 1956
Photographer: William C. Hoffman

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Loop
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Lake and LaSalle looking west)
Date: August 31, 1956
Photographer: William C. Hoffman
From 1913 to 1969, trains on the Loop “L” went uni-directional, counter-clockwise, so both trains shown here are going west along Lake Street towards the junction at Tower 18, visible in the distance. The trains of 6000-series “L” cars at right is a Ravenswood “A” train, while the 4000s at left could be a variety of things, including the Garfield Park “L”. Discount Records, seen at right, was a local chain that went out of business around 1972. The original Tower 18 was replaced in 1969, as it was in the way of new tracks that allowed the through-routing of the Lake line with the new Dan Ryan service.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Loop
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Randolph and Wabash “L” Station looking east)
Date: May 5, 1957
Photographer: William C. Hoffman
This picture shows the newly modernized Loop “L” station at Randolph and Wabash, with a huge CTA logo. This station and Madison and Wabash have since been replaced in the 2000s by a new one located between them at Washington and Wabash. My understanding is the CTA logo was saved, but I am not aware of any of the details on what will happen to it.
The Stouffers’ restaurant was kind of like a tea room and closed in 1981. The Stouffer’s brand was sold to Nestle, who were really only interested in their frozen foods.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #41-42
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Isabella – Evanston “L” – fantrip)
Date: June 26, 1960
Photographer: William C. Hoffman

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #41-42
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Randolph and Wells looking north – Loop “L” – fantrip)
Date: June 26, 1960
Photographer: William C. Hoffman
June 26, 1960 was a Sunday and CTA Single Car Units #41 and 42 are parked at Randolph and Wells during a lunch stop on a fantrip. Since the Ravenswood “L” did not go into the Loop at this time, these cars weren’t in the way of regular service cars. The Ravenswood was cut back to Armitage on Sundays and for Owl Service as of May 18, 1952. This made it convenient to have numerous photo stops at stations south of there on sunday fantrips. The shuttle was further cut back to Belmont in 1963, following the abandonment of the North Shore Line. Starting in 2000, Ravenswood service was restored to make all stops south of Belmont at night and on Sundays, due to the increase in ridership on this line (now called the CTA Brown Line).

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #41-42
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Main Street – Evanston “L” – fantrip)
Date: June 26, 1960
Photographer: William C. Hoffman

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #6435 (and a North Shore Line Electroliner just barely visible at right)
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Belmont – North-South “L”)
Date: June 4, 1961
Photographer: Gordon E. Lloyd
This was a Sunday and the New York Yankees defeated the Chicago White Sox, 10-1. “L” ridership was very light on Sundays back then, which explains why a two-car train was running on Jackson Park-Howard.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #45
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Main Street – Evanston “L”)
Date: July 8, 1961
Photographer: Gordon E. Lloyd

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Loop
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Randolph and Wells Station looking east along Washington – Loop “L”)
Date: November 26, 1962
Photographer: William C. Hoffman
Graham Garfield writes: “It’s actually Washington and Wells, looking east. Washington had platform-level station houses just like Randolph’s, back when Wells had a continuous platform the whole length of the Loop. There wasn’t a Washington “stop”; the Washington station houses were basically additional entrances from which riders would either walk north on the platform to the Randolph berthing area or south to the Madison stop.
Randolph’s station houses were built around 1913 or so (replacing the original little Randolph & Wells station houses over Couch Place) and Washington’s weren’t added until around 1925 or so, but the design was basically the same.”
In 1995, this station and Madison and Wells were replaced by a new station at Washington and Wells. A portion of the north end of the platforms still exists from Randolph and Wells.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #4347 on Transfer Table
Location: Skokie, Illinois (Skokie Shops)
Date: May 26, 1963
Photographer: William C. Hoffman

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Single Car Units
Location: Chicago, Illinois (South Boulevard – Evanston “L”)
Date: June 20, 1966
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien

There aren't a lot of pictures showing the original tower at Clark Junction, as you had to be riding on a northbound train in order to get close to it. The Clark station seen here opened in 1900 along with the North Side "L" as far as Wilson Avenue. The Ravenswood branch was built in 1906 and veered off from the main line just south of the station. Clark was closed, along with numerous other lightly used stations, in 1949, as the Chicago Transit Authority rationalized North-south service, with the goal of speeding things up. Thereafter, the tower remained in use until it was replaced by a new one in 1976. More recently, this second tower was replaced when a flyover was built, allowing northbound Brown Line trains (successor to the Ravenswood) to cross over the other "L" tracks, replacing a flat junction.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Clark Junction (and some #4000s)
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Clark Junction – North-South “L”)
Date: June 20, 1966
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien
There aren’t a lot of pictures showing the original tower at Clark Junction, as you had to be riding on a northbound train in order to get close to it.
The Clark station seen here opened in 1900 along with the North Side “L” as far as Wilson Avenue. The Ravenswood branch was built in 1906 and veered off from the main line just south of the station.
Clark was closed, along with numerous other lightly used stations, in 1949, as the Chicago Transit Authority rationalized North-south service, with the goal of speeding things up. Thereafter, the tower remained in use until it was replaced by a new one in 1976. More recently, this second tower was replaced when a flyover was built, allowing northbound Brown Line trains (successor to the Ravenswood) to cross over the other “L” tracks, replacing a flat junction.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” #4000s 1974
Location: Skokie, Illinois (Wilson Yard and Shops, looking east)
Date: February 1974 (processing date)
Photographer: John Alvar Ruhl
The Wilson Avenue Yard and Shops no longer exists. In 1996, not long after the shops closed, the building caught fire. The building was demolished along with the yard, which was damaged beyond repair. Later, the station and trackage was completely rebuilt in this area.

CTA Chicago Transit Authority “L” Clark and Lake
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Clark and Lake – Loop “L”)
Date: March 1978
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien
This (and the next picture) shows how the original Clark and Lake station on the Loop “L” looked in 1978, prior to being replaced by a new station that has entrances inside nearby buildings, and a direct connection to the Dearborn Subway.

Lest we forget, September 2nd this year marks the 75th anniversary of a horrific head-on collision on Milwaukee’s Speedrail system, the short-lived successor to the Milwaukee Electric interurban. While the causes of the crash are still being debated, whether due to human error or a faulty signal, the result was a head-on collision between a heavyweight car and a lightweight one. Lightweight car #39, full of attendees to a model railroad convention, was a fantrip car, and was split apart by the regular service car 1192-1193. Ten people were killed, and more than forty injured. The accident was instrumental in the abandonment of Speedrail less than one year later. We recently purchased two original 35mm Kodachrome slides showing the aftermath of the wreck, and I assume they were taken the following day (September 3, 1950), before the area was cleared. It is remarkable that the colors on these slides are still vivid after 75 years, although they are also vivid reminders of a terrible tragedy that we hope will never be repeated.

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Our Latest Book – The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway

June 23, 2025June 24, 2025David Sadowski 5 Comments

Two Chicago Aurora and Elgin cars (both from the 450-series) cross the Chicago River on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated in 1949.

We are back with an all-new Trolley Dodger blog post, our 315th. We are heralding the impending arrival of our fifth book, The Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railway. Ordering information is below.

Arcadia Publishing shipped my initial book order on June 21st. I expect to receive them by Wednesday, the 25th, and will begin sending out all the books in our pre-order immediately.

I believe this is my best book, out of the five I have written. It’s an important and still a somewhat controversial subject. It was the most difficult to write, and required the most work, but I am very pleased with the results. I hope it will find favor with you as well.

Author William S. Burroughs once remarked, “Excuse me, there is no accurate description of the creation of a book, or an event.” That being the case, I will try anyway.

I have been fascinated with the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin interurban since I was a kid. We lived on the west side of Chicago, and among my earliest memories, I recall seeing a few CA&E trains crossing First Avenue in Maywood prior to the July 3, 1957 abandonment of passenger service.

After reading in the newspaper that the line was not coming back in 1961, I persuaded my family to take a Sunday drive to Wheaton Yards to look at the old cars. I noticed they did not have broken windows, unlike many of the wooden “L” cars that had been stored by the Chicago Transit Authority at Lockwood Yard on the Garfield Park line.

Once my last book (The North Shore Line) was published in 2023, the CA&E was a natural follow-up subject. As with my other books, I started out having some of the photos I needed, and had to hunt up and find the rest. The entire process took well over two years.

Researching these books is quite expensive, and the costs far exceed any potential future revenue from book sales. But there are other reasons for doing this. Books are our gift to the future. It’s as if we are leaving bread crumbs for future generations to follow, in tracing back our past.

Once my research was far enough along, I made a pitch for the book to Arcadia Publishing. They approved it, and that set the deadlines in motion that have now resulted in a finished book.

Determining how to organize the material is one of the most difficult aspects of book writing. There are three different considerations for a book like this– chronological, geographic, and thematic. Ultimately, the method that works for me is a combination of all three. It can take some time even to figure out the chapter titles for a book.

A lot of hard work was put into this book, in terms of research. But it was also hard work paying for all of it. I am very appreciative for the donations made by our readers, and for your purchases of the items we sell that help make all this possible. None of this would be possible without your help and support, for which I am grateful.

When starting a book project, it is impossible to determine everything that is needed to complete it. It’s like putting together a giant jigsaw puzzle, without first knowing what the pieces look like.

Each book finds its own path towards completion. Fortunately, for this book, I was gradually able to find many excellent, rare images. And by taking a “deep dive” into the history of my subject, I also reached conclusions that help make this book different than the ones that have come before it.

This is a book from the perspective of 2025, which makes it different from one written say, in 1965. The world has changed a lot in these many decades, perhaps not always for the better, but we have access to many photos and more information than it was possible to have then.

Now that my book is finished, you, the reader, will have the final say on its merits and ultimate value.

But wait, there’s more in this, our 315th post. We have continued to collect rare and interesting traction photos all this time, some of which are featured here. In addition, we have some South Shore Line news to share. Exciting things are happening there now.

Finally, on May 15th, WTTW, Chicago’s Public Television station, interviewed me in Kenosha, Wisconsin for a documentary they are working on, covering the history of railroads in Chicago. More information follows towards the end of this post.

Enjoy, and keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 2,200 members.

Our Latest Book, Now Available for Pre-Order:

The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway

FYI, my latest book will be released by Arcadia Publishing on July 8, 2025 and is now available for pre-order. I expect to have books prior to that date, and they will be shipped out as soon as I get them.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus Chicago Aurora and Elgin track map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

Recent Finds

CA&E 432, seen here in Wheaton, was built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1927, part of an order for 15 cars. 431 and 434 were the only cars saved by museums. (William C. Janssen Photo)

CA&E car 404 seems a bit lonely in this picture taken on June 13, 1957 at St. Andrews, on the line between Wheaton and Elgin. You can see how much of this branch did not have (and in many places, still do not have) large population centers. This was only about three weeks before the end of passenger service.

This picture, looking west at the CTA’s Forest Park Terminal, was taken on July 5, 1957, just two days after the interurban abruptly stopped running passenger service in mid-day, stranding thousands of commuters. Note the neon CA&E sign still hanging at right, which had once been downtown in front of the Wells Street Terminal. An inbound Garfield Park “L” train, made up of 4000-series cars, is at left. This terminal was reconfigured in 1959, while the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway was under construction just south of here.

The Chicago Great Western Railway ran parallel to the Chicago Aurora and Elgin for several miles west of First Avenue in Maywood. Here, we see an eastbound freight train in Maywood (possibly near 11th or 9th Avenue) on March 14, 1957, when the CA&E still ran passenger service. Locomotive 111C was an F3 diesel, built by the Electro-Motive Division in March 1948. The Chicago and North Wesern, a CGW competitor, purchased the railroad in 1968. C&NW retained any long-haul lines CGW had, and abandoned all the short-haul ones such as this, as they were not profitable. Parts of the CGW right-of-way have become the Great Western Trail, much as the CA&E is now the Illinois Prairie Path.

CA&E steel cars 415 and 407 make up part of a five-car train at Wheaton.

After the CA&E officially went defunct as a railroad in 1961, its fleet of cars were put up for sale. The ten 450-series cars almost went to Cleveland for use on a planned rapid transit extension to an airport. But the project was delayed for several years, and the line finally opened in 1969 with the new Airporter cars seen here. Ultimately, only four of the ten cars were saved.

From 1908 until 1922, the Forest Park Amusement Park operated between the Aurora Elgin and Chicago (predecessor of the CA&E) tracks and the Waldheim cemetery. This real photo postcard view looks to the southwest. This was a major operation, with what was said to be the largest roller coaster in the US at that time, plus other rides including a Chute-the-Chutes. It was a major traffic generator for the interurban and the Garfield Park “L”, which also ran here. After Prohibition went into effect in 1920, the park could not make money and soon closed. The Eisenhower expressway runs through here now.

This advertisement, which appeared in the August 17, 1910 edition of the Chicago Evening American, shows how the AE&C used promotions to try and drum up business on the interurban. People worked a six day week then, and there was a need for more ridership on Sundays.

By 1906, the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago (predecessor of the CA&E) operated local service in Aurora and Elgin as well as an interurban along the Fox River connecting the two cities. Here, we see some local streetcars at Fountain Square in Elgin, circa 1907.

The AE&C station in Elgin was adjacent to a theater. Cars were boarded behind the building, as the interurban to Chicago did not have any street running in Elgin.

The CA&E’s end of the line in Elgin ran along the Fox River, rather than the street running it had in Aurora until 1939. The tracks here were directly behind the buildings seen in the previous picture.

AE&C car 202, built in 1906 by the Niles Car Company, is running in Elgin, on the interurban that connected Carpentersville on the north and Yorkville on the south. Following the AE&C bankruptcy in 1919, the Fox River line was reorganized into the Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric. Passenger service ended in 1935.

The AE&C station in Aurora was located in this building, from 1915 to 1935. The Traction Terminal building, now the Hotel Arthur, still stands. Until the end of 1939, riders boarded in the street in Aurora.

A street scene in Aurora in the early 1900s.

Fox River Park, originally called Riverview, was located south of Aurora and was a major generator of traffic for the Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric until it closed in 1925. It had to change its name after Riverview Park in Chicago became popular.

The AE&FRE interurban ran right to the entrance of Fox River Park.

After the AE&FRE ended passenger service in 1935, freight continued on a small portion of trackage in South Elgin, serving the State Hospital there.

The AE&FRE ran electric freight until 1946, when it purchased this small General Electric diesel engine #5. Here, it is seen running freight at the State Hospital in South Elgin in November 1972, shortly before that location stopped using coal, which ended the need for freight. The freight operation had shared trackage for a few years, starting in the mid-1960s with a trolley museum, originally called RELIC. That is now the Fox River Trolley Museum. Diesel engine #5 remains in their collection. The AE&FRE may still exist as a corporate entity. (Mike Schafer Photo)

Railroads typically gave passes to certain employees of other railroads, as seen here.

After the Chicago Aurora and Elgin quit operating freight service in June 1959, there were a few places where other railroads wanted to continue it. Elgin was one such place. This map shows how the Milwaukee Road purchased a short stretch of former CA&E trackage, already connected to it via an interchange, for access to the McGraw Edison plant there. As you can see in this map dated September 28, 1962, they purchased just enough track to service the plant.

In August 1957, an inbound Lake Street “B” train departs from the Marion Street station at South Boulevard. The outer portion of Lake (between Laramie Avenue and Forest Park) ran on the ground until October 28, 1962. Crossing gates were manually operated, and you can see the gateman’s shanty in the foreground (and who is that holding a stop sign?). The area has become much more built up in recent years, as there is nowhere to go but up.

This C. R. Childs real photo postcard, postmarked in 1907, shows the Lake Street “L” running left-handed at ground level. The view looks west along Lake at Central Avenue. The postcard says this is South Boulevard, but that name is used west of Austin (6000 W.) in Oak Park. This picture was taken prior to the construction of the Chicago and North Western’s embankment, located just to the right (north) of the “L”. The Lake and Northwestern elevated lines ran left-handed until the Loop was reconfigured to operated unidirectional (counter-clockwise) in 1913, when the north and south lines were through-routed to increase capacity. This section of Lake Street was renamed to Corcoran Place in the mid-1960s after the local alderman, a close friend of Mayor Richard J. Daley, died suddenly from a heart attack. We ran a colorized version of this photo in a previous blog post.

We are used to seeing pictures of Route 22 – Clark-Wentworth streetcars here at 81st and Halsted taken in the 1950s, when the line was operated with PCC cars. But prior to the arrival of the postwar cars, Clark used 1929-era Peter Witt cars (some call them “Sedans”) such as the 6286 you see here. This picture was taken in either 1940 or 1941, as that’s Chicago Surface Lines car 2802 right behind it. That would date the picture to either June 12, 1940 or July 13, 1941, as the same car was used on both CERA trips. Single-ended streetcars like the Witts and the PCCs had to make a backup move into traffic to proceed north from here, as there never was a turning loop at this location.

John Hallman generously donated this real photo postcard to us, which shows extension of the Grand Avenue streetcar line through the Mont Clare neighborhood in 1911. One of the men in the picture may be Thomas A. Rutherford, who donated land in 1915 that now makes up part of Rutherford Sayre Park. Extension of streetcar service to Grand and Harlem spurred the rapid development of the area. Streetcars were replaced by buses in 1951.

An early view of 43rd Street in Chicago, looking west from Langley Avenue (700 E.). Streetcar 5317 was built by Brill in 1907 for the Chicago City Railway.

This view, probably circa 1907, looks west along 43rd Street at Forrestville Avenue (528 E.). Streetcar 5370 was built by Brill-Kuhlman in 1907 for the Chicago City Railway.

This C. R. Childs real photo postcard view of the back of the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (later the North Shore Line) station in Lake Forest indicates that this was taken prior to its 1910 completion.

An early view of the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (later the North Shore Line) station in Zion, Illinois, apparently taken from the back of a moving train.

Chicago and Milwaukee Electric car #25 has stopped at the Chicago and North Western station in Highland Park in this early view. While the interurban (later known as the North Shore Line) attempted to eliminate as much street running as possible on what was eventually known as the Shore Line Route, a few sections remained– including this one.

Chicago Lake Shore and South Bend Railway car #74 was built by the Niles Car Company in 1908. Cars like these were replaced by new all-metal ones when successor company the South Shore Line began operating directly into Chicago in 1926 over the Illinois Central’s tracks. Prior to that, these coaches were hauled partway by steam. Sister car #73 is now owned by Bob Harris, who has already spent $1m of his own money to restore it back as close as possible to original condition.

Perhaps the timetable information from the back of this postcard can help date the photo.

Chicago Railways car #4352 presents a bit of a puzzle, as streetcar rosters only list numbers like this as having been used decades later by PCC cars. But it may be that car #4352 was originally bought by the Chicago Union Traction Company, which Chicago Railways took over in 1908. Some CUT cars were renumbered by CR in 1909, which probably helps date this photo. Chicago Railways became one of the underlying constituent companies of the Chicago Surface Lines in 1914. This car is shown operating on the Blue Island line.

South Chicago City Railway car #321 is parked by the South Side “L” at 63rd Street in the early 1900s. Don’s Rail Photos: “2841 was built by Jewett in 1903, (order) #148, as South Chicago City Ry 321. It became Calumet & South Chicago Ry 826 in 1908 and renumbered 2841 in 1913. It became CSL 2841 in 1914 and rebuilt as one man service in 1926. It was later converted as a salt car. It was renumbered AA93 in 1948 and retired on May 17, 1958.” So, this picture was taken between 1903 and 1908. If that’s the Englewood branch of the “L”, at Halsted, that station opened on December 24, 1906. That would suggest this picture dates to around 1907. See additional comments by Frank Hicks below.

After I obtained this image, I wrote to Frank Hicks:

FYI, this is a scan of a real photo postcard I recently purchased. As you have written about these cars on your Hicks Car Works blog, I thought it might interest you. I already did some restoration work on this one, but am not finished by any means.

This picture must have been taken somewhere along 63rd Street (Englewood “L” at Halsted?). Interesting that it survived until 1958.

His reply:

Thanks for sending this! That’s a great photo showing these cars as they appeared when new. This is the “front” of the car, as they were considered single-ended even though they had poles and controls at both ends. The coal-fired water heater was located on the front platform and that’s its smoke jack over the motorman’s head. Other neat details that were changed or removed later in the car’s career include the bracket for a hang-on headlight; unusual rope guard on the roof; the fender; peanut whistle; spikes on the roof to hold a removable sign board; and truss rods.

One thing I’ve never noticed before is the trucks: unfortunately it’s hard to see much detail, but they definitely aren’t the Taylor HSB2 trucks these cars had for nearly their entire service lives. I’ve even seen a different photo of car 321 in this paint scheme and it has HSB2 trucks, so what’s under it in this photo must not have lasted very long. Looking through my truck book, this design closely resembles a Peckham 18CX truck, though there are a few differences. Peckham was notorious for a wide variety of oddball designs, many rather similar to each other, so my guess is that the trucks under the car in this photo are Peckham 18’s of some description. Very cool!

Best regards,

Frank Hicks

There aren’t a lot of pictures from Evanston Railways, as streetcar service ended in 1935. Hence, this real photo postcard view of the car barn must also be considered rare.

This early real photo postcard view shows Chicago streetcar #1293, running on the Ashland Avenue route. This would be a sister car to “Matchbox” car #1374, which has been restored to operating condition at the Illinois Railway Museum. Don’s Rail Photos says that the cars in series 1101-1423 were “built by St. Louis Car in 1903 and 1906 for Chicago Union Traction Co. They are similar to the Robertson design without the small windows. Cars of this series were converted to one man operation in later years and have a wide horizontal stripe on the front to denote this. Two were used for an experimental articulated train. A number of these cars were converted to sand and salt service and as flangers.”

Chicago Union Traction car #4911 is on Clark Street in this early real photo postcard. The address here, 4362 North Clark, threw me off for a bit until I recalled that Chicago’s street numbers were changed at some point. The Chicago History Museum notes, “In 1909, street numbers changed, with a general rule of thumb that odd numbers became even and vice-versa. Madison was used as the baseline for numbering north and south while State was used as the baseline for numbering east and west.” So, 4362 N. Clark became 6335 N. Clark in 1909, some time after this picture was taken. That makes more sense, as the Devon Car House was located just north of 6400 N. Clark. Another version of this image appeared in one of our earlier posts in 2021, courtesy of Jeff Marinoff, but now we have an original in our collection. This car was later renumbered to 1382, making it a sister car to the Matchbox at IRM (if my math is correct).

This picture was labelled Baltimore, since there is a sign for the Baltimore and Ohio railroad. But it’s actually Chicago, and that’s the Travel and Transportation building at the 1933-34 Chicago World’s Fair (A Century of Progress).

This view of a CTA Stock Yards shuttle looks east from the Exchange Avenue station, and was taken between 1955 and 1957. This type of wooden “L” car was originally used on the Metropolitan West Side Elevated. A similar, although not identical, picture appears in my book Chicago’s Lost “L”s.

Chicago street railway RPO (railway post office) car #8 is shown in 1908. There is a similar car, now numbered 6, at the Fox River Trolley Museum, but that car may have been renumbered when it was rebuilt in 1942, so there is some possibility this may actually be the same car. Below the caption, you can read what the Fox River Trolley Museum has to say about car #6.

General
At least eight or more US cities had street railway post office cars in service on their streetcar systems with Chicago being one of them. Mail was moved between the central post office and branch stations and mail was actually sorted on the cars which had mail slots in the sides where a person could actually deposit a stamped letter. There were at least five different routes in Chicago, each with its own distinct post mark. On board sorting stopped in 1911 and use of the SRPO’s to transport bagged mail finally ended on November 22nd, 1915, as motor trucks and pneumatic tube systems took over the task.

History
The mail car has a murky history, but the best guess is that it was built as a double truck streetcar for the Cicero & Proviso Street Railway and that about 1900 through the consolidation of Chicago streetcar companies, it was converted to a Street Railway Post Office car at that time and was placed on a four-wheel Brill truck. When its use as street railway post office ended in 1915 the car was converted to work service and painted dark green like all service cars to distinguish it from the red and cream passenger cars. In 1942 our car was selected to be restored back to its Street Railway Post Office configuration. Its two traction motors were removed for use as spares for the system’s snow sweepers, so the car had to be towed by another streetcar. Its first known outing was in a street parade on October 16th, 1943, celebrating the opening of the Rapid Transit’s State Street Subway which had been constructed by the City of Chicago. Its next known event was on August 22nd , 1946 for the American Philatelic Society’s 60th annual convention where it was towed around the loop and once again special postcards and mail were cancelled on the car. Subsequentially it was brought out for special events and even after the conversion of the last streetcar line in 1958 it was occasionally trucked to special events. It was stored at the old Lawndale car house with other historic transit equipment for many years. When CTA decided to disburse this equipment, it was held for the Smithsonian’s then being planned Post Office Museum in Washington DC. When the Smithsonian declined to use it, the car was deeded over to the Fox River Trolley Museum where in the 1980’s and 90’s it would annually be used by the South Elgin Post Office to cancel mail during what was known as “Trolleyfest”. As USPS budgets tightened this finally ended and the car has been in storage ever since.

Photo Restoration

This Ektachrome slide was taken by William C. Hoffman on March 30, 1958, looking north along Wabash Avenue just south of Adams Street in Chicago. The North Shore Line had a station inside a building, with a direct connection to the Adams and Wabash “L” station. Unfortunately, the first version of Ektachrome had unstable dyes, and the dye layers other than red have faded badly. This problem was corrected in 1963 when the film was replaced by a new version. Using modern computer technology, it is sometimes possible to restore the color to a scan of such an image, sometimes not. The next photo shows how I was able to somewhat improve the picture. The only other option is to make a black-and-white version, which follows.

As you can see, parts of the image are too red, and other parts are too cyan. Since those are opposite colors, this is as far as the restoration train will go.

1955 Red Car Fantrip

There was a Farewell to the Red Cars fantrip in May 1954, sponsored by the Central Electric Railfans’ Association, held two weeks before buses replaced the older streetcars on several lines. After this, the CTA kept ten such cars for emergency use, and the rest were scrapped. Even so, it was found that ten were too many, and ultimately only 144, 225, and 460 were retained for a time, the latter becoming part of the CTA historical fleet of old equipment. That left but two cars for other uses, and this December 18, 1955 fantrip appears to have been the first in a series of excursions that continued up until the end of PCC service in June 1958. On this particular trip in 1955, I believe that was the one where it was promised it would use 144, and car 225 was used instead, with a piece of cloth that had the number 144 over the actual number. The pictures below are snapshots from that trip that I recently purchased. They are not very good pictures, but they do give a bit of the flavor of the event. A PCC car was typically sent along with in case of a breakdown, and such trips were usually held on a Sunday, when buses were substituted for streetcars on some of the remaining lines.

The South Shore Line Today

A westbound train at the 11th Street station in Michigan City.

I spent the weekend of May 18-19 in Michigan, and on the way back to Chicago, stopped off in Michigan City and Beverly Shores to take a few pictures of the South Shore Line. The street running in Michigan City has been replaced by a double-tracked private right-of-way. The facade from the old station has been incorporated into a parking garage. The new station is very nice.

There are now two sets of tracks at Beverly Shores as well. The historic Insull Spanish station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, now hosts a gift shop and an art gallery. There are machines to purchase fares on the interurban. It is still a flag stop– one of only three left on the line, the others being Hudson Lake and Gary/Chicago International Airport.

Lots of good things are happening on the South Shore Line. The new branch line, which runs just on the Indiana side of the border with Illinois, is expected to begin service later this year. Since my visit, the 11th Street station has been dedicated.

The facade of the old station (designed by Insull staff architect Arthur U. Gerber) has been incorporated into the new one.

Looking west from the 11th Street station in Michigan City.

The view looking west along the right-of-way.

The Beverly Shores station was designed by Insull staff architect Arthur U. Gerber, and was built in 1929. There was originally one other such station on the South Shore Line (Lake Shore, built in 1927). It was demolished in the 1980s.

Originally, a ticket window would have been here. The rest of the building had living quarters for the station agent.

The current art exhibit.

The waiting room.

Carol Ruzic, the woman pictured here, spearheaded the effort to save the station in the 1980s, when it was threatened with demolition. She died earlier this year at the age of 96.

The nearby Beverly Shores Administration building has a tiled roof, just like the station.

This is how the Lake Shore station looked in November 1966. Unfortunately, it was not saved.

North Shore Line electric loco #455 is about to pass the Northbrook station on March 11, 1960. This was one of nine such “Insull Spanish” station on the Skokie Valley Route, all built in 1926. Briergate is the sole survivor.

Rails in Chicago Documentary

Geoffrey Baer with retired Kenosha master mechanic Brad Preston.

Here are some pictures from my WTTW taping session from May 15th. Our PBS station has begun filming a documentary about Chicago railroads. This was the first of twelve weeks of filming. Host Geoffrey Baer says we probably won’t see the finished product for another year.

After the crew finished their lunch break at the nearby historic Franks Diner, Kenosha’s Chicago tribute streetcar #4606 (originally from Toronto, although it has wheels and motors from an actual Chicago streetcar) became our set.

Once the lighting and cameras were set up, and our microphones were attached, the WTTW crew filmed Geoffrey Baer and yours truly while we talked, as the trolley went around the two-mile long loop a few times.

He has lots of experience doing this sort of thing. His method is to not talk much about the questions he has prepared before the cameras are recording, because your first answers are usually best. But sometimes he would ask me the same question again, in hopes of getting a bit more in the answer.

He’s an excellent interviewer, and his excitement about finding things out rubs off on the audience when you are viewing at home.

When we weren’t talking, they were still recording so they could have background audio they can use if needed. And before I even got there, they were out on the line filming exterior shots that they call “B roll footage.”

Even if fifteen minutes of fame gets distilled down to a fifteen seconds, it was a very interesting experience, and I hope they got what they were looking for. And it was nice to meet Geoffrey Baer, after seeing him host so many wonderful shows on WTTW.

The Franks Diner started out as a prefabricated structure in 1926, brought here by horsepower. It was later expanded and enclosed in brick.

Here, you can see the original exterior of the diner. This predated the more modern looking streamlined diners that are often seen in the East.

Help Support The Trolley Dodger

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Our 10th Anniversary

February 3, 2025April 28, 2025David Sadowski 16 Comments

An westbound two-car CTA “L” train crosses over the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal tracks circa November 1959. We are by Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park during construction of the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway. The highway is depressed below grade in this area, and the two railroads are in the south portion of the expressway footprint. All the buildings seen here are still extant. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

As of this January 21st, the Trolley Dodger blog is now ten years old. Each year since 1963, this date has commemorated the end of service on the North Shore Line interurban. I thought it would be a good date to associate with beginnings as well as endings.

It has been some months since our last post. We only had a few last year. This has led some people to ask about my health, or if I am still continuing with this.

Fact is, I am fine and have been busier than ever. In early December, we turned in our first draft of our next book, and this was accepted by our publisher. We have been scanning lots of images, and have added many important ones to our collection, some of which are featured here.

Acquiring new images costs money, and the research involved with our books is very expensive. Much of my work this past year has involved raising the funds to pay for all this. If you would like to help out, there is information further down in this post about our annual fundraiser.

We have been quite active on our Trolley Dodger Facebook group, which has added about 250 members since our last blog post. I realize that many of you are not on Facebook and therefore wouldn’t see any of that.

The Facebook group has been very useful as our members are very knowledgeable and are an aid to research. If I post something there that I am not sure about, I can often get locations identified quickly by someone on the group, along with finding out additional useful information.

My longtime friend Raymond DeGroote, Jr., who is 94, fell and broke his hip last November 1st. He needed partial hip replacement surgery, and contracted pneumonia while in the hospital. Ray went into a rehab facility, where he remained until January 22nd. Now he is back home once again, and is temporarily receiving round-the-clock care while he builds up his strength so he can negotiate those stairs. We wish him the best and hope he makes a full recovery.

I wanted this anniversary post to be extra special, and we have lots of exceptional, very rare images here for your consideration. Now that work on our new book is a lot further along, our hope is to have at least one new post every month for the rest of the year.

I have been interested in how the CTA transitioned the Garfield Park “L” into the Congress rapid transit line west of Laramie Avenue (5200 W.) for a long time. I was a small child when this construction was going on, and we lived in the area. Back in the 1980s, I wrote to the legendary George Krambles himself, asking how this was done. He replied there were at least three temporary rights-of-way, but that he was not clear on the details.

Since then, I have learned quite a bit about this, and some of that information (and many pictures) can be found in my 2018 Arcadia book Building Chicago’s Subways. Many more pictures have appeared on this blog.

Still, there were two remaining questions that needed answering. First, exactly where did the old Garfield Park alignment join up with the new Congress “L”? There was such a junction, we know, because service was offered on both lines simultaneously on June 21, 1958, and some maintenance work continued at the old Laramie Yard until around April 1959.

Second, where was the crossing between the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal tracks and the CTA moved to, while the new flyover was being built? They originally crossed each other at grade just east of DesPlaines Avenue in Forest Park. Now, there is a flyover that takes the freight line north of the CTA, and also carries both sets of tracks over the expressway (now I-290).

I recently discovered several photos by the late Jeffrey L. Wien that answer both questions. You will find them later in this post.

As I look back on our first ten years, I can honestly say that I have learned a lot. I thought I knew a few things when we started this journey, but it has been an educational experience for me. That is, in large part, due to our readers being so knowledgeable. So I have to thank all of you for that.

Another difference between now and then is our standards and capabilities for photo restoration have greatly improved. Experience is a great teacher, and we have worked on thousands and thousands of images since then.

My goal has always been to create a resource where people can find useful information about the history of electric railways. With over 1.1 million page views, I believe we have achieved that goal. When I do Google searches, doing my own research, the hits that come up often include things I have posted. Trolley Dodger pictures show up all the time on Facebook too.

I’m excited about the future as I look forward to the next ten years of the Trolley Dodger. And the best thing about this continued journey is we will do it together.

Enjoy!
-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 2,038 members.

Department of Corrections

This real photo postcard shows a crash between two Metropolitan “L” cars on the Humboldt Park branch. There is a different picture of the same wreck (again, from a RPP) on page 60 of my 2021 book Chicago’s Lost “L”s. The question was always, where was this taken? The best guess at the time was looking west from Kedzie Avenue (3200 W.) so that’s what I put in the book. On the other hand, Andre Kristopans thought it was near the west end of the line (Lawndale Avenue, 3700 W.). Turns out it was near Ballou station. This was later renamed to St. Louis Avenue (3500 W.) meaning it’s between where the two guesses were. Further research by Ron Tee turned up a March 15, 1909 article about the accident in the Herald News.

Our Annual Fundraiser

Since we started this blog in 2015, we have posted more than 16,000 images. This is our 314th post.

In the near future, we will need to renew our WordPress subscription, our domain registration, and pay other bills associated with maintaining this site, so it is time for our Annual Fundraiser.

The Trolley Dodger blog can only be kept going with the help of our devoted readers. Perhaps you count yourself among them.

If you have already contributed in the past, we thank you very much for your help. Meanwhile, our goal for this fundraiser is just $700, which is only a fraction of what it costs us each year. The rest is made up from either the profits from the items we sell, or out of our own pocket.

There are links at the top and bottom of this page, where you can click and make a donation that will help us meet our goal again for this coming year, so we can continue to offer you more classic images in the future, and keep this good thing we have going.

We thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Our Next Book Project

On December 7, 1958, CA&E wood cars 319 and 320 ran on a charter that became the last passenger movement on the railroad. Here, the fantrip train has reached the off-street Aurora terminal on a very wintry day. (Don Swanson Photo)

FYI, we are hard at work on our next book about the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban. Although we already have thousands of images, we start out on these book projects with some of what we need, and then have to find the rest. Some have generously shared their images with us, and some we have to pay real money for. In case you would like to help contribute to this effort, either by sharing images or making a donation, we would like to hear from you. All contributors will be mentioned in the book, which will be dedicated to the memory of the late Robert D. Heinlein. The most difficult images to find are always the earliest ones. You can contact me via Facebook messenger, at thetrolleydodger@gmail.com or via my blog. I thank you for your time and consideration.

CA&E locos 4005 and 4006 head up a freight train at Lakewood siding in June 1956. (Don Swanson Photo)

James P. Shulman took this picture of Chicago Aurora and Elgin #456 on January 12, 1947 at Wheaton, when this car was just about one year old. It was still lettered in Futura type.

Here is a picture of Chicago Aurora and Elgin #401 at the Wheaton station on March 18, 1956. (Raymond DeGroote, Jr. Photo)

Here is another picture of Chicago Aurora and Elgin #401 at the Wheaton station on March 18, 1956. We are looking to the east. (Raymond DeGroote, Jr. Photo)

This is how the abandoned Chicago Aurora and Elgin right-of-way looked in June 1960, nearly three years after the end of passenger service and one year after the last freight train. We are looking west from Fifth Avenue in Maywood. The gates have been removed but the tracks are still in place. Formal abandonment of the railroad was approved the following year.

Recent Finds

North Shore Line electric loco 456 is moving freight in North Chicago on the last full day of service, January 20, 1963. The weather was bitterly cold. There was no slacking off for the NSL’s employees, even though everyone knew the storied interurban had come to the end of the line. The photographer is not known, but I do think it’s very possible Jeffrey L. Wien is one of the three guys on the right… carrying a case that most likely has his movie camera in it. I think he’s the guy in the middle, grinning, because he’s in his element.

North Shore Line car #159 and an Electroliner are at the Mundelein Terminal in June 1961. The Liner was there on a fantrip, as they did not operate on this branch line in regular service. We are looking west.

North Shore Line express motors 238 and 231 are at Pettibone Yard in the 1950s. 238 has been converted to a snow plow, as the interurban had ended less-than-carload freight in 1947. This image was scanned from an 838 Kodachrome slide– which at 28x40mm is somewhat larger than 35mm’s 24x36mm. Kodak had a series of Bantam cameras that took this size, but it did not catch on.

North Shore Line car #703 is parked at Roosevelt Road in Chicago on a very snowy February 11, 1960.

The photographer must have been riding on a North Shore Line train to capture this picture on August 23, 1959. We are looking west towards the former Niles Center “L” station at Asbury Street in Evanston, last used in 1948. After being rented out to local businesses, the station building was torn down in the 1970s. The Skokie Swift began using these tracks in 1964, just over a year after the North Shore Line quit. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

CTA trolley bus 9361 was built by Pullman-Standard in 1948, and was retired on December 15, 1966. On February 26, 1965, it is heading west on Route 80 – Irving Park Road. The bus has just gone under the four-track North Side “L”. and is about to traverse the Milwaukee Road’s freight track just west of there. Until 1973, this track brought interchange freight to the CTA via the ground-level Buena Yard. Further north from here, there was a ramp connecting with the “L”. This was once a Milwaukee Road commuter line, but the Northwestern Elevated Railroad Company took over service north of Wilson Avenue in 1908. By 1912, this “Evanston Extension” of the “L” went as far north as Linden Avenue in Wilmette. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

On July 3, 1967, CTA trolley bus 9527 is eastbound on Irving Park Road, having just passed under the North-South “L”. This bus was built by Marmon-Herrington in 1951-52. The last Chicago trolley bus ran in 1973. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

This looks north from the 35th Street station on the South Side “L” on November 6, 1950. The walkway led to the former 33rd Street station, which had been closed the year before. The photographer noted that this walkway was used by students at the Illinois Institute of Technology. The walkway was closed on September 25, 1961. (William C. Hoffman Photo) M.E. writes, “This photo shows the three tracks that ran from south of Indiana Ave. north to Roosevelt Rd. The middle track was used by express trains (obviously not going in both directions simultaneously), and probably by North Shore Line trains that ran as far south as 63rd and Dorchester on the Jackson Park line for a time.
Your caption mentions the 33rd St. station. This trackage was the original South Side L from 1892, when the city was a lot smaller than today. So this trackage had a lot more stations, which (if I remember correctly) were at Congress, 12th St. (a.k.a. Roosevelt Rd.), 16th St., 18th St., 22nd St. (a.k.a. Cermak Rd.), 26th St., 29th St., 31st St., 33rd St., 35th St. and 39th St. (a.k.a. Pershing Rd.). Trains (other than express trains) on this structure stopped at all these stations (although after the State St. subway opened in 1943, mainline trains could serve L stations only as far north as 18th St.). This was before 1949, when the Kenwood line still used this trackage and before A/B skip-stop service began on the north/south mainline. After 1949, stations other than Cermak and 35th were closed to speed up service on this section. Cermak became a B (Jackson Park mainline) station and 35th an A (Englewood mainline) station.
By the way, until the 1949 major change, Englewood trains went not to Howard St. but to Ravenswood. Only Jackson Park, Evanston Express, and North Shore Line trains went to Howard. Before the 1949 cutback, Kenwood trains went into the Loop and some went as far north as Wilson Ave. After 1949, the Ravenswood line got its own trains between Kimball and the Loop.”

When Jeff Wien took this picture looking north along Pulaski Road at Irving Park Road in March 1973, CTA trolley buses were in their very last days. Here, we see 9624, a Marmon-Herrington, built in 1951-52. The Buffalo ice cream parlor was a local landmark for decades. Established in 1902, they moved to this location in 1918. It closed in 1978 and a gas station replaced it.

CTA prewar PCC car 7019 is heading north on Cottage Grove at 93rd on September 23, 1954. Route 4 streetcar service ended the following year. Our resident south side expert M.E. adds, “This intersection had a lot of trackage, for two reasons: (1) The 93rd-95th St. car line used Cottage Grove Ave. to move between 95th St. and 93rd St.; (2) A car barn was situated a block east on 93rd St. at Drexel. Notice all the trolley wire, which also indicates how much trackage existed at this intersection.”

Here’s the same location in October 2022.

On June 29, 1966, CTA single car unit 44 heads south from the Linden Avenue terminal, working an Evanston branch local. For a time, there was an automatic gate installed here to keep people and animals out of the yard. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

On July 14, 1963, this is the view looking south at South Boulevard on the Evanston branch of the “L”. As the sign at right notes, this was the changeover point from overhead wire to third rail. Evanston would not allow the “L” to use third rail north of here until 1973. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

Chicago Surface Lines Nearside streetcar #5773 is on Through Route 5: Cottage Grove – South Chicago in the late 1930s. Don’s Rail Photos: “5773 was built by Brill Car Co in 1912, #18322. It was retired on February 8, 1946.”

On May 11, 1958, William C. Hoffman captured this view, looking northwest towards the 43rd Street station on the Illinois Central Electric suburban service. You can see the former Kenwood “L” Terminal and Yard in the distance at 42nd and Oakenwald. That branch had closed on November 30, 1957, when its 50 year lease ran out with the Chicago Junction Railway, which owned it. This date also marked the end of wood cars on the “L”. The Kenwood “L” was demolished within a few years, although remnants still exist.

I was recently contacted by someone working on the effort to turn the old Kenwood “L” right-of-way into a south side version of the 606 Trail. They were wondering when the bridges over various streets were removed after the line was abandoned in November 1957. They were certainly gone by September 5, 1960, when this picture was taken at Vincennes Avenue.
(William C. Hoffman Photo)

Here is the former Kenwood “L” embankment at Cottage Grove Avenue on September 5, 1960. The Chicago Junction Railway was still active at this point, adjacent to the former “L”. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

A view of the old Kenwood “L” at Drexel Boulevard on September 5, 1960. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

This is where the old Ellis Avenue station was on the Kenwood “L”, as of September 5, 1960. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

We are looking north along Stony Island at 63rd Street on May 19, 1961. The eastern end of the Jackson Park “L” is at left. During the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, the “L” went further east of here. The Jackson Park branch has since been cut back to Cottage Grove. This image was restored from an early Ektachrome slide that had shifted to red. (William C. Hoffman Photo) M.E. writes, “In my early lifetime, the L structure over Stony Island Ave. was not there. The structure ended abutting Stony Island, but not spanning it. The streets here were a mini business district, there was a Greyhound bus station on Stony Island south of 63rd St., and Hyde Park High School was on Stony Island south of 62nd St. The 63rd St. streetcars traveled east to Stony Island, then turned right (south) to 64th St. to their terminal on 64th. To start their westbound trips, they went a block farther west on 64th St. to Harper, then north to 63rd St., then west. And of course Stony Island had its own streetcar line (and traffic ran in both directions).”

Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 3137 is at Root and Halsted (end of the 43rd Street car line) in 1952. The bridge belonged to the Stock Yard branch of the “L”. This was one of a few older trolleys that the CTA had painted in green and creme in the early 1950s. The sign at rear advertises the Chicago Daily Drovers Journal, founded in 1873 to report on the Union Stockyards. It is still in business today at: http://www.drovers.com (E. Rinke Photo)

Here’s how the Stock Yards “L” looked on Exchange Avenue near Racine Avenue on September 1, 1954. This “L” branchy was abandoned in 1957. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

We are looking west from the transfer bridge at the Indiana Avenue “L” station in the south side on November 6, 1950. By then, the Kenwood branch had become a shuttle. The CTA widened the platform so it could berth here, and northbound main line trains were relocated onto what had formerly been the express track (no longer in use, as the CTA had instituted A/B skip stop service). The Stock Yards branch always ran as a shuttle from the opposite platform. (William C. Hoffman Photo) M.E. notes: “This photo shows people on a wide platform. The space occupied by that platform was initially the third track that northbound mainline trains and northbound Kenwood trains used, before the Kenwood line was cut back to a shuttle from Indiana Ave. east. That change took place in 1949. This transfer bridge enabled passengers on:
(1) northbound mainline and Kenwood trains to reach southbound mainline trains and Stock Yards trains, and
(2) southbound mainline and Stock Yards trains to reach northbound mainline trains and Kenwood trains.”

On August 30, 1960, a southbound eight-car train is at 35th Street on the South Side “L”.
Construction of a new center-island platform has started. This turned out to be ill-fated, as the station was destroyed by fire not long after it opened. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

The picture was taken on October 18, 1962, the day after the station fire at 35th Street. It shows the train with the burned up car and a crowd of people nearby, including the fire department. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

Subject: CSS&SB South Shore Line Hegewisch Station 1970s
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Hegewisch neighborhood)
Date: Circa 1970s
Photographer: Unknown
This picture shows the old South Shore Line station at Hegewisch, near the Illinois-Indiana border. It was replaced by a newer station in 1992, and as this slide has square corners, it probably predates 1981.

Subject: CSS&SB South Shore Line Interurban #104
Location: Michigan City, Indiana
Date: April 1963 (processing date)
Photographer: Emery J. Gulash
Emery J. Gulash (1918-2006) was a very well known railfan photographer.
CSS&SB #104 was built by Pullman in 1926, job #4936. It was lengthened in 1943. Air conditioning and picture windows came in 1950. All cars in this series were retired by 1983, and many went to museums. The facade from the historic Michigan City station has been saved and is planned to be reused with a new building behind it. The South Shore Line street running has been replaced by new double track on private right-of-way.

Subject: CSS&SB South Shore Line Electric Loco #901 (and presumably #900)
Location: Unknown
Date: Circa 1950-55 (based on the style of slide mount
Photographer: Unknown
CSS&SB electric steeplecab #901 was built by Baldwin/Westinghouse in 1929 as IC #10001. The CSS acquired it in 1941. It appears to have been retired sometime in the 1960s.

Whenever a movie theatre pops up in one of these photos, I post it to Cinema Treasures. Pittsburgh Railways PCC streetcar #1724 passes the Art Cinema at 809 Liberty Avenue on March 23, 1968. The adult theatre was offering a double feature of Fanny Hill Meets Dr. Erotica and Unholy Matrimony. It opened in 1931 as the Avenue Cinema and was renamed the Art Cinema in 1935. Redeveloped in 1995, it is now the Harris Theatre. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

On February 23, 1957, Queensboro Bridge streetcar #602 is posed by a BMT “A” train. The bridge train stopped running on April 7, 1957, as the last streetcar in New York City. Car 602 was built in 1929 by Osgood-Bradley for New Bedford, Massachusetts. Although similar in appearance to Brill Master Units, these cars were called Electromobiles. Several came to the bridge operation in 1948.

This circa 1948 picture of CTA “Jitterbug” 5002 caused a lot of discussion on our Facebook group, namely, where is this? But the consensus is, this is the original turnaround loop at DesPlaines Avenue on the Garfield Park “L”, looking east. William Shapotkin says the Chicago Great Western’s control tower is just barely visible at left. The yard here, and the turnback loop, were reconfigured in 1953 when the Chicago Aurora and Elgin cut back service to here. It was rebuilt again in 1959 during construction of the adjacent expressway.

From 1940 to 1952, the Pacific Electric ran in the median of the Hollywood Freeway (now U.S. Route 101) through Cahuenga Pass in Los Angeles. Here we see it during a 1948 fantrip. I can’t quite make out the car number. The Chicago Transit Authority opened its Congress rapid transit line in an expressway median in 1958, but by then, this one was already gone, and the space is now occupied by additional highway lanes.

CTA #4410, built in the early 1920s, is part of a fantrip train at Lake and Homan on October 21, 1973. This was about a month before the 4000s were taken out of service. (Arthur H. Peterson Photo)

We are looking northwest from Marshfield Avenue towards the Lake and Paulina “L” junction on August 15, 1963. The Paulina “L” still crossed over the Lake Street “L”, but the tracks north of here were only being used for shop moves, work trains, and charters by this point. A new connection to the Lake Street “L” was used by Douglas Park trains from 1954 to 1958, and is used by Pink Line trains today. The white structure was added during construction of this connection for use by the work crews. The upper level tracks here, along with the Lake Transfer station and trackage all the way north to the Milwaukee Subway was removed in 1964. (William C. Hoffman Photo) M.E. adds, “You may want to add to your caption that, after the Dearborn St. subway opened in 1951, this segment of trackage also provided the only way to move L cars between the Logan Square – Dearborn St. subway – Congress and LaSalle St. line and the rest of the system.”

The view looking north from around Chicago Avenue along the old Paulina “L” on June 26, 1960 during a fantrip. New CTA single car units 41 and 42 were used. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

This is the old Paulina “L” bridge over what are now Metra tracks. On June 26, 1960, the “L” structure was still intact all the way between Lake Street and the Milwaukee Avenue Subway, but only the southbound track was in use for shop moves, equipment transfers, work cars, and fantrips like this. The bridge is still there, used for signals. (William C. Hoffman Photo) (William C. Hoffman Photo)

To capture this view today, showing the north portal of the Milwaukee Avenue Subway, you would need a drone. But on June 26, 1960, you could take this picture while looking out the window of a fantrip train, turning sharply south onto the old Paulina “L”. That structure was demolished in 1964. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

To get this shot, the photographer must have been on a boat in the Chicago River, passing under the Van Buren Street bridge. We see the two side-by-side bridges used by the Metropolitan “L”. They were still in service for Garfield Park “L” trains when this picture was taken on May 12, 1957. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

By July 26, 1959, when this picture was taken, the Garfield Park “L” was no longer running, so the twin Met “L” bridges had been permanently raised. They were torn down around 1961. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

Another view of the Met “L” bridges, also from July 26, 1959. It was taken from the east side of the Chicago River, as you can see the 547 W. Jackson building in the distance.(William C. Hoffman Photo)

On July 28, 1958, the old Metropolitan “L” structure, last used by the Garfield Park “L” the month before was being demolished in this view looking east from Morgan Street. The new Congress line, which replaced it, is at right. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

By November 18, 1962, when this picture was taken, there were still a few remnants of the old Metropolitan “L”. This is what’s left of the old Canal Street “L” station after the structure here was torn down in 1961.
(William C. Hoffman Photo)

This is the view looking east along Van Buren Street at Ogden Avenue on June 17, 1958. We see the temporary Garfield Park “L” right-of-way, and the new Congress “L” at right, which would replace it five days later. Meanwhile, a Douglas Park “L” train rides along on the Paulina “L”. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

The same location, looking the same way, but on July 9, 1957. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

On October 19, 1953, demolition of the Garfield Park “L” structure was well underway in this view looking northwest from Claremont (2332 W.) and the construction site of the Congress expressway. The portion crossing Western Avenue has been removed.
(William C. Hoffman Photo)

This is all that was left of the Western Avenue “L” station on the Garfield Park “L” on November 1, 1953. This station was last used on September 27, 1953. For nearly five years, Garfield Park trains ran on a ground-level temporary right-of-way on Van Buren Street, just north of the expressway footprint to the left. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

As of July 27, 1958, when this picture was taken, the new CTA Congress “L” had been running for a month, and the old Garfield Park structure was still there. This was near Kilbourn Avenue (4500 W.), one of two places where it crossed the highway. The “L” was finally removed by November 1959. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

The solid gray line shows how the old Garfield Park “L” cut across the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway just west of Kostner (4400 W.). Disregard the purple line, that’s just marking different sections of the map.

Here is the partially demolished Garfield Park “L” structure. looking east at Kostner Avenue (4400 W.) from a slide processed in November 1959. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

The Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway was completely shut down during removal of the Garfield Park “L” structure, where it crossed the highway just west of Kostner (4400 W.). This slide was processed in November 1959. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

When the Congress expressway was built, the Garfield Park “L” crossed its footprint at two locations– here (4500 W.) and at Sacramento Boulevard (3000 W.). The existing “L” structures were retained, supported by additional steel called an “interlining.” That is how the Englewood “L” is supported now, where it crosses the Dan Ryan expressway. I do not know if any of the steel supports there came from here. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

Since the Congress expressway was shut down temporarily for removal of the old Garfield Park “L”, it looks like photographer Jeffrey L. Wien walked over to the fence near the Congress “L” to get this shot near Kilbourn Avenue (4500 W.).

We are looking east from Cicero Avenue, as the Garfield Park “L” was being dismantled circa November 1959. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

A contemporary view of the same location.

After taking the previous picture, it appears that photographer Jeffrey L. Wien walked west along the temporarily closed Congress expressway for this shot of a two-car westbound Congress train near Cicero Avenue. This slide was processed in November 1959.

This pair of CTA flat-door 6000s is signed for Garfield Park in this circa 1955-58 photograph. But it’s not entirely clear where the location is. My guess is this at Central Avenue, by comparison with the next picture, where the location was identified. This was scanned from an original Ektachrome slide that had faded to red. I had attempted to color-correct this same slide (or one just like it) ten years ago, without success, but now this one doesn’t look too bad. It was a lot of work, though.

Here’s how the slide looked before I started working on it.

CTA 6039-6040 are at Central Avenue on the Garfield Park “L” on March 25, 1958. This was another early Ektachrome slide that had faded to red. On June 22, 1958, the CTA opened the new Congress rapid transit line as far west as the Cicero Avenue station. The Congress expressway was only open as far as Laramie Avenue, and construction gradually headed west. The “L” used a variety of temporary rights-of-way until everything was finished in 1960. Presumably, the tracks at right connected to the new Congress median right-of-way, while the ones at left went to the old Garfield alignment (which included Laramie Yard).

If this map, made by a Google user, is accurate, it shows where the Garfield Park “L” ran at ground level in the area by Central Avenue (5600 W.). The Lotus Tunnel is not shown, but would be in approximately the same location as where the Garfield “L” ran, east of Central, bringing the current “L” into the expressway median. If true, this would suggest the Garfield tracks were temporarily relocated to the north of where the tunnel is, but I am not sure if that is what really happened.

This picture was taken at the same time as the previous one at Central Avenue. The crossing gate at left has been removed, which supports my theory that Central Avenue was closed for traffic. In earlier photos at this location, Garfield Park trains were using tracks that veered off to the left. Now, Congress trains headed off to the right. The two-car train of flat-door 6000s has a run number and is on the westbound track. In the next picture, the train has its headlight on and also seems to be heading west. This slide was processed in November 1959. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

While the Congress median line opened as far west as Cicero Avenue on June 22, 1958, service west of there remained on various temporary rights of way until 1960. Here, we are looking east at the temporary “L” station at Central Avenue, circa November 1959. Generally speaking, there were perhaps three different temporary alignments, and the progression was to keep moving the “L” farther north, until the permanent alignment was ready. Here, what had been an island platform was, by the time this photo was taken, only being used by one set of tracks. You can see where some of the rails on the south end of the platform have been removed. Central Avenue appears closed to traffic, as an underpass was being built, going underneath the highway. There is a control tower at Central Avenue, to switch trains to either the old Garfield alignment at left, or the Congress route at right. By November 1959, this tower probably wasn’t in use. It was necessary to have continued access to Laramie Yard until about May 1959, as the new facilities in Forest Park were not ready yet. Graham Garfield’s excellent chicago-l.org web site explains: “On October 16, 1959, the permanent eastbound Congress Line track was placed in service between Parkside and Pine avenues thru Lotus Tunnel. A temporary side platform was placed in service. Three days later, on October 19, the permanent westbound track and a temporary westbound side platform was placed in service, closing the previous temporary platform. Meanwhile, between the permanent tracks, the new, permanent island platform was constructed. The new Central station platform (with temporary fare controls) was placed in service on October 10, 1960, with westbound trains first using it, followed by eastbound trains the next day. On October 11, 1960, the third and final temporary Central station was closed.” It’s not clear how this photo fits into the sequence of events, unless the temporary island platform became a side platform as seen here. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

This January 1960 view, looking northeast, shows the temporary Central Avenue side platform station during construction of the Congress expressway. The CTA Congress median line had opened as far west as Cicero Avenue in June 1958, but farther west, used a series of temporary ground level alignments while highway work continue. The temporary station here was in use from October 1959 until October 1960, when the permanent center platform station opened. You can see a stairway for the new platform, built into the concrete wall of the Central Avenue underpass. The side platforms allowed for simultaneous construction of the new station. The expressway originally ended at Laramie Avenue (5200 W.), but was extended to Central (5600 W.) in early 1960, and finally opened to Oak Park, Forest Park, and Maywood in October 1960. Newly delivered single car unit 22 heads up this westbound Congress-Milwaukee “A” train. East of here, the tracks curve off to go into the Lotus Tunnel, taking the line into the expressway median. Ultimately, this station did not develop much ridership, and closed in 1973, although it is still extant. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA Congress (now Blue Line) “L” trains switch from the expressway median to an alignment at the south end of the highway via the Lotus Tunnel, seen here in March 1971 with a pair of westbound 6000s. We are just east of Central Avenue. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

This slide, processed in November 1959, shows an eastbound Congress-Milwaukee “L” train, made up of single-car units 39-40, at Austin on Chicago’s west side. The Congress expressway was under construction, but hadn’t reached this point quite yet. The train is running on temporary trackage at ground level.
At left, that’s Columbus Park. When the highway was built, a bit of the south end of the park got shaved off.
In the distance you can see Loretta hospital and also the temporary station at Central Avenue. The B&OCT tracks are to the south of the CTA, and the crossover point was west of here. The temporary Central station was in the same location as the permanent one, but the temp station had two platforms on the outside of the tracks, while the permanent station has a central platform.
When the Garfield Park “L” became the Congress line, the new portion only ran as far west as Cicero Avenue. Everything west of there was the same as before. There were a few different alignments of temporary tracks leading to DesPlaines Avenue, with the CTA and B&OCT leapfrogging each other at times. The current alignment was finished in 1960, which is also when this part of the highway opened. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

We are looking mainly to the east from Austin Avenue, the borderline between Chicago and suburban Oak Park, in March 1971. This shows where the permanent alignment of the Congress (now Blue Line) “L” goes, compared to the previous picture. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

We are looking east from Austin Avenue along the future site of the Congress expressway circa November 1959. The highway would slice off a small part of Columbus Park at left. The Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal tracks are at right. Far in the distance, bulldozers are clearing the way for the expressway. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

In this slide, processed in November 1959 but possibly taken earlier, we see an eastbound Congress A train approaching the Austin Avenue station in the distance. A bridge is under construction that spans the portion of the highway footprint that has already been dug out. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

The same location as the previous slide, but this time, with a westbound train. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

This circa November 1959 view looks east just west of Lombard Avenue in Oak Park. A westbound train approaches. In the distance, you can just make out the “L” station at Austin Avenue. The orange bridge under construction is Lombard Avenue. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

The same location today. We are looking east along Flournoy Street at Lombard Avenue in Oak Park, In the distance, we see the same house as in the 1959 photo.

This is the same location as the previous picture, with an eastbound train. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

Oak Park residents may be surprised to know there was once an “L” station at Ridgeland Avenue on what is today the CTA Blue Line. But it was short-lived, only open from September 1957 until March 1960. This slide was processed in November 1959. The Garfield Park “L” previously had a station at Gunderson Avenue, a side street a few blocks west of here. It was on a side street because that’s where some new homes were built by a developer named Gunderson at the turn of the century. The CTA originally planned a permanent station here, but opted for secondary entrances to the stations at Austin (Lombard) and Oak Park Avenue (East Avenue) instead. You can see the bridge that crosses the highway at Austin Avenue under construction in the distance. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA 6123-6124 are heading eastbound at the temporary Oak Park Avenue station in Oak Park in March 1960. These cars formerly were used on the Evanston branch “L” and had trolley poles for use there (third rail was not permitted). These have been removed, as the Congress line was all third rail, but you can see remnants. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

A westbound CTA two-car train is about to take the crossover at Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park during a snowy March 1960. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

An eastbound CTA train has just crossed over the B&OCT tracks near Kenilworth Avenue in Oak Park in this circa November 1959 view. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

An eastbound two-car CTA train of flat-door 6000s has just crossed the B&OCT tracks at Kenilworth Avenue, a short distance west of Oak Park Avenue in March 1960. Near Central Avenue, the B&OCT tracks are south of the CTA. By the time they reach the Forest Park terminal, they are north of the CTA. Before the start of the highway project, the crossover point was just east of DesPlaines Avenue. While a new flyover was under construction near that location, the crossover was temporarily moved further east, as seen here. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

The bank building in the distance is still there today. It looks as though the bridge over the future highway may be under construction already, in this circa November 1959 view looking east towards Oak Park Avenue. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA 4235 (at left) is at the head of a westbound two-car CERA fantrip train in Oak Park, on temporary trackage during construction of the adjacent Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway. The date is September 14, 1958. By 1955, the new highway was already open as far west as Laramie Avenue. There were two parallel sets of tracks west of there, through Oak Park and Forest Park, the CTA and the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal. The tracks were moved in stages to the north end of the expressway footprint. Then, the area to the south was dug out and by 1960, the tracks were relocated to their present location just south of the highway, which opened the same year. The location was identified as Ridgeland but I believe it is actually west of Oak Park Avenue. You will note how the B&OCT tracks are north of the CTA in this 1958 photo. That would imply the temporary crossover that brought them there was located east of here at the time. Photos from November 1959 show this crossover was at Kenilworth Avenue, just west of Oak Park Avenue. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

In March 1960, we are looking east along the expressway footprint from just east of Harlem Avenue. In the far distance, you can just make out where the CTA tracks curve to the north and cross the B&OCT at grade. A Chicago and West Towns bus is also just barely visible on Oak Park Avenue. The CTA train is heading westbound and is just about to stop at the temporary Harlem Avenue station. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

A pair of CTA single-car units heads east on temporary trackage at Harlem Avenue in March 1960. This was during construction of the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway, which opened in this area later in the year. Notice how the CTA tracks veer off to the left in the distance, while the B&OCT tracks are already north of the “L”. While the current flyover arrangement was being built west of here, the location of where the two railroads crossed was moved somewhere further east. Originally, they crossed at grade a short distance east of today’s flyover. The single-car units were brand new and were first assigned to Congress-Milwaukee before some began being used on Evanston in 1961. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

An eastbound Congress “L” train has just passed Harlem Avenue in March 1960. The two railroads here are on ground-level temporary tracks, while their eventual home is at right, below grade. Harlem Avenue is the dividing line here between Forest Park and Oak Park. There are below-grade traffic lanes where the railroads were. The Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal tracks are, at this point, north of the CTA’s. They crossed each other at a point further east of here while construction of a new flyover was underway a short distance west of Harlem. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

It’s March 1960, and CTA single car units #25 and 26 are heading westbound on the Congress route temporary trackage at Harlem Avenue. The expressway was still under construction here at this time, and would open later in the year. Here, the B&OCT tracks are north of the CTA. The crossing point between them appears to be off in the distance, where you can see the CTA veer off. Now there is a flyover west of Harlem Avenue that takes the B&O over the CTA. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

CTA 6041-6042 head east at the temporary Harlem Avenue station in March 1960. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

This March 1960 view looks northwest from Harlem Avenue, along the future site of the Congress expressway. The retaining wall at left may be for the eventual ramp used today by westbound traffic, which enters via the left lane. The CTA and B&OCT temporary tracks are at grade level, but were relocated later in the year into a cut at left of this picture, just out of view. In the distance, at left, you can see a large gas holder, then a local landmark, but which has since been removed. As this is west of Harlem, everything you see is in suburban Forest Park. DesPlaines Avenue is a half-mile west of here. (Jeffrey L. Wien Photo)

At noon on Sunday, October 12, 1958, a two-car CTA train made up of flat-door 6000s heads east from the DesPlaines Avenue terminal in Forest Park. There were three sets of tracks for motorists to cross on DesPlaines Avenue. From the looks of the tower at left, the CTA’s may have been manually operated. After the highway project was completed, an underpass took traffic underneath all three. The concrete slab at left is probably where a temporary bypass road took DesPlaines Avenue traffic around the construction site, while the underpass was being built. The view looks northwest. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

CTA 6191-6192 approach the DesPlaines Avenue Terminal in Forest Park circa 1959, when the Congress expressway was being built nearby.

Recent Correspondence

A Garfield/Westchester “L” train crosses the B&OCT tracks in Forest Park, circa 1948. This area has changed so much as to be virtually unrecognizable, but we are looking to the east. The freight tracks are turning to the north, while the “L” turns south towards DesPlaines Avenue. Behind the “L” train, out of view, is the Hannah Avenue station. East of here, the two trains ran parallel to each other to about Central Avenue, a distance of about two-and-a-half miles. The Eisenhower expressway runs through here today, with a flyover keeping the CTA Blue Line apart from the B&OCT as they cross each other (and the highway).

The Hannah Avenue “L” station (7400 W/700 S) in Forest Park, circa 1948.

Jack Franklin writes:

This edition was especially meaningful to me. I was in middle and high schools on the west side of Chicago Austin area, when the Congress X-way was being built. I rode on the Garfield Park L all the time during the transition. From ground level to to elevated to street running and other modes. When I would go to the Forest Park pool (Now the Forest Park Aquatic Center) with my cousin Bob who lived down the street from it, I would watch the Garfield Park L cross the B&O tracks just north of the pool.

One day while we were hanging out at the pool and looking for girls, I saw an L train derail heading westbound toward the crossing. There were derails in place on the L tracks, so the train must have tried to go through an open one. Some scurrying around by wreck crews and the L train was quickly back on the rails again. Lots of excitement.

In 1959, I was working in the Horder’s Warehouse at Clinton and Jackson across from Union Station. From our office windows we could see the elevated structure being taken down and the bridges being dismantled. Your pictures brought back some memories for me.

Jon Roma writes:

David, this is apropos of my comment to your 10th anniversary post, regarding the Metropolitan “L” station labeled as Clinton St., but actually named Canal St. (see comments section)

It turns out that I have an image showing the actual front façade of that station, albeit from a bit more distance than I would have preferred. This is one of my favorite bought slides, and I think the CPD officer on foot patrol in the foreground adds a bit of color to this fascinating street scene that includes the Metropolitan “L” and Chicago Union Station.

The slide does not carry any identifying information, so, alas, there is no photographer to credit. Feel free to use this as you see fit.

Some of my recent replies are long-winded, but that’s a reflection of how thought-provoking the shared images are to me.

Great photo, thanks for sharing! I have updated the caption to the photo you refer to, changing it to Canal Street.

Again, Jon Roma:

Hi, David.

I just tried to post a reply to the comment about the street crossing just south of the Linden Ave. yard in Wilmette, but I think it may have gotten eaten by WordPress. I can try reposting if it is truly lost.

https://i0.wp.com/thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ebf059a.jpg

My comment expressed doubt that the middle rail has anything to do with the crossing warning devices, but its purpose is a mystery. Incidentally, I also tried to share the morsel that the crossing still exists.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/XBSqEAJHiaoLNHuU6

The pictures of the various track alignments along the Congress Expressway in Oak Park and River Forest are fascinating, but they open up several cans of worms because we are forced to try to piece together the construction staging in the absence of factual details. Because public funds were used for the highway and subway work, the documents probably exist – albeit in some yet-to-be-uncovered location buried deep in a library – perhaps in Springfield, or even here in Urbana-Champaign.

It is revealing that the B&OCT/CTA crossing appears to have moved at least once before the permanent alignment and grade separation were put into service. To a signal historian like me, this begs the question about what they did with the interlocking in the interim. The old interlocking governed the crossings of CRT/CTA and the B&OCT in addition to the split where B&OCT became two separate main lines belonging to the Soo Line and CGW. Of course, once the CTA construction was complete, the interlocking devolved into just the split, as the CTA was by then no longer part of the plant.

It’s conceivable that there was a temporary interlocking when the tracks were relocated, though that would have been a somewhat expensive proposition. If the interim situation persisted for more than a few months, it would likely be documented in at least one B&OCT operating timetable.

As I mentioned in my public comment a few days ago, I am very happy that the Trolley Dodger is back. I will reiterate how happy I am to hear that you are hoping for shorter and more frequent posts, because I think they’re easier to follow and digest.

Regards.

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

FYI, my new Arcadia Publishing book The North Shore Line is now available for immediate shipment. My publisher decided to expand it to 160 pages, instead of the usual 128. That’s a 25% increase, without any change to the $23.99 price. I am quite pleased with how this turned out.

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Chapters:
01. Beginnings
02. The Milwaukee Division
03. The Shore Line Route
04. The Skokie Valley Route
05. The Mundelein Branch
06. On the “L”
07. City Streetcars
08. Trolley Freight
09. The Long Goodbye
10. The Legacy

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

New Compact Disc Titles, Now Available:

HFIH
Hi-Fi Iron Horse
Price: $15.99

Hi-Fi Iron Horse is a unique collection of early steam recordings, made between 1949 and 1954. Portable tape recorders were not yet available when the earliest of these was made, but there was still another source for making high-quality audio– the optical sound track of motion picture film.

Featuring in-service steam of the Baltimore & Ohio, Bessemer & Lake Erie, Burlington, Canadian National, Delaware & Hudson, East Broad Top, Erie, Grand Trunk Western, Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain, Western Maryland, and Rutland Railway.

Total time – 50:49

TSOS
The Sound of Steam
Reading 2124
Price: $19.99

Three very rare, out of print North Jersey Recordings LPs, now digitally remastered on two CDs at a special price.

The Sound of Steam offers a comprehensive overview of the twilight days of steam railroading in North America, with sounds recorded between 1957 and 1964. Railroads featured include the Denver & Rio Grande Western, Union Pacific, Canadian Pacific, Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Railway, Gainesville Midland Railroad, Pennsylvania Railroad, Reading Railroad, Canadian National, Twin Seams Mining Company, Nickel Plate, Colorado & Southern, Norfolk & Western, Buffalo Creek & Gauley, Monadnock, Steamtown & Northern, Rockton & Rion Railway, and the National Railways of Mexico.

Reading 2124 features recordings made in 1959 and 1960 on a series of “Iron Horse Rambles,” excursion trips through eastern Pennsylvania. The Reading Company had retained this class T-1 4-8-4 for emergency use after steam was retired on the railroad. Seven years after the last Reading steam loco had hauled a passenger train, a series of 51 special excursion trips were held, ending in 1964. These have since been revived, and the Rambles continue.

Total time – 69:54 (Disc 1) and 61:20 (Disc 2)

RWW-V103
Rods, Wheels, and Whistles
Voice of the 103
Price: $19.99

Two very rare, out of print North Jersey Recordings LPs, now digitally remastered on two CDs at a special price.

Rods, Wheels, and Whistles features the sounds of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Norfolk and Western Railway, recorded in the twilight years of steam. This LP was originally issued in 1958, but our version is taken from the revised and expanded edition, which includes additional recordings from 1959.

Voice of the 103 documents the former Sumter and Choctaw Railroad #103, a 2-6-2 locomotive built in 1925 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works, after it was refurbished in 1962 to operate on the Middletown and New Jersey. This was an excursion service of the Empire State Railway Museum, which has since moved to a new location and no longer operates trains. The 103 is now on static display.

Our collection is rounded out with three bonus tracks from the Strasbourg Railroad, when old number 31 ran excursion trains on the oldest short line railroad in the United States (chartered in June 1832), joining the Pennsylvania Dutch towns of Strasbourg and Paradise in the early 1960s.

Total time – 46:15 (RWW) and 49:26 (V103)

Help Support The Trolley Dodger

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Our 9th Anniversary

April 4, 2024April 7, 2024David Sadowski 7 Comments

A six-car “L” train, made up of 6000-series rapid transit cars, is at the Kedzie station on June 21, 1958. The CTA was offering free rides on a portion of the new Congress line that day. Regular service began on June 22nd. (William C. Hoffman Photo) M. E. adds, “As for all your pictures dated June 21, 1958, that date also is infamous as the last day of Chicago streetcar service. That was truly a day when one era of Chicago transportation died and another era began.”

This is our first post since early January, and a lot has happened since then. The Trolley Dodger blog turned nine years old on January 21st. We have a tradition of making our anniversary posts extra special. A lot of hard work has gone into this one, and I hope you will agree that we have found some excellent historical images for your consideration.

As we are in the Chicago area, and we made sure this post has a lot of exceptional local content. Enjoy!

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,606 members.

Our Next Book Project

FYI, we are hard at work researching our next book about the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban. Although we already have thousands of images, we start out on these book projects with some of what we need, and then have to find the rest. Some have generously shared their images with us, and some we have to pay real money for. In case you would like to help contribute to this effort, either by sharing images or making a donation, we would like to hear from you. All contributors will be mentioned in the book, which will be dedicated to the memory of the late Robert D. Heinlein. The most difficult images to find are always the earliest ones. You can contact me via Facebook messenger, at thetrolleydodger@gmail.com or via my blog. I thank you for your time and consideration.

William D. Volkmer (1936-2024)

CTA trolley bus #9680 is at Chicago and Fairbanks on July 9, 1963. (William D. Volkmer Photo)

Sad news via Eric Bronsky. William D. Volkmer was an exceptional photographer whose work goes back to the late 1950s. Several of his pictures have been featured here. I did correspond with him a bit from time to time:

I am sad to inform our community of the passing of William D. Volkmer, railroad expert, enthusiast and historian par excellence. Bill had been struggling with cancer over the past 2 years. He lost the battle on the morning of Tuesday, March 5.
Bill was a longtime friend to many of us. Through his multifaceted career, he acquired a formidable knowledge together with hands-on experience in several areas of railroad design, planning, technology and operation. His life’s work is summed up in the following resume, which he shared with his friends back in 2013:
Bill Volkmer – Plantation, FL b. 1936
Born and raised – Pittsfield, MA. (to age 17 then moved to Rome, GA)
Educated – Georgia Tech 1958 BME (Ramblin Wreck Parade photos available on request)
Working Career (Note: Carried 35mm camera in pocket at all times. Retina IIIc folding camera)
PRR- Mechanical Dept. Altoona, Penn Coach Yard, Philadelphia, Enola, Chicago, Canton, Northumberland, & Renovo 1958-68 (worked with and for Watson and Goehring)
General Electric Co.- Diesel Engine Dept. Quality Assurance, Erie, PA1968-72
General Electric Co. MU Car Dept. Erie, PA Customer Service Rep to MN and LIRR 1972-75
Kaiser Engineers – Philadelphia Boeing Plant Resident Engineer LRT – Client MBTA LRV Proj. 1975-77
Kaiser Engineers – Miami, Metrorail Designed Yard and Shops and Fare Collection Specs. 1977-1985
Kaiser Engineers – LA Long Beach design work LRT 1986-91
LACMTA – Various transit projects 1991-94
Florida Tri-Rail – CMO 1994-97
Herzog Transit Services – Tri-Rail Contract Operator 1997-2007.
Retired 6-30-2007
Married for 51+ years, four children (3 gulls + 1 buoy), 3 grandchildren + 2 pure-bred dogs rescued from Hialeah Yard!
Authored 9 Morning Sun books on railroad and trolley subjects.
Editor Keystone Chronicles Magazine for PRRT&HS Philadelphia Chapter.
Following retirement, Bill was active with Electric Railway Clubs of Florida and for a time served as editor of their newsletter, The Live Overhead. Eager to share his knowledge and experience, he churned out an almost-daily email blog, often under the fictitious name of his alter ego, “Art Wheeler.” Bill’s emails were chock-full of interesting historic information and photos from his vast collection. Many of these were in the form of elaborate PowerPoint slide shows. And, yes, he had a terrific sense of humor.
A memorial service was held on Saturday, March 23rd 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at the Woodlawn Memorial Park & Funeral Home (400 Woodlawn Cemetery Rd, Gotha, FL 34734). Disposition of Bill’s collection is pending.

This is how the Congress expressway construction site looked on September 26, 1954, looking west from the ramp leading down to the temporary ground-level Garfield Park “L” alignment. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

And here is the same view taken by William C. Hoffman on July 28, 1957. Parts of the expressway opened in 1955, going as far west as Laramie Avenue (5200 W.), and the Congress median rapid transit line was under construction and would open the following year.

Here’s how the Congress expressway construction site looked on February 7, 1954, looking east from Halsted. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

William C. Hoffman took this picture looking east from Green Street along the Congress expressway construction area on October 3, 1954. The two portals at right are where the Congress rapid transit line eventually connected with the Congress-Dearborn-Milwaukee subway. The bridges over the new highway were usually built first.

This gadget was used to build the concrete walls of the subway along Congress Street. We are looking down from the bridge on Halsted Street on October 3, 1954. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

This is the view looking east towards Halsted along the Congress expressway construction site on July 22, 1956. The highway was not yet open at this point, but parts of it west of here had opened in late 1955. The tracks have not yet been laid for the Congress rapid transit line, going into the two subway portals on the right. The ones on the left were intended for a Clinton Street subway that was never built. The CTA Halsted Street “L” station at left remained in use until the new median line opened in 1958. Note there is no Circle Interchange yet as the Kennedy and Dan Ryan expressways had not yet been built. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

William C. Hoffman took this picture showing a two-car CTA train of 4000-series “L” cars passing by the former Kilbourn station on April 21, 1957. That station had been closed in order to speed up service on the Garfield Park “L” during Congress expressway construction. Meanwhile, a crane on flanged wheels works on the new median right of way that went into service in 1958.

This is the view looking east from Racine (1200 W.) on June 21, 1958. According to photographer William C. Hoffman, this is a westbound “free ride” train on what is now usually referred to as the Morgan Middle track in what was then the Congress expressway. The CTA offered free rides between Halsted and Cicero Avenue that day, and regular service on this new line officially began at 4:00 am on June 22nd. Meanwhile, this was also the final day of service via the Garfield Park “L” routing.

The CTA offered service on both the old Garfield Park and new Congress “L” lines for just one day, June 21, 1958. You could ride the new median line for free that day between Halsted Street and Cicero Avenue. This picture was taken at Racine and Congress. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

On June 21, 1958, a six-car CTA Congress train heads west from the new Cicero Avenue station. We see the secondary station entrance on Lavergne Avenue (5000 W.). For a time, the CTA operated a park and ride lot just to the north, on a portion of the former site of the Laramie Yard. This closed sometime between 1965 and 1967. The secondary entrance was severely damaged by fire in 1972 and became an exit-only until it was finally closed in 1977. As the CTA was offering free rides between Halsted and Cicero on this day, the train is probably just going a short distance west, so it can head back east via the crossover. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

We are looking northeast from Loomis on June 21, 1958. The six-car train on the new Congress line offered free rides between Halsted and Cicero, while regular service continued on the nearby Garfield Park “L” alignment on its last day. We see a two-car train there. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

The view looking east along the Congress expressway from Racine Avenue (1200 W.) on June 21, 1958. At left, we see a regular service Garfield Park “L” train, while a Congress train offers free rides on the new line. The ramp at left connected temporary trackage on Van Buren Street with the old Metropolitan main line “L” structure. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

On July 8, 1958, a flagman is waving a two-car CTA Congress train through switches at Loomis. Note how wide the right-of-way is here, as it was designed to have four tracks– two for the Lake Street “L”, which was originally planned to be rerouted here into a Clinton Subway. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

A CTA two-car “L” train crosses DesPlaines Avenue in Forest Park over a new bridge on August 30, 1959. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

A CTA two-car rapid transit train, made up of flat-door 6000s, heads east from California Avenue on April 10, 1960, with the tracks of the Chicago and North Western/Belt Line of Chicago in the distance. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

William C. Hoffman captured this image looking west along the Congress expressway at Western Avenue on March 30, 1961. He noted that the translucent fiberglass on the ramp at right was soon going to be replaced. The lack of visibility on these ramps led to an increase in robberies. As it turned out, the CTA simply removed the upper halves of some of the panels.

A six-car CTA train heads west on the Congress line on March 30, 1961, in this view from the end of the Western Avenue station. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

By the time William C. Hoffman snapped this image on November 19, 1963, the CTA Congress line had been in service for more than five years, and all traces of the former Garfield Park “L” here had been removed. The Dan Ryan and Northwest (later Kennedy) expressways had both opened. The view looks north by northwest.

One of the North Shore Line Electroliners at the Milwaukee Terminal.

I had to do a lot of work on this image to make it look like this, as the slide was somewhat overexposed and had more than 70 years of crud on it. We are looking to the southwest along the Chicago Aurora and Elgin right-of-way in Wheaton on June 9, 1952. Car 456, at left, is on a siding, while an eastbound train approaches, made up of vintage wood cars formerly from the North Shore Line. You can see the large CA&E station in the distance at Main Street and Liberty Drive, while the Chicago and North Western’s tracks are at right. (Elwood C. McEllroy Photo)

Chicago Surface Lines car 3268 is at the Navy Pier terminal, running on Route 38 – Indiana Avenue.

Chicago and Milwaukee Electric construction car #2. The C&ME was the predecessor of the North Shore Line (technically, the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee). The railroad changed its name in 1916, so this must predate that.

Nolan Mason, head of the Illini Railroad Club, writes:
I was looking at a few older posts on your blog, and found a slide in my collection that matches one on the site. In a post about the Jewett Car Company, you posted a photo of CA&E cars headed to the Fox River Trolley Museum, it’s near the top of the page: https://thetrolleydodger.com/tag/jewett-car-company/
(this image specifically: https://i0.wp.com/…/wp…/uploads/2023/07/aae396a.jpg…)
I have a slide showing the car immediately to the left, I attached a scan to this email. Your blog does not list a photographer. I can’t confirm a photographer either, but I purchased mine from Albert Reinschmidt’s son. Albert was a volunteer at IRM, I’m not sure if you knew him.
Normally my collection is limited to IRC subjects, but this slide was interesting. I got it on the off-chance I could research it later. I haven’t been able to locate any records showing an IRC fan trip during that month, so it may not be IRC related.
I’m not sure how copyright works for images like this, but if you want to use it in a future post, feel free. Better to share it with enthusiasts rather than keep it stored away.
Anyways, just thought it was crazy how we have two adjacent slides. Small world

At one time, there was a freight connection to the CTA’s South Shops for perhaps half a mile or so to the south, where there was an interchange. The CTA (and CSL before it) had a few small electric locomotives which moved things (freight cars, streetcars) around the property. This is all long gone, but I recently got a request from someone for a picture, and I actually found one. Here is a view of the freight connection, looking south from 79th Street along what would now be the median of Wentworth Avenue, taken by William C. Hoffman on October 4, 1953. As you can see in the contemporary view, the neighborhood has changed quite a bit in 70 years.

Looking north in Emerald Avenue from 39th Place on July 9, 1950. (William C. Hoffman Photo)

(July 9, 1950) “Looking north in Emerald to 39th Street. Steam tracks connected with streetcar track.” (William C. Hoffman Photo)

(July 15, 1951) “View (looking) north in Emerald Avenue to 39th Street. Chicago Junction Railway track leads into CTA yards at 39th and Halsted.” (William C. Hoffman Photo)

A contemporary view of the same location.

Chicago Surface Lines electric loco #201 is at the 39th and Halsted materials handling yard in this photo, which could date to the 1930s or 40s. Bohnett Tire, seen nearby, was located at 3843 S. Halsted. Andre Kristopans thinks this could be a lot older, maybe even the 1910s.

Chicago Surface Lines work car S53 at West Shops in the 1940s.

A Chicago Surface Lines work car at South Shops, possibly in the 1940s.

Chicago Surface Lines work car X-1. I presume this is at the materials handling yard at 39th and Halsted.

Chicago Surface Lines work car W-13.

William C. Hoffman captured this picture of a four wheel revolving electric crane at the CTA South Shops on May 16, 1954.

Chicago Transit Authority single-car unit #2 and one other are at the Merchandise Mart station in May 1963. These cars had experimental high-speed motors and are seen here in what the fans termed the “circus wagon” paint scheme. Since 1964, all Chicago rapid transit cars have been capable of high speeds. CTA cars #1-4 were assigned to the new Skokie Swift route (today’s Yellow Line) when that opened in April 1964.

Here are four pictures of Chicago Surface Lines prewar PCCs in the downtown area in August 1947. This was about a month prior to when the Chicago Transit Authority took over both CSL and the “L”. All were running on Route 20 – Madison or the Madison-Fifth branch line. (Tony Kozla Photos)

CSL 4014 is eastbound on Madison, about to pass by the Civic Opera House, with the Chicago Daily News background on the other side of the Chicago River. (Tony Kozla Photo)

According to Mike Franklin, we are “looking northeast across Canal and Monroe.” Westbound Madison PCCs had to use Monroe for a portion of their trip, since Madison was a one-way street downtown. (Tony Kozla Photo)

The unsuccessful bidder on this slide wrote to me and says he lives in the building behind the Gulf station. I sent him a cleaned-up scan and he intends to display a print in the lobby of his building.
Subject: DCT DC Transit PCC Streetcar Trolley #1491
Location: Washington, DC (Route 92 – U Street and Columbia Road)
Date: September 1961
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien

CSS&SB South Shore Line Interurban Car #109
Location: Gary, Indiana
Date: April 8, 1977
Photographer: Bob Schmidt

This negative is dated October 1936. Chicago Surface Lines car 7002 might have been the very first one to arrive, and this charter trip may have predated when it was put into service. The location is the intersection of Harrison Street and Fifth Avenue, meaning this PCC is operating on the Madison-Fifth line. The buildings visible here are all gone, as this is where I-290 runs today.

Chicago Surface Lines Route 20 – Madison had a branch line heading southwest along Fifth Avenue, an angle street that has lost much of its importance in recent decades. Starting in 1936, PCC streetcars went from Madison along Fifth to Pulaski and Harrison, where they looped near the Garfield Park “L” station. After buses replaced streetcars on Madison in 1953, Fifth was operated as a shuttle before being abandoned in early 1954. Construction of the Congress expressway truncated Fifth, as no bridge was built spanning the highway. Now, Fifth doesn’t even connect with Madison– there is a cul de sac.

The border between Chicago and Cicero is at Cermak and Kenton, which became an important transfer point between Chicago Surface Lines streetcars and the buses and trolleys of the Chicago and West Towns Railway, as seen in this 1940s view. Here, we see C&WT #111 with CSL Pullman #117 behind it. Presumably that is a C&WT bus as well.
Even today, this is the eastern terminus of some Pace bus routes, which lay over here before heading west. CSL was limited to operating within the City of Chicago, but the Chiago Transit Authority’s Route 21 – Cermak bus extends from here to the North Riverside Mall, a short distance west of Harlem Avenue.

CTA PCC #7207 is on 81st at Normal on June 18, 1958, a few days before the end of streetcar service in Chicago. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

CTA red Pullman #674 is at the south end of Route 8 – Halsted, just south of 79th Street, on May 26, 1954. (John D. Koschwanez Photo) M. E. adds, “Toward the end of service on the 8 Halsted line, the old red cars supplanted the Green Hornets, which were probably being converted to L cars at the time. This terminal property was about a half dozen stores south of 79th St. on the east side of Halsted. Southbound 8 Halsted cars (as well as 42 Halsted-Archer-Clark cars) turned east on 79th to Emerald, south to the terminal, and west through the terminal. Judging by the grubby look of this car, it seems the CTA strove to discourage streetcar riders in favor of (shudder) buses.”

CTA streetcar #1733 was one of a small number that got repainted into green and cream in the early 1950s. Here, we see it on Cermak Road near Canal Street on May 11, 1954. (John D. Koschwanez Photo)

CTA one-man red car #1752 is on Route 21 – Cermak on May 11, 1954. (John D. Koschwanez Photo)

We are looking north along Halsted at 63rd Street on May 26, 1954, just a few days before the end of red streetcar service in Chicago. CTA Pullman 324 heads south through what was then a busy shopping district in the Englewood neighborhood. (John D. Koschwanez Photo)

Our resident south side expert M. E. writes, about the photo above:

63rd and Halsted L station was my “home” station. From there, I rode all over the L system.

The caption says “looking north along Halsted at 63rd St.” Not quite: This view was probably shot from halfway between 63rd and 64th Streets. The ugly CTA bus in the background ran on 63rd St. post-conversion.

The L station itself, where fares were collected at a manned booth, and where there was a news-and-sundries shop, was situated on the northeast corner of 63rd Place and Halsted. There were only stairs leading up to the platforms. A bell would ring when an eastbound L train was approaching the station. The pattern of the ring was actually the train wheels running over the contact. When people heard the bell, they hustled faster up to the eastbound platform.

63rd Place next to the L station had streetcar tracks used occasionally by streetcars not going all the way south to 79th St. Using the same track pattern as at 79th and Halsted, southbound 8 and 42 cars turned east on 63rd St. to Union Ave., south on Union to 63rd Place, west on 63rd Place to Halsted, then north.

The photo also shows a streetcar track from 63rd Place to the southbound track on Halsted St. That track was probably used only by the Kankakee interurban cars that began on 63rd Place, turned south on Halsted, to Summit Ave. (around 85th St.), northwest to Vincennes Ave. (just north of 87th St.), and out Vincennes into the town of Blue Island. That service ran a century ago.

Also, 63rd Place was the north terminal for the South Suburban Safeway Lines red-and-white buses that ran to Harvey and Chicago Heights, and the Suburban Transit System green-and-white buses that ran to Oak Lawn.

The Englewood business district was at one time the busiest outside the Loop. The shopping district ran along Halsted from 59th St to 67th St., and along 63rd St. from about Lowe St. (632 West) to Peoria St. (900 West). At the main corner of 63rd and Halsted, the principal stores were S. S. Kresge (forerunner of K-Mart) on the southwest corner; the Ace Department Store (which had huge fans to circulate the air) on the northwest corner; and a big Sears store on the northeast corner, which also housed a Hillman’s grocery store in its basement. Another big store, Wieboldt’s, was on the southwest corner of 63rd and Green (832 W.) Streets. The southeast corner of 63rd and Halsted consisted of several small stores, but at one time the corner store was a Stineway drug store.

Also surrounding 63rd and Halsted were many movie houses, primarily to the north and east. I actually remember seeing vaudeville acts at the Stratford Theater, on 63rd St. just west of Union. The most opulent movie house was the Southtown Theater at 63rd and Lowe, which was built in art-deco style and had a pond in the lobby with real swans. Unlike the other theaters, the Southtown even had a parking lot.

This photo brings back a lot of fond memories for me, but it especially shows everyone that Englewood was once a thriving, exciting place.

One of the ten Milwaukee Road Skytop Lounge observation cars in Columbus, Wisconsin in October 1967. M. E. adds, “Great photo of a Milwaukee Road Olympian observation car. Those cars ran mainly between Chicago and Minneapolis, but they also ran all the way to Seattle on the Olympian Hiawatha.”

On May 25, 1958, we see Chicago Transit Authority PCC #7142 mounted on a flatcar at South Shops for transport to the St. Louis Car Company. This was less than a month before the end of streetcar service in Chicago. Approximately 570 of the 600 postwar Chicago streetcars retired early and shipped to St. Louis as part of the so-called PCC Conversion Program, where they were scrapped and some of their parts (seats, motors, windows, etc.) were recycled for use in new rapid transit cars. The final two dozen PCCs were simply scrapped. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Subject: Illinois Central Station Demolition Chicago 1974
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date: November 1974 (processing date)
Photographer: Unknown
From the Wikipedia:
Central Station was an intercity passenger terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at the southern end of Grant Park near Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue. Owned by the Illinois Central Railroad, it also served other companies via trackage rights. It opened in 1893, replacing Great Central Station (on the site of the current Millennium Station), and closed in 1972 when Amtrak rerouted services to Union Station. The station building was demolished in 1974. It is now the site of a redevelopment called Central Station, Chicago.
Adjoining platforms at Roosevelt served the Illinois Central’s suburban trains for both the Electric and West lines, in addition to the South Shore Line interurban railroad. All three lines continued north to Randolph Street.

Grand Central Station

Chicago’s Central Station and Grand Central Station were two different things.

From the Wikipedia:

Grand Central Station was a passenger railroad terminal in downtown Chicago, Illinois, from 1890 to 1969. It was located at 201 West Harrison Street on a block bounded by Harrison, Wells and Polk Streets and the Chicago River in the southwestern portion of the Chicago Loop. Grand Central Station was designed by architect Solon Spencer Beman for the Wisconsin Central Railroad (WC), and was completed by the Chicago and Northern Pacific Railroad.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad purchased the station in 1910 and used it as the Chicago terminus for its passenger rail service, including its Capitol Limited service to Washington, D.C. Major tenant railroads included the Soo Line Railroad, successor to the Wisconsin Central, the Chicago Great Western Railway, and the Pere Marquette Railway. The station opened December 8, 1890, closed November 8, 1969, and was demolished in 1971.

Subject: B&O/C&O Grand Central Station
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Harrison and Wells)
Photographer: Unknown
Date: June 15, 1967

Subject: C&O Chesapeake and Ohio Diesel Locomotive EMD E7(A) #4514
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Grand Central Station)
Photographer: R. P. Olmstead
Date: May 31, 1964 (4:45 pm)

Subject: C&O Chesapeake and Ohio Diesel Locomotive EMD E8(A) #4022
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Grand Central Station)
Photographer: R. P. Olmstead
Date: May 8, 1966 (5:08 pm)

Now here’s something you don’t see every day… an honest to goodness 1939 Kodachrome slide. That makes this image about 85 years old. This must have been taken when Lehigh Valley Transit put these renovated lightweight high-speed cars into service. They were originally built for the Cincinnati and Lake Erie in 1931. That interurban went out of business in 1938, and LVT purchased several cars, which were freshened up with the help of J. G. Brill’s art department. The Liberty Bell interurban ran between Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania. These cars replaced some much older ones and helped keep things going through the war years and up until the 1951 abandonment. There was a very active NRHS (National Railway Historical Society) chapter in the area, and this is probably a fantrip they sponsored. Looks like the lead car is 1002.

Subject: ICG Illinois Central Electric #1194 (Fantrip)
Location: Chicago, Illinois (southbound on Exchange Avenue at 78th Street – South Chicago Branch)
Date: February 1976
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien
Illinois Central Electric car #1194 was built by Pullman in 1926. These cars were similar to those used on the Erie-Lackawanna in New Jersey. All the cars in the class were replaced by “Highliners” in the 1970s. The train we see here may have been on its final trip prior to retirement. Paul Jevert: “I.C. Railfans “Snowflake Special Feb. 1976″ Extra class lights displayed at location 77th and Exchange between Windsor Park and Cheltenham Stations doing a photo run-by with Engineer Jim McCorkle leaning out of cab door and talking to fans at Muskegon Ave. corner advising them that they will be picked up in that area after the reverse move under flag. No snowflakes for this particular annual charter. Curt Seeliger was the Conductor on the 8 car train, Collector Joe Szabo, with Suburban Trainmaster escort of the annual Event.” M. E. writes, “This view along Exchange Ave. shows a mainly residential area with some small stores. But further north, this branch ran east and west, in the middle of 71st St. for about 1.5 miles from Yates Ave. (2400 E.) to about Harper Ave. (1500 E.), where the branch joined the main Illinois Central line. That 1.5-mile stretch was another booming business area, called South Shore, centering at 71st and Jeffery Ave. (2000 E.) The residential area northeast of 71st and Jeffery, Jackson Park Highlands, is a beautiful area along the lines of Hyde Park and especially Kenwood, where some mansions dominate.”

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee #411 in New York City in May 1969. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “411 was built as a trailer observation car by Cincinnati Car in June 1923 (order) #2640. It was out of service in 1932. 411 (was converted to a coach) on February 25, 1943, and (was) sold to Trolley Museum of New York in 1963. It was sold to Wisconsin Electric Railway & Historical Society in 1973 and sold to Escanaba & Lake Superior in 1989.”

I did some restoration work on this medium format Ektachrome slide from April 1962, showing four Chicago Aurora and Elgin cars being moved off the property in Wheaton after the abandonment. Like some other early Ektachromes, this had unstable dyes and has shifted to red (due to fading of the other dye layers). We are looking to the northeast. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo) Bill Shapotkin adds, “It appears that this photo is of CA&E #11, 20, 316 and 317 enroute to what was then known as “RELIC” (now Fox River Trolley Museum) in South Elgin, IL.”

I restored a couple more of these medium format Ektachromes, taken by the late Robert D. Heinlein at the Chicago Aurora and Elgin yards in Wheaton after the abandonment. I just noticed these are date stamped January 1962. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “315 was built by Kuhlman Car Co in 1909, (job) #404. It was modernized at an unknown date and sold to Rockhill Trolley Museum in 1962.” Here, we see it boarded up for its journey to the east coast a few months later.

Here’s how they looked originally. Early Ektachrome film had unstable dyes. Apparently, only the red dye layer is stable, while the others have faded badly.
Fortunately, modern technology can often correct for this.

CTA “Baldie” 4220 is part of a Ravenswood “A” train leaving the LaSalle and Van Buren station on August 14, 1964. We are looking west. (Douglas N. Grotjahn Photo)

A four-car train of CTA “Plushies” 4000-series “L” cars is at Main Street in Evanston on October 21, 1968. Note only two trolley poles are used, one for each pair of cars. 4253 is the rear car here. (Douglas N. Grotjahn Photo)

On December 14, 1921, Chicago and West Towns Railways car #100 crashed through this barrier at 52nd Street (Laramie Avenue) and Ogden Avenue in suburban Cicero. This press photo was printed backwards, but I fixed that.

This picture of Philadelphia PCC streetcar #2565 was taken on June 27, 1973. Here’s what Cinema Treasures has to say about the Crest Theatre: The Crest Theatre opened November 23, 1937 on Rising Sun Avenue at Cheltenham Avenue to accommodate the late-1930’s housing expansion in the Lawncrest neighborhood of Philadelphia. The theatre was designed by Philadelphia architect David Supowitz in an Art Moderne style with an exterior of plastic and white glass (such as Vitrolite). The theatre seated 900. It opened for second and third run movies. By 1950 it was operated by the A.M. Ellis Theaters Co. chain.
Until closing, a big sign rhymed ‘Welcome. See the BEST at the CREST’. The Crest closed the week before Christmas in 1986 with “Star Trek IV” as its last feature film. The marquee said ‘FAREWELL’. By the time it closed, a new owner of the building planned to demolish it to construct retail. The Crest has been demolished, and a convenience store was constructed on the site.

The Fineview Line in Pittsburgh

Here are seven views of the Pittsburgh Railways Route 21 – Fineview line, taken by the late Jeffrey L. Wien shortly before it was abandoned. I found an excellent description of Fineview on trainorders.com:

Arguably the most unique streetcar line in North America was found in Pittsburgh, PA. Route 21-Fineview lasted until May 1, 1966. With a maximum 12 1/2% grade, Fineview also featured the steepest grade in Pittsburgh Railways’ system, if not the steepest in North America, as well.

21 Fineview originated in Downtown Pittsburgh. After traversing the 7th Street Bridge (in the latter years), and some shared track on the North Side, it became a very intimate, neighborly streetcar line, where passengers even had direct access to the streetcars from their front porches, driveways or private staircases. The summit was 455 feet above the downtown loop.

The last streetcar on the line was Interurban 1646, which followed the last scheduled car in the wee hours of May 1st, 1966. 1646 made the trip with its air horn blaring full blast, which even brought residents out to their front porches in their bathrobes to wave goodbye.

Due to its unique flavor, many streetcar charters found their way to this line during their trips.

Subject: Pittsburgh PAT PCC Streetcar Trolley #1624
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Route 21 Fineview – Carrie and Warren)
Date: April 30, 1966
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien

Subject: Pittsburgh PAT PCC Streetcar Trolley #1624
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Route 21 Fineview – Carrie and Waldren)
Date: April 30, 1966
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien

Subject: Pittsburgh PAT PCC Streetcar Trolley #1624
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Route 21 Fineview – Lanark and Catoma)
Date: April 30, 1966
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien

Subject: Pittsburgh PAT PCC Streetcar Trolley #1624
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Route 21 Fineview – Lanark and Cemetery)
Date: April 30, 1966
Photographer: Jeffrey L. Wien

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

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Two very rare, out of print North Jersey Recordings LPs, now digitally remastered on two CDs at a special price.

Total time – 46:15 (RWW) and 49:26 (V103)

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A Colorful Harvest

October 28, 2023October 29, 2023David Sadowski 9 Comments

CTA PCC 7213 is at the Clark-Arthur Loop in 1957, ready to head back south on Route 22 – Clark-Wentworth. The loop is still used by CTA buses, but the flowers have long since been replaced by asphalt. In the early morning hours of June 21, 1958, 7213 became the last Chicago streetcar to operate. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

Fall has arrived again, and with the season, the days grow shorter and the leaves turn all sorts of beautiful colors. It should only be fitting that this post should include lots of colorful shots of classic electric trains from all over the country. These are supplanted with some excellent black and white scenes.

Enjoy!

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,465 members.

Our Next Book Project

FYI, we are hard at work researching our next book about the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban. Although we already have thousands of images, we start out on these book projects with some of what we need, and then have to find the rest. Some have generously shared their images with us, and some we have to pay real money for. In case you would like to help contribute to this effort, either by sharing images or making a donation, we would like to hear from you. All contributors will be mentioned in the book, which will be dedicated to the memory of the late Robert D. Heinlein. The most difficult images to find are always the earliest ones. You can contact me via messenger, at thetrolleydodger@gmail.com or via my blog. I thank you for your time and consideration.

Robert D. Heinlein took this picture of CTA Met “L” car 2804 at the Laramie Avenue Yards on September 20, 1956. These wooden cars had been in use for 50 years on the various Met lines (Garfield Park, Douglas Park, Humboldt Park, and Logan Square), but were being phased out as more and more of the new 6000-series cars were delivered. The last wooden “L” car ran in regular service in November 1957 on the Kenwood line.

This picture was taken by Robert D. Heinlein on September 29, 1956, looking east from Asbury Avenue in Evanston. North Shore Line coach 738 is at the head of a westbound train. In the distance, you can see the former Ridge Avenue “L” station, which was used by Niles Center trains from 1925 to 1948. The station was later rented out to a business, but has long since been removed. CTA Yellow Line trains run here now. You can see why this was a favorite spot for photographers, but it was difficult to get a good shot here, due to the slow film speeds of the time (Kodachrome was ISO 10). Even with the lens wide open, shutter speeds were too slow to stop the motion of a train moving at speed. So the erstwhile shutterbug had no choice but to push the button while the train was still some distance away.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 307 at the Wheaton Yards in June 1961, after the abandonment. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “307 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906, It was modernized in July 1939.” It was not saved.

Pictures of South Side “L” cars on the center express track seem to be fairly rare, but here is one such train at 18th Street, looking north. The CTA stopped using the express track in 1949, when North-South service was revamped, with the closure of several stations, and A/B “skip stop” service was introduced. Not sure if this train is in service, or is just being stored here. I asked our resident south side expert M. E. about this photo, and here’s what he has to say: “This photo is a mystery.
You might think these L cars are being stored on the middle track. You might also think they are in service. Which is it?
Notice the white flags at both ends of the front porch. I think white flags indicate an extra section of a particular run. At least that was true about steam and diesel engines. But I would have to think the L used the same white flag system.
I would think there would be a destination placard hanging somewhere on the front of the first car. I see no such thing in the picture.
So which route would this train be on? Maybe, just maybe, it was a Shopper’s Special, which ran express between the Loop and Indiana Ave. If it is a Shopper’s Special, where is the destination placard? There would be no need for that placard if the train was running northbound. Then maybe the white flags indicate the end, rather than the beginning, of a train.
Or, because it has three cars, maybe it was an Englewood-bound train. I say this because a third car (either south- or northbound) would have been the Normal Park L car that was attached/detached from mainline Englewood service at 63rd and Harvard. (But, again, no destination placard!)
Whichever route it was on, this train was slapped together with different kinds of cars. The second and third cars are 4000-series from the 1920s, which had no porch. So this is a mixed consist. Mainline north/south trains were the Rapid Transit Company’s pride and joy. They would not have sullied those trains with mixed consists.
But if this train was simply being stored there, the question is why? Perhaps it was put there to be used later in the day starting in the Loop, then heading south. Maybe, once in use, it would display a destination placard.
If indeed the train was to be used later starting in the Loop, this middle track at 18th St. would likely have been the
storage track closest to the Loop. Yes, there were three tracks through the Roosevelt L station, but those tracks were used to store North Shore cars between runs.
There is a train in the background as well. I believe it is also sitting on the middle track, which would make it a North Shore train in storage.
Another question is, when was this photo taken? As you mentioned, after September 1949, with the advent of skip-stop service, no trains used the middle track. Also, looking at the trackage north of 18th St., I don’t see a ramp down into the State St. subway. The subway opened in 1943, and the ramp would have been constructed earlier than that, so this photo was probably taken no later than around 1940.
In conclusion: This train is a mystery.”

Under normal circumstances, Chicago Rapid Transit trains did not go down city streets like streetcars, but during World War II, they were sometimes used for troop movements on the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee. Here is a four-car train of 4000-series cars on Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette.

Long before the CTA Skokie Swift (today’s Yellow Line), there was the Niles Center “L” branch. It ran to Dempster Street in Skokie from 1925 to 1948, but as the area was just starting to be developed, there wasn’t much ridership.

“Saturday afternoon, January 30, 1954: Stub end of Normal Park “L’ (on 69th Street, east of Halsted), taken shortly after closing of branch.” Until the CTA Dan Ryan line opened in 1969, this was the farthest south the “L” went. Now the Red Line will be extended to 130th Street. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

We are looking west from the North Shore Line station in Libertyville in January 1963, the month of the abandonment.

A 1926 view of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin’s Wheaton Yard.

An early postcard view of the Aurora Elgin and Chicago (predecessor of the CA&E) yard in Wheaton. This may be from the World War I era as there only seem to be wood cars present.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 453 in its original paint scheme, which was somewhat different than how it looked later on. In particular, lettering was done in Futura, a modern font, as the ten cars 451-460 were the most modern CA&E ever had. Delivered in late 1945, this was 18 years after their previous new car order. 453 is now at the Illinois Railway Museum, where it is being restored to this classic look. The car behind it is 451, which IRM also has.

Two views of Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 10, both likely from the same Central Electric Railfans’ Association fantrip, circa 1939 or so. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “10 was built by Niles Car in 1902. It was rebuilt with a baggage compartment in 1910. It was later removed, but then reinstalled in April 1933 for funeral service. It was wrecked September 10, 1948, and scrapped.”

The late Charles L. Tauscher took this picture of CTA red Pullman 144 on one of those latter day Chicago streetcar fantrips. I am not sure of the location, but the film was processed in June 1958, which would imply this is South Shops at 77th and Vincennes (and the car on the right has a 1958 Illinois license plate). By that time, there was just one streetcar line left– Wentworth on the south side. 144 is now at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric 303 was built by St Louis Car in 1924, (order) #1306. In 1936 it was sold to CI/SHRT as 303 and in 1954 it was sold to CP&SW (Columbia Park and Southwestern, aka Trolleyville USA) as 303. It was sold to Northern Ohio Railway Museum in 2009.” Here, we see it in Cleveland (Shaker Heights Rapid Transit) on October 23, 1954.

This is certainly a view of the Stock Yards “L” that I have not seen before. Robert D. Heinlein took this picture on September 28, 1957, not long before the branch was abandoned. Note the unique single-track operation here, unlike anything else on the system. CTA wood car #2906 is at the Armour station, which the photographer noted was located at Racine Avenue (1200 W.) and 43rd Street. The Union Stock Yards was already in an irreversible decline by this point, and would close for good in 1971. The “L” ran in a loop through the yards and back to the main line station at 40th and Indiana Avenue. It always operated as a shuttle, except possibly when there was a major event at the International Amphitheater. Our resident south side expert M. E. writes, “Your last sentence says “It always operated as a shuttle, except possibly when there was a major event at the International Amphitheater.” I respectfully disagree about the “major event” part. At 40th and Indiana, the Stock Yards L approached Indiana Ave. from the west. Mainline trains from downtown also approached Indiana Ave. from the west. The Stock Yards and mainline tracks ran parallel. Switches that connected the Stock Yards line and the mainline were also west of the Indiana Ave. station. Any mainline train from downtown, if it were to offer direct service to the International Amphitheater, would have to change direction, negotiate the switches, and head west on the Stock Yards line. I think this would have been a clumsy if not dangerous practice — perhaps requiring a motorman at each end of the mainline train — and it would have delayed L traffic on both the mainline and Stock Yards line. Ergo, I can’t imagine a direct connection from downtown to the Stock Yards line. But if a mainline train came into Indiana from the south, such a “transfer” would have been possible. A mainline train would first stop at Indiana, then proceed to the switches and move to the Stock Yards line, probably with minimal disruption to both lines. Still, it would not have been worth doing, because of much less L patronage from the south versus from downtown. A Stock Yards shuttle train usually had only one car, but for special events at the International Amphitheater, the Rapid Transit Company ran two-car trains, sometimes using the newer 4000-series cars for more capacity.”

CTA PCC 4391 is northbound on Wentworth Avenue at 40th Street in June 1958, the last month of service. That’s the old Stockyards “L”, which had been abandoned the previous year and would soon be removed. Everything to the right here has now been replaced by the Dan Ryan expressway. Car 4391 was the only postwar PCC saved, and is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. (Charles L. Tauscher Photo)

A group of sailors boards a northbound North Shore Line train at Adams and Wabash on the Loop “L” on September 4, 1961.

And here’s the view looking the other way, as North Shore Line Silverliner 761 enters the Milwaukee Terminal at 6th and Clybourn. This negative was undated, but from the automobiles, I would say this is circa 1957.

“Electroliner at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, entering station from street with policeman directing traffic, June 18, 1962.”

I realize this is not the greatest picture, but it does show the CTA Forest Park Terminal as it looked on June 27, 1958. We are looking north, as the Abell-Howe company was located at 7747 W. Van Buren Street. The yard was being rebuilt at the time, in conjunction with construction of the Congress expressway nearby (now the Eisenhower). This work carried over into the following year. Six days before this picture was taken, the new Congress rapid transit line had opened as far west as Cicero Avenue in the highway median. West of there, there were temporary tracks. The new alignment went into use in 1960. This slide was shot on Anscochrome film, which was cheaper and inferior to Kodachrome. In the close-up, you can see how grainy it is, making it look similar to an Impressionist painting. The difference is that Kodachrome was basically black-and-white film, where the colors were added in the development process, while Anscochrome, Ektachrome, and Fujichrome have the colors built into the film.

North Shore Line 761 is at the head of a three-car train of Silverliners in North Chicago. (G. Millen Photo) This was scanned from one of those early Ektachrome slides that has faded to red. This time, we were able to restore the colors pretty well.

I recently received this real photo postcard and did some restoration work on it. I would say it dates to around 1907, as there are areas on both the front and back where people can write messages. 1907 was the first year when the post office allowed messages on the backs. There is a document visible in the picture from the Metropolitan West Side Elevated in Chicago. Given the presence of railroad lanterns, this is likely a behind the scenes view of one of the early “L” companies, which began service in 1895.

Here is a classic red border Kodachrome view of a Chicago and North Western steam-powered “scoot” circa 1955, just leaving North Western station in downtown Chicago. E class 658 was built in 1922. The 4-6-2’s original number was 1658. Bill Shapotkin adds, “The photo was taken in Chicago at Clinton St Tower — where the West Line (Galena Division) splits from the North (Milwaukee Division) and Northwest (Wisconsin Division) Lines. The train at right is an outbound Northwest Line Train. The train at left MAY be backing into Northwestern Station (hard to tell). View looks E-S/E. Photo taken pre-Oct 1956 (when steam last operated on the C&NW).”

Here is a classic April 1968 view of PTSC Red Arrow Lines Rail Bus #409. The Rail Bus was an attempt by Merritt H. Taylor Jr., head of the privately owned Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company (aka Red Arrow Lines) to create a vehicle that could operate via railroad tracks and ordinary streets. There were two such buses adapted in the 1967-68 experiment. 409 was standard gauge and 410 was Pennsylvania wide gauge. 409 operated on the Norristown High-Speed Line. Ultimately, the experiment was not successful, and Red Arrow was sold to a public agency (SEPTA) in 1970. (F. I. Goldsmith, Jr. Photo)

NYCTA Rapid Transit Lo-V #5466
Location: New York City (Near Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island Terminal)
Date: November 14, 1965
Photographer: Unknown
Here is a classic view of a New York City Lo-V subway train, operated by the New York City Transit Authority. The landmark Brooklyn Union gas holder is also visible in the picture. The occasion seems to be a farewell fantrip for the Lo-Vs. These cars were built by American Car & Foundry in 1924 for the IRT (Interborough Rapid Transit Company).
From the Wikipedia:
“Low-V” is short for “Low Voltage”, which refers to the cars’ form of propulsion control. Earlier Composite and “High-V” (High Voltage) equipment that ran on the IRT had utilized a 600 volt DC circuit that ran directly through the motorman’s master controller to control the car’s propulsion. The 600 volts was also trainlined through the whole train by the use of high voltage jumper cables, which had to be run between cars. However, the Low-V equipment used battery voltage (32 volts) in the motor control circuit to move high voltage (600 volts) contacts underneath the car, which would control the car’s propulsion. Likewise, it would no longer be necessary to use 600 volt jumpers between cars. This tremendously improved the safety of the equipment for both train crews and shop personnel alike.
Today’s operator, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, has retained a set of Lo-Vs, which are used for special occasions, such as opening day at Yankee Stadium. Car 5466 is now at the Branford Electric Railway Association in Connecticut.

New Orleans streetcars have a long history, going back to 1835, when horsecars were first put into service. The St. Charles line has operated continuously since then, except for a period after Hurricane Katrina. The streetcars pictured here (972 and 836) were built in the 1920s by the Perley A. Thomas company. This picture was taken on June 7, 1960 by noted railfan photographer Clark Frazier.

Subject: Boston Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority PCC Streetcar #3173
Location: Boston, MA
Date: January 22, 1978
Photographer: Clark Frazier
Boston PCC 3173 was built in 1945 by Pullman-Standard. The MBTA still operates a few PCCs on the Ashmont-Mattapan line.
A blizzard paralyzed Boston in January 1978, and this picture shows a trolley stranded in the snow. It looks like the operator is having lunch.

Subject: SF Muni Cable Car #521
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: 1956
Photographer: Clark Frazier
This is an excellent vintage picture of San Francisco’s famous cable cars.

Subject: SF Muni Magic Carpet #1003
Location: San Francisco, CA
Date: June 13, 1960
Photographer: Clark Frazier
San Francisco’s “Magic Carpets” 1001-1005 were double-ended streetcars, similar to PCCs but with somewhat different components, built in 1939 for the Municipal Railway. They were used in service until 1959. #1003, seen here, was the only survivor and it went to the Western Railway Museum, where it is today. Here it is shown prepared for the move.

Subject: CTA State of the Art Car on the Skokie Swift
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date: February 1, 1975
Photographer: George J. Adler
From the Wikipedia:

The State-of-the-Art Car (SOAC) was a heavy rail mass transit demonstrator vehicle produced for the United States Department of Transportation’s Urban Mass Transportation Administration in the 1970s. It was intended to demonstrate the latest technologies to operating agencies and the riding public, and serve to promote existing and proposed transit lines. A single married pair was produced by the St. Louis Car Company in 1972. It operated in intermittent revenue service on six rapid transit systems in five United States cities between May 1974 and January 1977. Since 1989, the two cars have been on display at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.

This is a classic view of the SOAC on the Chicago Transit Authority’s Skokie Swift (aka Yellow Line). This was the only line it could be used on due to clearance issues, as it was wider than regular “L” cars.

Subject: The Milwaukee Road
Location: Pacific Northwest
Photographer: Unknown
Date: August 1971 (processing date)
In the early 1900s, the Milwaukee Road electrified over 600 miles of freight trackage in the northwestern United States. Use of electric locos ended in 1974. This was a very picturesque, if not a profitable, operation. Large parts of it were eventually abandoned. M. E. adds, “Your caption mentions freight trackage. Passenger trains used this line too, particularly the flagship Olympian Hiawatha. The electric locomotives in the picture were called Little Joes (after Joseph Stalin) because they were originally intended to go to Russia, but the U.S. government negated the shipment. The Chicago, South Shore and South Bend also had some Little Joes. By the way, the Milwaukee Road used electric locos to go through tunnels safely. There was a second section of electrified trackage in Washington State as well.”

Subject: The Milwaukee Road E45 B-C-A
Location: Pacific Northwest
Photographer: Unknown
Date: October 2, 1971

Subject: The Milwaukee Road E74
Location: Three Forks, Montana (West end of yard)
Photographer: Bruce Black
Date: September 4, 1973

Subject: Milwaukee and Suburban Transport Trolley Bus 526
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Route 18 @ 92nd and Lapham)
Date: 1960s
Photographer: Unknown
Milwaukee operated trolley buses from 1936 until 1965. These were also known locally as trackless trolleys. This picture was taken in the 1960s. #526 was built by Marmon-Herrington in 1946-47 for the Indianapolis system. It was sold to Milwaukee in 1957, which helps date the picture.

Subject: Milwaukee and Suburban Transport Trolley Bus #351
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date: 1960s
Photographer: Unknown
#351 was built by Marmon-Herrington in 1947.

Subject: Milwaukee and Suburban Transport Trolley Bus 526
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date: 1960s
Photographer: Unknown
#526 was built by Marmon-Herrington in 1946-47 for the Indianapolis system. It was sold to Milwaukee in 1957, which helps date the picture.

Subject: Milwaukee and Suburban Transport Trolley Bus #521
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Date: 1960s
Photographer: Unknown
#521 was built by Marmon-Herrington in 1946-47 for the Indianapolis system. It was sold to Milwaukee in 1957, which helps date the picture.

Subject: Chicago CTA Flxible Bus #3122
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Route 29 on State Street at Van Buren Street)
Date: August 16, 1978
Photographer: Unknown
CTA Flxible Bus 3122 was built in 1965. Here it is shown during construction of the ill-fated State Street Mall, which opened in 1979. The mall has since been removed.

Subject: PTC Peter Witt #8490
Location: Philadelphia (Route 55 – Willow Grove)
Date: September 15, 1957
Photographer: Unknown
Here is a classic view of a Philadelphia Transportation Company Peter Witt car. Philadelphia had 535 Peter Witt streetcars in all, built by Brill between 1923 and 1926. They were all retired from regular service by the end of 1957.

In November 1966 (processing date), CTA trolley bus 9551 is at the west end of the line for Route 73 – Armitage (at Latrobe). Glenn Anderson and Richard Kunz are among the group of people boarding the bus. Since the last Armitage trolley bus ran on October 15, 1966, that might be the occasion and would help date the slide.

Subject: Shaker Heights Rapid Transit ex-Toronto PCC 4663
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Date: January 21, 1979
Photographer: Unknown
Greater Cleveland RTA 4663 was built by Pullman-Standard in 1946, for the Cleveland Transit System as #4233. It was sold to Toronto in 1952. In 1978 the RTA, short on cars prior to delivery of its new LRVs, repurchased this car and several others and operated them on the Shaker Heights line for a short time. The body of 4663 has been on a farm since 1982.

Subject: SF Muni XT40 Trolley Bus #5761
Location: San Francisco, California (Route 1 – California, at Sacramento and Fillmore)
Date: June 7, 2019
Photographer: Peter Ehrlich
SF Muni XT40 Trolley Bus 5761 was built by New Flyer circa 2017-2019.

Subject: GM&O Diesel Loco #100
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Date: September 1970
Photographer: Kutta
Here is a classic view of a Gulf Mobile and Ohio diesel train in the months prior to the Amtrak takeover.
From Railroad Pictures Archives:
“Built in May 1946 (c/n 3218) on EMD Order E660 as Alton 100, it became GM&O 100 in 1947 and was sold for scrap in March 1975.”

Subject: Metra #52 Diesel Loco
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Date: June 1977
Photographer: Joseph R. Quinn
Here is a classic view of a Metra commuter train in Chicago, having just left Union Station. You can see a Chicago “L” train in the background.

Subject: Boston MBTA Snowplow Streetcar #5138
Location: Boston, MA
Date: January 22, 1978
Photographer: Clark Frazier
Boston MBTA Snowplow streetcar 5138 started out as a Type 3 car, built in 1908 by the St. Louis Car Company. It was retired in 2009 and is now at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine. A blizzard paralyzed Boston in January 1978, and this picture shows a snowplow trolley. It appears only one track was in service.

Here is a “before and after” view of the Twin Peaks Tunnel entrance in San Francisco, with the two views taken 25 years apart:

Subject: SF Muni Iron Monster Streetcar #184 (and PCC 1024)
Location: San Francisco, CA (at the entrance to the Twin Peaks Tunnel)
Date: June 22, 1954
Photographer: J. W. Vigrass
Muni bought 125 of these cars from the long-vanished Jewett Car Co. in Ohio and put them to work hauling passengers to the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition. The cars were big – 47 feet long – and heavy – 24 tons each – and famously slow. They were painted battleship gray at first and then green and cream. San Franciscans called them “Iron Monsters.” They were all retired by 1958. A few were saved by museums and by the Municipal Railway.

Subject: SF Muni PCC #1168
Location: San Francisco, CA (West Portal, Twin Peaks Tunnel)
Date: December 7, 1979
Photographer: Clark Frazier
Muni PCC #1168 was built by the St. Louis Car Company in 1945 for St. Louis Public Service as car 1779. It came to San Francisco in 1961.

Subject: Southern Pacific SP #4449
Location: Port Costa, California
Date: June1984 (processing date)
Photographer: Greg Stadter
Here is an excellent original Kodachrome slide of a classic steam engine in action.
From the Wikipedia:

Southern Pacific 4449, also known as the Daylight, is the only surviving example of Southern Pacific Railroad’s “GS-4” class of 4-8-4 “Northern” type steam locomotives and one of only two GS-class locomotives surviving, the other being “GS-6” 4460 at the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, Missouri. GS is an abbreviation of “General Service” or “Golden State,” a nickname for California (where the locomotive was operated in regular service).
The locomotive was built by Lima Locomotive Works in Lima, Ohio for the Southern Pacific in May 1941; it received the red-and-orange “Daylight” paint scheme for the passenger trains of the same name which it hauled for most of its service career. No. 4449 was retired from revenue service in 1956 and put into storage. In 1958, the Southern Pacific donated the locomotive to the City of Portland, Oregon. The City then put the locomotive on static display near Oaks Amusement Park, where it remained until 1974.
After this, No. 4449 was then restored to operation for use in the American Freedom Train, which toured the 48 contiguous United States as part of the nation’s 1976 Bicentennial celebration. The locomotive has operated in excursion service since 1984.
The locomotive’s operations are now based at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland, Oregon where it is maintained by a non-profit group of volunteers named “The Friends of SP 4449”. In 1983, a poll of Trains magazine readers selected 4449 as being the most popular locomotive in the United States…
In 1984, 4449 pulled an all-Daylight-painted train from Portland via Los Angeles to New Orleans, Louisiana and back, to publicize the World’s Fair, with UP 8444 there too. The 7,477-mile (12,033 km) round trip was the longest steam train excursion in the history of the United States. However, this trip was not flawless. On June 11, No. 4449 was approaching Del Rio, Texas, still on its way to New Orleans, when the retention plate that holds the draw-bar pin in place somehow disconnected and fell in between the ties, allowing the tender and the entire consist to uncouple, while the locomotive accelerated all by itself. Fortunately, Doyle noticed this after checking the rear-view mirror and quickly applied the brakes. The locomotive backed-up, the fallen parts were recovered, the connections were quickly repaired, and No. 4449 and its consist proceeded to run only slightly behind schedule.

Subject: Southern Pacific SP #4449
Location: Portland Union Station
Date: April 26, 1981
Photographer: J. David Ingles

Subject: CTA Chicago “L” #4271-4272-1
Location: Chicago, Illinois (Wellington and Sheffield)
Date: January 9, 1994
Photographer: Gregory J. Sommers
CTA “L” car 1 was built in 1892 for the South Side Rapid Transit Company. Since this photo was taken, it was moved to the Chicago History Museum, where it is on display. CTA cars 4271 and 4272 were built in 1923 by the Cincinnati Car Company, and were the “state of the art” rapid transit cars of their time. They are part of the CTA Historical Fleet. M. E. adds, “Maybe THIS is the configuration of cars in the “mystery” photo at https://i0.wp.com/thetrolleydodger.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/aaf472a.jpg . And I appreciate Andris Kristopans’ thought that this train was awaiting a deadhead trip to Old Congress to start a southbound mainline trip in the afternoon rush. But that would mean, on the way south, the porch car led the train. That baffles me if the train was an Englewood train, because the detachable Normal Park-destined car (an older porch car in the 1930s and 1940s) was always at the rear. Either I am wrong, or the Rapid Transit Company occasionally put a porch car in the front — on an Englewood or Jackson Park train — and I never knew that. Here’s another thought: Maybe this picture was taken while the Rapid Transit Company was still getting new 4000-series cars, and at that time there were not enough 4000-series cars to form complete trains, so the porch car was still necessary. But the 4000-series cars arrived in the early 1920s. Could this photo be that old?”

Subject: Pittsburgh PAT PCC Streetcar #1729
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Route 42/38 – Mt. Lebanon-Beechview)
Date: June 1982 (processing date)
Photographer: Joseph P. Saitta
Pittsburgh PCC 1729 was built by the St. Louis Car company in 1949. It was later rebuilt and renumbered to 4007.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County took over Pittsburgh Railways in 1964. The last PCC ran in Pittsburgh in 1999. Over a period of years, Pittsburgh’s extensive streetcar system morphed into the light rail of today.

Subject: Philadelphia DRPA Bridge RT Car #1017
Location: Philadelphia (Fern Rock Yard)
Date: April 1968 (processing date)
Photographer: Gerald H. Landau
Streamlined rapid transit cars such as this one were used in Philadelphia from 1936 until 1968, when this service was replaced by the PATCO Speedline. Car 1017 does not appear to still exist, although a small number of sister cars have been saved.
From the Wikipedia:

The Delaware River Bridge, now the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, was designed to accommodate both rail and road traffic. When it opened on July 1, 1926, it had two outboard structures beside the main roadway for rail and space for two streetcar tracks (never installed) on the main road deck. Construction of the rail line did not begin until 1932, and the Bridge Line opened on June 7, 1936. Relatively short, it only had four stations: 8th Street and Franklin Square in Philadelphia, and City Hall and Broadway in Camden. Connection was available to the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines at Broadway.
In Philadelphia, the line joined the 1932-opened Broad-Ridge Spur just west of Franklin Square and shared its 8th Street/Market Street station. An underground tunnel continuing south following 8th Street then west following Locust Street to 18th Street, had been started in 1917 as part of plans for a Center City subway loop. The shell of this 8th–Locust Street subway was completed, but not outfitted for passenger service, in 1933. Beginning in June 1949, Bridge Line and Ridge Spur services were through-routed, providing one-seat service between Girard station and Camden. Construction on the 8th–Locust Street subway resumed in 1950. Bridge Line service was extended to 15–16th & Locust station, with intermediate stations at 12–13th & Locust station and 9–10th & Locust station, on February 14, 1953. This section is owned by the City of Philadelphia and leased by PATCO.
Extension to Lindenwold
Despite the extension, Bridge Line ridership was limited by high fares and not extending east of Camden. In January 1954, due to low ridership on the extension, off-peak service and Saturday again began operating between Girard and Camden, with a shuttle train operating between 8th and 16th stations. Sunday service was suspended west of 8th Street at that time due to minimal usage. By 1962, only 1,900 daily passengers boarded the line west of 8th Street.
To facilitate the construction of extensions in Southern New Jersey, the states expanded the powers of the Delaware River Joint Commission (which owned the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the New Jersey portion of the Bridge Line), rechristening it as the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA) in 1951. The agency commissioned Parsons, Brinckerhoff, Hall & MacDonald to study possible rapid transit services for South Jersey; Parsons, Brinckerhoff’s final report recommended building a new tunnel under the Delaware and three lines in New Jersey. Route A would run to Moorestown, Route B to Kirkwood (now Lindenwold), and Route C to Woodbury Heights. A later study by Louis T. Klauder & Associates recommended using the Bridge Line instead to reach Philadelphia and suggested building Route B first, as it had the highest potential ridership.
Over the weekend of August 23 to 27, 1968, the Ridge Spur was connected to a new upper-level terminal platform at 8th Street station to allow conversion of the Bridge Line into the “High-Speed Line”. Bridge Line service was split into 16th Street–8th Street and 8th Street–Camden segments during the conversion, with a cross-platform transfer at 8th Street. Bridge Line service was suspended on December 29, 1968, for final conversion of the line. Service from Lindenwold station to Camden along former Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines trackage began on January 4, 1969; full service into Center City Philadelphia over the bridge began on February 15, 1969. The Lindenwold extension cost $92 million.

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

New Compact Disc Titles, Now Available:

HFIH
Hi-Fi Iron Horse
Price: $15.99

Total time – 50:49

TSOS
The Sound of Steam
Reading 2124
Price: $19.99

Three very rare, out of print North Jersey Recordings LPs, now digitally remastered on two CDs at a special price.

Total time – 69:54 (Disc 1) and 61:20 (Disc 2)

RWW-V103
Rods, Wheels, and Whistles
Voice of the 103
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Two very rare, out of print North Jersey Recordings LPs, now digitally remastered on two CDs at a special price.

Total time – 46:15 (RWW) and 49:26 (V103)

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CA&E Rarities

October 1, 2023February 2, 2025David Sadowski 16 Comments

I recently purchased a medium format color negative, showing a three-car Chicago Aurora and Elgin train (cars 455, 420, and 424) at the Forest Park Terminal, some time between 1953 and 1957. The interurban ended here then, and riders had to change trains and take the CTA downtown.
Color negative film was much less popular, apparently, than color slides when this picture was taken. In general, color quality and sharpness was not as good. In this case, there are variations in color based on the uneven fading of the colored film base over nearly 70 years. Colored film base was added to negatives to keep the film from becoming too contrasty. Since making a print from a negative is a two-step process, contrast is naturally increased when a print is made. When prints are made from slides, there is also an increase in contrast, but in the computer age, these issues are much more manageable. We are looking to the northeast.

The Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban is the subject of our next book. We will leave no stone unturned, in our efforts to make the best possible book for our readers. Today, we are featuring just a few of the pictures we have collected for possible inclusion. Many of these are vintage CA&E company photos.

The high temperature was 70 degrees (low 57) with lots of sun in Chicago on Monday, April 18, 1938. The CA&E was in receivership at this time and would not emerge from bankruptcy until after World War II. Apparently, the receiver needed detailed documentation of the railroad’s facilities. A photographer, armed with an 8×10 view camera, was dispatched to take lots of pictures, which are now important historic artifacts.

Between 1923 and 1989, the very best view cameras were made by L.F. Deardorff & Sons Inc.. Here, I have a bit of personal history. I got to visit their shop just west of Chicago’s Loop a few times during the 1980s making deliveries. Everything they did was made by hand, using the finest possible materials, including exotic woods from Central America.

For much of the 20th century, Chicago was home to various catalog houses such as Sears, Roebuck and Company, Montgomery Wards, and many others. Several large local studios handled much of the product photography work. Eventually, this went into a decline. When Kranzten Studios went out of business in the late 1980s, their large inventory of Deardorff cameras hit the market and killed the demand for new ones. The company never recovered, although there are still other firms making view cameras today.

We also have many other new recent photo finds for your enjoyment. We recently received the gift of 41 original color slides from David Church, for which we are very grateful. A few of these appear here, and the rest will turn up in future posts. Mr. church says he purchased these 50 years ago or more.

Finally, we have three new CD titles of digitally remastered railroad audio now available. Four of the five discs are from steam recordings made in the late 1950s and early 1960s by North Jersey Recordings. This adds to our already extensive collections of train sounds from the Railroad Record Club and many others. You will find more details at the end of this post.

Keep those cards and letters coming in.

Enjoy!

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,445 members.

Our Next Book Project

This is a picture of Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric car 305, signed for Elgin. FYI, we are hard at work researching our next book about the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban. Although we already have thousands of images, we start out on these book projects with some of what we need, and then have to find the rest. Some have generously shared their images with us, and some we have to pay real money for. In case you would like to help contribute to this effort, either by sharing images or making a donation, we would like to hear from you. All contributors will be mentioned in the book, which will be dedicated to the memory of the late Robert D. Heinlein. The most difficult images to find are always the earliest ones. You can contact me via messenger, at thetrolleydodger@gmail.com or via my blog. I thank you for your time and consideration.

CA&E Rarities

Here is a picture of car 310, taken by Robert A. Selle during a CERA fantrip on August 8, 1954. “State Road station near Wheaton, Ill.” However, it actually looks like Glen Oak, which was adjacent to a golf course.

The Prince Crossing CA&E station, looking west on April 18, 1938.

CA&E 430, built by Cincinnati Car Company in 1927.

CA&E 410 on January 30, 1927. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “410 was built by Pullman in 1923.” Sister car 409 is at the Illinois Railway Museum.

CA&E 303. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “303 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906. It was modernized in March 1945 and sold to Trolleyville USA in 1962. It was sold to Connecticut Trolley Museum in December 2009.”

A CA&E storage room at Wheaton, circa 1927.

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “3004 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in April 1924, #57717. It was rebuilt in 1930 and scrapped in August 1963. 3003 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in September 1923, #57070. It was rebuilt in 1930 and scrapped in August 1963.” From the number on this company photo, this picture may date to 1927.

This looks like the CA&E paint shop at Wheaton on April 18, 1938.

The inspection pit at the Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938.

Not sure of this location, but the date is April 18, 1938. Derek (no last name) writes: “The section of unknown CA&E trackage with the two bridges is on the the Batavia branch just before the power house. It’s crossing under the CB&Q line.” Bill Shapotkin: “This photo looks W/B on the Batavia Branch, just (timetable east) of Glenwood Park. The first bridge is the CB&Q. The second bridge is Illinois State Route 25.”

The Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938.

I’m not sure where this freight train is in the picture, or just what those people are doing on the nearby hill. Jason Learakos notes, “The photo with the freight train at the hill with people on it, with the “End Of Block” sign is Lakewood on the Elgin branch. The hill is from the embankment of the nearby road overpass.”

The CA&E yard just west of Laramie Avenue in Chicago on April 18, 1938. We are looking east.

CA&E 410.

CA&E control trailer 701. The interurban had a car shortage in the 1930s, as suburban business grew, and ended up purchasing several cars from an east coast property that had surplus. The ends were modified to fit the tight clearances on the Chicago “L”, and the cars were given a somewhat more modern appearance. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “701 was built by Cincinnati Car Co in 1913 as WB&A (Washington Baltimore and Annapolis) 81. It was sold as CA&E 701 in 1938.”

We are at the Spring Road station in Elmhurst on April 18, 1938, looking east.

Again, not sure where we are here, but the date is April 18, 1938. Jerry Hund: “I believe the unidentified station is Taylor St. in Glen Ellyn.”

CA&E wood car 52. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “52 was built by Stephenson in 1903. It was modernized in January 1941 and retired in 1955.”

The Wheaton Yards on April 18, 1938.

The Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938.

Wolf Road in Hillside on April 18, 1938.

The Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938.

The view looking west from County Line Road in Elmhurst on July 13, 1931. This is the approximately where the Illinois Prairie Path crosses I-290 today.

A new station at Poplar Avenue in Elmhurst is dedicated on November 28, 1931. The City of Elmhurst had petitioned the railroad to add a station here, because it was expected to generate much ridership. The railroad wanted to move the nearby Stratford Hills station, which had low ridership. As it turned out, Stratford Hills did not close until 1943.

CA&E 105. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “105 was built by Stephenson in 1903. It was modernized in August 1940 and retired in 1955.”

CA&E 416 at the Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938. It was built by Pullman in 1923.

CA&E 10. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “10 was built by Niles Car in 1902. It was rebuilt with a baggage compartment in 1910. It was later removed, but then reinstalled in April 1933 for funeral service. It was wrecked September 10, 1948, and scrapped.”

CA&E 315. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “315 was built by Kuhlman Car Co in 1909, (order) #404. It was modernized at an unknown date and sold to Rockhill Trolley Museum in 1962.”

CA&E 602. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “In 1937, the CA&E needed additional equipment. Much was available, but most of the cars suffered from extended lack of maintenance. Finally, 5 coaches were found on the Washington Baltimore & Annapolis which were just the ticket. 35 thru 39, built by Cincinnati Car in 1913, were purchased and remodeled for service as 600 thru 604. The ends were narrowed for service on the El. They had been motors, but came out as control trailers. Other modifications included drawbars, control, etc. A new paint scheme was devised. Blue and grey with red trim and tan roof was adopted from several selections. They entered service between July and October in 1937. 602 was built by Cincinnati Car Co in 1913 as WB&A 37. It was sold as CA&E 602 in August 1937 and burned in 1952.”

CA&E 209. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “Five cars were built by Niles in late 1904 and were similar to the earlier Niles cars except that they were 4 feet longer and included a toilet compartment. There were four coaches, 201,203, 205, and 207, and a deluxe buffet-parlor car “Carolyn”. The coaches were motorized using 2 motors each from the earlier cars which had been delivered as 4 motor cars. “Carolyn” was built by Niles Car in 1904. It was rebuilt as 209, a trailer coach, in 1924 and rebuilt in May 1939. It was retired in 1959.”

The Wheaton Yards on April 18, 1938.

A CA&E storage area, presumably at the Wheaton Yards, circa 1927.

CA&E 436 at the Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “305 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906. It was wrecked and rebuilt in 1923 as 600, a buffet-parlor car. It was again rebuilt in 1929 as a coach to match the other 400s and numbered 436. It was scrapped in 1954.”

The Wheaton Shops on April 18, 1938.

CA&E435. From the Wikipedia: “435, 436 were wood body coaches rebuilt in 1929 from parlor-buffet cars #600 and #601. They were originally Florence and #305, mechanical sisters built by Niles in 1906.”

CA&E 319. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “319 was built by Jewett Car Co in 1914. It was modernized at an unknown date and sold to Columbia Park & Southwestern (Trolleyville USA) in 1962. It was resold to IRM in December 2009.”

A view looking east from the 25th Avenue station platform on April 18, 1938. You can see the shadow of the photographer’s camera in the lower left hand corner. Most likely, either 4×5 or 8×10 sheet film was used in a view camera, possibly a Deardorff (which would have been made in Chicago). In the distance, you can see a gas holder located in forest Park, just east of first Avenue. One platform extension is turned up. These could be flipped to allow for the clearance of freight trains, which were wider than CA&E and “L” cars. When a freight train passed this and other high-level stations, which were required by the “L” cars of Garfield Park and Westchester trains, someone standing on the front of the loco would flip these up, and someone on the back of the train would flip them back down.

A Deardorff 8x10 view camera, known as model V8. These were produced from the 1923 until 1989.

A Deardorff 8×10 view camera, known as model V8. These were produced from the 1923 until 1989.

An unknown location, possibly on the Aurora branch, on April 18, 1938. Jason Learakos adds, “The unknown picture on the Aurora branch is actually on the Batavia branch, looking West from Raddant Road, facing the Fox River. You can see the two Batavia Powerhouse funnels in the distance, so this is definitely the Batavia branch. Based on the shape of the curve, this is Raddant.”

Recent Finds

An early excursion to Ravinia Park on the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (called the North Shore Line starting in 1916). Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “118 thru 127 were built by Jewett Car in 1906. They were the first of the 52 foot cars which then set the standard for all following cars. Since they were wider than later cars, they never could operate into Chicago on the Elevated. They were rebuilt in 1914 with toilets and train doors. Since they could only be used on locals, they were retired as steel cars became available and most had been out of service for some time previous. 118 was built by Jewett Car in 1906 and retired in 1927.”

This and the next photo: CTA postwar PCC 4364 is at the new loop at 63rd Place and Narragansett on July 30, 1948. It doesn’t have a destination sign at front, and the side sign says Clark-Wentworth, which is nowhere near here. Perhaps it was here to pose for pictures. There is also prewar PCC 4005, operating on Route 63 – 63rd Street. The Clearing neighborhood has become completely built up here since, and while there is still a bus turnaround here, it was reduced in size to make room for a new public library.

North Shore Line 178 on the Mundelein branch west of Knollwood. (David Church collection)

Silverliner 742 is at the head of a two-car train in March 1961. Might this be in Wisconsin? (David Church collection) Nick Jenkins writes: “I believe the photo was taken from Howard Ave overpass in Milwaukee. The spur in the background would be the Austin Ave Team Track. The little green dot (in the trees) would be Sig 813 and the bridge over the Milwaukee Road is barely visible at the top edge of the photo.”

Silverliner 774, plus two, on the Skokie Valley Route in June 1960. (David Church collection)

There is only a span of a few years (1948-51) when this picture of CTA trolley bus 146 could have been taken, heading south on Central Avenue at Irving Park Road. The CTA took over from CSL and CRT on October 1, 1947, and new emblems did not start appearing on vehicles until the following year. Then, in the early 1950s, CTA renumbered all their trolley buses by adding a “9” in front of existing numbers, to eliminate duplicate numbers with the rest of the bus fleet. The entrance to Portage Park is at right. While the bus is operating on Central Avenue, that was Route 85, and this bus is signed for Route 55A. That seems to have run on Elston Avenue a bit north of here as an extension of the Central route, starting at Lawrence Avenue (4800 N), and ending at Holbrook Street in Norwood Park. Trolleybus service on Route 55A ended on January 21, 1951, which also helps date the picture. Trolley buses continued to run on Central until 1970. This model T40 bus was built circa 1930-31 by American Car Company.

Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 6234 is on 43rd Street, based on the addresses visible on that very distinctive building. I get the impression we are in Bronzeville, but am not sure of the cross street, or if that building still exists. My guess is this picture was taken in the 1940s. 6234 was part of a series of Multiple Unit cars, intended to couple to others in the busy years of the 1920s. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “6234 was built by Lightweight Noiseless Streetcar Company in 1924. It was rebuilt (for) one-man service in 1932.” Mike Franklin: “Northeast corner of Cottage Grove Avenue and 43rd Street.” Our resident south side expert M. E. adds, “After doing some detective work, I conclude this picture is looking northeast at 43rd St. and Cottage Grove (800 East). Being so specific about the corner means knowing on which side of a street are even numbers, and which side are odd numbers. The Del-Mar Lunch place has an awning with the address 4257. That puts it just north of 43rd St., on the east side of the north/south street. At the far right of the photo is an optometrist’s store. I’m not positive, but I think I see the address 814. That puts the store on the north side of 43rd St., just east of Cottage Grove. The streetcar’s side sign says 43-Root. It is heading west on 43rd St., about to cross Cottage Grove Ave. The 43rd-Root route ran along 43rd St. from just west of the lake (Oakenwald Ave.) to State St., north to Root St. (4130 S.), then west to and across Halsted (800 W.) to a dead-end. The thing that astounds me is to see how many passengers are on the streetcar. I don’t think there was any major employer east of Cottage Grove along 43rd St. But there certainly was one at Root and Halsted — the International Amphitheater (at 42nd and Halsted). Another major employer was the Chicago Stock Yards, bounded by Ashland (1600 W.), 47th St., Halsted, and 39th St. (Pershing Rd.). To get from Root and Halsted into the Stock Yards proper, someone would have to get off the streetcar at Halsted, walk a little north to the Stock Yards L station at Halsted, then take the L into the yards. So I think we are seeing, on this streetcar, employees of either the Amphitheater or the Stock Yards going to work. An alternate way to get from the eastern end of the streetcar route to the Stock Yards would have been to take the Kenwood L (which also began at Oakenwald Av.) west to Indiana Ave., go over the pedestrian bridge spanning the north/south L tracks, and take the Stock Yards L (which began at Indiana Ave.) west to the stations inside the Stock Yards.”

The same location in 2017.

Chicago South Shore and South Bend electric locomotive 704 at South Bend, Indiana in 1961. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “704 was built by Alco-General Electric in June 1931, (order) #68271, 11194, as NYC 1243, Class R-2. It was renumbered 343 in August 1936 and sold to CSS&SB in 1955. It was rebuilt as 704 in 1956 and scrapped in April 1976.”

North Shore Line Silverliner 757 is at Adams and Wabash on the Loop “L” on September 4, 1961. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “757 was built by Standard Steel Car Co in 1930. It was modernized in 1949 and rebuilt as (a) Silverliner on March 16, 1956. It was sold to Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society in 1963 and resold to Illinois Railway Museum in 1988.”

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee 411 at Coney Island Yard in New York City in the mid-1960s, after the abandonment. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “411 was built as a trailer observation car by Cincinnati Car in June 1923 #2640. It was out of service in 1932. 411 It was rebuilt as a two motor coach by closing in the open platform and changing the seating on February 25, 1943, and sold to Trolley Museum of New York in 1963. It was sold to Wisconsin Electric Railway & Historical Society in 1973 and sold to Escanaba & Lake Superior in 1989.”

When I received this negative, no information came with it, but we are on the south side, most likely in the 1940s. Chicago Surface Lines car 5787 (I think that is the number) is on Through Route 5, Cottage Grove-South Chicago. This went to Ewing and 108th from April 10, 1927 until July 14, 1947, which does help date the photo. Car 5787 was known as a Nearside and was built by Brill in 1912. The cars of this type were retired circa 1946-47. The location is not known to me. Mike Franklin: “Building behind the car housed the Eastside Theater at 10555 S Ewing Ave, Chicago. Still standing.” Andre Kristopans: “He should be going two more blocks down Ewing to 108th and wye there.”

This circa 1909 postcard image, showing the first Aurora Elgin and Chicago train on the then-new branch to Geneva and St. Charles, appears to be based on a photograph but includes parts that are drawn in.

CTA Red Pullman 507 on the scrap line at South Shops on September 2, 1955. After the CTA took all the remaining red cars out of regular service in 1954, ten such cars were retained for emergency service. Of these, one car (460) became part of the CTA Historical Collection. Two were used in fantrips– 225, which Seashore Trolley Museum purchased in 1957, and 144, which went to the Illinois Electric Railway Museum. It’s not clear to me what the other seven cars were. 507 was built by in 1908/1909 for the Chicago City Railway and is known as a “Big Pullman.”

Chicago Surface Lines 3136 is eastbound on Lake Street on October 21, 1940, operating on Through Route 16. What was a Through Route? These were the first numbered routes, which operated over the tracks of more than one streetcar company. They were a step in the consolidation of these private companies into what became the Chicago Surface Lines in 1913. After heading downtown, this car would have gone south via State Street. This Through Route was discontinued on October 7, 1946. The Lake streetcar route also became Route 16 over time. It ran until 1954. CTA had to run narrow buses on this route due to clearances, and this bus route was discontinued in 1997. Dig the kid with the big ears. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “3136 was built by Brill Car Co in December 1922, #21686. It was rebuilt as one-man in 1949.” Here, you can see it is still a two-man car, as someone is entering from the rear.

CTA PCC 4405 is at South Shops after streetcar service ended in June 1958. This Ektachrome slide was very overexposed, and it was not possible to do a perfect job with the color. (David Church collection)

Chicago Aurora and DeKalb car 24 is in Kaneville, Illinois (north of Elgin) in this early photo. Service on this 29-mile interurban, which had a variety of names due to various reorganizations, began in 1906 and ended in 1923, when it was purchased by a scrap dealer and dismantled. The line was only electrified from 1910 on, which helps date the photo. Prior to that, gasoline powered cars were used.

Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric car 66 is on North Farnsworth Street in Aurora. Passenger service was abandoned on this interurban in 1935. A small portion remained for freight into the early 1970s. That section, in South Elgin, is now the trackage used by the Fox River Trolley Museum. Car 66 was built by the St. Louis Car Company in the mid-1920s and was used as a city streetcar by the AE&FRE. After the company was reorganized in the early 1920s, city service was largely handled by Birney cars, which were operated by one man and had but a single truck underneath.

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

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August 13, 2023February 9, 2024David Sadowski 2 Comments

North Shore Line car 154 makes a photo stop at the Glencoe gauntlet on a July 24, 1955 “farewell to the Shore Line Route” fantrip.

The Trolley Dodger blog reached another milestone on July 22, 2023, with one million page views. So, I am not exaggerating when I say thanks a million to all our readers over the last eight-and-a-half years!

We have a fine batch of classic traction photos for your enjoyment today. We acquired some of them as part of our research for our next book about the fabled Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban.

All this research does cost money, however, so we hop you will consider making a donation. You can find links to do just that at the top of this post, and also at the end. We thank everyone who has already contributed.

In addition, we have coverage of the Chicago Transit Authority‘s celebration of the 100th anniversary of Heritage cars 4271 and 4272, which gave rides around the Loop for several hours on July 29th.

Enjoy!

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,394 members.

100 Years of the CTA 4000s

To get downtown, I took an inbound Metra commuter train. Running on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe, it stops at the Riverside station on July 29, 2023.

The 4000s arrive at Washington and Wabash.

What it was like to ride the 4000s around the Loop.

The 4000s berthed at the south end of the Washington and Wabash platform, as the lines of people waiting to board were quite long.

CTA 2400-series cars, which were retired some years back, made up the other Heritage Fleet train being used that day.

The various advertising wraps on “L” trains break up the monotony of having everything be gray.

Fred Lonnes, a retired CTA employee, stands near the train.

The original plans were to make all stops around the Loop after the first few trips. But that had to be revised due to the large crowds. As far as I am aware, nearly all trips began and ended at Washington and Wabash.

Lots of pictures are videos were taken.

People were excited to ride the old cars.

There was a long line to ride the 4000s at Washington and Wabash.

Recent Finds

The miniature railway and electric wheel at Chicago’s White City amusement park, which was located on the south side on 63rd Street in the early 1900s.

The back of the postcard, mailed in 1909.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 320 makes a photo stop on an early “Railfan Special” fantrip, probably circa 1939-40. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “320 was built by Jewett Car Co in 1914. It was modernized at an unknown date and sold to Iowa Chapter NRHS in 1962. It was transferred to Midwest Electric Railway Museum in 1968.”

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 320 was the last to leave the property, and the first to return to service elsewhere. Here, it is in Centerville, Iowa (on the Southern Iowa Railway) on October 20, 1962. (Don Christenson Photo)

A group of Aurora Elgin and Chicago employees posed for a picture at the Dispatch Tower in Wheaton, circa 1920. The AE&C was reorganized into the CA&E in 1922.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 316 at the Fox River Trolley Museum on June 1, 1969. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “316 was built by Jewett Car Co in 1913. It was sold to Railway Equipment Leasing & Investment Co. in 1962 and transferred to Fox River Trolley Museum in 1984.” (Don Christenson Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 315 at Orbisonia, Pennsylvania on February 10, 1968. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “315 was built by Kuhlman Car Co in 1909, #404. It was modernized at an unknown date and sold to Rockhill Trolley Museum in 1962.” (William D. Volkmer Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin center cab locos 3003 and 3004 are in Elgin on July 15, 1954. They were built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in 1923-1924 and rebuilt in 1930. Both were scrapped in August 1963.

CA&E loco 3003 at the Wheaton Shops. (S. Palmer Photo)

A J. G. Brill builder’s photo of Aurora and Geneva Railway Company car 4. The line had only four cars in all.

Aurora and Geneva Railway car 1. This was a predecessor of the Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric and was merged into another company by 1901.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin express car 15 on the scrap track at Wheaton on February 1, 1953. It was built by McGuire-Cummings in 1910.

CA&E express motor 5 in the scrap line at Wheaton. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “5 was built by Cincinnati Car in 1921 to replace 1st 5 which was built by American Car in 1909 and wrecked in 1920. It was retired in 1953.”

These plans are for 15 CA&E cars built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1927, numbered 420-434.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 137 was originally a North Shore Line car. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “137 was built by Jewett Car Company in 1907 as Chicago & Milwaukee Electric 137. It was rebuilt in 1914 retired in 1954.” The CA&E leased it from the North Shore Line from 1936 to 1945. it was briefly returned to the NSL and was then purchased by CA&E in 1946. Here, we see it on August 31, 1942 in Wheaton.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin control trailer 604 is at Wheaton in August 1948. It originally came from the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “604 was built by Cincinnati Car Co in 1913 as WB&A 39. It was sold as CA&E 604 in October 1937.”

Chicago Aurora and Elgin cars 452, 453, and 451 were new arrivals in November 1945, when this picture was taken.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin cars 309 and 310 are on a May 19, 1957 fantrip, as a westbound train at Ardmore in Villa Park.

The fresh ballast, ties, and construction in this picture date it to September 1953, when the Chicago Aurora and Elgin cut back service to Forest Park. Their passengers then had to change trains and ride the CTA Garfield Park “L” the rest of the way into the city– at times, a rather slow and ponderous ride via 2.5 miles of temporary trackage in Van Buren Street, due to construction of the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway. Here, we see cars 451 and 425, just after they have dropped off their riders. This arrangement continued until the CA&E suspended passenger service on July 3, 1957. The view looks to the northeast. William Shapotkin adds, “I see the Forest Park CGW station in the background. The CGW continued operating passenger service out of Chicago (stopping at Forest Park) until Sept 5-6, 1956. The SOO station (located at Madison St) continued serving passenger trains until Jan 1963 (when the remaining train, the LAKER was moved from Grand Central Station to Central Station in Chicago).”

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 320 is at the end of the line in Aurora, most likely in the 1940s. This was a fantrip for the Central Electric Railfans’ Association. Now, this is where the Illinois Prairie Path terminates.

CA&E 414 is on the Aurora branch just east of Eola Road (near Batavia Junction) on July 3, 1949. The crossing with the EJ&E is in the distance, and the Commonwealth Edison substation at left is still in use.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 316 as it was being moved off the interurban via the Chicago and North Western in April 1962. Car 20 is behind it. Both cars went to what is now the Fox River Trolley Museum.

CA&E 453, most likely just after it was delivered in late 1945.

CA&E 451 in Wheaton.

The CA&E Wheaton Yards.

CA&E 303 at Trolleyville USA in Olmstead Falls, OH in August 1991. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “303 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906. It was modernized in March 1945 and sold to Trolleyville in 1962. It was sold to Connecticut Trolley Museum in December 2009.”

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 317, taken at the Batavia Terminal on an October 16, 1955 fantrip. (Raymond DeGroote, Jr. Photo)

A westbound Chicago Aurora and Elgin train, with car 32 at the helm, stops at Glen Ellyn circa 1926. The station building for eastbound trains appears to be brand new. It was torn down around 1966. The two buildings visible next to the telephone pole are still extant. (Chapek Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 300 on January 13, 1962 at Wheaton, a few weeks before scrapping started on the bulk of the fleet. (Raymond DeGroote, Jr. Photo)

CA&E car 300 looks much the worse for wear at Wheaton on May 18, 1963. It was not one of the cars saved. (Raymond DeGroote, Jr. Photo)

CA&E control trailer 700 at the Wheaton Shops. This car originally came from the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis, and the ends were modified to fit the tight clearances on the “L” system. (S. Palmer Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin express motor 9 at the Wheaton Shops. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “9 was built by Niles Car in 1907. It was scrapped in 1959.” (S. Palmer Photo)

This and the next image are early postcards of the Met “L” bridge (actually two bridges, side by side) over the Chicago River.

CTA 6439-40 are at an unknown location in the 1950s, marked as a special run. The photographer is not known for certain, but I suspect this was taken by Vic Wagner.

A Central Electric Railfans’ Association special made a photo stop at the Sedgwick CTA “L” station on Sunday, December 11, 1955, using cars 6129 and 6130, which were equipped with trolley poles for use on the Evanston branch (which did not switch to third rail until 1973). Many fantrips in this era ran on Sundays, as there were fewer regular service trains to get in their way. In this case, Ravenswood “L” service did not operate south of Armitage at night or on Sundays, so leisurely photo stops were possible on the stations which had no service that day. The hanging sign on the front of the train is contemporary and was used by Evanston “Shopper’s Special” trains, a late morning version of the Evanston Express, which ran only in rush hours, for a premium fare of 40 cents. The CTA charged an extra amount north of Howard Street for a “zoned” fare for many years, unlike today where riders pay the same amount throughout the rapid transit system. These cars were also equipped with high-speed motors at the time, as the CTA was experimenting– which eventually led to their use on the 2000-series cars delivered in 1964. (Vic Wagner Photo)

This postcard, mailed in 1908, shows the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (predecessor of the North Shore Line) station in Lake Bluff, where the branch line to Libertyville and what is now called Mundelein crossed under the Chicago and North Western.

The back side of the postcard.

A three-car North Shore Line train of Silverliners is at Valley Junction in North Chicago on January 20, 1963, the last full day of operations.

North Shore Line 721 heads west on the Mundelein branch in June 1962. (Laurence Veysey Photo) I looked up the photographer, whose name was new to me. I found this online: “Laurence R. Veysey (1932-2004) was an eccentric, a hermit, and an ardent nudist — and author of one of the foundational texts on the history of higher education.”

At the time of the 1963 abandonment, North Shore Line car 154 became the oldest survivor of the fleet. Unfortunately, it has not survived to the present time. Here, we see it in Anderson, Indiana in November 1964, when it was owned by a railroad club there, which had it pulled around by a diesel locomotive. A sign in the window says “Dixie Flyer,” which was an Indiana Railroad train. Within a few years, 154 ended up at a railway museum in Ohio, which stored it outdoors and allowed the car to slowly deteriorate. It was finally purchased by a Michigan museum, which stripped it for parts to restore an unrelated car, then dumped the body in a field.

A view of the North Shore Line’s Mundelein Terminal in July, 1962, looking northwest. (George Niles Photo)

George Niles took this picture of the North Shore Line’s Mundelein Terminal in July 1962, looking west. Past the terminal, there was a freight interchange with the Soo Line.

North Shore Line car 735 and others are at the Mundelein Terminal in July 1962. (George Niles Photo)

North Shore Line former Merchandise Despatch car 228 at Pettibone Yard in July 1962. It is now undergoing restoration at the East Troy Railroad Museum. (George Niles Photo)

North Shore Line freight loco 458 is at the Pettibone Yard in July 1962. (George Niles Photo)

North Shore Line 752 is part of a two-car train at Edison Court in Waukegan in July 1962. We are looking south. (George Niles Photo)

The Rynksel Oil and Coal Company was located in Waukegan, which is where this picture of the North Shore Line was taken (along the Skokie Valley Route) in July 1962. We are looking south from the south end of the Edison Court station. Waukegan was where the NSL originated in the late 1890s, and as there was a lot less ridership north of here, there were storage tracks, and cars were added and cut going north and south as needed. (George Niles Photo)

North Shore Line 752 is at Edison Court in July 1962. (George Niles Photo)

The “38 Fast Trains Daily” sign at the North Shore Line’s Milwaukee Terminal on June 18, 1962.

Finally, here are some black and white photos that the late Robert Heinlein took in the mid-1950s:

The Milwaukee Terminal. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

A two-car train leaves the Milwaukee Terminal.
(Robert Heinlein Photo)

The Shore Line Route. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

Winnetka on the Shore Line Route. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

Ravinia Park on the Shore Line Route. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

Street running on Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

The 10th Street station in Waukegan on the Shore Line Route. After 1947, this was where the Shore Line Route ended. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

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CTA-1
The Last Chicago Streetcars 1958
# of Discs – 1
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Until now, it seemed as though audio recordings of Chicago streetcars were practically non-existent. For whatever reason, the late William A. Steventon does not appear to have made any for his Railroad Record Club, even though he did make other recordings in the Chicago area in 1956.

Now, audio recordings of the last runs of Chicago streetcars have been found, in the collections of the late Jeffrey L. Wien (who was one of the riders on that last car). We do not know who made these recordings, but this must have been done using a portable reel-to-reel machine.

These important recordings will finally fill a gap in transit history. The last Chicago Transit Authority streetcar finished its run in the early hours of June 21, 1958. Now you can experience these events just as Chicagoans did.

As a bonus, we have included Keeping Pace, a 1939 Chicago Surface Lines employee training program. This was digitally transferred from an original 16” transcription disc. These recordings were unheard for 80 years.

Total time – 74:38

Help Support The Trolley Dodger

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Chicago Streetcars in Color, Part Five

June 20, 2023June 20, 2023David Sadowski 6 Comments

CTA 566 is on Ashland at 95th on July 14, 1953. This was the south end of Route 9 – Ashland. The car is about to change ends and head back north. (William Shapotkin Collection)

Today’s post features many classic pictures from the collections of longtime friend William Shapotkin. Most feature Chicago streetcars, and there are others from the “L”. Even if we have shared a few of these before, they are well worth seeing again. Most are here for the first time, and we put in many, many hours working these images over in Photoshop to make them look their best.

This is “Part Five” because we made four previous posts in the Chicago Streetcars in Color series. Here are the links to parts One, Two, Three, and Four. It’s been a while, though– the last such post was in 2016.

We also recently paid a visit to the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, Illinois, where Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 458 has been put into service after a 13-year-long restoration.

We hope that you will enjoy them. Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,288 members.

From the Collections of William Shapotkin

CTA 473 is at Devon and Ravenswood on a May 16, 1954 fantrip. (William Shapotkin Collection)

A CTA two-car train of 4000s is running on the Garfield Park “L” (actually, the Met main line) on August 10, 1956. The huge parking lot is actually where the Northwest (now Kennedy) expressway would soon be built, opening in 1960. The “L” continued to run here until June 1958, when the new median line opened in the Congress expressway, just to the south of here. This view looks to the northeast from the Halsted “L” station. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA Pullman-built PCC 4180 is southbound on south State Street in May 1950. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 479 is on Irving Park Road during the May 16, 1954 “farewell to red cars” fantrip, just east of the north-south “L”. (William Shapotkin Collection)

The same location today.

CTA red Pullmans 479 and 473 make a photo stop on Irving Park Road, just west of the north-south “L”, on a May 16, 1954 fantrip.
This was a convenient place to stop, as there were no streetcars in regular service on Irving Park Road by this time, although the tracks and wire were still in place connecting some of the remaining lines. Two weeks later, red cars were retired, and only a few were used for charters after that. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 473 on Irving Park Road, May 16, 1954.
This is just a few blocks north of Wrigley Field. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 4390 at Vincennes and 77th on May 14, 1958. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 7182 is southbound on State Street approaching Van Buren, circa 1955-57.
(William Shapotkin Collection)

This and the next two images: CTA work car Y-303 is at the Halsted and 39th Street materials handling yard on January 20, 1952. A Chicago Surface Lines trailer from the 1920s is behind it, used as a storage shed. (William Shapotkin Collection)

Two CTA streetcars pass on Cermak Road, near the city limits end of the line in the early 1950s. One 1700-series car has been repainted into CTA green. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA salt car AA-54 is on Kedzie Avenue on December 25, 1951. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA PCC 4375 is at Vincennes and 78th on May 14, 1958. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 7256 is southbound on State Street at Van Buren on December 2, 1950. This picture was taken from the Loop “L” station there. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA L-203 at South Shops in the 1950s. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA work car AA-73 is at the 69th and Ashland yard on November 8, 1953. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA PCC 4136 is on “shoo-fly” trackage on Madison at Wacker Drive in June 1952, during construction of the Wacker Drive extension on the former Market Street. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA AA98 was trotted out one last time on May 25, 1958, shortly before the end of streetcar service in Chicago. It started life in 1907, built by the South Chicago City Railway. It eventually became Chicago Surface Lines 2846, and is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA crane S-342 is at the 61st Street Lower Yard on May 26, 1963. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 6221-6222, at Skokie Shops on March 25, 1954, presumably when just delivered from the St. Louis Car Company. (William Shapotkin Collection)

A new CTA 2200-series “L” car, leaving the Brooklyn Army Terminal (presumably in 1969-70). (William Shapotkin Collection)

A four-car CTA Douglas Park “L” train descends the ramp to the Congress expressway median line in August 1978. (William Shapotkin Collection)

Nick Jenkins: “The (North Shore Line) train is northbound at North Chicago Junction. I also think that it is later than 1955. The track to the East Line (Waukegan) was removed in 1956.” (William Shapotkin Collection)

The interior of the CTA “L” station at Damen and North Avenues (today’s Blue Line to O’Hare) in February 1986. (William Shapotkin Photo)

The CTA North/Damen Tower, located at the north end (southbound platform) of the Damen and North Avenue station, which at one time controlled the movements of Logan Square and Humboldt Park trains, as it appeared in February 1986. (William Shapotkin Photo)

The view looking west from the Damen and North Avenue station, showing the former right-of-way of the old Humboldt Park “L”, as it appeared in February 1986. (William Shapotkin Photo)

CTA 6151 is southbound at Halsted and 38th on February 22, 1954. Towards the end of streetcar service on Halsted, older red cars replaced newer PCCs. Halsted had operated mainly Pullman-built postwar PCCs, which the CTA retired early and sent off to the St. Louis Car Company for scrapping and parts recycling into new rapid transit cars. The track going off to the left led to a materials handling yard. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA sand car AA-29 is at the car barn at 69th and Ashland in 1950. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 7065 is on State Street, having crossed the Chicago River, in March 1951. The bridge here opened in 1949, ten years after the previous one was removed during construction of Chicago’s first subways.
(William Shapotkin Collection)

We are just north of the intersection of Armitage and California Avenues on Chicago’s Northwest Side. Car #6133, working a southbound trip on CTA Route #52 — KEDZIE/CALIFORNIA, is seen heading southbound in California approaching Armitage. The year is 1949 and in less than five years, transit service on this line would be converted to trolley buses. The view looks north. (William Shapotkin Collection)

In May 1952, car #369, working a southbound trip on CTA Route #52 — KEDZIE/CALIFORNIA, was photographed as it headed southbound in California at Shakespeare Ave on Chicago’s Northwest Side. The view looks north. (William Shapotkin Collection)

We are on Chicago’s South Side as cars #652 and 678, both working CTA Rt #8 — HALSTED, pass in Halsted at 74th Street. The view looks north from platform of Halsted suburban station on the WABASH. Photo dated Feb 22, 1954. (James J. Buckley Photo, William Shapotkin Collection)

We are at the Connecticut Trolley Museum at Warehouse Point– where CTA ‘L’ car #4436 was caught in this undated photo. (Our thanks to Bruce Moffat in identifying the car number and location.) According to their on-line roster, this car is still with us. (William Shapotkin Collection)

Car #2622 is seen working a westbound trip on CSL (i.e.: pre-CTA) Rt #75 — 74th/75th, heading west in 75th Street passing beneath the Illinois Central overcrossing of 75th near Woodlawn Avenue on Chicago’s South Side. Buses of successor CTA Rt #75 — 74th/75th continue operating through here for some 19 hours every day. Our thanks to Andre Kristopans for his assistance in identifying the photo location. (William Shapotkin Collection)

In October 1951, car #586 was caught working a northbound trip on CTA Rt #56 — MILWAUKEE. The car is heading northwest in Milwaukee Avenue as it crosses over the MILW/PRR (PCCStL) tracks, located just south of Kinzie Street in Chicago. (The MILW/PRR tracks led to the north approach to Union Station and are still in-use by Amtrak and Metra passenger trains today.) Today the Milwaukee Avenue bridge over these tracks is history, and buses of the successor bus route (still #56 — MILWAUKEE) cross these tracks on Des Plaines Street — located approximately 1-1/2 blocks west of this location. The view looks southeast. (William Shapotkin Collection)

Car #430, working a southbound trip on CTA Route #52– Kedzie/California, is southbound in Kedzie Avenue, crossing the Sanitary and Ship Canal near 34th Street on April 19, 1951.
(William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 563 is at Ashland and 95th (south terminus of Route 9 – Ashland) on July 14, 1953. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red streetcar 6141 is at Navy Pier on July 4, 1951. This was, among other things, the eastern terminus of Route 65 – Grand Avenue, but that had already been converted to buses as of April 1, 1951. It appears the streetcar is signed for Route 28 – Stony Island, which was converted to buses as of June 29, 1951, so perhaps the date given here is wrong. CTA bus 3632 is operating on Route 15 – Canal-Archer. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 1581 is at 16th and Kenton on May 22, 1948. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA snow plow/sweeper E-54 (still lettered for the Chicago Surface Lines) is at the Ashland car barn on September 29, 1952.
(William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA one-man streetcar 1725, signed for Route 58 – Ogden, is on Randolph at Halsted on March 13, 1951. We are looking to the northeast. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 6150 is on Halsted at 78th Street on February 22, 1954, operating on Route 42 – Halsted-Downtown, which was a variant of the regular Route 8 – Halsted. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 677 is on State Street at Roosevelt Road on March 13, 1951. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 786 is on Van Buren Street near the Chicago River on April 1952.
(William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 706 is southbound on Wabash Avenue just north of the Chicago River on January 26, 1952, passing by the Silver Frolics nightclub. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 602 emerges from the Washington Street Tunnel in April 1951. (William Shapotkin Collection)

This car, marked as Chicago City Railway cable car trailer 209, is actually a recreation made by the Chicago Surface Lines in the 1930s, possibly using some original parts.
Here, we see it when it was part of the CTA Historical Collection. It is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. (Gerald H. Landau Photo, William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 483 is on 79th Street at Wallace Avenue on February 22, 1954. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 200 is on Halsted in April 1952, crossing the construction site of the Congress expressway. The streetcar is on a “shoo-fly” track, going around where the new bridge is under construction. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA 585 is on Des Plaines Avenue near Milwaukee Avenue in April 1951, running on Route 56 – Milwaukee. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA red Pullman 410 is on Kedzie Avenue in January 1951. (William Shapotkin Collection)

We are at the Indiana Avenue station on Chicago’s South Side for this going-away view of a northbound JACKSON PARK/HOWARD train of 6000-series cars. From the vantage point of the photo, the overhead transfer bridge (allowing passengers to transfer between Subway trains and the already-abandoned Kenwood and Stock Yards lines) was still in place. The view looks west (timetable northbound) in this June 3, 1960 photo by C. G. Parsons. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CA&E 458 Restored

I visited the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin on Saturday, June 17th. Before I got there, they had unveiled newly restored Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 458, built in 1945. After the CA&E was abandoned, it went to Trolleyville USA in Ohio, where it was used as a parts car. But once it came back to Illinois, the Fox River people found it was surprisingly complete, and it underwent a complete restoration. Now, the car looks and runs great and can carry passengers for the first time in 66 years. The volunteers here are very dedicated and do excellent work. Someone also had a circa 1958-60 Lincoln on hand, with a power rear window.

Recent Finds

A North Shore Line Electroliner approaches Adams and Wabash on July 17, 1959.

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

New Compact Disc, Now Available:

CTA-1
The Last Chicago Streetcars 1958
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Total time – 74:38

Help Support The Trolley Dodger

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Our 300th Post

June 14, 2023October 26, 2023David Sadowski 5 Comments

CTA PCC 7195 is southbound on Clark Street at Van Buren Street on June 20, 1958– the last full day of streetcar operation in Chicago. Bob Heinlein took this picture from the Loop “L” station, offering a good look at the “old” downtown. This was color corrected from an early Ektachrome slide that had shifted to red.

The Trolley Dodger blog has reached a new milestone, as this is our 300th post. We always try to do our best with every post, but hope we have made this one even more special.

Among many other things, we have begun scanning some of the pictures we have collected for our next book, featuring the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban. Our work on that is ongoing, and our research is expected to take the rest of this year. Your contributions to this effort are greatly appreciated, as we have already spent over $2500 on research since January.

We hope that you will enjoy it. Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,272 members.

Here’s North Shore Line (technically Chicago and Milwaukee Electric) city streetcar 354 changing ends in front of the Milwaukee Terminal, circa 1950-51. This line had previously run to 2nd and Wisconsin, a few blocks away, which was the original end of the line for the interurban as well. But for the last year or so of streetcar operation, the lone NSL Milwaukee line ended here. Car 354, a product of the St. Louis Car Company, is now at the Illinois Railway Museum.

On Saturday, March 7, 1953, CTA one-man streetcar 1780 is operating on the Fifth Avenue shuttle. The Hotel Hoover was located at 3358 W. Jackson Boulevard, so we are looking west along Jackson. This was originally a branch line from Route 20 – Madison, but as of May 11, 1952, buses replaced streetcars on the weekends on Madison. At those times, Fifth became a shuttle using some of the older red streetcars that were set up for one-man (and they were all men, back then) operation. On December 13, 1953, buses replaced PCCs on Madison, and Fifth became a seven-day-a-week shuttle, until February 22, 1954, when the shuttle was discontinued. It was not replaced by buses because part of Fifth Avenue was truncated due to construction of the Congress expressway. Fifth wasn’t going to cross the highway, since this would have been an expensive bridge to build, crossing at an angle. Since then, other parts of Fifth have been cut off as well. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA crane X-201 is at 71st Street and Wentworth in the 1950s. (William Shapotkin Collection)

This photo cost me less than $5, but I consider it an excellent find. We are looking west along the Garfield Park “L” right-of-way (actually owned by the Chicago Aurora & Elgin) in suburban Oak Park. This is the first picture I have seen of a CA&E freight train this far east– CA&E freight did not operate east of Laramie Avenue. CA&E loco 2001 is at the head of the train. The platforms at these stations had extensions that flipped up, to allow freight trains to clear. I presume that someone at the head of the train flipped them up, and the man on the caboose is flipping them back down again. Meanwhile, there is a much longer freight train on the adjacent Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal tracks at left. This picture can’t be any later than 1953, when the CA&E cut back service to Forest Park, yet the style of auto at the crossing in the distance doesn’t look much older than that. Which station is this? Bruce Moffat has identified it as Home Avenue in Oak Park, which is a short distance east of Harlem Avenue. Dan Cluley adds, “It is hard to tell at that distance, but my guess is the mystery auto is a 1950 or 51 Ford Sedan.”

A close-up view of the previous image, showing the car, which may be a 1950 or 1951 Ford.

The last Chicago streetcar at 78th and Vincennes, on its last run (June 21, 1958). (Robert Heinlein Photo)

CTA PCC streetcar 4407 is at Clark and Schubert on September 6, 1957, not long before the last northside car line was replaced by buses. The building at 2643 N. Clark, at left, is still a post office, but the Jewel has been replaced by a McDonald’s. Time was, there were small Jewel Food Stores all over the city. Note the sign saying “serve yourself.” Self-service grocery stores were a relatively new thing in the 1950s. Previously, you told the grocer what you wanted, and they picked the order for you. The last small Jewel I recall seeing was at Clark and Webster, just a few blocks south of here. It was replaced by a Tower Records in the 1980s– and now that’s gone too. This was shot on Anscochrome film, which was not of the same quality as Kodak. The film speed of Kodachrome was ISO/ASA 10, only useful on sunny days. On cloudy days, photographers often used this, or Ektachrome, which had a film speed of 32. This film is rather grainy, such that it starts to look like an impressionist painting when viewed under high magnification. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

CTA red Pullman 144 is at Clark and 16th Street on May 25, 1958, on one of those Sunday fantrips (when buses replaced streetcars on the last remaining lines). That way, fans could have plenty of photo stops, without getting in the way of regular service. The PCC running behind 144 was there as backup, and was also part of the fantrip. The view looks north. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

CTA high-speed single car units 1-4 made up the original rolling stock of the new Skokie Swift line. Here, car #1 is at Skokie Shops on March 24, 1964, newly fitted with a pan trolley. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA PCC 7160 is heading eastbound on Devon Avenue at Bosworth (about 1530 W, one block east of Clark Street) on July 27, 1956. The streetcar is operating on Route 36 – Broadway-Downtown. (William Shapotkin Collection)

One that got away… CSL/CTA 2605 at the Devon car barn (station) on September 27, 1953. (William Shapotkin Collection)

CTA PCC 7213, the last Chicago streetcar, begins its final run in the early morning hours of June 21, 1958 at Kinzie and Clark, the north terminus of the Wentworth line. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

A westbound two-car Lake Street “A” train is between Laramie and Central Avenues in a slide processed in February 1966. We are looking west. (Robert Heinlein Collection)

CTA PCC 7224 is southbound on Wentworth Avenue at 23rd Street (in Chinatown) on June 20, 1958– the last full day of streetcar operation in Chicago. (Robert Heinlein Photo)

A slightly different version of this image appears on page 20 in my book The North Shore Line, sourced from an archive. This version is from an original real photo postcard I recently purchased. Ravinia Park was built by the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (later the North Shore Line) in 1904, and the concertgoers here are crossing its tracks. The postcard most likely dates to before 1907, as it had a space on the front for writing a message. Until that year, the backs of postcards were reserved for the address only. Thew cropping is slightly different between the two versions of this image because both were made from the original negative, and in each case, either neg or the printing paper was positioned a bit differently.

This postcard image, showing the north portal to the State Street Subway, probably dates to around the time it opened in October 1943. The three-car “L” train, made up of 4000-series cars, is northbound, heading for Howard Street. There were two series of 4000s, and the middle car is of the earlier type, possibly an unpowered trailer.

A close-up view.

Wooden CTA “L” car 1797 at the Illinois Electric Railway Museum in North Chicago, in a slide processed in January 1963. IRM moved to Union the following year. This was shot on Dynachrome film, which was supposedly based on expired Kodachrome patents. It was later taken over by 3M.

Construction of Chicago’s first subways eventually led to the development of the Pedway, an extensive network of tunnels connecting many downtown stores and buildings. Here, excavation work on a pedestrian tunnel connecting the State and Dearborn subways has just started on Court Place between Randolph and Washington on January 31, 1942. It was built using the “cut and cover” method. The State Street Subway opened in 1943, but this connection was not put into service until the Dearborn Street Subway opened in 1951.

(This and the next picture) The CA&E St. Charles-Geneva branch was abandoned in 1937, and here it is being torn up in 1938.

The CA&E Main Line, looking east from Bellwood. The Westchester “L” branch split off from here at right.

The CA&E Wheaton Yards and Elgin Junction in the late 1930s.

The CA&E in Wheaton, looking in the other direction from the previous photo.

CA&E wood car 141, when it was being leased from the North Shore Line, circa 1936-45. It, and several other wood cars, briefly returned to the NSL but were purchased outright by CA&E in 1946. They were all scrapped in 1954 after the interurban cut back service to Forest Park. Don’s Rail Photos (via archive.org): “141 was built by American Car Co in March 1910, #844, as C&ME 141. It was rebuilt in 1914 and retired in 1954.”

The CA&E station (and substation) at Prince Crossing in the late 1930s. This building has survived the abandonment of the railroad, but is now threatened with demolition.

North Shore Line 716 (modernized) and 409 (repainted) on new right-of-way in Glencoe on the Shore Line Route, circa 1940.

North Shore Line Birney car 335 in Milwaukee in the late 1940s. (Don Ross Photo)

A two-car train of CTA 4000-series “L” cars is at the Marion Street station in Oak Park, circa 1959. We are looking west along South Boulevard. This portion of the Lake Street “L” was moved onto the adjacent Chicago & North Western embankment in 1962.

Don’s Rail Photos (via archive.org): “(North Shore Line) 500 was built by St Louis Car Co in 1909. It was rebuilt to one man and transferred to Waukegan on November 23, 1923. It was retired in 1948 and sold for scrap in 1949.” Here it is at Naval Station Great Lakes on June 4, 1939. (La Mar M. Kelley Photo)

Milwaukee Rapid Transit and Speedrail car 65. Don’s Rail Photos (via archive.org): “65 was built by Cincinnati Car in August 1928, #2985, as I&SE 230. In 1933 it was sold to ICRT as 230 and in 1941 it was sold to SHRT as 65. In 1949 it was sold to Ed Tennyson and leased as Speedrail 65 where it originally operated with a modified Shaker Heights paint scheme. When repainted, the Speedrail logo was omitted. It was scrapped in 1952.”

Bankruptcies were rife among interurbans and railroads in general. This letter, to an apparent shareholder of the AE&C, predecessor of the CA&E, advises him that the stock of the earlier firm was worthless. When the CA&E emerged from bankruptcy in the late 1940s, it owned substantial land assets, and had discharged its debts. This set the stage, in the postwar era, for its eventual abandonment and liquidation.

This famous photo of Tower 18, located at the intersection of Lake Street and Wells Street on the Loop “L”, was taken when it was the busiest railroad junction in the world.

CA&E suburban streetcar 500, built by St. Louis Car Company in 1927. Here, it has seen better days. It was not the same car as North Shore Line streetcar 500, but was eventually sold to the NSL and renumbered as 361. Don’s Rail Photos (via archive.org): “There was one additional car which almost fits into this series. Car 361 was built by St. Louis Car in 1927, just like the 350s, but it had different motors, control, and braking equipment. It was built as 500 for the Chicago Aurora & Elgin. It was used to replace standard interurban cars on the Batavia branch, but it quickly proved to be unsatisfactory. It was retired and placed in storage until June 1942, when it was leased to the North Shore. It was repainted and renumbered and put into Waukegan service. After the war, it was purchased by the North Shore in March 1947. It was quickly retired and scrapped in 1948.”

The interior of CA&E streetcar 500, which later became North Shore Line 361. The photo number dates this to around 1931.

The CA&E right-of-way in Wheaton is at right, with the Chicago & North Western at left, in the 1950s.

The Chicago Rapid Transit Company’s Wells Street Terminal was the CA&E’s hub and just steps away from the Loop “L” via a direct connection walkway. It received a major renovation and a new façade, seen here upon completion on October 28, 1927. That looks like a 1927 Chevrolet parked out front.

This and the next image give a good idea of the CA&E fares and service to Elmhurst as of 1936.

The view looking east into the Wells Street Terminal. That’s the Insurance Exchange Building in the background. This picture probably dates to sometime between 1912 and 1927.

The view along the CA&E main line, looking east from Poplar Avenue in Elmhurst on July 13, 1931.

Don’s Rail Photos (via archive.org): “144 was built by American Car in August 1910, #846, as C&ME 403, a parlor-buffet car. In March 1918 it was rebuilt as a straight coach. It was retired in 1935 and leased to the CA&E as 144. It came back in 1945 and then was sold to the CA&E in 1946. It was retired in 1953.”

The CA&E “flag stop” at the Glen Oak Country Club in Glen Ellyn. Anyone who wanted the train to stop would need to use the signal to get trains to stop. From the Wikipedia: “Glen Oak Country Club is a country club and private golf course in Glen Ellyn, Illinois that was designed by Tom Bendelow and established in 1911. On January 7, 1909, the Pickwick Country Club was created. It had a 9-hole golf course, eventually expanded to 18 holes. Within a year, the club went bankrupt. In 1911, the property was purchased and reopened as the current Glen Oak Country Club. In the past bordering the club to the north- which is the Prairie Path today, was an interurban train stop. Many members lived in Chicago and would take the train out of the city to this club. Upon exit, a carriage would take the members along Hill Ave to the club house.” The number on this photo would date it to circa 1927.

A close-up of the previous image. The sign touts “frequent high-speed electrically powered trains to the western suburbs and Fox River Valley cities.”

The CA&E’s Lockwood Yard was a short distance west of Laramie Avenue (5200 W) in Chicago, where the interurban’s tracks ended and the Chicago Rapid Transit Company’s began. This was a convenient place for the CA&E to store railcars in mid-day. 418 and 431 were among the ones stored here on April 18, 1938, when this picture was taken. The view looks west, with Loretto Hospital in the distance. The CA&E main line, also used by CRT “L” trains to Forest Park and Westchester, is at left. The area to the left is now occupied by I-290, the Eisenhower expressway. At this stage, the small yard used overhead wire, but this was later converted to third rail. After the Chicago Transit Authority purchased the fixed CA&E’s fixed assets between here and Forest Park in 1953, the CTA stored wooden “L” cars here after they were retired.

CA&E 403 picks up passengers on the streets of downtown Aurora on April 18, 1938. By the end of the following year, the trains were relocated to an off-street terminal by the Fox River.

The CA&E interurban terminal in Aurora on April 18, 1938.

A close-up of the previous picture.

A view of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Terminal at Wells Street on April 16, 1926, just prior to renovation, The facade was redone, and a couple of additional stories added to it to improve the station amenities. This picture was taken from the nearby Loop “L” station at Quincy and Wells. CA&E car 408 is at left.

CA&E 421 on September 23, 1927. It was built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1927, so this is how it looked when new.

A side view of CA&E 402, 400, and 405. These were among the first steel cars on the Roarin’ Elgin and were built by Pullman in 1923. That may also be the date of this photo. (A. F. Scholz Photo)

Finally, here is an image that for whatever reason got uploaded in 2019, yet never got used in a blog post… until now:

CTA 4362, a Pullman PCC, on Route 8 – Halsted, most likely in the late 1940s. The late Jeff Wien adds, “Rt. 8 car has just pulled off of Broadway onto Waveland to head south on Halsted to 79th Street loop. Photo ca 1951 when Halsted was operated with PCCs, most Pullmans.”

Day Trip to Wisconsin

I spent the day in southern Wisconsin on May 27. After having brunch at the historic Franks Diner in Kenosha, I spent time at the East Troy Railroad Museum, where I rode North Shore Line car 761 for the first time. Later on, I drove to Milwaukee, and took a few pictures of The Hop streetcar.

The weather that day was perfect, which made for some great pictures.

The Franks Diner started out as a prefabricated building, towed there by horses. It was later expanded with an addition. It is a popular place.

East Troy sells two of my books in their gift shop.

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

New Compact Disc, Now Available:

CTA-1
The Last Chicago Streetcars 1958
# of Discs – 1
Price: $15.99

Total time – 74:38

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Postcards From the Bridge

May 14, 2023May 21, 2023David Sadowski 15 Comments

This real photo postcard image shows the four-track Metropolitan “L” bridge (actually two separate bridges, side by side), but it also shows a small experimental lifeboat moored at left. One author’s research into the history of this boat is featured in this post, and also sheds some further light on when this photo was taken.

From the start of the Trolley Dodger in 2015, I hoped this blog would become a resource for others, and I am pleased that this has happened. Sometimes these inquiries take strange and unexpected turns, and that is certainly the case regarding the early real photo postcard shown above. This interesting tangent of Chicago history is covered in detail further down in this post. Research can raise just as many questions as it answers, and that is definitely what happened here regarding the small experimental boat visible in the lower left-hand corner of this and other postcards of the Met bridge.

We also have a goodly number of excellent images for your perusal, from some of the great traction photographers.

We regret the passing on April 30th of Robert Heinlein, aged 84. He was one of the giants in his field, and our next post will be a tribute to him. Some of Mr. Heinlein’s photos are in my recent book The North Shore Line, and I am glad he was able to see the finished product. He spent his entire career sharing his knowledge and helping others, and he will be sorely missed. You can read his obituary here.

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,162 members.

I will be giving a program on my new North Shore Line book on 7:30 pm on Friday evening, May 19th, at Chicago Union Station for the Railroad & Shortlines Club of Chicago. There is no charge. Please do not arrive before 7:15 pm.

Chicago Union Station
Room 107A
500 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, Illinois

Please enter at 500 W. Jackson Boulevard, between Clinton and Canal. Call 312 725-0432 during the meeting for assistance.

We gave two presentations in April that were well attended and received. First, we spoke at the Libertyville Historical Society on the 17th. You can view that presentation here. To date, there have been about 3500 views.

On the 20th, we were at the History Center of lake Bluff and Lake Forest. You can view that presentation here.

Postcards From the Bridge

Sandy Cleary writes:

Good morning! I hope this finds you well 🙂

I’ve been lost on the site for a few weeks since finding it—it scratches an itch I also have—and I’m really grateful for the work that you’ve done in documenting a lot of pretty niche historical artifacts. I’m very curious about one in particular. It’s mentioned in this post here, above the text “I recently bought this real photo postcard, circa 1910.”

I’m pretty certain it comes from the summer of 1907. The boat docked in the lower left of that photo is an obscure lifeboat designed by Robert Brown, of Chicago; it was tied up to the Chicago Sanitary District dock in 1907 but Brown stopped paying docking fees in March, 1908 and it’s absent in another 1908 photo of the bridge. Debris on the loading dock to the northeast of the bridge matches debris visible in Detroit Publishing Co. photo 070152 (here at the LOC), which was taken at the same time as 070153 (LOC link); based on the SS Pueblo’s transit records that photo must’ve been taken on July 30th, 1907.

I’ve been working on writing up the history of Robert Brown’s boat, which features in some other Chicago lore a few years later, and for which the photographic so far consists of only three photos: the two Detroit Publishing Co. ones, and whoever took the picture used in the postcard you found. It was reused in numerous postcards (colorized with the title “Elevated R. R. Jackknife Bridge over Chicago River, Chicago”—you can find examples on eBay).

The one you posted, though, is by far the clearest. I was wondering if you could tell me anything about the postcard’s copyright or who might have printed it? I’ve never been able to find what the photographic source might’ve been. A clearer example, one which might make the text on the white sign north of the boat legible and make it easier to fix the exact date the photo was taken, would be invaluable but I’m not sure where to start looking.

(Also, the version you’ve found is evidently a different crop—the colorized version shows more of the western bank and the dock itself).

I appreciate your time—any pointers on anything more about that postcard or the photo that was responsible for it would be incredibly helpful. The work you did on restoring the one you found was already enough for me to conclude when the boat was actually tied up at Van Buren St., which I’d been despairing of finding possible.

Kind regards
Sandy

Thanks for writing. It’s remarkable how small details in such photographs can be of so much use to researchers today.

In the meantime, what a remarkable piece of scholarship you have achieved!

As you can see, the reverse side of the postcard doesn’t identify the maker. But perhaps it can still be identified by comparison with other postcards with the same printing, whose manufacturers are known to experts.

Would it be alright for me to share your original note with the readers of my blog (and accompanying Facebook group)? You never know what useful information others might have to share.

Sandy Cleary:

Absolutely, you can share with whomever! The information I have is unfortunately pretty limited. From my boat-focused point of view, what’s known is:

1. Chicagoan carpenter Robert Brown designed and built an odd-shaped lifeboat in 1905, which was photographed for a magazine in ~1905/1906
2. His company, the International Automatic Lifeboat Company, paid the Chicago Sanitary District a $5/mo docking fee for the Van Buren St. dock between October, 1906 and March, 1908
3. Hans Behm took three photos of the Metropolitan West Side railroad bridge on July 30th, two of which depict the boat.
4. It’s gone by a September, 1908 photo of the bridge taken, I think, by the Chicago Sanitary District (because the MWRD has posted this picture a few times)
5. The only other photo is the one from the postcard, which must’ve been taken between October, 1906 and March, 1908. The overall bridge configuration seems to be the same between the postcard and the 1907 photos, as does the debris seen on the loading dock on the northeast side of the bridge:

After that the boat disappears for a few years, until it was found sunk in the north draw of the Wells Street Bridge (just south of the Chicago & North Western depot there. Then it was shown for a few months as “The Foolkiller,” putatively the world’s first submarine, after which it disappears again and is now only really relevant for weird Chicago lore.

Fortunately a lot of the Chicago Sanitary District records are online, and I was able to get in touch with someone from Commonwealth Edison who also had some useful information, but I have to imagine a lot of the information from the L companies pre-merger is gone. It seems to me that there might have been some reason why people were taking pictures of the Met’s bridge around the same time, but I’m not sure what that might have been.

I know that there was pressure to have it removed because of how significantly it impacted the channel by ~1911 or so—tracing over old Sanborn maps from 1906 really drives home how dramatic that constriction was:

At the time the western span of the Jackson Blvd. bridge and the Metropolitan West Side crossed what Sanborn identifies as property belonging to the Pacific, Fort Wayne & Chicago, during its period when it was not part of the Penn, I think—I am not a train girl. The Met’s viaduct would’ve crossed over the PFW&C freight house, before that whole west bank became Chicago & North Western property again. In any case the bridge wasn’t actually torn down until 1961 (by that point, as I understand it, the CTA hadn’t been using it to carry rail traffic since 1958).

Thank you so much again for your time and for your help with this. How these photo postcards worked has been something of a mystery to me. Numerous different versions seem to have been made, and I just don’t know whether these were the same company, or different companies skirting copyright because Google Images wasn’t a thing at the time, or what. But the fact that there is such a high-quality photo, anywhere, is extremely heartening.

I suspect the postcard that I have was very short-lived in the marketplace, as this was a transition period between real photo postcards and printed ones. Even if some of the colorized versions may have used the same original negative as a starting point, the eventual results look more and more like drawings rather than photographs.

As to the sudden popularity of pictures of the Met “L” bridge, starting in 1907, this coincided with a major change in how people could write messages on postcards:

DIVIDED BACK PERIOD: 1907-1915

“In 1907, a major change on the address side of postcards occurred. This change was prompted by the Universal Postal Congress, the legislative body of the Universal Postal Union. The convention decreed that postal cards produced by governments of member nations could have messages on the left half of the address side, effective October 1, 1907. The Universal Postal Congress also decreed that after March 1, 1907, government-produced cards in the United States could bear messages on the address side.2 Congress passed an act on March 1, 1907, in compliance with the Union’s decree, allowing privately produced postcards to bear messages on the left half of the card’s back. The next day, the Postmaster-General issued Order No. 146, granting privileges to privately produced postcards that were already granted in international mail, including the allowance of message space. On June 13, 1907, the Postmaster-General issued Order No. 539, which allowed government-produced postcards to bear messages on the left half of the address side.3 These changes to the backs of postcards ushered in the Divided Back Period, which spans from 1907 until 1915. The Divided Back Period is also known as the “Golden Age of Postcards,” due to the vast popularity of postcards during this time period.”

“Another type of postcard that began to be produced and popularly used during the Divided Back period and through the White Border period is the “real photo” postcard. “Real photo” postcards were first produced using the Kodak “postcard camera.” The postcard camera could take a picture and then print a postcard-size negative of the picture, complete with a divided back and place for postage.”

Source: https://siarchives.si.edu/history/featured-topics/postcard/postcard-history

Sandy Cleary:

I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard “real photo post card” as a term before I read your blog, and then noticed “RPPC” everywhere on eBay.

There are, as far as I can tell, three versions of this postcard. The first two are the colorized ones, which are labeled on the back as no. 171 of the Franklin Post Card Co.—of Germany, although ironically the earliest example I can find, postmarked August 17th, 1909, says “Made in Germany.” There were two distinct crops of that. The first (type A) is the widest crop, and it’s the one where the “E” in “Elevated” is written more like a backwards 3.

The second (type B) is one that the UIC Library gives copyright to Copelin Commercial Photographers in a black-and-white photographic form. This seems to be more common; the earliest postmark so far I’ve found is from September 13, 1910. Both of these two show up with postmarks as late as 1915. They went through different print runs, though; the back variously says:

* Aug. 17 1909: “No. 171. Made in Germany” (Type A)
* Sep. 13 1910: “No. 171.” (Type B)
* Aug 16, 1911: “No. 171” (Type B)
* Nov. 3 1911: “171” (Type B) (it’s possible the “No.” has been scratched off)
* Oct. 14 1912: “No. 171. Publ. by Franklin Post Card Co., Chicago, Ill. Made in Germany” (Type A)
* Aug. 13 1915: “No. 171. Publ. by Franklin Post Card Co., Chicago, Ill.” (Type B)

…As I write this up I realize this means that the widest version is rarer because it’s the German version. The design on the back, with the more ornate “Post Card” lettering, is identical to other postcards published by (for example) M. Weixelbaum, of Lima, and Provincetown Advocate and the Cardinell-Vincent Co. in addition to Franklin. I don’t understand why some postcards were made in Germany and some were not. Apparently the early 1900s was “postcard mania” in Germany, according to Deutsche Welle. I’d never heard of that before.

Anyway, the third one is the one you’ve found, which has different writing, and is also a much closer crop. Here are all three, superimposed:

What is a little puzzling to me is that the postcard you found is of such high quality that implies (to me) that a medium-format negative was accessible to whomever wound up creating all of the derivatives, which I wouldn’t have expected if it was being held in, say, the Franklin vault. But if it was a Franklin photo, the reverse doesn’t look like the reverse of any Franklin postcards. I tried image-searching for postcard backs looking for something similar, and turned up these from Vermont, which use the same language but a different font in “Post Card.”

Given your link, that creates the unfortunate possibility that what you have is, in fact, the only copy of that postcard, because it was created by someone who was interested in the bridge (or liked the composition), had access to the original, and printed it as a one-off postcard, which is why so far as I can tell it’s never appeared elsewhere. The title is odd—as you note, this isn’t the Northwestern, and the bridge seems to have been well-known as a Metropolitan West Side bridge to locals. Or perhaps it dates from the 20s or 30s, and whoever was writing it just guessed. I don’t know.

I’m also not sure if it’s significant (beyond “postcard mania”) that the early examples are German. There was a big German population in Chicago at the time, and the Germans apparently did like postcards. Germans also liked bridges; Scherzer was born in Illinois, but his parents were German immigrants. One of the earlier photos of the Met bridge (I think it might be the oldest) is from a German postcard:

Text says: “‘Folding’ Bridge over the Chicago River (bridge closed)”; handwriting says (I think): “Dear Dad: Sent you today (payday) $1.00 worth of 1 and 2-cent post stamps. Let me know if these arrived safely.”

It has occurred to me that I could poke around here in Berlin to see if there’s anything promising, but if memory serves most Chicagoan immigrants came from further north (Pomerania and such). Here in Berlin our train esoterica is only the “ghost stations” from the Cold War and that some of our subway stops are mildly radioactive because they used uranium oxide glazing in the tile.

Anyway! Thank you again for your time, and for the link to that Smithsonian article!

This is all very interesting to me, and should also interest my readers. Thanks very much for sharing these wonderful images.

In the early years of photography, negatives were usually large enough to be contact printed onto photo paper, without using an enlarger. The “chicken scratch” writing on my postcard could have been inked onto a glass plate, on top of the negative, or it may have been applied to the negative itself. The proportions of postcards are more rectangular than many of the standard film formats of the time, which may help explain the cropping.

While doing further research into this story, I came across a series of blog posts.

Is this something you wrote?

Sandy Cleary:

Yeah, that’s me 🙂

The “Foolkiller” was originally covered by Cecil Adams in the “Straight Dope” column of the Chicago alternative weekly Chicago Reader, and then later by podcaster Mark Chrisler of The Constant. It’s been stuck in my head for about fifteen years, so I’ve been trying to pull together as much as I can rather than leaving things on various email threads or chat discussions, in case any one else ever goes searching. It’s also been a good way to start organizing my thoughts on the matter (I don’t think many people read that blog).

That’s an interesting steer, re: the negatives. The UIC holding is described as a “photographic print” although I understand the MWRD (the Chicago water authority) apparently found a number of glass plates in their archives. The Library of Congress also (I think) has the original Hans Behm photos, which are described as glass 8×10 negatives (here’s one of them below). I need to read up on that era of photography, apparently.

(The Detroit Publishing Co. photos taken by Behm were also turned into colorized photo postcards, although they don’t seem to have been as popular, or at least most of the Met depictions are not those. There’s an early one that the Central Electric Railfans’ Association wrote up about ten years ago; that’s given a copyright date of 1907 but it must be earlier because the bridge doesn’t have the circular pilings that it would retain for most of its life and were in place by 1907; on the other hand, the Palmer Building is visible (leftmost skyscraper) and that was built sometime between 1903 and 1906).

FYI, I wrote that CERA blog post you refer to.

Sandy Cleary:

I’ve also seen your name on the Industrial History page about the bridge, come to think of it.

And this brings the story up to date. Ms. Cleary’s blog posts, linked above, shed additional light on the story of this experimental boat, which I can summarize as follows. This was one of several attempts at creating a safer lifeboat, to be carried on ships, and for rescues. A number of such ideas were patented in the late 1800s and early 1900s, all very speculative, of course.

The International Automatic Lifeboat Company prototype, designed by Robert Brown, was moored in the Chicago River for some period of time, and not always near the Metropolitan West Side “L” bridge. The US Navy studied the concept and decided it was not practical, as it would have been too difficult to get people into this boat during rescues. This most likely doomed its prospects.

At some point, the boat sank, and was later pulled out of the river, whereupon some enterprising persons displayed it as a supposed submarine, which it was not.

The postcard we have mistakenly identifies this as the Northwestern “L”. In actuality, it was the Metropolitan West side Elevated, but some of its trains did go to Chicago’s northwest side. The Northwestern “L” actually ran to the north side, despite the name.

I hope that further information may shed more light on this story in the future. In the meantime, here are some additional examples of postcards showing the Met “L” bridge.

-David Sadowski

Trackwork near the Met bridge was somewhat complex. Tracks to the right fanned out, leading to the Wells Street Terminal. The tracks at left connected to the Loop “L” via Van Buren Street. (Robert Heinlein Collection)

We are looking west from the Wells Street Terminal towards the dual bridges over the Chicago River. (Robert Heinlein Collection)

This is the only photo I have seen that shows the interior of the Met bridge interlocking tower. (Robert Heinlein Collection)

A 1906 postcard, made at a time when messages could only go on the front of the card.

The back of the 1906 card. Only the address was permitted here.

A 1908 postcard.

By 1908, messages were allowed on the left side of the card back.

A 1909 postcard, based on the 1907 photo.

The rear of the 1909 postcard.

A 1911 postcard, based on the 1907 photo.

The back of a 1911 postcard.

A 1912 postcard.

The back side of a 1912 postcard.

A 1915 postcard, clearly based on the 1907 photo.

The back side of a 1915 postcard.

A 1919 postcard.

The back side of a 1919 postcard.

A 1920 postcard.

And here are some later views of the bridge, from various angles:

A view of the Metropolitan “L” crossing the Chicago River on July 10, 1949. We are looking to the northwest.

Over the years, I have seen many poor quality duplicate slides with this view, looking to the northwest, with a Garfield Park “L” train crossing the Met bridge over the Chicago River, with Union Station in the background. However, this was scanned from an original red border Kodachrome slide, circa 1955-58. The name of the photographer is not known. This must be a Garfield train, and the results are stunning. Douglas cars were re-routed over the Lake Street “L” in 1954. Logan Square trains began running via the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway in 1951.

CTA 2256 is part of a four-car Met train, turning from Market Street onto the double bridge over the Chicago River in March 1951.
(Truman Hefner Photo)

This picture of the old Met bridge over the Chicago River is undated, but probably dates to circa 1952-55 based on the type of red border Kodachrome mount it is in. But it is certainly after the the other picture in this post, taken at much the same location, since the building at rear, or part of it, was in the process of being torn down. This was not related to expressway construction, since the “L” at this point was north of there. Once the Congress rapid transit line opened in 1958, this section of “L” was taken out of service and by the early 1960s it had been torn down.

Stylish Coit Tower sits atop Telegraph Hill in San Francisco, and has afforded an unparalleled view since its completion in 1933. In April 1987, when this picture was taken, the view included Muni streetcar 578, built in 1896. Although it resembles a cable car, it uses overhead wire. It is occasionally operated for special events and is the oldest streetcar in use in the country. In recent years wheelchair access was added.

A Milwaukee Road push-pull commuter train is at Rondout (an unincorporated area in Lake County, IL) on September 2, 1963. Bi-levels were introduced to the Milwaukee Road around 1961 and ridership was much lower than it is today, so often one car sufficed instead of seven or eight as you see today on Metra. The station here was removed around 1965 on what is now the Metra Milwaukee District North Line. I believe we are looking to the northwest, and that the overpass may be the former North Shore Line Mundelein branch, which had been abandoned on January 21, 1963. There was a tower located kitty-corner to the station, to the right and behind the photographer, which was last used in 2015. (William D. Volkmer Photo)

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “410 was built as a trailer observation car by Cincinnati Car in June 1923, #2640. It was out of service in 1932. It was rebuilt on December 31, 1942, as a two motor coach by closing in the open platform and changing the seating.” Here is how it looked in December 1958 at the Mundelein Terminal. (Russell D. Porter Photo)

North Shore Line Electroliner 801-802 is on the CTA “L” in August 1962.

This is a nice overhead view of a four-car train of North Shore Line Silverliners on Chicago’s “L” in August 1962.

North Shore Line cars 157, 169, and 175 are heading southbound on the Sixth Street Viaduct in Milwaukee on April 19, 1959.

There are not many color photos showing this prewar paint scheme, seen here on North Shore Line coach 739 at the Milwaukee Terminal on June 25, 1942.

North Shore Line coach 173 is at the Mundelein Terminal in November 1962, just two months before the end of service. Car 160, now at the Illinois Railway Museum, is at right on a storage track. (Walter Schopp Photo)

After the North Shore Line abandonment, car 727 went to the Southern Iowa Railway. Here it is shown on June 14, 1964, next to Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Northern car 100. Within a few years, both cars ended up on the Iowa Terminal Railroad (now the Iowa Traction Railway), but unfortunately, car 100 was destroyed in a 1967 fire. 727 is still operable.

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee #607 is at North Chicago Junction on November 16, 1941. “The ‘Big Hook’ operating as a loco, hauling a 12 car drag and caboose.” The color is described as orange and black. (Vic Wagner Photo)

North Shore Line city streetcar 359, a 1920s product of the St. Louis Car Company, is shown at North Chicago Junction on March 2, 1941. This was the south end of the line for Waukegan streetcars. (Vic Wagner Photo)

North Shore Line Silverliner 771 at the Milwaukee Terinal.

$A three car Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (predecessor of the North shore Line) express train, made up of woods including car 401, from an early colorized postcard. The location here may be Lake Forest. Don\s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): "401 was built by Jewett Car in 1909 as parlor-buffet car. In 1917 it was converted to straight coach and retired in 1935. It was leased to Chicago Aurora & Elgin and renumbered 142 in 1936. It came back for a short time with the CA&E number in 1945 and sold to CA&E in 1946. It was retired in 1953."$

A three car Chicago and Milwaukee Electric (predecessor of the North shore Line) express train, made up of woods including car 401, from an early colorized postcard. The location here may be Lake Forest. Dons Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “401 was built by Jewett Car in 1909 as parlor-buffet car. In 1917 it was converted to straight coach and retired in 1935. It was leased to Chicago Aurora & Elgin and renumbered 142 in 1936. It came back for a short time with the CA&E number in 1945 and sold to CA&E in 1946. It was retired in 1953.”

As the song goes, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot at the former site of the North shore Line’s Milwaukee Terminal, seen here on August 24, 1966. The former switchman’s shanty was the only thing carried over. (Richard H. Young Photo)

On June 6, 1954, the National Railway Historical Society held a farewell fantrip on the Red Arrow interurban line to West Chester, PA. Here, the fantrip cars are stopped at the West Chester Water Works. Car 66 was built by Brill in 1926 and was declared surplus in 1970, after Red Arrow was taken over by SEPTA. It is now at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA.

Fairmount Park Transit car 10, built by Brill in 1896, as it appeared on April 6, 1946, not long before the line was abandoned. There are not many color photos of this operation. (David H. Cope Photo)

Fairmount Park Transit was an interesting streetcar operation that ran from 1896 to 1946, all on the grounds of a public park in Philadelphia, completely separate from the rest of the local streetcar system. Here we see car #1.

This picture was taken on July 26, 1961 at the Red Arrow Lines (Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company) 69th Street Terminal. Amazingly, the sign still mentions the Lehigh Valley Transit interurban, which stopped operating in 1951, and which hadn’t operated to this station since 1949.

A Lehigh Valley Transit Liberty Bell Limited interurban car is heading northbound at West Point in Pennsylvania on September 18, 1948. Rail service ended three years later. (James P. Shuman Photo)

CTA PCC 4382 appears to be turning east from Clark Street onto Division Street. Close examination of the slide shows the streetcar is signed for Route 36 – Broadway-Downtown. As Steve De Rose notes, the south portion of Broadway-State was “bustituted ” on December 5, 1955, and the Blatz ad campaign on the side of the car dates this picture to 1956.

Chicago Surface Lines PCC 4125 and red car 1403 are at 73rd Street and Vincennes Avenue in March 1947, as the newest and oldest streetcars in the CSL fleet. (Vic Wagner Photo)

The Union Stock Yards, as seen from the “L”, probably circa 1908 when this branch line opened. From a real photo postcard.

CTA 4409 is at the head of a two-car fantrip train at Francisco on the Ravenswood “L” on November 25, 1973. This was at the end of regular service for the 4000-series cars, built in the early 1920s. (Arthur H. Peterson Photo)

A view looking north at the CTA Linden Avenue “L” yard in Wilmette in June 1966 shows where the North Shore Line’s Shore Line Route tracks branched off at right and continued north. After service ended in 1955, the CTA incorporated some of this trackage into its storage yard, which has since been reconfigured.

This duplicate slide was described as showing the CTA Douglas Park “L” at Kenton Avenue in May 1952. That may be the correct date, but I believe it actually shows an eastbound Garfield Park train between Laramie and Central Avenue. West of here, the “L” turned to run parallel to the B&OCT. The area at left is where the Eisenhower expressway runs today, and this is approximately the location of the Lotus tunnel.

CTA 2102 is at the tail end of a Lake-Dan Ryan train in April 1975, turning the sharp corner from Wabash to Lake. After the horrific crash here two years later, where some “L” cars fell off the structure, additional steel was added to help prevent a future reoccurrence.

Passengers are boarding an eastbound South Shore Line train, headed by car 107, at Michigan City, IN in May 1959. Now, the line is being double-tracked at this location, and the street turned into a private right-of-way. The facade of the old station is going to become part of a new redevelopment here. From left to right, the several cars visible include an early 50s Chevy, a ’59 Chevy, a ’55 Oldsmobile, a late ’50s Cadillac, a 1956 Buick, and a 1959 Ford.

A South Shore Line train, with car 101 at the helm, is at the East Chicago station on February 8, 1953. In 1956 the street trackage here was replaced by a new bypass route, running parallel to the Indiana Toll Road. (James P. Shuman Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 404 at Forest Park, circa 1955-57. We are looking north. After interurban service was cut back to here in 1953, the CA&E had a track for midday car storage, seen at left.

The final fantrip on the Chicago Aurora and Elgin took place on a wintry December 7, 1958, about six months prior to the complete abandonment of the interurban, which had stopped operating passenger service on July 3, 1957. I am not sure of this location in Chicago’s western suburbs, although the sign at right would suggest it is at one of several Main Streets in the area. Wood cars 319 and 320 were used. By this time, automatic gates had been removed, and the train had to be flagged at each such crossing. Jason Learakos: “Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The photo is facing east across Main Street from the station there.” Mike Franklin says we are “looking SE at Main St., Glen Ellyn.”

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car #20, built in 1902, ran for 55 years on that interurban before heading to the Fox River Trolley Museum, where it remains. Here it is in October 1970, when this operation was still known as “RELIC.” These are former tracks of the Aurora, Elgin, and Fox River Electric, which was affiliated with the CA&E.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 409, the only Pullman saved from the fleet, is shown operating at “Trolleyville USA” in Olmstead Falls, OH on August 28, 1965. It is now at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 20 at “RELIC” in South Elgin in August 1968.

Chicago’s Central Station opened in 1893 to serve trains to the World’s Columbian Exposition site. Trains of the Illinois Central and the “Big Four” (the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway, which after 1906 was affiliated with the New York Central) used this station, which was adjacent to the tracks (electrified in 1926) now used by the Metra Electric and South Shore Line. After Amtrak took over intercity passenger train operations in 1971, they consolidated service to Union Station the following year, and Central Station closed. Demolition began on June 3, 1974, which is right around when this photo was taken.

Another photo of the soon to be demolished Central Station in June 1974.

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “65 was built by Cincinnati Car in August 1928, #2985, as I&SE 230. In 1933 it was sold to ICRT as 230 and in 1941 it was sold to SHRT as 65. In 1949 it was sold to Ed Tennyson and leased as Speedrail 65 where it originally operated with a modified Shaker Heights paint scheme. When repainted, the Speedrail logo was omitted. It was scrapped in 1952.” Based on that, my best guess is this picture may date to near the end of service in 1951. The location is at Sixth and Michigan in Milwaukee, by the North Shore Line Terminal. Transport Company bus 930 is also visible.

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “66 was built by Cincinnati Car in August 1929, #3025, as Dayton & Troy Ry 203. It was returned to Cincinnati Car in 1932, and in 1938 it was sold to Lehigh Valley Transit as 1102. In 1949 it was sold to Speedrail, but was not rehabilitated until March 1951. But it only ran for 3 months before the line was abandoned and then scrapped in 1952.” Here it is seen during that brief period of operation in Waukesha. Larry Sakar: “aae249 is a photo I also have. The 66 is indeed laying over at the Waukesha loop/ Two questions remain to this day. 1. Was there any specific spot where the cars were supposed to stop? Seems to me I see photos of TM cars laying over parked in a variety of places on the loop. For instance that great single leading duplex shot which was the common lash-up during the WWII era is parked in a different spot than the 66. 2. I have never seen a photo of cars laying over on the Waukesha loop with passengers either boarding or waiting to board. I am inclined to think that passengers could not be carried the two blocks between the Waukesha station at Clinton Street & Broadway and the loop because when the line was cut back to Waukesha loop on 12-30-45 passenger service had been abandoned beyond downtown Waukesha. This is speculative on my part. I don’t really know. Jay Maeder and the city of Waukesha tangled over the sale of the Waukesha loop. The city wanted to buy it from Speedrail to accommodate more cars. Maeder was willing to sell. Initially he asked something like $1100 until he saw the appraisal and quickly raised the asking price to $2500. The city accused him of trying to gouge him and refused to budge beyond $1500. Maeder said they were trying to cheat him and they were. When Hyman-Michaels had the property appraised the appraisal came in at $2200! Just where he planned to turn the cars around if he sold the loop I don’t know. He publicly said there were “lots of places where Speedrail could turn the cars but I can’t think of any!” In the end the city got it anyway and it became a parking lot until the 1980s. It is now the site of a very big Walgreens Drug Store. The Motor Transport Co. freight building was torn down shortly after Speedrail came to an end.”

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “62 was built by Cincinnati Car in August 1928, #2985, as I&SE 245. In 1933 it was sold to ICRT as 245 and in 1941 it was sold to SHRT as 62. In 1949 it was sold to Ed Tennyson and leased as Speedrail 62 and was scrapped in 1952.” This photo may have been taken in Waukesha and could date to just prior to the 1951 abandonment. Larry Sakar: “This is NOT toward the end of Speedrail. The lack of front stripes on the curved sider indicates that this is pre Summer 1950 when the two black stripes began to appear on the curved side cars. O’Brien photos took some great photos of the Waukesha loop including an aerial shot of it before it became the loop. They were located about a block or so east of the Waukesha station.” Mike Franklin says we are “looking SE on Broadway from Clinton St, Waukesha, WI.”

Milwaukee Electric M15 at an undetermined location. Stephen Karlson writes, “M15 is under the train shed at East Troy that was later removed. That stretch of the right of way remains off limits to boarding passengers at the preservation railway as the ground is on the same plot of land as the house that was once the station. Thus the loading platform for the electric cars is by the substation.”

Milwaukee Electric 1112 at Waukesha, WI on March 15, 1947. (Vic Wagner Photo) Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “1112 was built by Kuhlman Car in February 1909, #405. It was rebuilt in 1926. It was one of three sold for scrap in January 1952, before the rest of the cars.” Larry Sakar: “Fantastic shot of the typical Waukesha train during WWII. When first tried TM discovered that placing the single 1100 series car behind the duplex did not work. Because the door on a single 1100 was at the rear of the car and in the center of a duplex they quickly found that the door on the single 1100 did not reach the station platforms or designated loading zone. Thus, two stops had to be made. The solution was to place the single 1100 series car first. Trial and error I guess you’d say.”

Milwaukee Electric interurban car 1106 is at Mukwonago, Wisconsin, on the line going out to East Troy. Passenger service was abandoned here in 1939, although freight service continued for decades. This is currently where the East Troy Railroad Museum operates. I’ve been told that this station was located near an interchange north of where the Elegant Farmer is now, and that the station itself was moved and turned into a residence, which still exists, although additions have been made to it.

Milwaukee Electric 1105. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “The Milwaukee Northern Ry came under TM control in 1923 and was officially merged on April 30, 1928. Under TM management 4 of their cars were rebuilt in a fashion similar to the other TM rebuilt interurbans. After 1928, most of the cars were further rebuilt and renumbered to replace the original 1100s which had been renumbered when they were rebuilt. 1101 was to have been rebuilt from MN 20, but it became 1105 instead. Thus there was no 1101.” It may originally have been built in 1907.

Milwaukee Electric streetcar 641 on route 19. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “641 was built at Cold Springs in 1913. It was reconditioned as a two man car in 1928.”

Milwaukee Rapid Transit and Speedrail car 61 is at an undetermined location (Waukesha?) and looks rather worse for the wear, with unrepaired collision damage, probably just prior to the 1951 abandonment. Larry Sakar adds: “This is at the Waukesha station. Wilbur Lumber was directly across the street from the station. Note the cement safety island to the left of the car. It was there to facilitate loading so that passengers didn’t have to stand in the street. All traffic passed to the photo left of that island. Today a bank occupies the site of Wilbur Lumber Co. I guess the Wilburs were a prominent Waukesha family from what my friend John Schoenknecht who is the editor of Landmark, the official publication of the Waukesha County Historical Society, told me. Oh, by the way what you see in the background of that shot of the car at Wilbur Lumber is the Madison Street hill which is still there. There was a Milwaukee Road crossing that isn’t visible in the photo and once across it Broadway becomes Madison.” Mike Franklin says this “is indeed Waukesha. Looking NW across Madison St from Clinton St.”

Milwaukee Rapid Transit and Speedrail car 60. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “60 was built by Cincinnati Car in August 1929, #3030, as Indianapolis & Southeastern Traction 260. It replaced the heavy-weight cars which became TMER&L 1180 series. In 1933 it was sold to Inter-City Rapid Transit as 260 and in 1941 it was sold to Shaker Heights Rapid Transit as 60. In 1949 it was sold to Ed Tennyson and leased as Speedrail 60 and was scrapped in 1952.” Larry Sakar: “Car 60 is on the bridge over Brookdale Drive on the Hales Corners line on 10-16-49. This is the inaugural fan trip using car 60 that traveled over both lines. Both the bridge and embankment are gone. This is the location where the construction train used to take workers building the suburb of Greendale to and from cut off and went in a southeasterly direction thru what is now Root River Parkway. One of the dumbest things Jay Maeder ever said was that he “intended to restore passenger service to Greendale.” There never was passenger service to Greendale. I’m about a mile or so north of Greendale. MCTS has a bus line (Rt. 76-76th St.) that serves Greendale. I’ve yet to see a single passenger on that part of the line. Greendale is wealth personified! By the way car 65 was supposed to have been used on the inaugural fan trip but it was on the “sick list”. Another thing of interest regarding the 10-16-49 fan trip. Car 60 developed mechanical problems as soon as the car descended the “slide” onto the Rapid Transit line at 8th Street. At the Gravel Pit they put in to the siding. A fan with a vast knowledge of interurban cars opened the hatches in the floor and disconnected the motor leads on motors 3 and 4. Car 60 ran on two motors for the rest of that fan trip. The name of the knowledgeable railfan was George Krambles!! The late Lew Martin recalled that while stopped there a fan remarked, “The line has been in business for a little over a month and they have a car in the scrap line already!” Two other well known railfans were on that car. Barney Neuberger wearing his classic pork pie hat and one Mr. Albert C. Kalmbach, head of the publishing company that bore his name. Kalmbach was seated in the 4th row on the right side of car 60.”

Milwaukee Electric freight motor and utility car M15. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “M15 was built at Cold Spring Shops in 1920 as a trailer, but it was motorized almost immediately. It was transferred to the isolated East Troy operation in 1939, and sold to the Municipality of East Troy in 1949. It is sold to WERHS in 1982 and (is) now preserved at the IRM (since) 1989.”

Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “61 was built by Cincinnati Car in August 1928, #2985, as I&SE 235. In 1933 it was sold to ICRT as 235 and in 1941 it was sold to SHRT as 61. In 1949 it was sold to Ed Tennyson and leased as Speedrail 61 and was scrapped in 1952.” Here 61 is at an undetermined location. Since it is still signed for Milwaukee Rapid Transit and Speedrail, this may be circa 1949-50. Larry Sakar: “The car is westbound on West Michigan Street at North 5th Street. The building in the background (whitish and prominent) was the Boston Store, a department store that at one time was owned by the same company that owned Carson’s in Chicago- P.A. Bergner. The building is still there but the Boston Store is not. I believe it is now housing for seniors. Note the traffic policeman standing in the middle of the intersection. Believe it or not there were no stop and go lights on Michigan Street until Speedrail was gone. Every intersection had a traffic policeman. The late Doug Traxler said the one place you did not want to get stopped was at the top of the hill at 6th and Michigan because half of your car was hanging downhill and making that turn by the NSL station was no picnic. Motorman Don Leistikow concurred and offered this tale: “Yes, I remember that traffic officer. I was one of several motormen who discovered that he had a good day when he had cigars so I, like some of the other motormen, always made sure he had a box of cigars. Things always seemed to go better for him when he had a box of cigars!” Traxler remembered him shouting at him, “Pull it Up. Pull it way up,” when he got stopped there one time.” Mike Franklin says we are “looking east on Michigan St. from 5th St. in Milwaukee.”

Gary Railways car #1 at an undetermined location. William Shapotkin: “We are in downtown Valparaiso, IN. The car is laying over in Franklin St north of Main (now Lincolnway) taking its layover at the east end-of-line. View looks south. Building at right (N/W corner of intersection) is still standing today.”

Gary Railways cars 16 and 19 on the May 1, 1938 fantrip which is considered the beginnings of the Central Electric Railfans’ Association.

Gary Railways line car #11 at the Garyton Loop. (Edward Frank, Jr. Photo)

A view of the right of way along the Gary Railways Indiana Harbor Division near Gary, IN by Edward Frank, Jr.

A view of the right-of-way along the Gary Railways Hammond Division, near Hammond IN, by Edward Frank, Jr.

A view of the Gary Railways right-of-way on the Indiana Harbor Division near Gary, IN by Edward Frank, Jr. Presumably that is his bicycle by the telephone pole. Rail service on the Indiana Harbor Division was abandoned in March 1939.

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