With turkey day less than two weeks away, there is so much to be thankful for at this time of the year. Therefore, we thought it would be fitting to write a few posts this month about all the things CERA is thankful for.
As we continue to work hard at finishing up our 146th Bulletin Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958, we thank our readers with a sampling of some Chicago streetcar images that, for one reason or another, did not make it into the book.
Without the help, support and donations of our CERA Members, who have been so generous in sharing with us, books like this would not be possible. We are thankful for that.
Likewise, this and other such books would be impossible to put out without the tireless efforts of our CERA volunteers, who have logged many thousands of hours in doing research, painstakingly checking and rechecking facts, locations, and a myriad of other details that go into a book such as this.
Many of the same volunteers also worked very hard going over many of these images in Photoshop, removing thousands of spots, scratches and other imperfections that have found their way into these original images over the course of 60 years. There was a time not that long ago when it would have been impossible to fix these things. But even though the technology is now available, it still takes a lot of “elbow grease” and burning the midnight oil to get the job done. And for that, we are very thankful.
Even though the photos you see here will not appear in B-146, some of these same techniques were used to undo the ravages of time. The photo from Madison and Pulaski was covered with spots, which have been removed. The picture from 81st and Halsted had a hair over the front of PCC 7211, which is now gone.
The two pictures from the Clark-Howard loop had been badly faded over the years. They were taken onAnscochrome, an early type of slide film (similar to Ektachrome) that did not have the dye stability ofKodachrome. Using computer magic, it has been possible to “get the red out” and bring back a semblance of the original colors. For this, we are also thankful.
And finally, we are thankful for everyone who has supported CERA by purchasing a Membership, for either 2014 or 2015. The number of renewals we have already received is very gratifying. Your continued support makes what we do possible.
Consider becoming a card-carrying Member of CERA today. Joining, and renewing, has never been easier. Just click on this link for further details. We thank you for your time and consideration.
-Your CERA Directors
PS- To read more about the 1956 fantrip where CTA red car 225 was rebadged as 144 for the day, go here.
CTA Pullman PCC 4076 at Madison and Pulaski in 1949, showing patches of paint of a distinctly darker hue. At one time, this was one of the busiest shopping areas in the city. (James J. Buckley Photo – CERA Archives)
CTA Pullmans 4070 and 4104 westbound at Monroe and Canal on the #20 Madison route in April 1950. (CERA Archives)
CTA St. Louis-built PCC 7211 and Pullman-built 4116, in contrasting color schemes. We are at 81st and Halsted, facing west, and the time is most likely 1952. (CERA Archives)
CSL experimental pre-PCC 7001, as it looked in 1941 after having been repainted to match the 1936 PCCs, (CERA Archives)
CTA PCC 7143 heads south on Clark Street downtown in the early 1950s. (CERA Archives)
The scrapped body shell of Pullman-built PCC 4211 in St. Louis circa 1954. (CERA Archives)
It’s December 1956, and we are looking south at the intersection of Clark, Broadway, and Diversey. Car 225 (rebadged as 144) is on a fantrip, followed by a PCC that might be 7238. (CERA Archives)
CTA Pre-war PCC 7013, retrofitted for one-man operation. (CERA Archives)
CTA Pre-war PCC 4026 near the Hotel Florence in the Pullman neighborhood in the early 1950s. retrofitted for one-man operation. (CERA Archives)
CSL PCC 7026, outfitted with experimental roof-mounted forced-air ventilation equipment, similar to that used in Boston. (CERA Archives)
It’s July 1954, a month after the end of CTA red car service. But car 597 is still on the scene here at 38th and Cottage Grove. Pre-war PCC 4033 is at right. (Bill Hoffman Photo – Wien-Criss Archive)
CTA PCC 7171 at the Clark-Howard loop in 1957. (CERA Archives)
CTA PCC 7165 at the Clark-Howard loop in 1957. (CERA Archives)
CTA PCC (#72xx) loaded on a flatcar in February 1957, for its trip down to St. Louis to be stripped for parts used in building rapid transit cars. (CERA Archives)
It’s March 24, 1954 at Cottage Grove and 115th. CTA PCC 4015 heads the lineup. (CERA Archives)
