There’s a lot going on at CERA this month, with three fantrips, a banquet/program, plus our regular monthly meeting.

A K-type controller (the type featured in our logo) in a Japanese tram in July 1969. (Unknown photographer) CERA is moving full speed ahead!

During May, all CERA 2012 and 2013 Members received a special mailing, with a brochure detailing our 75th Anniversary events this September. The basic cost of attending our Diamond Jubilee banquet and program is $75, which also includes a copy of Trolley Sparks Special #1, a retrospective look at the first 75 years of our group.

CNS&M 739 in Milwaukee on June 24, 1962. (Photographer unknown)

CNS&M 731 in Milwaukee in August 1961. (Photographer unknown)

January 20, 1963, the last full day of North Shore Line operation. “Waiting for Mundelein-Libertyville train- Solheim’s head.” (Photo by Charles B. Porter)

CNS&M Electroliner on January 20, 1963 in Milwaukee, during the last full day of operation. (Photographer unknown)

Longtime CERA Member, Director, and President Walter Keevil will present the program at our 75th Anniversary Banquet this September 21st. Since this is the 50th anniversary of the North Shore Line’s demise, Walter will show rare films of that famous interurban from his extensive collection.

The hour-long program will include material from 1941 to 1962, with the Shore Line and streetcars included, as well as the mainline, Mundelein branch and scenes on the “L”. Preceding the program, we will have a short presentation of photos from CERA fantrips going back to 1938.

September 10, 1938 – Indiana Railroad car 435 in Indianapolis. “Last car north (to Kokomo), 3:15 pm Last day.” (Photo by George Krambles)

Stay on top of things. Attend one of our three upcoming fantrips. (These are CRT/CTA 4000s models made in the early 1970s by Jack Bender- photo by Pete Peters.)

CA&E 20 at the Fox River Trolley Museum in August 1976. (Photographer unknown)

In addition to the banquet and program, we have fantrips to the Kenosha streetcars, the Illinois Railway Museum, and Fox River Trolley Museum. Charter bus transportation is available for all three events.

Tickets for all these events can be purchased NOW online via our web site, or by mail. You can pay online using either PayPal, or a debit/credit card. Mail payments should be by check. Please do not send us credit card information by mail.

For further information go here. Seating is limited and these events may sell out quickly. Tickets will be mailed to you as soon as we receive your order. Orders for Banquet/Program tickets must be received no later than September 14th to be guaranteed. We will try to accommodate orders received after that date to the greatest extent possible.

Only those who have purchased a Banquet ticket will be admitted to the program. No exceptions. While we are not requiring a dress code as such, we ask that our members dress appropriately for the occasion. This is your last chance to order tickets for our special 75th Anniversary events.

Our newest book Trolley Sparks Special #1 has been printed and will distributed starting September 21st. The cost is $29, which includes shipping within the United States. International shipping costs $12. This book is not part of our regular membership entitlement. Illinois residents need to add 9.25% sales tax, which makes the total $31.68. International shipping costs an additional $12.

This is a limited edition book, likely to sell out quickly.

Avoid traffic congestion- ride our chartered buses to our three September fantrips.

For those attending the 75th Anniversary Banquet and Program, there will be free parking at the venue. Just pull into the regular paid lot and we will distribute vouchers at the banquet, which you can use when leaving the lot by midnight Saturday. FYI, there is no free overnight or daytime parking at the hotel.

If you are attending one of our three fantrips, and plan to take our charter bus, you have the option of parking at the nearby CTA Cumberland parking garage. Our buses will stop there (both ways) five minutes after the scheduled times at the hotel. The rate is $5 for up to 12 hours.

We will make a special announcement revealing our next book (B-146) at the banquet. This book is the membership entitlement for 2012 members. We are very excited about the new book, and you will be too!

All this will be followed by our regular “fourth Friday” program meeting:

Midwest Traction In Vintage Films From the 1930s and 40s

Presented by Harvey Laner

Left coaster and longtime CERA Member Harvey Laner has been collecting vintage traction films for a long time. He’s traveling here to showcase Midwestern properties, and many of these films will be seen in Chicago for the first time.

Our program includes Cincinnati Streetcars, Cincinnati, Newport and Covington, Cincinnati and Lake Erie, Columbus Delaware and Marion, Lake Shore Electric Ry., Gary Railways, Indiana Railroad, Marion Railways, Indianapolis Railways, Fort Wayne (Indiana), Cedar Rapids & Iowa City, Waterloo Cedar Falls and Northern, Chicago Great Western, Charles City Western, Mason City and Clear Lake, and Iowa Traction.

Mr. Laner will round out the program with a selection of his own Chicago-area films from 1956-57, featuring streetcars, interurbans, and rapid transit. Come join us for what promises to be a fun evening.

Friday, September 27, 2013
1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center
525 S State St, Chicago, IL

Admission is free for current CERA Members, and $5 for non-members. Admission will always be free for our members. It is hoped that this will help encourage more people to become current CERA members. You can show your 2013 membership card for admission. Otherwise, we can look up your membership status in our database. Everyone attending the meeting will receive a ticket for pass-in/outs.

We will also be selling copies of our new book Trolley Sparks Special #1 at the meeting for $32, which includes 9.25% Illinois Sales Tax.

CRANDIC 116 (ex-C&LE) in Iowa City on October 26, 1952. (Photographer unknown)

CA&E 458 in Elgin on October 8, 1955. (Photographer unknown)

Charles City Western car 50 in Iowa during the 1950s. (Photographer unknown)

C&LE 112 in Toldeo during the 1930s. (Photographer unknown)

-Your CERA Directors