CTA Retires Last Of 2400-Series Train Cars Built In 1970s

November 3, 2014 7:34 AM

CHICAGO (CBS) – The CTA is marking another milestone in the modernization of its rapid transit fleet.

While many riders may not like the 5000-series ‘L’ cars now under construction, they have allowed CTA to retire its two oldest series of rapid transit cars.

Fifteen months after retiring the last of the 2200-series ‘L’ cars built beginning in 1969, during the first Nixon presidency, CTA has retired the next-oldest group of ‘L’ cars, the 2400-series cars delivered by Boeing beginning in the fall of 1976 and christened by the first Mayor Daley two months before his death.

The 2400-series cars were seen all over its rail system until this past year. Their last assignment, oddly enough, was the Orange Line — a place they had never run till recently. The last were removed from service after the Friday morning rush hour. A couple dozen of the cars, with red-and-white stripes on the ends and sides, will remain indefinitely for maintenance purposes.

The last of the controversial 5000-series ‘L’ cars should be delivered next year. More than 550 of the planned 714 cars are now in service. CTA has released specifications for its next group of rapid transit cars, which would allow CTA to retire all cars older than the 5000 series by 2022.

CTA 2561-2562 leads the way southbound at Wabash and Van Buren on June 27, 2014 (CERA Archives)

Video of the 2400-series "L" cars in Orange Line service on June 17, 2014 (CERA Archives)

Another video

Our Next Program:

Friday, November 28, 2014
1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center (Map)

The North Side “L” by Bruce Moffat

Long-time CERA member and author Bruce Moffat recounts the history of Chicago’s North Side “L” in this informative and entertaining program. He will trace its development, beginning with Charles Yerkes‘ battle with the City to extend rapid transit into the north side, followed by upgrading a steam railroad to extend “L” trains into the suburbs. Joint operations with steam- powered freights, electric interurbans and the “L”‘s own electric freight are also covered.

Mr. Moffat’s books include Forty Feet Below – The Story of Chicago’s Freight Tunnels, The Chicago Tunnel Story: Exploring the Railroad “Forty Feet Below” (CERA B-135), and The “L”: The Development of Chicago’s Rapid Transit System, 1888-1932 (CERA B-131). In addition, he has also authored Shore Line Interurban Historical Society Dispatches 1 and 5: Cooperation Moves the Public, and The Chicago “L’s” Great Steel Fleet – The Baldies.

CTA trains of 4000s and 6000s are southbound between Argyle and Lawrence in this early 1970s view. (CERA Archives)

A CTA single car unit heads south at the old Isabella station, just south of the Linden Avenue terminal in the 1960s. (CERA Archives)

A North Shore Line fantrip train at Buena Yard in the late 1950s. (Ken Spengler Photo – CERA Archives)

On a snowy winter day in the late 1950s, a southbound two car North Shore Line train, headed up by 724, navigates the local track near Sheridan Road. (CERA Archives)

Here is our seventh list of used books for sale. Copies of List #7 and an order form have been mailed to all current CERA Members.

Used books, donated by our members, are being sold to raise money to help fund CERA programs and services. Since we are a 501(c)(3) organization, such donations may be tax deductible. Do you have used traction books that you no longer need? If so, why not donate them to the CERA Used Book Exchange? We thank our donors.

HOW TO ORDER – You can pay by check through the mail using this form, or online using PayPal or acredit/debit card. Please do not send your credit card information through the mail. As items are sold or added, we will update the online version of the list here.

As books are sold, we will cross them out on the online list, like this. You can download and print out a copy of List #7 here.

You can also contact the CERA Office by telephone at 312-987-4391. If we are not available, leave a message and we will get back to you.  We are in the office most weekday afternoons.

To order books online, drop us a line at ceraoffice@gmail.com and CERA will e-mail you back an invoice that you can pay using PayPal or a debit/credit card.

All sales are final. Used books are sold without warranty or guarantee. No haggling or quantity discounts- the items here are priced to move. Please do not ask us to put items on “hold” for you. Books will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Current (2014) CERA Members in the United States get FREE SHIPPING. Other Domestic buyers pay $5 Shipping and Handling per book ($3 for the ERHS bulletins). International shipping is available by special request. Contact us and we will work up a quote based on actual cost.

Books are graded as Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor. Significant damage is noted, where observed. Some amount of normal wear is to be expected in books that are “of a certain age.”

When using the mail-in form, in the unlikely event of an overpayment, if a book you want is no longer available, please indicate whether you would prefer a refund, or a credit that can be applied to a future purchase. If you send your order by mail, keep a copy of the form for your records.

Please note: Illinois residents must include 9.25% sales tax with payment.

CERA Used Book Exchange List #7 (Updated as of October 28, 2014):

Stock #	Description	Publisher	Date	Cover	Cond.	Price	#	Notes
UBE110	The Shore Line Electric Railway Company	CERA	2007	H	EX	$40.00	B-139	Like New
UBE131	Electric Railways of Northeastern Ohio	CERA	1965	H	G	$30.00	B-108	DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE133	Not Only Passengers	CERA	1992	H	EX	$20.00	B-129
UBE134	Chicago Surface Lines	THP	1979	H	EX	$35.00		By Lind – Third Edition
UBE135	The Green Line	CERA	2000	H	EX	$25.00	B-134	Like New
UBE137	Cincinnati Streetcars v9 Streamliners and War Horses	WCC	1984	S	G	$25.00		By Wagner and Wright
UBE138	TravElectric	CERA	2009	H	G	$25.00	B-143
UBE140	How the Medal Was Won	CERA	1985	H	EX	$10.00	B-124
UBE141	The Colorful Streetcars We Rode	CERA	1986	S	G	$15.00	B-125
UBE142	Northern Indiana Railway	CERA	1998	H	EX	$20.00	B-132
UBE143	The Chicago & West Towns Railways	CERA	2006	H	EX	$30.00	B-138	Like New
UBE147	Illinois Traction System	CERA	1954	S	G	$45.00	B-98	Spiral bound
UBE153	CERA Bulletins 20-34	CERA	1977	S	G	$15.00		Reprint
UBE156	North Shore- America’s Fastest Interurban	GW	1964	H	F	$10.00		By Middleton
UBE159	Electric Railways of Indiana III	CERA	1960	S	G	$40.00	B-104	Spiral bound
UBE160	Electric Railways of Northeastern Ohio	CERA	1965	H	G	$30.00	B-108	No DJ
UBE161	The NOT&L Story	CERA	1966	H	G	$30.00	B-109	Northern Ohio
UBE162	West Penn Traction	CERA	1968	H	G	$30.00	B-110	DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE163	Electrification by GE	CERA	1976	H	EX	$25.00	B-116
UBE164	Detroit’s Street Railways vI	CERA	1978	H	G	$25.00	B-117	DJ faded, otherwise OK
UBE165	Westinghouse Electric Railway Transportation	CERA	1979	H	EX	$25.00	B-118
UBE166	Detroit’s Street Railways vII	CERA	1980	H	G	$25.00	B-120	DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE167	Texas Electric	CERA	1982	H	G	$30.00	B-121	DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE168	Ft. Wayne and Wabash Valley Trolleys	CERA	1983	H	G	$20.00	B-122
UBE169	Detroit’s Street Railways vIII	CERA	1984	H	G	$25.00	B-123	DJ worn, otherwise OK
UBE170	Every Hour On the Hour (WB&A)	CERA	1993	H	EX	$70.00	B-130
UBE171	The Near-Side Car; the Legacy of Thomas E. Mitten		1994	S	EX	$35.00		By Borgnis; signed
UBE172	South Shore Line – America’s Last Interurban	GW	1970	H	G	$15.00		By Middleton
UBE173	Chicago Surface Lines	THP	1974	H	G	$20.00		By Lind – First Edition, no DJ
UBE174	The Story of the Cedar Valley Road	PF	2007	S	G	$15.00		WCF&N
UBE175	100 Years of Capital Traction	TPC	1972	H	G	$40.00		By King; Worn DJ
UBE176	Trolley Sparks Special #1	CERA	2013	S	EX	$25.00	TSS1	Like New

CERA News for 10-26-2014

We wish to thank everyone who attended Friday night’s program on the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric.  A fine time was had by all, and we especially wish to thank William Shapotkin, our presenter.  It’s safe to say that no one else has a collection of images like Bill’s, or his a unique sense of humor.

We were fortunate to have two used copies of Bill’s out-of-print 2004 book Faster Than the Limiteds(CERA B-137) for sale that night.  Both were purchased, and autographed.

Used Book Exchange

Our next used book list was mailed to our Members on the 15th. The continued availability of used books is dependent on the generosity of our Members, and we thank you for both your donations and purchases. The list information will also be posted online (www.cerablog.com) later today. This is done to give our “snail mail” crowd more of an even chance at getting books.

Chicago PCC Weekend

We thank all those who participated in our three Chicago PCC Weekend events in late September. A very large crowd turned out for the Chicago Streetcar Pictorial Round Table (26^th). The event was videotaped for the CERA Archives.

In particular, we would like to thank our Round Table panel of experts: Roy Benedict, Ray DeGroote,Bob Heinlein, George Kanary, John Nicholson, Bernie Rossbach, David Sadowski, Ken Spengler, and Jeff Wien. Truman Hefner participated via telephone.

We still have some of the commemorative 11×17” color posters, suitable for framing, that were made for this event. If you would like to purchase one, the cost is $8.50, which includes shipping within the US. You can order these by mail or via our website (www.cera-chicago.org) starting on October 27th. Don’t hesitate, since supplies are limited.

We continued our celebration of Chicago’s PCCs streetcars on Saturday (27^th) and Sunday (28^th) withInspection Trips to the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Streetcar and the Illinois Railway Museum. We had excellent weather on both days, and a fine time was had by all. We thank MCERA Vince Allen’s Victory Bus Service for providing round-trip transportation between the Crystal Lake Metra station and IRM.

B-146 Progress Report

We are in the home stretch of working on Bulletin 146, the Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: the PCC Car Era, 1936-1958. Layout work on the book is essentially complete; the text sections for the book are finished, the nearly 1000 photos selected, locations identified, captions written and double-checked for accuracy. TheDVD inserts are already at the printer, as are the reproduction 1936 CSL brochures that will accompany each copy of the book.

This book will have more pictures, and with better reproduction quality, than any previous CERA book ever.

However, when we started working on the book’s images using Photoshop, looking at the scans under high magnification, it became apparent that there were many imperfections in the 60-year-old slides and negs that require attention. Since an individual image may have upwards of a thousand “fixes” that need to be made, to make things look just as they did when the picture was originally taken, this has proven to be a time-consuming process. But this work is now almost finished.

We expect the book will be in the hands of the printer soon, and copies will be mailed out to our Members and other purchasers before the end of the year. This book is a two-year entitlement for those who were CERA Members in 2012 and 2013, and we also are sending it anyone who was a Contributing or Sustaining Member in either year.

Since we stand behind what we sell, we will cheerfully offer a refund anyone who pre-ordered the book and does not want to wait any longer to receive it. Because the book is already very popular and likely to sell out quickly, we expect that very few people (if any) will take us up on this offer.

2015 Membership Cards

We thank those of you who have already renewed your CERA Memberships for 2015. Membership cards will be mailed out along with the November program notice. If you have not yet renewed your membership, we encourage you to do so.

You can renew online, using either PayPal or a credit/debit card.  You can also print out a form to use when mailing in a check.

We thank you for your continued support.

-Your CERA Directors

Here’s something you don’t see every day… a cat riding on a CTA “L” train. Looks like this couple takes their cat everywhere they go. (Blue Line, October 22, 2014)

PS- Our friends at the Illinois Railway Museum are hosting a rare fantrip on the Metra Electric on Sunday, November 9.  This will be the first Metra fantrip in several years:

Snowflake Special Excursion on the Metra Electric
Sunday, November 9, 2014

This Snowflake Special Excursion is a fundraiser to acquire and preserve a set of Highliners, similar to those shown here.

Purchase tickets online now!Join the members of the Illinois Railway Museum as they tour the Metra Electric District lines. This is IRM’s first excursion on the former Illinois Central electrified suburban service since 1979. We’ll be riding aboard Highliner cars built by St. Louis Car and Bombardier from 1971-1979, which are rapidly being replaced by new Nippon Sharyo cars.

Departure: 9:40AM from Millennium Station (Randolph St.) on Michigan Ave. between Randolph and South Water Streets in downtown Chicago. Riders may also board at 55th-56th-57th St. on the Metra Electric at approximately 10:10AM. We plan to meet Metra train 8306, the 9:49 from South Chicago, and South Shore train 504, the 9:01 (EST) express from South Bend, at 55th-56th-57th St., although we cannot guarantee connections. Parking in downtown Chicago is difficult and expensive; we recommend parking in Metra, CTA, or other appropriate lots and riding the `L to Randolph/Wabash. CTA schedules and parking information are available at www.transitchicago.com, and Metra information at www.metrarail.com.

Fare: $50.00 per person.Orders received after October 25 will be held for pickup at Millennium Station. No refunds after October 25, 2014.

Lunch: 90 minutes will be given for lunch on your own in Richton Park. A list of suggested restaurants within a 10 minute walk of the station will be provided; please plan to patronize one, as seating and restrooms in the station are very limited.

The trip will conclude at Millennium Station about 4:15PM. We may be able to accommodate earlier stops upon request.

This Snowflake Special excursion is a fundraiser to acquire and preserve a set of Highliners.

Purchase tickets online now!

Our Next Program:
The Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric by William Shapotkin

Friday, October 24, 2014 1900 hrs / 7:00pm
University Center, 525 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605

Chicago is famous for the three great “Insull Interurbans” which radiated east north and west from Chicago. The South Shore Line, of course, is famous for having survived all the other rail interurban railways — and still operating today. The North Shore Line — the famous “Route of the Electroliners” — was known for its high-speed operation through the Skokie Valley and its street operations in Milwaukee. The Chicago Aurora & Elgin (“The Great Third Rail”) provided fast, frequent electrified service between Chicago and the Fox River Valley terminals of Aurora, Batavia, Elgin and Geneva-St Charles.

Almost forgotten is the Aurora Elgin and Fox River — which operated between Carpentersville and Yorkville along the Fox River. Unlike the three “Insull Interurbans,” the AE&FR did not service Chicago. Instead, it connected the interdependent communities of Carpentersville, Dundee, Elgin, St Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Aurora, Oswego and Yorkville. The Carpentersville-Elgin and Montgomery-Yorkville portions of the line were history before the Depression. Regularly-scheduled rail passenger service ended in March 1935. Unlike its cousins the CA&E and the CNS&M, scheduled transit service six-days-a-week (Monday thru Saturday) along most if its route (Carpentersville and Aurora) still operates — albeit in the form of its rubber-tired successor, PACE. Thus, the argument could be made that the AE&FR was more of a success than either the CA&E or the CNS&M.

A short segment of the railroad (Elgin State Mental Hospital-Coleman) remained in common-carrier freight service until 1973. Even with the end of rail freight service, a short 1 1/2 mile segment of the line (in the form of the Fox River Trolley Museum) is still operating between South Elgin and Coleman…a continuously-operating railroad since the 1890s!

Come join us for this journey into the past (and present) along one of America’s most successful interurbans, the Aurora Elgin & Fox River. Our journey will include a short trip over the oft-forgotten Fox & Illinois Union between Yorkville and Morris.

Mr. Shapotkin is the author of Faster Than the Limiteds, CERA Bulletin 137 (2004) and is also Auditorium Manager of the annual Hoosier Traction meet in Indianapolis. We look forward to seeing you there!

Admission is free for current CERA members. There will be a $5.00 Admission charge for non-members.

A CERA fantrip on the freight-only AE&FRE (September 2, 1940). Another such trip took place in 1944. (CERA Archives)

ex-AE&FRE 306 and 304 in service on the Cleveland Rapid. The latter car now resides at the Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin. 306 is at the Illinois Railway Museum. (CERA Archives)

AE&FRE 304 on a CERA fantrip at the Fox River Trolley Museum on September 22, 2013. (David Sadowski Photo – CERA Archives)

Our recent visit to Pittsburgh (see our earlier post for part 1) centered around a fantrip on the PAT (Port Authority of Allegheny County) light rail system, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. This was said to be the first fantrip on PAT in about 15 years, since the end of PCC service on the former Drake shuttle.

2014 is the 50th anniversary of PAT taking over from Pittsburgh Railways, and to celebrate this, they have decorated one of the LRVs in Pittsburgh Railways colors. Last year, we very much enjoyed our trip to Philadelphia to ride on a fantrip celebrating the 100th anniversary of the SEPTA Media trolley, which used an LRV decorated in “Red Arrow” colors. We had been under the impression that something similar would be done in Pittsburgh.

Deciding whether to ride, or to chase a fantrip is always a difficult decision, especially when non-revenue trackage will be used, and the Pittsburgh trip was no exception. We decided to chase the two-car train (or, as Bernie Rossbach likes to say, we “motorcaded” it). It wasn’t a question of not wanting to spend the money for a ticket, since between the three of us on the trip, we had purchased four fantrip seats from PTM on the sold-out trip.

The possibility of photographing the “Pittsburgh Railways” LRV was enticing, and 125 people can get in each other’s way on photo stops, which generally need to be brief when a fantrip train is running between regular service cars. For me, the most interesting parts of the PAT system are the short stretches of street running, and photo stops in these areas would not be practical for such a large group anyway. Some of the planned photo stops were in the Downtown subway, not necessarily most photogenic of locations.

Needless to say, things did not go exactly as planned. As it turned out, the 50th Anniversary car was not used on the fantrip, but was instead parked in the subway, where the fans were assembled in front of it for a group picture. We are not sure whether the car was inoperative or what. This meant that from the standpoint of photographs, the fantrip train looked just like any other two-car set on the Pittsburgh system, except for a small sign taped to the back window.

The fantrip did operate on a few areas of non-revenue trackage, including about 600 feet (all that still has overhead wire) of the former Drake shuttle, which last ran on September 4, 1999. Apparently, once service was extended to South Hills Village in 1984, ridership on Drake evaporated, and 15 years later, the short branch line was abandoned.

The Pittsburgh system has gone through many changes since I last rode it in 1985, with the Overbrook section being completely rebuilt, and the Downtown subway extended to the new home of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We first caught up with the fantrip train at St. Anne’s and then raced to meet it again in Allentown. Here the fantrip cars used bypass trackage that goes “over the hill” instead of the usual route through the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel.

In 1985, I rode a PCC car on the Allentown trackage, which was given its own route (52) for a time. Now it is used only when the tunnel is not available.

Next, we headed to the Beechview neighborhood, where there is about a mile of street running, a fragment of an older time when Pittsburgh Railways operated a very extensive streetcar system. we caught up with the fantrip one last time at the Library station, where they had a photo stop. The configuration of the this terminal will remind Chicago fans very much of the Dempster station on the CTA Yellow Line.

We hope that you will enjoy our photos and videos of our excursion. Unless another photographer is credited, they are my work. Despite our disappointment that the 50th Anniversary car was not used on the trip, a fine time was had by all, and the Pittsburgh system has evolved into something very interesting, always worth a trip.

-David Sadowski

Video of the fantrip train at St. Anne’s

Video of the fantrip train in Allentown

Video of the fantrip train in Beechview

Video of the fantrip train at Library

PAT 4318 and 4306 meet at Shiras on Broadway Ave., October 5, 2014.

PAT 4255 inbound near St. Anne’s on October 4, 2014.

PAT 4255 inbound near St. Anne’s on October 4, 2014.

PAT 4321 outbound approaching St. Anne’s on October 4, 2014.

PAT 4321 outbound approaching St. Anne’s on October 4, 2014.

PAT 4308 outbound approaching St. Anne’s on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4308 outbound approaching St. Anne’s on October 5, 2014.

The PAT fantrip train, led by 4213, on the Allentown “over the hill” bypass trackage on October 5, 2014. This is the former route 52.

PAT 4210 brings up the rear of the fantrip train as it traverses the Allentown “over the hill” trackage, which is not normally used in service (October 5, 2014). (Diana Koester Photo)

Outbound PAT 4237 entering street trackage at Fallowfield on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4305 inbound approaching Fallowfield station on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4305 inbound approaching Fallowfield station on October 5, 2014.

Outbound PAT 4237 leaves the Fallowfield station and enters a mile or so of street trackage along Broadway in the Beechview neighborhood (October 5, 2014).

Outbound PAT 4237 on Broadway near Fallowfield in the Beechview neighborhood (October 5, 2014).

Inbound PAT 4305 on Broadway approaching Fallowfield in the Beechview neighborhood (October 5, 2014).

PAT 4318 outbound on Broadway Ave. at Hampshire in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4318 outbound on Broadway Ave. at Hampshire in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4312 inbound on Broadway Ave. at Hampshire in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4204 outbound on Broadway Ave. at Shiras in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4204 outbound on Broadway Ave. at Shiras in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4204 outbound on Broadway Ave. in Beechview, preparing to enter private right-of-way on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4237 inbound on Broadway Ave. at Shiras in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4237 inbound on Broadway Ave. at Shiras in the Beechview neighborhood on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4318 and 4306 meet at Shiras on Broadway Ave., October 5, 2014.

The PAT fantrip train, led by 4213, prepares to depart Library station while regular service car 4225 will go into the pocket track (October 5, 2014).

The PAT fantrip train, led by 4213, prepares to depart Library station while regular service car 4225 will go into the pocket track (October 5, 2014).

The PAT fantrip train, led by 4213, prepares to depart Library station while regular service car 4225 will go into the pocket track (October 5, 2014).

PAT 4225 turning back at the end of the line at the Library station, on October 5, 2014.

Not sure why the doors were opened on both sides of car 4225, shown here at the Library station on October 5, 2014.

An unusual view of car 4225, at the Library station on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4253 at South Hills Village on October 5, 2014.

PAT 4253 at South Hills Village on October 5, 2014.

CERA’s Chicago PCC Weekend went off without a hitch, and we thank all our Members who took part. This is the first of three posts recapping those events.

On Sunday, September 28, we visited the Illinois Railway Museum, where we chartered three different cars- the CTA “Green Hornet” PCC 4391, Chicago & West Towns 141, and Chicago, Aurora & Elgin wood car 36 (which ran by itself for the first time at IRM, instead of in a train).

The people at IRM could not have been nicer. In particular, we have to thank our operators Joel Ahrendt (4391), Frank Sirinek (141), and Randy Hicks (36), who made sure everything ran smoothly. Thanks also go out to both Nick Kallas and Joe Stupar, who made all of this possible. We also need to give a shout out to MCERA Vince Allen, who piloted our chartered bus between IRM and the Crystal Lake Metra station.

We have something of a mutual admiration society going on with the Hicks Car Works blog, and if you would like to read a bit about all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes at IRM, that’s a good place to start. Our trip on the 36 gets mentioned in this post.

Our photos will give you a taste of what our trip was like. The weather couldn’t have been much better, with comfortable temps and lots of sun. We ran the 4391 and 141 for a few trips on the trolley loop, and then boarded the 36 at the 50th Avenue “L” station (which I remember using when it was still in Cicero) for a trip out on the main line, including a “run by” at Seeman Road.

CA&E 36 is 112 years old, so the fact it can still run under its own power is pretty remarkable. It has only been a few years since it came to IRM from the Trolleyville collection, and now has a bright future ahead of it. Interestingly, both the 4391 and 141 owe their survival to the Electric Railway Historical Society.

At Friday night’s CERA meting, we saw rare movie footage of C&WT cars 140 and 141 being used as storage sheds in Lisle during the early 1950s. To actually be able to ride the 141 today, lovingly restored using parts scrounged from all over the world, is nothing short of miraculous.

We have included some pictures of the regular service equipment at the museum that day, which included the CSL streetcar 3142 on the trolley loop, and Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee 714 and 749 on the main line.

Boston (ex-Dallas) double-end PCC 3334 made a cameo appearance at 50th Avenue. This car is not part of the IRM collection, but has been stored there for the McKinney Avenue crowd down in Dallas. I understand the car will be moved to Dallas soon where it will be lovingly restored. That’s fortunate, because the car is in sad shape currently, with just about every window broken, and the car covered in rust.

Once again, we tip our hats to the dedicated volunteers at IRM, who could not have been any more gracious and helpful. If you have not visited the museum lately, it’s worth the trip.

-David Sadowski

PS- Watch this space for additional posts about our Chicago PCC Weekend events. All the photos here were taken by David Sadowski.

Tonight @CERA:
The Chicago Streetcar Pictorial Round Table

Friday evening, September 26, 2014 – Doors open at 6:30, and the program begins promptly at 7:00 pm
University Center, 525 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605

Chicago PCC 7213 on State Street in the early 1950s. This car would end up being the last Chicago streetcar in 1958. (CERA Archives)

Come join us for the first of three events in our “Chicago PCC Weekend.” Our program will begin with rare films of Chicago streetcars, unseen in 60 years. We will then watch excerpts from the Chicago Streetcar Memories DVD, which will be included with each copy of our forthcoming book Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958 (for more information, see the “CERA News” for September).

We have assembled a stellar panel for a “round table” discussion of Chicago’s PCCs, including B-146’s authors, Jeff Wien, David Sadowski, and John Nicholson; transportation historians Roy Benedict andGeorge Kanary; and legendary photographers Ray DeGroote, Truman Hefner, Bob Heinlein, Bernie Rossbach, and Ken Spengler, whose work is featured in the book. This program will be videotaped for future DVD release.

There are still plenty of seats available for tonight’s program, so don’t hesitate to come.  We distributed tickets in order to make sure that our out-of-town visitors would be assured of getting in.  However, unfortunately air traffic in and out of Chicago has been halted today due to a fire that damaged equipment that controls all flights in the Midwest.  This means that Truman Hefner will not be able to join us as he had planned.

As a special bonus, each attendee will receive a commemorative poster, suitable for framing and autographing. These will be distributed at the end of the evening. We look forward to seeing you there!

The last Chicago streetcar at 81st and Halsted in the early morning hours of June 21, 1958. (Bill Hoffman Photo – CERA Archives)

This event is part of our Chicago PCC Weekend. We hope you will be able to join us for two special fantrips on the Kenosha Streetcar (Saturday, 9/27) and to the Illinois Railway Museum on Sunday the 28th.

To give you some of the background information on Chicago’s PCCs, here is an interesting article from the December 1936 issue of Armour Engineer and Alumnus. The Armour Institute is now the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Author Robert H. Rice was Principal Assistant Engineer in charge of the work of the Board of Supervising Engineers, a partnership between the City of Chicago and the Chicago Surface Lines.

–Your CERA Directors

FYI, we have received an update on the Eelctroliner restoration project at IRM from Tom Sharratt:

ELECTROLINER UPDATE

During the recent Museum Showcase Weekend, several of the key members working on the Electroliner project met to review our progress and re-evaluate what needs to be done. Our original goal was to have the train operational by 2016 at a cost of $500,000. Based on closer inspection of the train, we have determined that major wheel work, perhaps truck work and air brake work needs to be done. We are investigating several options of how the wheel and truck work might be done (it could involve lifting the cars off the trucks and putting them on flat cars or on the ground, which would be very expensive.) Hoses and electrical cables between the cars need to be replaced. The air conditioning system needs to be repaired or replaced. Seals in all the windows need to be replaced (window work has begun), all seats need to be reupholstered (that will start in 2015) and the interior needs to be painted. This review has led to a more realistic – and more expensive – estimate of what the renovation will cost. Optimistically, we now feel it will cost at least $750,000 and it is likely to be more. Our goal is to have the car operational sometime in 2017, and all work completed by 2020. That depends on how much money we are able to raise and such things as scheduling pit time and availability of dedicated workers. Our barn is not heated, and the pit is shared with other departments – it is in high demand. If you are interested in working, leave a message for Ed Oslowski or Rod Turner in the museum office (815) 923 4391 extension 2.

There is good news. A $25,000 Matching Grant has been approved by the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation for the restoration of IRM’s Electroliner. In order to receive this grant, we must raise $25,000 in donations – hopefully in the next three months. If we are successful, this money, along with what has already been donated, will allow us to start work on repairing the train’s eight motors (and a spare) and hopefully have them installed late in 2016 or early 2017. Please consider making a generous donation to allow us to double your money! We are nearing the end of the year and urge you to consider a donation that can be used as a tax deduction in 2014. We have raised over $100,000 since our campaign began in July 2013. Now in just three months we can raise half that much with the use of this very generous matching grant! Send your check (memo: Electroliner Fund) to IRM, PO Box 427, Union IL 60160, or visit the IRM website (www.irm.org) and donate through the Museum Store where you can donate in $25 increments (one = $25; two = $50; etc.) Let’s get the Liner back on the mainline!

The Electroliner was open for inspection during Museum Showcase Weekend, and well over 100 visitors came through. There were a number of items for sale, and almost $900 was collected in the two days. A decision was made that the Electroliner will be open every Memorial Day Weekend and every Museum Showcase Weekend until the renovation is completed, with other special viewing dates possibly added each year. Watch the IRM website. The train will not be moved from its spot in barn 7 for these events due to the time and cost of moving the car and adding air conditioning.

A new incentive has been added. Donors who give at least $30,000 (cumulative) will receive a special 26”x34” high end giclee print of the 75th Anniversary of the Electroliner on canvas, numbered and signed. We hope that there will be a “meet and greet” event with the artist, Mitch Markovitz. These are hand run, one at a time, from a refined master file and run in eight colors as opposed to four which will be used for the print awarded to donors of at least $1000, which will also be available for purchase by the public. A very limited number of these giclee prints will be prepared, and a certificate of authenticity will be provided with each. They will be numbered and signed by the artist. Mitch was present at the Museum Showcase Weekend meeting and showed the members a draft of his work. It is a unique view of the train on the Skokie Valley Line, and all the members were impressed with the approach and are anxious to see the finished work. Mitch is well known for his unique use of colors and this is no exception. Since this is such a major project that will run for years, requiring significant amounts of money, consideration is being given to adding an incentive to the individual who is the highest donor. No final decision has been made – watch for details at some point in the future.

Tickets (meaning donations), please . . .

2014 is the 100th anniversary of the Chicago Surface Lines, once the largest street railway system in the world. From 1914 until 1947, CSL was an umbrella agency, made up of a few constituent companies, like Chicago City Railway and Chicago Railways. It was a step along the way towards transit unification and a predecessor of today’s Chicago Transit Authority.

Here are 47 “mystery photos” from the CSL era. Can you write captions for them, with descriptive information? If so, you might win a prize.

We’re going to have a contest to see who can come up with the best “who, what, when, where, and how” about these pictures. The person who submits the best overall answers will win a copy of our new DVD data disc, the “Spirit of 76,” which collects the first 76 CERA Bulletins and more.

Just get your submission in (via e-mail to cerablog1@gmail.com) by midnight Chicago time on Tuesday, September 30th. Please use the numbers included in each caption to identify individual photos. After the contest ends, we will update this post with the best captions. Good luck!

-The Editor

PS- This Friday, CERA will celebrate Chicago’s PCC streetcars at our Chicago Streetcar Pictorial Round Table event. Tickets are still available. This is part of our Chicago PCC Weekend, which includes fantrips to Kenosha and the Illinois Railway Museum.

#1 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#2 – Edward Frank Jr. Photo – CERA Archives

#3 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#4 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#5 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#6 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#7 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#8 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#9 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#10 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#11 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#12 – William C. Janssen Photo – CERA Archives

#13 – George Kuschel Photo – CERA Archives

#14 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#15 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#16 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#17 – CERA Archives

#18 – CERA Archives

#19 – Robert F. Collins Photo – CERA Archives

#20 – Edward Frank Jr. Photo – CERA Archives

#21 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#22 – CERA Archives

#23 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#24 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#25 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#26 – CSL Photo – CERA Archives

#27 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#28 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#29 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#30 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#31 – CERA Archives

#32 – Robert V. Mehlenbeck Photo – CERA Archives

#33 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#34 – CERA Archives

#35 – Robert W. Gibson Photo – CERA Archives

#36 – CERA Archives

#37 – CERA Archives

#38 – CERA Archives

#39 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#40 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#41 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#42 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#43 – William C. Janssen Photo – CERA Archives

#44 – Malcolm D. McCarter Photo – CERA Archives

#45 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

#46 – CERA Archives

#47 – Joe L. Diaz Photo – CERA Archives

September @CERA:

The Chicago Streetcar Pictorial Round Table

Friday evening, September 26, 2014 – Doors open at 6:30, and the program begins promptly at 7:00 pm
University Center, 525 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605

Post-war PCC 4140 and pre-war car 4051 at the Madison-Austin loop in July 1951. (CERA Archives)

Come join us for the first of three events in our “Chicago PCC Weekend.” Our program will begin with rare films of Chicago streetcars, unseen in 60 years. We will then watch excerpts from the Chicago Streetcar Memories DVD, which will be included with each copy of our forthcoming book Chicago Streetcar Pictorial: The PCC Car Era, 1936-1958 (for more information, see the “CERA News” for September).

We have assembled a stellar panel for a “round table” discussion of Chicago’s PCCs, including B-146’s authors, Jeff Wien, David Sadowski, and John Nicholson; transportation historians Roy Benedict andGeorge Kanary; and legendary photographers Ray DeGroote, Truman Hefner, Bob Heinlein, Bernie Rossbach, and Ken Spengler, whose work is featured in the book. This program will be videotaped for future DVD release.

Because we expect the demand for seats may exceed what is available, and due to the presence of many out-of-town visitors, this is a ticketed event.  Admission to this once-in-a-lifetime program is free for current (2014) CERA Members, and $5 for others. You can get tickets here. After 6:45 pm, latecomers will be seated at our discretion. If the event does sell out, we will have a waiting list for tickets in case of any last-minute cancellations.

As a special bonus, each attendee will receive a commemorative poster, suitable for framing and autographing. These will be distributed at the end of the evening. We look forward to seeing you there!

-Your CERA Directors

CTA red Pullman 594 passes Pullman PCC 4131 at Madison and Wells in 1947. There is about 40 years’ difference in ages between the cars. The PCC is a Madison car, and 594 is on a variant of the Milwaukee route. We are looking east. (CERA Archives)

The experimental PCC Model B on display at Chicago’s Navy Pier in August 1934. (Pullman Standard photo, courtessy of John Bromley)

Pre-war PCC 4008 westbound on 64th near Stony Island. (Joe L. Diaz photo, CERA Archives)

CSL PCC 4007 at Kedzie Station. (Chicago Surface Lines photo, CERA Archives)

CSL PCC 4005 on Madison Street, November 23, 1936. (Westinghouse photo, courtesy of John Bromley)

CTA PCC 7188, northbound on Dearborn at Jackson in April 1957, passes bus 8102. (Richard S. Short photo, CERA Archives)

CSL W14 towing a PCC northbound at Kedzie and Harrison in 1947. As you can see by the sign, Chicago, Aurora & Elgin trains stopped at the Kedzie “L” station on the Garfield Park line. (Joe L. Diaz photo, CERA Archives)