Been to most of the great cities of the world, Europe, Asia, North America, but when I first visited Chicago some years ago, I was blown away by this magnificent crown jewel of the Midwest. The skyline from every angle is stunning.
I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and my memories of taking the train into the city and spending all day running around catching the L to go all over for whatever reason are the best. I always knew I was in for a good day when my friends said "wanna take the train down and do something in the city?"
@@TheSpaceBrosShow oh, I know, being able to get on the train at any of the 5 stations around (within 30 min) my house and get downtown was a privilege
You could come into the Chicago Loop on the Northshore Line's West route the Skokie route til it went bankrupt. For yrs before that you could take the Lakeshore route into Chicago's loop and go all the way to Indiana. My Dad would leave Highwood on the Lakeshore route Friday nite hit the Ball rooms along the route in Chicago then Sleep it off at the Indiana Dunes park on the Lakefront. Aragon Ball room. Edgewater Beach Hotel and the ,"Black and Tan" racial mixed Trianon on the Southside was his favorites, they had Radio shows broadcast from the Ballrooms. It summer he would take the Northshore line's North Woods summer vacations north of Milwaukee. He was also an Employee of the Northshore. Line.
It always impresses me that we've somehow convinced so much of society that 'public transit' should for some reason turn a profit, but almost no one bats an eye at how much are spent on roads, highways, and general public parking that is mainly used by private cars.
@@Reno_Slim *Some of the tax. Go look up the tax revenue from fuel and compare to construction and maintenance of roads and highways in your region. I've yet to find a region where that tax actually covers expenditures for all city street and highway costs...
The Singapore subway is still extremely profitable. We’ve just lost our way, forgotten how to do things, and forgotten what things are worth doing. Throwing more money at the problem won’t help.
@@sosaysthecaptain5580 My understanding of their system was that most of their revenue, and therefore profits, come from real estate around the transit stations, not the transit system itself.
While public transit is criminally underfunded in America, I think that we ought to consider it a miracle of what currently exists and is new. There's a reason why people would rather explore cities like Chicago over Los Angeles.
The L works so well today. Trains are frequent, they get you most of the places you want to go. You can take busses or walk where they don't. You can take commuter trains from downtown to the suburbs. Chicago is one of only two US cities where you really dont need to own a car. The L tracks are ridiculously old, though the red line in particular is absurdly loud and uncomfortable to ride. Still better than driving, though. I'm glad you guys are focusing on Chicago. It's one of America's most functional cities in terms of infrastructure. Alleys, diagonal boulevards, and good public transit really make a difference.
My father who grew up in Chicago said it was too unusual to discover dead people laying in the street on his way to school in the ‘20’s and early ‘30’s. Like now? I live on the west coast and deal with a massive homelessness. We all have our problems in need of intelligent solutions.
This city has it's flaws and the politics are incompetent but the people and the cities character is what I love about it. I'm typically in the loop working on a construction site but this city wouldn't be the same if the L didn't exist
@@DOCTORKHANblog I have no doubt you’ve lived where you are all of your life. You have a problem with the original statement, can’t find anything beyond that, and you’ve stayed here “…all of your life”? Quite strange sir 🤷♂️ I stand by my statement, you’ve never even been to the city of Big Shoulders. Your understanding of Chicago is likely based on coverage by FOX, OANN, or whatever propaganda outlet you consume! Btw…all of them are lying manipulative tools of politics, including CNN and MSNBC.
You forgot the Pink and Orange lines! They are even shown on the map you spoke over! Also, the Homan Square pillars were removed and repurposed to make the current Conservatory-Central Park Drive station on the Green Line, which reprises the old Homan station architecture. This was a pretty negative take on the CTA.
I had to yell at him about how much he misrepresented the New York City Subway power substations as all being abandoned. He needs to work on his researching skills.
I know I really thought it was a real negative take on it. Referring to it as an empty shell of what could have been. A lot of people are piling back on despite covid-19.
@@metropod Not to mention the "Logan Square Branch's arches and supports still towering over the road". Well yeah, I would hope so. The blue line still runs over it.
I wish you had mentioned the extension of the Westside Metro line beyond Logan Square to connect with O'Hare airport. This had a significant effect on boosting ridership on the Blue Line, and also the creation of the Orange line to connect to Midway airport
The Homan Station was closed not in the 1980's but in 1994 when the CTA shut down the Green Line (This portion being the former Lake Street Line) for a two year renovation. Homan Station was not completely destroyed, The majority of the Homan Station was demolished in Spring of 2000, but the Station House was carefully dismantled and put into storage and then rebuilt in a new location two blocks west at the Garfield Park Conservatory-Central Park Drive starting in March 2001 and finished by June 30, 2001.
I used to work on the West Side at the Sears YMCA in the summers back in ‘75 and ‘76 and I got off at the Holman stop. I rode all the way from 95th street station to get there.. very long ride but worth it….aaaah memories of the good ole days
I was born in Chicago and even remember street cars and using the L. As a teenager it was exciting to ride the L the line, I rode passed apartments and we could see people in their kitchens. Now I take Amtrack and can see in the apartments of the people, who live in condos.
I remember riding the L In the late 70's. Even though it passed through some sketchy areas, it was a far better ride than the subway in my opinion. At least you could see where you were heading.
The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee is one company, you refer to it as "all three". Sam Insull did own the CNS&M, the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, plus the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad. Those are the three. Only the CNS&M and the CA&E ran on the L. The CSS&SB shared a terminal with the Illinois Central over by what is now Grant Park. Only the CSS&SB survives today.
I would love to see a map of where these lost lines once stood. The real issue with Chicago's current transit is the lack of an "outer loop" line. When I lived in the loop the trains served my needs perfectly, but for anyone living in an outer neighboorhood, you're forced to take the bus or drive for any north or south trips. Yet another failure in American public transit.
There is a map somewhere on a website that shows chicago's transit at its peak in 1947, with all the streetcar, L, and interurban lines. I'll link it if I find it.
As a relatively new resident, living in Irving Park, I'd have to say that there does seem to be a flaw in the blue line in that there should be a connecting train from the Northwest end of the line to the west side of the city. A huge swath of territory underserved. It shouldn't be that one has to go ALL THE WAY downtown and then west. This could also connect riders to westside green and pink lines, again without having to venture into the loop for connections. Its also difficult to reach the redline from the NW..again having to come all the way downtown, then transfer to redline (which involves walking from Dearborn to State underground). Yes there are buses to get you to connecting points but why wasn't this ever dealt with? I'm sure politics and money had something to do with it but also these things are always planned by mostly rich, mostly white, mostly older men who don't even really use the system, so there's that.
The same thing applies to Metra. They had proposed the STAR line to follow the CN tracks east of Elgin to I-90, but it would have been wiser to continue up to Great Lakes. Likewise, there is a UP line that crosses the UP NW at Mount Prospect. That continues almost to Gary in one direction and over to the UP-north in the other.
@@D.C.22 Because the trains when built take people homes. You gotta go underground and that's expensive and as you see it was personal property not city.
You can't really end the video on "they kept downsizing until we got to where we are today" when they built an entirely new line out to Midway in that exact time period (They switched the names to colours right as it was finished)
America oldest transit systems were all built up incrementally with local money. But after WW2, it has all been debt based speculation with continuous decline in quality and ridership. Only recently do we see a rejuvenation of city transit.
Several comments: 1) Glad you handled this topic. If you ever revisit it again, a unifying map showing the location of all lost lines which if tied to individual maps, or highlights on the main map, would make it much clearer to viewers of the extent of the system as it evolved then declined. 2) The use of the photos and maps that you found added a great deal of value and impact to the story although at times it seemed that filler shots were used that didn’t match the narrative. Quibbling but relevant. 3) You skipped any mention of the Dan Ryan L’s construction to 95th street in the median of the Dan Ryan expressway and the coming expansion of the line further South. 4) Also omitted, was the Ho-Dar, Le-Jac re-alignment which allowed greater efficiency in connecting what are now the Red and Green Lines. 5) The CTA’s “Farebox recovery ratio”, the share of operating revenue that comes out of the farebox is one of the highest in the nation and is an essential part of why so much had to be abandoned. 6) The role of the UMTA (Later FTA) in eliminating operating dollar subsidies is also part of the struggle the CTA faced in the 80’s and 90’s. 7) The role of the MPO long range plans, for Capital Investment, 2010, 20, 30, 40 are now part of the long range planning process for this region. 8) The dissolving of the streetcar network deserves a shoutout. 9) Implementation of Customer Satisfaction based planning at CTA and the RTA from the late 1980’s in and the internal management shift from seeing passengers as riders to customers (do a google scholar search for the terms CTA and Customer Satisfaction for an idea of what was happening which is part of why CTA’s economics improved then.) All this being said, it was a remarkable and enjoyable video. I can only urge you to keep producing on this level! Thank you.
The Logan Square branch was extended to O'Hare and connected to the Milwaukee-Dearborn. The Douglas Park was only demolished west of 54th, and is now connected to the Lake St at Ashland, and you forgot the Pink and Orange Lines when naming them.
That "old streets of Grand Rapids" exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum is excellent and I have many happy memories in that orange streetcar as a child. Thanks for the nostalgia. ❤️
I grew up in Racine Wisconsin, which lies between Chicago and Milwaukee, in the 1950s. I'm very familiar with the North Shore line that ran through our town. It crossed right through West Racine which at that time, was the westernmost business district in the city. I recall having my aunt take me for a ride a couple of times on the North Shore Line to Milwaukee, so she could do some shopping. That was quite an adventure for a six or seven year old kid. It was my first time riding on a train, In Milwaukee I had a chance to ride on the electric trolleys for the first time. Anyway all the kids in my part of town were familiar with the railroad tracks. They were the dividing line between the poor part of town, and the middle class part. Our parents always stressed how we had to be careful playing around those railroad tracks. Those tracks are where I learned the trick of putting a coin on the tracks to squash it flat. We were always curious as to whether it would derail the train or not. That train also had a darker side, cuz every now and then we would see a story in the newspaper about somebody committing suicide by jumping in front of it. I specifically remember once seeing a picture in our local newspaper, the Racine Journal Times that showed somebody holding up a shoe that the poor suicide had been knocked out of. Anyway, that's my memory of the old North Shoreline. I remember it being something very exciting as a child. Those were the days when kids would leave the house in the morning, and not come back until supper time. Our parents never worried about us.
I rode the North Shore many times while growing up in suburban Milwaukee. Our whole family started out in Chicago but gradually moved out of the city to the North Shore and Waukegan. The North Shore took one hour to go between Milwaukee and Waukegan stopping at Racine, Kenosha, and Zion. It then took another hour to go to downtown Chicago.
Since my previous comment got deleted, Homan stop on the green line was just moved to Central Park/Conservatory the entire station is piece by piece from Homan stop just refurbished. The Logan square branch is the Milwaukee branch, the station does exist it was just moved underground so that they could connect the line to the I90/94 to Jefferson park. There are additional errors in the video as well, a simple look on Chicago-L would have given you plenty of information as well as actual photos of the branches you were discussing instead of current date photos with grainy photo. I am a fan of the channel but as a Chicagoan, I’m have to give it a 6/10 should do more research on the CTA.
I left a similar comment. Also missed the Pink and Orange lines (there are 8, not 6). Typically like the content here, but this was a negative and incomplete take on the CTA.
@@kholt1776 yes that to it's kind of hard to miss since both run through the loop he talked about. He didn't do much on the actual lines that do not exist, and speaks about the current ones in a past tense as if certain lines don’t exist when they do. Lol
^ this! I was wondering about so many of the “facts” in this video especially the homan stop towers like? I used to take the green line every single day and had no idea what he was talking abt because it’s just a regular ass station now 😂
@@kholt1776 When you consider the Red Line is a merger of two previous lines (Northwest and Dan Ryan), the Blue Line is a merger of two previous branches (Congress aka Forest Park and Logan Square aka O'Hare), and the Green Line still has three distinct branches (Harlem/Lake, Cottage Grove, and Ashland/63rd), there are still effectively 12 branches.
Great video, I grew in the city, great history and great to see the history. It's sad most lines are gone. So many of the old lines world be beneficial today. Plus I'm a rail fanatic. Thanks for posting this.
My grandfather worked on the L in Chicago fro 1909 to 1952 when he retired. He never knew his father until sometime in the twenties when they met. He was adopted by the Sirr family who was from Canada (farmers) who lived in Iowa. He later married and moved to Chicago where he began working on the L.
We need this TH-cam channel in public schools, let alone those nice suburban high schools I never had the pleasure of attending growing up. Seriously, learning can be fun with the right teacher besides Ghostbusters 2 brought me to this TH-cam channel with various historic references such as the Titanic & that ghost train scene in Ghostbusters 2 which had me do some online searching for train accidents in NYC over the years.
Yeah. I feel like this video has a number of inaccuracies. He never mentions that the Skokie line was reopened, or the extensions of the red line south and blue line to the airport, nor is the opening of Orange line. The Chicago El is currently bigger than than ever. It's also weird that he does not mention the abandoned Kenwood branch, considering that the abandoned structure is still up.
Sir you are a treasure for this vid. I grew up on Homan, and I remember riding the very same el you showed - alone - at 9yrs old. It was such a treat to come across this vid today.
Great video, I used to ride the L all around as a kid. I would catch it in Skokie and take it all the way downtown, got to see all sorts of cool things, was neat seeing some of the rooftops I saw as a kid in the video.
Yes I also took the Skokie Swift and transferred to the Howard Street L and then on to Wrigley Field many times. Loved it and very convenient and inexpensive.
In Chicago, they are the "el" or the Dan Ryan, Jackson Park, Englewood, Ravenswood and Skokie Swift or the Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Red, Pink and Yellow lines.
It's nice that this guy made a video about the history of the EL (and other public transportation) in Chicago. It's unfortunate how many factual errors and outright omissions occur in this video. If you watch this video and have little knowledge of the subject matter, please take this video's declarations with a grain of salt.
I wouldn't say the Chicago "L" is a shadow of its former self. It's just different. With busses, all of the former branch lines weren't needed. And what's been added has expanded the reach of the system, not diminished it. The Orange Line wasn't built when I moved from Chicago in 1976, and the Logan Square line only ran to Jefferson Park.
The demolishing of the Westchester branch, the shortening of the Cermak branch, the northbound track on the Paulina Connector being demolished, along with Humboldt Park branch demolition are still a bummer to be honest.
@@LUIS-ox1bv I’ve always thought that too. I used to sit in the train looking at the map a think they needed a way to link the outer stations in a perimeter line. That would be tremendously expensive, though.
Here's a couple I never see anywhere. The Skokie Swift ran on power gotten from a third rail, then halfway through switched to overhead lines. So for a second, all the lights went out as they switched power sources. (They've probably fixed that...) Chicago also had a number of bus lines on the major arteries that used to run on overhead electrical wires. The bus could drive down the right lane, and even pull over to the curb, all while attached to overhead lines. Every once in a while, one of the booms that went up to the wires fell off, and the driver had to get out and manually pull the boom down and reset it onto the wire. I want to say some of those electrical lines survived into the 70's, but they may have been gone by then. He also failed to mention the time a CTA train fell off the tracks in the loop...
Logan Square was never abandoned, the Humboldt Park line was. No mention of the former Kenwood line on the Southside, with numerous visible remnants remaining from Wentworth to King along 40th street.
This vid is a bit doom and gloom. The CTA is alive and well. "The elevated trains of Chicago have now become a shell of their former glory." REALLY? They been working on improvements for over 20 years now. Making all stations handicap accessible, rebuilding entire stations from the ground up. Sure, the network isn't as vast as it was in the 1930's-40's, but the post-war era killed a lot of big city infrastructure. The network doesn't take you across state lines anymore, or deep into the far flung suburbs. But the CTA makes a huge part of Chicago accessible to travelers for cheap.
True. I've checked the ridership numbers and data over the last 20 years and its was at record highs during the summer of 2019 (pre-covid). The busiest station was State and Lake
Chicago as a whole is vastly better now than in 1920s (When people think Chicago was at its best). Nope, the city was very polluted and dirty back then. The Chicago river even bubbled from the pollution
There is a huge track rebuilding program going on now on the Red Line between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr stations. Also, within the last few years, the Brown Line flyover at Belmont Station was completed as well as the complete rebuilding of Wilson Station.
It's cool that some of the loop stations are still "old fashioned" some of them still look similar to what they looked like 70 years ago with modern repairs obviously.
I never realized how much of this world-famous system had been trashed. the 'L' is on my bucket list of things to see. thanks for another interesting and very well presented video.
I grew up in Chicago and remember many cold winters while waiting for buses and trains. Those outdoor heaters helped a bit. Ah, the memories! Greetings from sunny Miami!
What is today the "Franklin Street Substation" was actually underneath and part of the Wells Street Station of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin. They owned their own elevated ROW from Wells, down Van Buren and then it joined what is now the Congress Line around Peoria Street. When the Congress Expressway was built, the CA&E elevated was severed from the CTA. The CA&E then returned to their own tracks at Laramie. The CTA took over the Franklin Street building and it is now used to store trucks for rolling stock. The property facing Wells was sold and is now a parking garage.
This video is silent about the construction of the subways under State (1943) and Dearborn (1951) streets. The Dan Ryan surface line was connected to the State Street subway, which the El to 63rd street was connected to the Lake street line. A major problem with a lot of the El system is that it serves neighbourhoods with declining incomes and population. Quite a few El stations have a reputation for being unsafe. An El line connecting the Loop to the McCormick Place complex could be built on the right of way of the Canadian Pacific.
I was traveling on the "City of Miami" streamliner from my hometown Orlando to Detroit where I now lived via Chicago where my grandmother lived in nearby Evanston. I loved Chicago because there were trains and train stations all over the city. During my two-day stopover my grandmother took me on an exciting ride on the L and bus to the Museum of Science and Industry. I was amazed how the train rattled right by apartment windows giving me a quick peek into people's homes. I loved the Museum but I was just as excited about riding the L. We ended the day by seeing "Spartacus" at a downtown Chicago movie theatre and the next day ended my trip with another L ride from Evanston to Lasalle Station where I boarded New York Central's classy "Wolverine" to Detroit. That's a trip I will never forget even though I was only13. I ill turn 79 this year.
Hello from the UK. That is a really interesting video. I understand from other sources of information, that after WW2, the oil companies had enormous political strength and they were behind the policy of removing railways and trams (street cars?) etc. and that everyone should travel in private cars. Here in the UK there has been a massive increase in passenger rail travel in the last thirty years. How things change.
True. Los Angeles had a subway system back then. General Motors and one of the tire manufacturers bought the franchise and promptly shut it down. They were fined a grand total of $5,000 (you read it right) for breaching the franchise contract. I saw a documentary about it a few years ago,
Standard Oil, General Motors and Firestone Tires, created a company called National Bus Lines that purchased most of Streetcar/Tram/Trolley systems in the USA after WW2. They would replace a streetcar that carried 60 people with a bus that only carried 30 passengers forcing folks to eventually have to buy a car. I believe they destroyed over 50 systems with this scheme. Now the USA has spent billions putting new Light rail/tram transit systems back in, many on the old right of ways.(The Los Angeles to Long Beach Blue Line for example).
The building of the Homan station on the Lake street L was actually preserved and restored, and became the station building for the Conservatory-Central Park drive station when it opened in 2001.
Man Chicago's Metro network really is world-class. Excellent piece of infrastructure. More cities should look towards Chicago as an example of how to build public transit.
When I lived in Chicago I loved taking the "L" train. On my way to work I would go out of my way just to take the "L" train. Every time I visit Chicago I make sure I take an "L" train ride and a commuter train ride. Have a happy 🦃 Thanksgiving everyone.
Just the caption on the thumbnail, “Chicago’s Lost L” automatically sent my brain on a tangent like “Chicago used to have an ‘L’?? Where? .... Chicagle. Chicagol. Chilcago. Chicalgo. Chlicago?”
@@13ivanogre13 But it's actually all referred to as the 'L' here, whether elevated, subway, surface level, open cut, etc. "El" is used elsewhere in other cities.
Don't know if it's still there, but I used to get the train from Howard St. on the north side to downtown, then a train all the way out west and than a bus to get to work. It was exhausting, as I had to be at work at 7 AM, and if I missed that bus, I was 25 minutes late...meaning I got to work 35 minutes early. Now add in that I was going to night school for my apprenticeship three nights a week, getting home at 11 PM and then having to get up at 4 AM...ye gods. Good to watch this show, thanks.
Seeing the elevated trains in Chicago reminds me of "The Blues Brothers" movie. Jake, "How often do the trains go by?" Elwood, "So often you won't even notice."
When we went to visit the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago there was a segment of the old El down the street. You could see that it was totally over grown, there were trees and green plants just hanging over the edge. It was beautiful, an elevated wilderness space in the middle of this grungy urban area.
@@astrataway7077 Perhaps theologically. We weren't given a tour of the living areas, so I don't know what that was like. We were actually made to wait outside for about an hour while other groups took tous, that's how i got to observe the old elevated track. The cafeteria was nice.
@@sarahcoleman3125 Oh I'm sorry I didn't know they did theological tours for the civilians. That place is awash in drugs, poverty, sex trafficking and the mentally ill. I didn't have a residency to parole to at the time and PGM was option but little did I know...
@@astrataway7077 Yeah, I went as a chaperone of a church Youth Group. This is probably 15 years ago or something. I'm sure they were showing their "best side".
If you're talking about Pacific Garden Mission on Canal, that old track you see wasn't part of the L. That's an old freight and passenger line to/from Grand Central Station that used to be at Harrison/Wells (where River City is now.) Immediately south of it is the St Charles Air Line, then below you have the BNSF tracks to/from Union Station, and then a little further south you do have some L tracks for the Orange Line, next to more freight/intercity tracks.
I like this content but I really don't need the artificial film grain to know something is old. The dynamic zoom (or ken burns style) is still good enough to convey the movement.
What is interesting is the fact that Insull adopted both Chicago’s transit system and gas plants, whether he wanted them or not. He also had rivals in Cleveland based financier Cyrus S. Eaton and transit magnet William Brown McKinley of the Illinois Traction. Insull was both an innovator and risk taker. In the end, his rivalries contributed to his downfall. That is the story behind the story! Insull also believed in the Super Power concept, the use of large, efficient pulverized coal power plants to supply reliable electricity at lower costs.
Yes in 2001 the Central Park conservatory station replaced the Holman square station. I was wondering about that. So re-edit this video to kind of make it a little more positive or a little more accurate thank you.
My grandfather worked for the B & O lines for years... later known as part of larger systems. The train yards in Chicago, Blue Island... not far from the Pullman experiment which shows the hazards of too much market dependence.... my grandfather, Harry Peters... also helped to develop a weld which could weld 1/4 mile tracks in the field.... no more clickety clack.... joining things and working better.... kind of runs in our family... but it's not just my family... we can all help.
Btw, I was sent to Chicago for work. I live nowhere near Chicago. Since I had the weekend free, I took my trip allowance and made a trip to New York City in order to see the city and meet the people and ride the subway. After getting back to Chicago, I started exploring on the internet about the subway system and I found out about the Chicago underground railway system that ran from building to building. That system which is abandoned now was used to transport goods and cargo to the various buildings in the city center. Unfortunately, it’s abandoned now. I would really like to see it though. The system was used because it was underground in order to protect everyone and the cargo from the very harsh winters in Chicago. I would still like to go see it. This is a nice video piece about Chicago.
They were primarily used to deliver coal for heating into the downtown buildings. If you remember or look it up, construction workers back in the late 80’s accidentally punctured one of these tunnels at the Chicago river and flooded out most of the connecting downtown buildings.
Um, Chicago still has elevated trains. They're called Rapid Transit now. Fun fact: starting Thanksgiving weekend and running to January 2, the Santa train runs. The Santa train has 8 cars, one of which is open, with Santa on a sleigh playing Christmas music. Each car is decorated with Christmas lights, seat covers with staff and volunteers dressed as elves, passing out candy canes. The schedule is posted as the Santa train is moved through the 5 lines. Everyone goes wild! Families stand in line to get on the train; people working in the Loop get excited when they see it. So cool!
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Been to most of the great cities of the world, Europe, Asia, North America, but when I first visited Chicago some years ago, I was blown away by this magnificent crown jewel of the Midwest. The skyline from every angle is stunning.
I grew up in the northern suburbs of Chicago and my memories of taking the train into the city and spending all day running around catching the L to go all over for whatever reason are the best. I always knew I was in for a good day when my friends said "wanna take the train down and do something in the city?"
You're lucky you lived up north and had the freedom to use the purple line. Had you been in further suburbs, ni such thing would have been possible
@@TheSpaceBrosShow oh, I know, being able to get on the train at any of the 5 stations around (within 30 min) my house and get downtown was a privilege
@@TheSpaceBrosShow I always take the Metra and get off in Evanston and get on the purple line right next to it. Super easy and convenient
So did I. Near the northshore line outside of Lake Bluff.
You could come into the Chicago Loop on the Northshore Line's West route the Skokie route til it went bankrupt. For yrs before that you could take the Lakeshore route into Chicago's loop and go all the way to Indiana. My Dad would leave Highwood on the Lakeshore route Friday nite hit the Ball rooms along the route in Chicago then Sleep it off at the Indiana Dunes park on the Lakefront. Aragon Ball room. Edgewater Beach Hotel and the ,"Black and Tan" racial mixed Trianon on the Southside was his favorites, they had Radio shows broadcast from the Ballrooms. It summer he would take the Northshore line's North Woods summer vacations north of Milwaukee.
He was also an Employee of the Northshore. Line.
It always impresses me that we've somehow convinced so much of society that 'public transit' should for some reason turn a profit, but almost no one bats an eye at how much are spent on roads, highways, and general public parking that is mainly used by private cars.
Much of the tax money for roads comes from the taxes on the gasoline that the automobiles use.
@@Reno_Slim *Some of the tax.
Go look up the tax revenue from fuel and compare to construction and maintenance of roads and highways in your region. I've yet to find a region where that tax actually covers expenditures for all city street and highway costs...
The Singapore subway is still extremely profitable. We’ve just lost our way, forgotten how to do things, and forgotten what things are worth doing. Throwing more money at the problem won’t help.
@@sosaysthecaptain5580 My understanding of their system was that most of their revenue, and therefore profits, come from real estate around the transit stations, not the transit system itself.
@@RealLuckless I think that’s true. But they were also much better at building things, and much less encumbered by bureaucracy.
While public transit is criminally underfunded in America, I think that we ought to consider it a miracle of what currently exists and is new. There's a reason why people would rather explore cities like Chicago over Los Angeles.
The L works so well today. Trains are frequent, they get you most of the places you want to go. You can take busses or walk where they don't. You can take commuter trains from downtown to the suburbs.
Chicago is one of only two US cities where you really dont need to own a car.
The L tracks are ridiculously old, though the red line in particular is absurdly loud and uncomfortable to ride. Still better than driving, though.
I'm glad you guys are focusing on Chicago. It's one of America's most functional cities in terms of infrastructure. Alleys, diagonal boulevards, and good public transit really make a difference.
Love the sarcasm! People in Chicago are getting sick of the aging "L" system. It can easily be replaced with buses.
@@christianfreedom-seeker934 Small buses won't replace the L. The Red Line has ridership levels enough for 10 car trains during rush hours
@@christianfreedom-seeker934 you have admitted in this comment section that you don't even live in Chicago. How do you know what we want?
The redline was redone about 10 years ago. Many new lines and stations. The best they have ever been probably.
Disagree. I’ve lived here for 30 years - many without need of a car. I love the el.
Ironically, closing all those lines that went to the suburbs hurt them. When everyone moved to the suburbs, they had already closed those lines.
"Buy off politicians" in Chicago? NO, that can't be! Great story on Chicago's "L" lines. Thanks for sharing!
@@inzane1260 Famous Chicago saying, "Vote early, vote often."
@@inzane1260 yup
Ha ha!
My father who grew up in Chicago said it was too unusual to discover dead people laying in the street on his way to school in the ‘20’s and early ‘30’s. Like now? I live on the west coast and deal with a massive homelessness. We all have our problems in need of intelligent solutions.
This city has it's flaws and the politics are incompetent but the people and the cities character is what I love about it. I'm typically in the loop working on a construction site but this city wouldn't be the same if the L didn't exist
"This city has it's flaws and the politics are incompetent"
You can stop there.
@@DOCTORKHANblog 👈spotted the person that has never been here.
@@TraceurDoc1 I lived here all my life.
@@DOCTORKHANblog I have no doubt you’ve lived where you are all of your life.
You have a problem with the original statement, can’t find anything beyond that, and you’ve stayed here “…all of your life”?
Quite strange sir 🤷♂️
I stand by my statement, you’ve never even been to the city of Big Shoulders.
Your understanding of Chicago is likely based on coverage by FOX, OANN, or whatever propaganda outlet you consume!
Btw…all of them are lying manipulative tools of politics, including CNN and MSNBC.
@@DOCTORKHANblog LOL so true
You forgot the Pink and Orange lines! They are even shown on the map you spoke over! Also, the Homan Square pillars were removed and repurposed to make the current Conservatory-Central Park Drive station on the Green Line, which reprises the old Homan station architecture. This was a pretty negative take on the CTA.
I had to yell at him about how much he misrepresented the New York City Subway power substations as all being abandoned. He needs to work on his researching skills.
I know I really thought it was a real negative take on it. Referring to it as an empty shell of what could have been. A lot of people are piling back on despite covid-19.
@@metropod Not to mention the "Logan Square Branch's arches and supports still towering over the road". Well yeah, I would hope so. The blue line still runs over it.
@@bbmikej yeah, that was the point I faceplamed and muttered “he did it again…”
No one cares.
I wish you had mentioned the extension of the Westside Metro line beyond Logan Square to connect with O'Hare airport. This had a significant effect on boosting ridership on the Blue Line, and also the creation of the Orange line to connect to Midway airport
The Homan Station was closed not in the 1980's but in 1994 when the CTA shut down the Green Line (This portion being the former Lake Street Line) for a two year renovation. Homan Station was not completely destroyed, The majority of the Homan Station was demolished in Spring of 2000, but the Station House was carefully dismantled and put into storage and then rebuilt in a new location two blocks west at the Garfield Park Conservatory-Central Park Drive starting in March 2001 and finished by June 30, 2001.
I grew up in that area from the 70's -90's. Born in the late 60. The are was rough, but mom loved the access of the buses and trains.
@@cocoaorange1 I use to own a building in the 3200 block of Fulton. I love that neighborhood.
I used to work on the West Side at the Sears YMCA in the summers back in ‘75 and ‘76 and I got off at the Holman stop. I rode all the way from 95th street station to get there.. very long ride but worth it….aaaah memories of the good ole days
I was born in Chicago and even remember street cars and using the L.
As a teenager it was exciting to ride the L the line, I rode passed apartments and we could see people in their kitchens.
Now I take Amtrack and can see in the apartments of the people, who live in condos.
That's creepy
I remember riding the L In the late 70's. Even though it passed through some sketchy areas, it was a far better ride than the subway in my opinion. At least you could see where you were heading.
The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee is one company, you refer to it as "all three". Sam Insull did own the CNS&M, the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, plus the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad. Those are the three. Only the CNS&M and the CA&E ran on the L. The CSS&SB shared a terminal with the Illinois Central over by what is now Grant Park. Only the CSS&SB survives today.
I would love to see a map of where these lost lines once stood. The real issue with Chicago's current transit is the lack of an "outer loop" line. When I lived in the loop the trains served my needs perfectly, but for anyone living in an outer neighboorhood, you're forced to take the bus or drive for any north or south trips. Yet another failure in American public transit.
There is a map somewhere on a website that shows chicago's transit at its peak in 1947, with all the streetcar, L, and interurban lines. I'll link it if I find it.
As a relatively new resident, living in Irving Park, I'd have to say that there does seem to be a flaw in the blue line in that there should be a connecting train from the Northwest end of the line to the west side of the city. A huge swath of territory underserved. It shouldn't be that one has to go ALL THE WAY downtown and then west. This could also connect riders to westside green and pink lines, again without having to venture into the loop for connections. Its also difficult to reach the redline from the NW..again having to come all the way downtown, then transfer to redline (which involves walking from Dearborn to State underground). Yes there are buses to get you to connecting points but why wasn't this ever dealt with? I'm sure politics and money had something to do with it but also these things are always planned by mostly rich, mostly white, mostly older men who don't even really use the system, so there's that.
The same thing applies to Metra. They had proposed the STAR line to follow the CN tracks east of Elgin to I-90, but it would have been wiser to continue up to Great Lakes. Likewise, there is a UP line that crosses the UP NW at Mount Prospect. That continues almost to Gary in one direction and over to the UP-north in the other.
@@D.C.22 Because the trains when built take people homes. You gotta go underground and that's expensive and as you see it was personal property not city.
That's not true at all.
You can't really end the video on "they kept downsizing until we got to where we are today" when they built an entirely new line out to Midway in that exact time period (They switched the names to colours right as it was finished)
America oldest transit systems were all built up incrementally with local money. But after WW2, it has all been debt based speculation with continuous decline in quality and ridership. Only recently do we see a rejuvenation of city transit.
Several comments: 1) Glad you handled this topic. If you ever revisit it again, a unifying map showing the location of all lost lines which if tied to individual maps, or highlights on the main map, would make it much clearer to viewers of the extent of the system as it evolved then declined. 2) The use of the photos and maps that you found added a great deal of value and impact to the story although at times it seemed that filler shots were used that didn’t match the narrative. Quibbling but relevant. 3) You skipped any mention of the Dan Ryan L’s construction to 95th street in the median of the Dan Ryan expressway and the coming expansion of the line further South. 4) Also omitted, was the Ho-Dar, Le-Jac re-alignment which allowed greater efficiency in connecting what are now the Red and Green Lines. 5) The CTA’s “Farebox recovery ratio”, the share of operating revenue that comes out of the farebox is one of the highest in the nation and is an essential part of why so much had to be abandoned. 6) The role of the UMTA (Later FTA) in eliminating operating dollar subsidies is also part of the struggle the CTA faced in the 80’s and 90’s. 7) The role of the MPO long range plans, for Capital Investment, 2010, 20, 30, 40 are now part of the long range planning process for this region. 8) The dissolving of the streetcar network deserves a shoutout. 9) Implementation of Customer Satisfaction based planning at CTA and the RTA from the late 1980’s in and the internal management shift from seeing passengers as riders to customers (do a google scholar search for the terms CTA and Customer Satisfaction for an idea of what was happening which is part of why CTA’s economics improved then.)
All this being said, it was a remarkable and enjoyable video. I can only urge you to keep producing on this level! Thank you.
The Logan Square branch was extended to O'Hare and connected to the Milwaukee-Dearborn. The Douglas Park was only demolished west of 54th, and is now connected to the Lake St at Ashland, and you forgot the Pink and Orange Lines when naming them.
Being able to ride without some buggawugga harassing people
That "old streets of Grand Rapids" exhibit at the Grand Rapids Public Museum is excellent and I have many happy memories in that orange streetcar as a child. Thanks for the nostalgia. ❤️
I grew up in Racine Wisconsin, which lies between Chicago and Milwaukee, in the 1950s. I'm very familiar with the North Shore line that ran through our town. It crossed right through West Racine which at that time, was the westernmost business district in the city. I recall having my aunt take me for a ride a couple of times on the North Shore Line to Milwaukee, so she could do some shopping. That was quite an adventure for a six or seven year old kid. It was my first time riding on a train, In Milwaukee I had a chance to ride on the electric trolleys for the first time. Anyway all the kids in my part of town were familiar with the railroad tracks. They were the dividing line between the poor part of town, and the middle class part. Our parents always stressed how we had to be careful playing around those railroad tracks. Those tracks are where I learned the trick of putting a coin on the tracks to squash it flat. We were always curious as to whether it would derail the train or not. That train also had a darker side, cuz every now and then we would see a story in the newspaper about somebody committing suicide by jumping in front of it. I specifically remember once seeing a picture in our local newspaper, the Racine Journal Times that showed somebody holding up a shoe that the poor suicide had been knocked out of. Anyway, that's my memory of the old North Shoreline. I remember it being something very exciting as a child. Those were the days when kids would leave the house in the morning, and not come back until supper time. Our parents never worried about us.
I rode the North Shore many times while growing up in suburban Milwaukee. Our whole family started out in Chicago but gradually moved out of the city to the North
Shore and Waukegan.
The North Shore took one hour to go between Milwaukee and Waukegan stopping at Racine, Kenosha, and Zion. It then took another hour to go to downtown Chicago.
Trains and big cities in one video? I'm in heaven. 😁
Auto centric insanity will die. Its claimed too many lives. America cant do without trains.
The L trains are not forgotten because they still exist!
Since my previous comment got deleted, Homan stop on the green line was just moved to Central Park/Conservatory the entire station is piece by piece from Homan stop just refurbished. The Logan square branch is the Milwaukee branch, the station does exist it was just moved underground so that they could connect the line to the I90/94 to Jefferson park. There are additional errors in the video as well, a simple look on Chicago-L would have given you plenty of information as well as actual photos of the branches you were discussing instead of current date photos with grainy photo. I am a fan of the channel but as a Chicagoan, I’m have to give it a 6/10 should do more research on the CTA.
I left a similar comment. Also missed the Pink and Orange lines (there are 8, not 6). Typically like the content here, but this was a negative and incomplete take on the CTA.
@@kholt1776 yes that to it's kind of hard to miss since both run through the loop he talked about. He didn't do much on the actual lines that do not exist, and speaks about the current ones in a past tense as if certain lines don’t exist when they do. Lol
^ this! I was wondering about so many of the “facts” in this video especially the homan stop towers like? I used to take the green line every single day and had no idea what he was talking abt because it’s just a regular ass station now 😂
@@kholt1776 When you consider the Red Line is a merger of two previous lines (Northwest and Dan Ryan), the Blue Line is a merger of two previous branches (Congress aka Forest Park and Logan Square aka O'Hare), and the Green Line still has three distinct branches (Harlem/Lake, Cottage Grove, and Ashland/63rd), there are still effectively 12 branches.
Great video, I grew in the city, great history and great to see the history. It's sad most lines are gone. So many of the old lines world be beneficial today. Plus I'm a rail fanatic. Thanks for posting this.
As a frequent red line rider I find it so fitting that it started out with a delay “we are holding momentarily for signal clearance”
"Niles Center" is now known as Skokie.
My grandfather worked on the L in Chicago fro 1909 to 1952 when he retired. He never knew his father until sometime in the twenties when they met. He was adopted by the Sirr family who was from Canada (farmers) who lived in Iowa. He later married and moved to Chicago where he began working on the L.
??? and?
We need this TH-cam channel in public schools, let alone those nice suburban high schools I never had the pleasure of attending growing up.
Seriously, learning can be fun with the right teacher besides Ghostbusters 2 brought me to this TH-cam channel with various historic references such as the Titanic & that ghost train scene in Ghostbusters 2 which had me do some online searching for train accidents in NYC over the years.
I love these videos! It's awesome to learn what the city used to be like.
Humboldt Park was abandoned, but Logan Square was expanded to Jefferson Park in 1969, O'Hare in the late 1980's
Yeah. I feel like this video has a number of inaccuracies. He never mentions that the Skokie line was reopened, or the extensions of the red line south and blue line to the airport, nor is the opening of Orange line. The Chicago El is currently bigger than than ever. It's also weird that he does not mention the abandoned Kenwood branch, considering that the abandoned structure is still up.
O'Hare L opened in 1983 - as far as River Road.
@@andyengels1343 it’s there
@@robk7266 He also shows an image of the "abandoned" Logan Square blue line branch that I rode earlier this week...
@@LiamLundy yeah. I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt abd assume he meant the Humboldt Park branch
Sir you are a treasure for this vid. I grew up on Homan, and I remember riding the very same el you showed - alone - at 9yrs old. It was such a treat to come across this vid today.
Great video, I used to ride the L all around as a kid. I would catch it in Skokie and take it all the way downtown, got to see all sorts of cool things, was neat seeing some of the rooftops I saw as a kid in the video.
Yes I also took the Skokie Swift and transferred to the Howard Street L and then on to Wrigley Field many times. Loved it and very convenient and inexpensive.
I lived on the south side . Road the train with my grandma when I was a kid in the sixties! Liked your story very much thanks man!! 🌞🎆💠👉😀✌️☮️👍♥️
As a tourist Chicago still has one of the planets best Metros
Keep the chicago history coming!
Great vid 👍
Man.
How I love to ride the train every time I visit Chicago.
Was lucky to live there for a few months.
Beautiful city.
I always find something new.
In Chicago, they are the "el" or the Dan Ryan, Jackson Park, Englewood, Ravenswood and Skokie Swift or the Green, Blue, Purple, Brown, Red, Pink and Yellow lines.
It's nice that this guy made a video about the history of the EL (and other public transportation) in Chicago. It's unfortunate how many factual errors and outright omissions occur in this video. If you watch this video and have little knowledge of the subject matter, please take this video's declarations with a grain of salt.
All of his videos are like this.
I wouldn't say the Chicago "L" is a shadow of its former self. It's just different. With busses, all of the former branch lines weren't needed. And what's been added has expanded the reach of the system, not diminished it. The Orange Line wasn't built when I moved from Chicago in 1976, and the Logan Square line only ran to Jefferson Park.
They need a circular route where one does not have to travel downtown to connect to other lines.
The demolishing of the Westchester branch, the shortening of the Cermak branch, the northbound track on the Paulina Connector being demolished, along with Humboldt Park branch demolition are still a bummer to be honest.
@@LUIS-ox1bv I’ve always thought that too. I used to sit in the train looking at the map a think they needed a way to link the outer stations in a perimeter line. That would be tremendously expensive, though.
Here's a couple I never see anywhere.
The Skokie Swift ran on power gotten from a third rail, then halfway through switched to overhead lines. So for a second, all the lights went out as they switched power sources. (They've probably fixed that...)
Chicago also had a number of bus lines on the major arteries that used to run on overhead electrical wires. The bus could drive down the right lane, and even pull over to the curb, all while attached to overhead lines. Every once in a while, one of the booms that went up to the wires fell off, and the driver had to get out and manually pull the boom down and reset it onto the wire.
I want to say some of those electrical lines survived into the 70's, but they may have been gone by then.
He also failed to mention the time a CTA train fell off the tracks in the loop...
I enjoyed riding "the L" in 2010 from the airport to downtown, and back. Each trip included a hot cup of Dunkin Donut coffee and a pastry. 🤗👍
I enjoy myself some Harold's chicken right by dunkin donuts from time to time.
@@luciferslettuce Sounds like fun. I am hoping to motor east in 2022 and hope to be in the Chicago area enroute to Toronto, Canada.
Any bum fights on your blue line experience?
Your grandfather got his coffee from a White Castle which was open 24/7 and typically located at a bus/streetcar/L interchange point.
@@brandonboogers that’s for the red line lol
Looking at other cities train systems , coming from living in NYC is really interesting.
Logan square line was revitalized to O'Hare. no mention of line that runs down Dan Ryan or to Midway.
I still ride these on the loop. They arent forgotten dude they are generally pretty commonly used
You could say...they really took the "L" on this one.
(Somebody kill me)
You are not a muffin so no
What? You got a problem with puns?
The Arabs would call the "L" the "Al"
He said that the Skokie Line stopped being used in the 1940s but never mentioned that it reopened in the 60s (the yellow line).
Yes and the best way for a suburban northsider to get to Wrigley Field .
“Railroad City” Chicago. Spent a day & a night watching countless passenger trains on the 12th Street overpass in 1965 with a friend. HEAVEN
Logan Square was never abandoned, the Humboldt Park line was. No mention of the former Kenwood line on the Southside, with numerous visible remnants remaining from Wentworth to King along 40th street.
And the Humbolt Park was because it operated using wooden cars, which weren't allowed in the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway.
This vid is a bit doom and gloom. The CTA is alive and well. "The elevated trains of Chicago have now become a shell of their former glory." REALLY? They been working on improvements for over 20 years now. Making all stations handicap accessible, rebuilding entire stations from the ground up. Sure, the network isn't as vast as it was in the 1930's-40's, but the post-war era killed a lot of big city infrastructure. The network doesn't take you across state lines anymore, or deep into the far flung suburbs. But the CTA makes a huge part of Chicago accessible to travelers for cheap.
True. I've checked the ridership numbers and data over the last 20 years and its was at record highs during the summer of 2019 (pre-covid). The busiest station was State and Lake
Btw the speaking on the stations and trains themselves. It's vastly improved. The old buses and trains didn't even have air conditioning or heat
Chicago as a whole is vastly better now than in 1920s (When people think Chicago was at its best). Nope, the city was very polluted and dirty back then. The Chicago river even bubbled from the pollution
There is a huge track rebuilding program going on now on the Red Line between Lawrence and Bryn Mawr stations. Also, within the last few years, the Brown Line flyover at Belmont Station was completed as well as the complete rebuilding of Wilson Station.
It's cool that some of the loop stations are still "old fashioned" some of them still look similar to what they looked like 70 years ago with modern repairs obviously.
I never realized how much of this world-famous system had been trashed. the 'L' is on my bucket list of things to see. thanks for another interesting and very well presented video.
Yerkes eventually ended up in London around 1900 and was a key player in the early 1900s expansion & modernization of the Underground 👍
For some reason I'm expecting a WTTW pledge drive break in the middle of this.
There are 8 lines today on the CTA, not 6. You left out the Orange and Pink Lines.
I grew up in Chicago and remember many cold winters while waiting for buses and trains. Those outdoor heaters helped a bit. Ah, the memories! Greetings from sunny Miami!
What is today the "Franklin Street Substation" was actually underneath and part of the Wells Street Station of the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin. They owned their own elevated ROW from Wells, down Van Buren and then it joined what is now the Congress Line around Peoria Street. When the Congress Expressway was built, the CA&E elevated was severed from the CTA. The CA&E then returned to their own tracks at Laramie. The CTA took over the Franklin Street building and it is now used to store trucks for rolling stock. The property facing Wells was sold and is now a parking garage.
Ah, Yerkes! We know him well from London's Underground.
Although i can hear Jago Hazzard wince every time he says Yerks.
@@voiceofraisin3778 The Canadian guy's mentioned Yerkes recently. Chicago Transit etc. I know the feeling.
This is such a great channel. I'm so happy I ran across it. If I were a school teacher this channel would be required viewing.
You also didn't mention one of the 'L's unique features, the outdoor heat lamps on the L platforms. A very welcome sight during the winter months.
This video is silent about the construction of the subways under State (1943) and Dearborn (1951) streets. The Dan Ryan surface line was connected to the State Street subway, which the El to 63rd street was connected to the Lake street line.
A major problem with a lot of the El system is that it serves neighbourhoods with declining incomes and population. Quite a few El stations have a reputation for being unsafe.
An El line connecting the Loop to the McCormick Place complex could be built on the right of way of the Canadian Pacific.
you can already take the green line there
Chicago is a good example of why competition is not always best for consumers.
I was traveling on the "City of Miami" streamliner from my hometown Orlando to Detroit where I now lived via Chicago where my grandmother lived in nearby Evanston. I loved Chicago because there were trains and train stations all over the city. During my two-day stopover my grandmother took me on an exciting ride on the L and bus to the Museum of Science and Industry. I was amazed how the train rattled right by apartment windows giving me a quick peek into people's homes. I loved the Museum but I was just as excited about riding the L. We ended the day by seeing "Spartacus" at a downtown Chicago movie theatre and the next day ended my trip with another L ride from Evanston to Lasalle Station where I boarded New York Central's classy "Wolverine" to Detroit. That's a trip I will never forget even though I was only13. I ill turn 79 this year.
Hello from the UK. That is a really interesting video. I understand from other sources of information, that after WW2, the oil companies had enormous political strength and they were behind the policy of removing railways and trams (street cars?) etc. and that everyone should travel in private cars. Here in the UK there has been a massive increase in passenger rail travel in the last thirty years. How things change.
True. Los Angeles had a subway system back then. General Motors and one of the tire manufacturers bought the franchise and promptly shut it down. They were fined a grand total of $5,000 (you read it right) for breaching the franchise contract. I saw a documentary about it a few years ago,
Standard Oil, General Motors and Firestone Tires, created a company called National Bus Lines that purchased most of Streetcar/Tram/Trolley systems in the USA after WW2. They would replace a streetcar that carried 60 people with a bus that only carried 30 passengers forcing folks to eventually have to buy a car. I believe they destroyed over 50 systems with this scheme. Now the USA has spent billions putting new Light rail/tram transit systems back in, many on the old right of ways.(The Los Angeles to Long Beach Blue Line for example).
The building of the Homan station on the Lake street L was actually preserved and restored, and became the station building for the Conservatory-Central Park drive station when it opened in 2001.
I love this channel. Great historical content.
And his narration is great!
Man Chicago's Metro network really is world-class. Excellent piece of infrastructure. More cities should look towards Chicago as an example of how to build public transit.
I grew up on the Near North Side and remember being very angry when the street cars were replaced by smelly busses
The "Loop" is not named for the elevated lines but for the cable cars that looped downtown.
I love the history of this program we need more
When I lived in Chicago I loved taking the "L" train. On my way to work I would go out of my way just to take the "L" train. Every time I visit Chicago I make sure I take an "L" train ride and a commuter train ride. Have a happy 🦃 Thanksgiving everyone.
Lived off the blue line my whole life, took me way too long to realize L stood for eLevated and not Loop
figures, most people on the blue line aren't too bright.
That's why the correct usage is 'the el', not 'the 'L'.
And I always referred to it as the subway - because I always lived and worked near "subway" stops. And I still do.
You forgot the orange line! Living in the south west of Chicago near midway I used to take that line to downtown.
Just the caption on the thumbnail, “Chicago’s Lost L” automatically sent my brain on a tangent like “Chicago used to have an ‘L’?? Where? .... Chicagle. Chicagol. Chilcago. Chicalgo. Chlicago?”
It's 'the El', not the 'L'. '
The El' refers to all of the Elevated lines, even when they pass underground, not some line called 'L'.
@@13ivanogre13 But it's actually all referred to as the 'L' here, whether elevated, subway, surface level, open cut, etc. "El" is used elsewhere in other cities.
Don't know if it's still there, but I used to get the train from Howard St. on the north side to downtown, then a train all the way out west and than a bus to get to work. It was exhausting, as I had to be at work at 7 AM, and if I missed that bus, I was 25 minutes late...meaning I got to work 35 minutes early.
Now add in that I was going to night school for my apprenticeship three nights a week, getting home at 11 PM and then having to get up at 4 AM...ye gods.
Good to watch this show, thanks.
I love reading the comments, especially videos like this with History.
Seeing the elevated trains in Chicago reminds me of "The Blues Brothers" movie.
Jake, "How often do the trains go by?"
Elwood, "So often you won't even notice."
Public Transport that can take you anywhere, what a fun novelty that would have been
Awesome doc! Cool to learn the history of the larger cities
When we went to visit the Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago there was a segment of the old El down the street. You could see that it was totally over grown, there were trees and green plants just hanging over the edge. It was beautiful, an elevated wilderness space in the middle of this grungy urban area.
That place is disgusting
@@astrataway7077 Perhaps theologically. We weren't given a tour of the living areas, so I don't know what that was like. We were actually made to wait outside for about an hour while other groups took tous, that's how i got to observe the old elevated track. The cafeteria was nice.
@@sarahcoleman3125 Oh I'm sorry I didn't know they did theological tours for the civilians. That place is awash in drugs, poverty, sex trafficking and the mentally ill. I didn't have a residency to parole to at the time and PGM was option but little did I know...
@@astrataway7077 Yeah, I went as a chaperone of a church Youth Group. This is probably 15 years ago or something. I'm sure they were showing their "best side".
If you're talking about Pacific Garden Mission on Canal, that old track you see wasn't part of the L. That's an old freight and passenger line to/from Grand Central Station that used to be at Harrison/Wells (where River City is now.)
Immediately south of it is the St Charles Air Line, then below you have the BNSF tracks to/from Union Station, and then a little further south you do have some L tracks for the Orange Line, next to more freight/intercity tracks.
You should make more videos about the subways in other cities, like New York and Boston
Completely omitted the Kenwood line, where station entrances and embankments still exist. Otherwise, a very good commentary on the L's history.
I like this content but I really don't need the artificial film grain to know something is old. The dynamic zoom (or ken burns style) is still good enough to convey the movement.
Oh I love the history of the L
One important dynamic shift involved in the closure of many stations along the present lines was the ending of A/B (skip stop) services
So this is why red/purple stops every 30sec on the north side?
@@casebeth More or less, yes
What is interesting is the fact that Insull adopted both Chicago’s transit system and gas plants, whether he wanted them or not. He also had rivals in Cleveland based financier Cyrus S. Eaton and transit magnet William Brown McKinley of the Illinois Traction. Insull was both an innovator and risk taker. In the end, his rivalries contributed to his downfall. That is the story behind the story! Insull also believed in the Super Power concept, the use of large, efficient pulverized coal power plants to supply reliable electricity at lower costs.
Awesome to have a video on the history of trollies/interurbans/streetcars, you dont see to many of them on here
Always excellent work!
Yes in 2001 the Central Park conservatory station replaced the Holman square station. I was wondering about that. So re-edit this video to kind of make it a little more positive or a little more accurate thank you.
My grandfather worked for the B & O lines for years... later known as part of larger systems. The train yards in Chicago, Blue Island... not far from the Pullman experiment which shows the hazards of too much market dependence.... my grandfather, Harry Peters... also helped to develop a weld which could weld 1/4 mile tracks in the field.... no more clickety clack.... joining things and working better.... kind of runs in our family... but it's not just my family... we can all help.
woah..I'd no idea Chicago being that young..its growth must've been mind-boggling
Until the explosion of Chinese cities, Chicago held the world record for reaching 1,000,000 in population in the shortest time - only about 50 years.
if only its status weren't trailing its appearance there
This seems worthy of a book.
Btw, I was sent to Chicago for work. I live nowhere near Chicago. Since I had the weekend free, I took my trip allowance and made a trip to New York City in order to see the city and meet the people and ride the subway. After getting back to Chicago, I started exploring on the internet about the subway system and I found out about the Chicago underground railway system that ran from building to building. That system which is abandoned now was used to transport goods and cargo to the various buildings in the city center. Unfortunately, it’s abandoned now. I would really like to see it though. The system was used because it was underground in order to protect everyone and the cargo from the very harsh winters in Chicago. I would still like to go see it. This is a nice video piece about Chicago.
They were primarily used to deliver coal for heating into the downtown buildings. If you remember or look it up, construction workers back in the late 80’s accidentally punctured one of these tunnels at the Chicago river and flooded out most of the connecting downtown buildings.
Wish we had this type of history videos for south africa, as I know more about the USA than my own country.
Nice quick banner intro. Well done. Relax and relate in narration (more) and you are golden. Relax a tick. Good Stuff. Onward.
No mention of the State St. subway?
loving the Chicago videos
Um, Chicago still has elevated trains. They're called Rapid Transit now.
Fun fact: starting Thanksgiving weekend and running to January 2, the Santa train runs.
The Santa train has 8 cars, one of which is open, with Santa on a sleigh playing Christmas music. Each car is decorated with Christmas lights, seat covers with staff and volunteers dressed as elves, passing out candy canes. The schedule is posted as the Santa train is moved through the 5 lines. Everyone goes wild! Families stand in line to get on the train; people working in the Loop get excited when they see it. So cool!
Wow! I’ve been studying this for a while. 👍🏿 great vid!
Another fantastic video.
Love the Chicago content