Some these trains the 6000-6100 CTA el cars ,the old mu 1926 Illinois Central trains, and the orange color South shore line trains were in service as late as the late 1970s. I have ridden them as well as the 4000 series CTA el cars. This brings back memories. Thank you.
This is excellent stuff. Thanks for posting !! I believe the time frame here is 1955 or earlier. There is a UP Streamliner at around 7:30 with CNW locomotives on the point. That service switched to the Milwaukee Road in 1955.
For me the most significant part of this video is about 9:40-10:30, 13:15--14:20, 14:35-16:30, the Metropolitan West Side elevated and the Chicago, Aurora, & Elgin Wells St. terminal. Around 1953 the construction of the Congress (now Eisenhower) Expressway put that line through a series of transitions from the elevated line to the expressway median, and the CA&E no longer ran through to the city, terminating in Forest Park for passengers to transfer to CTA trains (which doomed the CA&E to shut down in 1957).
Thank you for uploading this. It brings back meomories of my passed aunt, and she grew up here in Chicago. She used to tell me about the streetcars and the North Shore Line. Rest in peace, Sue Carbollo.
Extraordinary film! I appreciate the longer than usual clips. Typically, since consumer film cameras used short film lengths, the clips people took were very short and jumpy since they were aware of how small the spool was. The filmmaker captured the North Shore line, both standard and the Electroliner, Milwaukee surface streetcars, various CTA “L” stock from the brown and orange wooden cars to the winter green and cream 6000 series cars that I rode on in the late 70s. CTA red street cars (previously known as Chicago Surface Lines before the merge with the “L”s) and green PCC surface cars, Chicago, Aurora & Elgin orange & white, and the blue, red and silver cars (traveling through Wheaton, where I live!), green Illinois Central trains (I had the luck to ride on one such car in the late 70s as it was added to an evening ICG commuter train), the orange Chicago, South Shore and South Bend interurban that I recall riding on in the mid 60s. That line still runs today (on newer stock) as the only electric inter urban left in the US!
Thanks very much for downloading this Video. This is Priceless. While I do have some memories of the seeing the North Shore Line trains n the Chicago El from the early 1960s and I also have a memory of riding the South Shore line to Michigan City with my late father in 1958, I never had a chance to see the Chicago Aurora and Elgin trains running. Those shots from the early 1950s were in effect before my time as I was born in 1952. I also liked those shots taken from Congress and Wells Street which included the shot of Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 1 backing into their new (at the time) Fire Station which is still there and in use.
15:08 shows the Daily News Building (Then) at Canal and Madison and behind it the clock Tower Building--both still remain. Therefore, the cameraman's view is north. The trains are surely on the MET line heading east across the river toward the Met Terminal located at Quincy and Wells. 15:25 shows El train headed west past both buildings of Union Station. The train shed part is gone since about 1965 (Roof shown).
What a great video! Brings back grammar school memories of the red Pullman and Green Hornet streetcars, the huge CTA fleet of MH trackless, and riding the IC downtown from the South Side, and taking the North Shore to see friends and relatives. (Can't figure out what the number 4 (A old CSL number) Green Hornet is doing on the State Street Bridge at 11:27, because the Cottage Grove cars normally went down Wabash, turned right on Washington, left on Garland Court next to the main library, left on Randolph, and then left onto Wabash for the run out to 115th Street. They did not go over the Chicago river.)
In answer to the question about 3rd rail gaps (I assume you were referring to the Chicago, Aurora, & Elgin.): My home is along the Illinois Prairie Path (former CA&E right-of-way) in Lombard. Unbelievable thing is that there is sort of a semi-crossing at Lincoln Av. I have talked to people who lived south of the tracks, and there was no 3rd-rail-gap there - Kids were walking to school stepping over the 3rd rails of the 2 tracks. As for your question about getting stuck: 1) I've noticed from the remains of small stations that the eastbound platform would be on the east side of the cross street and the westbound would be on the west side, I assume to prevent getting stuck when starting up out of the station. 2) I know there was a diagonal crossing across Butterfield (IL-56) on the Batavia branch that there were occasional rail-gap stallings, so they added a short overhead wire to get them out of the predicament when that happened. 3) On TH-cam, view "Chicago Transit Authority Pink Line Train being "rescued" after gaping out". What a terrifying thing for CTA employees to have to do with the 600-volt power pickup!
Excellent footage. This looks to be around 1951 to 1953. Being that the period featured in this video was slightly before my time, I always wondered what the el junction at Wells and Van Buren looked like, as well as bascule bridge over the Chicago river that carried the Garfield Park, Douglas Park, Logan Square and Chicago Aurora Elgin lines via the Metropolitan West Side el right-of-way. If you have anymore footage like this, I would love to see it.
I remember taking the Garfield Park El with my father to visit an aunt in Lawndale. Garfield park used wooden El cars with open platforms. It was exiting for a little kid to stand on the platforms but scary too. Saint Louis was our stop. Now my Aunt's building is a ramp on the Congress Expressway.
I'd concur with that timeline, that CNW train has what appear to be UP coaches, indicating that this was prior to UP partnering with MILW to run their various "City" trains between Omaha and Chicago
Can a single rail vehicle operating from third rail go through a switch where the third rail is broken (separated)? Or must it rely upon momentum to carry it through the brief no-power area? How many people and animals werelectrocuted where the track is out in the open? Voltage? Thank you.
Yes he train can. Momentum, or the bus line (electrical connection) is energized by trailing cars where the they're still on the third rail. 600 volts DC. It happened but it was rare. People just knew not to step on the third rail and the running rail at the same time. This situation is still present on the Douglas, Ravenswood, Skokie, and Evanston lines. The last I ever heard was 20 years ago when a guy peed on the third and running rails and got it.
This is wonderful. There is so much to see here. I wish I knew more so I could identify more of the trains in Chicago. How cool is that Chicago Fire Department car at 14:26! Thanks so much for posting. By the way, can anyone identify the large building at 22:18? It looks like a stadium.
Second for Franklin Field. That's the line along the Schuylkill as it goes under the old South Street bridge (which was reconstructed just over a decade ago).
My vote is for 1952 too judging from some of the automobiles seen. Perhaps, such as the Milwaukee scenes, that could have been filmed earlier in 1950 (again going by the autos seen).
Some these trains the 6000-6100 CTA el cars ,the old mu 1926 Illinois Central trains, and the orange color South shore line trains were in service as late as the late 1970s. I have ridden them as well as the 4000 series CTA el cars. This brings back memories. Thank you.
This is excellent stuff. Thanks for posting !!
I believe the time frame here is 1955 or earlier. There is a UP Streamliner at around 7:30 with CNW locomotives on the point. That service switched to the Milwaukee Road in 1955.
Wow-this video has it all! Reading, B&O, CTA, North Shore, South Shore, Roarin' Elgin, IC MU's, White buses, Studebakers and old Checker cabs.
For me the most significant part of this video is about 9:40-10:30, 13:15--14:20, 14:35-16:30, the Metropolitan West Side elevated and the Chicago, Aurora, & Elgin Wells St. terminal. Around 1953 the construction of the Congress (now Eisenhower) Expressway put that line through a series of transitions from the elevated line to the expressway median, and the CA&E no longer ran through to the city, terminating in Forest Park for passengers to transfer to CTA trains (which doomed the CA&E to shut down in 1957).
Wow. I rode on some of these when I was a little boy. My uncle worked as a surveyor for the North Shore. No doubt this was 8 mm movie. Wonderful.
Thank you for uploading this. It brings back meomories of my passed aunt, and she grew up here in Chicago. She used to tell me about the streetcars and the North Shore Line. Rest in peace, Sue Carbollo.
Magnificent. Glorious. Beautiful. Thank you.
This is amazing to see! The cool part is knowing how much of this equipment has actually been preserved at museums!
Extraordinary film! I appreciate the longer than usual clips. Typically, since consumer film cameras used short film lengths, the clips people took were very short and jumpy since they were aware of how small the spool was. The filmmaker captured the North Shore line, both standard and the Electroliner, Milwaukee surface streetcars, various CTA “L” stock from the brown and orange wooden cars to the winter green and cream 6000 series cars that I rode on in the late 70s. CTA red street cars (previously known as Chicago Surface Lines before the merge with the “L”s) and green PCC surface cars, Chicago, Aurora & Elgin orange & white, and the blue, red and silver cars (traveling through Wheaton, where I live!), green Illinois Central trains (I had the luck to ride on one such car in the late 70s as it was added to an evening ICG commuter train), the orange Chicago, South Shore and South Bend interurban that I recall riding on in the mid 60s. That line still runs today (on newer stock) as the only electric inter urban left in the US!
Thanks very much for downloading this Video. This is Priceless. While I do have some memories of the seeing the North Shore Line trains n the Chicago El from the early 1960s and I also have a memory of riding the South Shore line to Michigan City with my late father in 1958, I never had a chance to see the Chicago Aurora and Elgin trains running. Those shots from the early 1950s were in effect before my time as I was born in 1952. I also liked those shots taken from Congress and Wells Street which included the shot of Chicago Fire Department Ambulance 1 backing into their new (at the time) Fire Station which is still there and in use.
What wonderful footage 😍 thanks for sharing 👍
if That pigeon is Still Alive he's Gotta be At Least 87.🤣🤣🤣
15:08 shows the Daily News Building (Then) at Canal and Madison and behind it the clock Tower Building--both still remain. Therefore, the cameraman's view is north. The trains are surely on the MET line heading east across the river toward the Met Terminal located at Quincy and Wells. 15:25 shows El train headed west past both buildings of Union Station. The train shed part is gone since about 1965 (Roof shown).
My father seen all that when he was young. I wasn't born until 1963.
What a great video. I enjoyed it. Thank you for the upload!
I remember how close the trains ran on the Loop. A train would be pulling out of a station as another came in behind it.
Tom, Just came across ths video. Thanks for posting. Was interesting to see the transition from Steam to diesel towards the end of the video.
What a great video! Brings back grammar school memories of the red Pullman and Green Hornet streetcars, the huge CTA fleet of MH trackless, and riding the IC downtown from the South Side, and taking the North Shore to see friends and relatives. (Can't figure out what the number 4 (A old CSL number) Green Hornet is doing on the State Street Bridge at 11:27, because the Cottage Grove cars normally went down Wabash, turned right on Washington, left on Garland Court next to the main library, left on Randolph, and then left onto Wabash for the run out to 115th Street. They did not go over the Chicago river.)
superb..! 🍸
It looked like a really nice tight knit city before the highways came along
In answer to the question about 3rd rail gaps (I assume you were referring to the Chicago, Aurora, & Elgin.): My home is along the Illinois Prairie Path (former CA&E right-of-way) in Lombard. Unbelievable thing is that there is sort of a semi-crossing at Lincoln Av. I have talked to people who lived south of the tracks, and there was no 3rd-rail-gap there - Kids were walking to school stepping over the 3rd rails of the 2 tracks. As for your question about getting stuck: 1) I've noticed from the remains of small stations that the eastbound platform would be on the east side of the cross street and the westbound would be on the west side, I assume to prevent getting stuck when starting up out of the station. 2) I know there was a diagonal crossing across Butterfield (IL-56) on the Batavia branch that there were occasional rail-gap stallings, so they added a short overhead wire to get them out of the predicament when that happened. 3) On TH-cam, view "Chicago Transit Authority Pink Line Train being "rescued" after gaping out". What a terrifying thing for CTA employees to have to do with the 600-volt power pickup!
Excellent footage. This looks to be around 1951 to 1953. Being that the period featured in this video was slightly before my time, I always wondered what the el junction at Wells and Van Buren looked like, as well as bascule bridge over the Chicago river that carried the Garfield Park, Douglas Park, Logan Square and Chicago Aurora Elgin lines via the Metropolitan West Side el right-of-way. If you have anymore footage like this, I would love to see it.
I remember taking the Garfield Park El with my father to visit an aunt in Lawndale. Garfield park used wooden El cars with open platforms. It was exiting for a little kid to stand on the platforms but scary too. Saint Louis was our stop. Now my Aunt's building is a ramp on the Congress Expressway.
I'd concur with that timeline, that CNW train has what appear to be UP coaches, indicating that this was prior to UP partnering with MILW to run their various "City" trains between Omaha and Chicago
@@pilsudski36wow that's amazing how many buildings were removed to make way for the expressway
@@hotredboy84 Entire blue collar communities were decimated.
7:27-8:12 Wheaton, Illinois
So many paint schemes on the Chicago elevated! Just how many railways had running rights on it? Today IIUC it's just the CTA.
My wife noted how sooty and unkempt Chicago was back then. Money before beauty.
Please excuse my ignorance but who was Howard Sell? I haven't been able to find anything online.
Can a single rail vehicle operating from third rail go through a switch where the third rail is broken (separated)? Or must it rely upon momentum to carry it through the brief no-power area?
How many people and animals werelectrocuted where the track is out in the open? Voltage?
Thank you.
Yes he train can. Momentum, or the bus line (electrical connection) is energized by trailing cars where the they're still on the third rail. 600 volts DC. It happened but it was rare. People just knew not to step on the third rail and the running rail at the same time. This situation is still present on the Douglas, Ravenswood, Skokie, and Evanston lines. The last I ever heard was 20 years ago when a guy peed on the third and running rails and got it.
This is wonderful. There is so much to see here. I wish I knew more so I could identify more of the trains in Chicago. How cool is that Chicago Fire Department car at 14:26! Thanks so much for posting. By the way, can anyone identify the large building at 22:18? It looks like a stadium.
It's Franklin Field in Philadelphia
It’s Soldier Field in Chicago
Second for Franklin Field. That's the line along the Schuylkill as it goes under the old South Street bridge (which was reconstructed just over a decade ago).
Not in Chicago
Beautiful video. Cant get enough watching this over again. B&O Capitol Ltd?
3:50 Edison Court
8:13-8:20 Wolf Road
1:02 Wayne Junction?! looks nothing like that now. that's for sure. The whole northern building is gone today. I think it burned down a long time ago.
Did anyone notice the different paint schemes on the PCC cars
Any idea where this is, at 9:40?
I think it's later 1960's
I’d say right about 1950. Opinions, anyone?
My best guess: 1952
My vote is for 1952 too judging from some of the automobiles seen. Perhaps, such as the Milwaukee scenes, that could have been filmed earlier in 1950 (again going by the autos seen).
Has to be just before 1953. This is when the CA&E stoped going to the Wells St. station.
@@jerryhund5630 Thanks for setting the record straight!
?1955
1955 is too late, as the CA&E stopped running east of Forest Park on September 20, 1953, and the Wells St. terminal closed as of that date.
This is amazing to see! The cool part is knowing how much of this equipment has actually been preserved at museums!