CTA "L" Down Through The Years

This was great! I moved out west 24 years ago...this brings back memories!

thank you for posting this i loved watching it

I started riding the 'el' in 1942 when my mother would take me to Wilson Avenue to pick up our food rationing stamps during WW II.  Later, going to Amundsen High School, I would take the 'B' train to Berwyn and transfer to the Foster Avenue bus.  Then, all through the sixties I took the el/subway from Howard Street to Monroe and walked from there to Clark Street while working at Bell Savings & Loan.  In 1963 during the blizzard, I was one of three people who made it to work.  You couldn't tell where the cars were parked on the street but, by golly, the elevated was still running. People were generally polite and I only had a few problems during the years.  I learned never to open the window even if it was 100 degrees, because that was a fast way to lose my purse while the train stopped at the stations.  I always carried an umbrella (rain or shine) with a steel point at the end to ward off the occasional pervert.  The stations weren't announced as they are today, but we had them all memorized anyway. I rode the Evanston Express trains occasionally.  They still had the straw-like woven seats and their windows weren't crash-proof, so people usually would stand at the back or the front of the car until we were farther north, because kids on porches would throw rocks at the windows.  It was great and inexpensive transportation.  Our family never owned a car and I didn't learn to drive until moving out of state in 1970.  It's so much fun to see these photos posted on You Tube !!!  Thanks for sharing....

2:00 those cars with the white and green color scheme are the ones I remember. Having moved from Chicago in 1976, they still bring back faint memories of being 5 years old a riding along with my dad. I can remember moving from one car to the next and seeing the track moving underneath us. 

THANKS !!!!

Thanks

@packr72 That car is currently housed at the Chicago History Museum.

very nice video, I really miss riding on the 6000 series cars, seeing the 2000 series cars which had the shortest service span of any series too date.

I remember riding the green colored train in the late 1970's to early 1980's . Thats the last I seen them untill I went to the railway mus in marango il .

i love it

@msibnsf Only Philadelphia's elevated lines used a concrete track bed, and I was told that early residents of West Philly referred to it in West Philly as the "Elevated railroad".This line crossed the Skuylkill river on a trestle along with the surface trolley lines(removed in 1956), and then was put under ground. The Northeast stretch was built between 1912 and 1922, time out for WW1. Neighborhoods up there called it the Market-Frankford elevated. There was also an old loop called the Elbow-

@msibnsf The Elbow was a return loop built for the Market street subway, as it exited a tunnel just North of Market street, it then arose over Front st., first stop was Arch st., then it stopped at Fairmount ave., it then made this really sharp turn over Delaware avenue "the Elbow" the structure stretched southbound over Delaware ave. this loop served the various ferry stations to New Jersey, mainly the one owned by the Reading RR. The line terminated at South st. This line was removed in 1938.

I remember the Pcc 600 and every other train after it I love the"L"

I used to ride these same cars in the late 40s :)

awesome

Seeing the Stinger actually used for a change was kind of neat. I don't think I'd want to be on a stalled train in that junction in the Loop though...

The term "EL" is an East Coast terminology...used oin NYC, Boston, and Philadelphia. Chicago has always used the term "L" to describe our elevated railroads. I don't know what Sioux Falls used, LOL. They had an "L" for ten years back in the 1890s. David Harrison

That funeral train is huge! Over 8 cars.

its cool how the old old ones have a steam train sounding whistle! even if its electric. also the oldest ones look the coolest to me.. i wonder though back when those were in their prime did the trains and stations smell like pee like they do now!? or did people have much more class back then...i wasnt around then but seeing old pics shows and movies of the olden days even the homeless had more class back then too it seems...

1:35 - "POWER!"