Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
By the time the streetcar pictures were taken all that remained were the St. Louis PCC cars. These were taken in 1957 and early 1958 at the end of a long tradition of trolley service in Chicago. At one time Chicago held any number of records including the world's longest service by one route without any turns(Western - 49). All though most of the postwar PCC cars were converted to the 6000 series elevated cars only one was preserved and is currently seeing active duty at the Illinois Railway Museum at Union, Illinois. Ironically trucks from these cars went to the 6511 series elevated cars and then to New Orleans for their "retro" antique cars (now possibly damaged due to Katrina) and Kenosha Transit's former Toronto cars.
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2 St. Louis cars have run their final miles as they sit in the 77th/Vincennes yards waiting an unknown fate. |
Car 7203 boards passengers at Dearborn and Van Buren in this December, 1957 shot from the elevated station. By this time only the southern portion remained of the 22 line |
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| Car 7139 accelerates across Wacker heading south on Clark St. in this August, 1957 shot. | A southbound Clark car crosses the Clark St. drawbridge over the Chicago River. | ||||||||||||||
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| The Dearborn bridge was far older and rather narrow as an old Buick and car 7181 compete for space. | Car 4406 was still in its original colors on the next to last day of service for the Clark line at Devon. Only a few of the PCC's remained in their original "as delivered" color scheme by 1957. | ||||||||||||||
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Car 4374 passes 7137 near Clark and Illinois. 7137 looks like it had seen more than its share of conflicts! |
Car 7139 passes the Astor Hotel on Clark near Lake. Rumor had it that the Astor was well known for its hourly rates back then! | ||||||||||||||
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| The Howard St. terminal was the northern end of the Clark St. Line. 4407 waits its turn on the next to last day of service | The Devon station had but one more day before it would be closed. On 6 September 1957 two Clark-Wentworth cars wait for their assignment | ||||||||||||||
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| In original colors, 7137 passes the Bnai Brith resale shop on Clark St. Any used PCC's on sale? | |||||||||||||||
| 4405, also in original colors, is ready to pull out of the Howard terminal. | |||||||||||||||
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| 4395 is on Vincennes near the Englewood elevated station in December, 1957. Look at those cars parked along and that Studebaker heading southbound! | Car 7182 waits for the light at Clark and Lake. How about that Buick? | ||||||||||||||
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| 7149 goes around the tight turn to Clark. The Clark portion north of this point had less than a week before the Gutterliners replaced the trolleys. | |||||||||||||||
| 7214 heads north on Clark. It also looks like it's had more than its share of conflicts | |||||||||||||||
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| Run 486 on State Street, 1956. A passenger's view of the exit doors | |||||||||||||||
| Southbound car speeds by the main barns at 77th and Vincennes in December, 1957. In six months its service will be over and it will be sitting in the yards waiting to be scrapped. | |||||||||||||||
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