cta-l-variety

Chicago Transit Authority "L" trains mostly shot at Tower 18. These were filmed circa 1963.

[@dumontthe5th]

Love seeing vintage subway trains; rolling history!

[@TheLpbrennan]

Back when the Loop was one-way: All trains ran counter-clockwise. The junction at Tower 18 had to be reconfigured when the Loop was made two-way.

[@erniebaud]

I was 7 years old and would take the Lake st. L with my dad weekly to visit my grandmother on the north side. We'd transfer to the Ravenswood in the loop. I remember the new 2000 series well but loved the motor sound the 4000s . Great film thanks for sharing.

[@dumontthe5th]

When things clear up, I must go Chicago to ride their subway system! I've ridden virtually on KZbin but I want to experience the beautiful city live and in person! This New Yorker loves Chicago!

[@DerrickBoundsMusic]

Have you all gotten maps posted of your subway lines yet?

[@taurus-astrobike104]

Beautiful Colors & Awesome details too.. THANKYOU FOR SHARING 👍👍

[@1960sRICH]

The Chicago skyline has really changed now you can't see the Marina Towers from Lake and Clinton

[@ilcentral]

Thank you for this I love those old 4000 series.

[@augustmosco]

Thank you, Gerry, for this. I remember them all.

[@milesdevlon]

CTA nostalgia for real

[@trainliker100]

The bridge across the C&NW trains at Clinton was replaced in later years with a through girder bridge. Unfortunately, the girders are pretty high making it hard to look down on the tracks underneath or see the train shed that now has the "Ogilvie Transportation Center" tall glass building where the C&NW depot head house once stood.

[@8avexp]

Interesting - the articulating 5000s could and did m. u. with the 6000s. I remember the 4000s on the Evanston Express and could always tell them apart from the 6000s just by their sounds.

[@DOLRED]

I like the shot of Marina City in the background--looks occupied and new. Seemed like MC was the next significant high rise in the Loop after late 1950s Prudential Building on Michigan Ave because MC was briefly the tallest building in the city with the ABC TV Antenna. But info says they were completed in 1964. I rode Lake El at the time, both the 4000s and the new "Fishbowl" Air conditioned cars. The Fishbowls were heavenly compared to the ancient 4000s, but you could tell the Fishbowls seemed half the weight of the 4000s--like they could jump off the rails from the jolts of the old jointed rails!

[@luislaplume8261]

Barbara Eden lived there on Marina City in the late 1970s with her second husband.

[@concorde2003]

Nice view of Marina City.

[@packr72]

For a short time when the 2000s were bran new they ran them at 70 mph plus on the Lake Street L, while sharing the tracks with the 4000s which could do maybe 40 mph and no block signals.

[@rch1jr]

😳70mph?

[@xxmoviemakerxxx]

Marina City was completed in late 1964 and the 2000 series cars also arrived in late 1964 so this could not have been filmed before 1964.

[@246spyder]

Are you sure of the year, because I worked at the Wolk Camera store, nex door to Don Roths Resturant on Wabash. This was before '64 since I left there around '62 and our account lady had an apartment there.

[@xxmoviemakerxxx]

From Wikipedia: "The Marina City complex was designed in 1959 by architect Bertrand Goldberg and completed in 1964..." Furthermore, the Pullman cars shown at 3:28 didn't arrive until 1964. BTW, I shopped at Wolk Camera -- I think I bought a wink lite for my old Polaroid there.

[@areizman]

Well the description does say 'circa' wich roughly means around. Also Marina City was completed in 1964. It was probably well along in construction when this was filmed. Either way, great to see all the color footage of 4000 series cars in operation, especially the 'baldies'. Very hard to find operational footage of those on KZbin.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

How did you know where the account lady's apartment was? What the hell was going on in the 60s?

[@boilerbob7]

Great memories. Thanks for sharing.

[@albertcarello619]

The 4000 SERIES BALDIES only saw brief service on the Lake Street L when in total consists after complete elevation October 28 1962.

[@lcar4000]

Great videos. Thanks for posting

[@RTD8481]

I love the Baldies!!!

[@VolumedMusicMan]

I from am a younger generation. how long did the 4000s exist on the CTA? I was a young boy in the 70s and I remember them run across the Granville stop back in the day.

[@nyaromeneko4455]

Gone in October 1973. 😢 Once the wire came down on the Evanston line, that was it.

[@granskare]

we called it the "el" but yours is ok...in the 40s, I used pay 4 cents to ride, transfer included...I don't think riding is user friendly these days. Best wishes, :)

[@vanlevy2008]

I suspect the 2000 series cars shown were a minor sensation in its time to the riders use to old and ancient equipment.

[@areizman]

Not to mention they were the first Air Conditioned cars in regular service.

[@michaelglass4701]

cool

[@terryb0241]

Do they still ever use these cars

[@edgetaker]

If I'm watching correctly trains coming from the west could not cross to the east..they had to turn south? And trains from the north could not turn east? Both because of the location of the switch house? Very different than how they run now...eastbound Green and Pink line trains go directly to Clark/Lake and southbound Purple turn to Clark/Lake as well. The loop is so overcrowded now with too many lines using it especially during the rush hour..Green, Pink, Brown, Purple and Orange..always waiting for "signal clearance"! Looks like everything ran like clockwork back then!

[@trainliker100]

True. Originally the crossing at Tower 18 was only a single crossing of the outer loop tracks. This was later changed to have both tracks of both the north/south and east/west directions cross producing 4 crossings at the junction including one where the original Tower 18 used to stand. A new tower was built off to one corner of the junction on the outside of the trackage. As and example of original operation, the Lake Street L from Oak Park would be eastbound on the right hand track and had to turn right. It then ran around the loop on the outer track and went through the junction westbound on the single east/west track that was there. Now, with a complete set of tracks through the junction. The Lake Street L ("Green Line") from Oak Park goes eastbound through the junction to the other side of the loop, , staying on the inner loop, where it turns south to Cottage Grove or Ashland. When it returns, it goes north on the outer loop up Wabash and then turns west across the loop, across the junction (on a track that was always there then and now) and back to Oak Park. It no longer services the west and south loop stops.