CTA Ride - Dan Ryan Line - Lake St to 95th - September 21 1991

A front seat ride on the Dan Ryan line from State & Lake to the 95th street terminal.

[@evie_bork]

Note how the tracks are yet to be laid on the elevated structure branching from the 18th St connector, just before the Chinatown station. An interesting glimpse into the progress of the Orange Line.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

You can even see the shoefly put in where Roosevelt Road station is being built.

[@hots30]

I took a tour and they explained how the orange line was built around the buildings and buildings built around the orange line pretty kool

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

Lots of inevitable change. Namely, you can see all the construction work being done for the Orange Line in this video. That dogleg from 5:50 to 6:10 is because they're building Roosevelt Road station, with the southbound track due to become the northbound track upon completion. Then at 9:37, we see the Orange Line structure with track yet to be laid down. Then at 10:37 as we enter Cermak-Chinatown, we can see that the new track built as part of the reconfiguration to connect the State Street Subway directly to the Dan Ryan has been completed. And the Harrison Street curve at 3:50 has now been straightened out, so instead of two sharp 90 degree turns, the tracks now just take two 45 degree turns and trains can travel at faster speeds.

[@Chitwn81]

Wow love seeing the Howard-Englewood/Jackson Park and Lake Dan Ryan Trains...i grew up on the Lake-Dan Ryan El and the 2400s and 2600s...hate how CTA stripped the colors off its trains. Love the close up of the infamous Robert Taylor Homes and Stateway Gardens Projects....ppl think crime is bad now but those early 90s were something else. Great Video buddy!!!

[@dlcluley]

Glad you liked it. I totally agree about missing the color.

[@tyhik9338]

Dan Cluley is there any metra electric video's on the way?

[@Zo_1987]

LaQuan Miller 💯 The early 90s was somethin else

[@ramonestubblefield758]

Yes love the Dan Ryan branch and yeah 1991 Chicago recorded 974 murders

[@blakemcnamara9105]

@@ramonestubblefield758 1990 New York was even worse. There were 2,000 recorded murders.

[@Madame_Different]

I celebrated my 1st birthday when this footage was made. I can't get enough of 90s filming vibes 🤩

[@sjh60633]

the wall of the projects along the east side of the Ryan brings back memories. always tons of boarded up windows with smoke damage

[@milesdevlon]

Wow, this takes me back to the good ol' days of the Chi!

[@djbhe]

When the train pulled into the 95th St station, I could smell the Maxwell St. Polish sausage coming through the TV. 😂🤣😂🤣 Thanks for the memories!!!

[@derricklangford4725]

😋

[@redmanr5522]

Sat Sep 21 2024 marks 33 years since Sat Sep 21 1991 I posted this 3 1/2 weeks late, but better late than never.

[@mrAhollandjr]

This video features things that no longer exist like Randolph/Wabash and Madison/ Wabash stations, and the infamous Harrison S curve. The police HQ at 11th/State is gone.

[@michaelglass4701]

I miss the 2000 on the Lake Dan Ryan Line.

[@ScudAttack]

Thank you for these, we can always learn something from looking to recent past. I couldn't imagine falling out of love with this city.

[@RalphJones121792]

0:50 was that a AIR JORDAN 6 OG BILLBOARD 👀 Oh and I'm from Chicago, my dad used to drive CTA trains and buses 💪🏿

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

6:03 Roosevelt Road station.

[@mbroadnax1]

Thank you for this...I knew there was something different about that turn after Adams and Wabash, past the CNA building...that turn was much sharper compared to how it is now!!! That was driving me nuts!!!

[@dlcluley]

Glad you liked it. I remember reading that they smoothed that S curve out. Maybe 15 years ago?

[@mbroadnax1]

Yes...I was discussing this with a friend.. think it was completed around 2003. Other items to note...at 9:27 it looks like construction of what would become the Orange line. I also noticed there were two car trains...on weekends and after rush hour, the trains would go from 8 cars to 6-4-2. Also noticed it was making all stops..at that time the trains were still doing "skip stops". Think that went away when the Green line renovation was done. Lastly, I think I caught a glimpse of the old Cominsky Park scoreboard. Don't know when you filmed this but I do know the old ballpark was demolished in '91. Again, great stuff!!!

[@dlcluley]

That is indeed the new right of way for the Orange line. I filmed this in September of '91, so some of the old ballpark was probably still there. I know I rode the Amtrak behind there earlier that summer and they were just starting demolition.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

You can see, entering Cermak-Chinatown, that the connecting tracks to the Red Line have also been completed.

[@TheLewistownTrainspotter8102]

They rebuilt the Harrison Street curve over the Memorial Day Weekend of 2003. The CTA has a timelapse video on their own channel of the work that went into this.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

3:44 This curve was rebuilt in 2003 to be much straighter

[@Jaquxan]

Trains can Derail on the curse and its bad sucks

[@Jaquxan]

*curve

[@williamerazo3921]

Slows service down

[@ronniejones6025]

I miss the EL when it uses to go this route..now the red line train just go in a straight direction... Who remembers the state way projects and the McDonald's on 51th street of the Dyan Ryan. The good ole days are long gone

[@retroman1990]

Magikist Carpets and Silo electronics on South State St. I feel so old.

[@mbroadnax1]

Brought a CD multichanger from Silo. That store was to be the next big thing for stereo and appliances. Then Best Buy came along.....

[@djbhe]

@Mark Broadax Circuit City came after Silo. 87th St was my stop.

[@mrAhollandjr]

Actually, at Roosevelt you can see the new southbound track being built. The southbound track track that the train is on will partially be the Roosevelt station island platform and partially become what is now known as 13th St middle track.

[@stormgirl09]

its kind of surreal looking at this and seeing how much the SAME it was then as it is now in 2020!! i mean yes the cars on the roads look much different,the L trains themselves look slightly different,and everyone now pretty much has a smartphone. but besides that it seemed not much has changed......if someone was to re-record this same route today there wouldnt be much off a difference honestly! everything else seems to look the same the buildings,the highways,the train stations,the overpasses,the street lights,stop lights etc. its certainly not the "Back to the Future" esque future we were "promised"... computer tech may be far different but as far as transportation and basic infrastructure not much as changed! wheres our flying cars,hyperloops,hover boards,jet packs,and Atlantis looking sky scarpers????

[@bramlintrent1145]

Robert Taylor Homes!!

[@mrnasty02106]

I saw a few commercials on YT (from old VHS) for Meystel's Warehouse. I was trying to find which building that was around 6:15. They were at 1222 South Wabash for decades. Would Meystel's be the one with the orange sign (on the top floor)?

[@QuarioQuario54321]

Do you remember what car this was? Seems like a 6000, 1-50, 2000, or 2400(2200 was louder, 2600 didn’t have that sound, anything later didn’t exist yet)

[@dlcluley]

QuarioQuario54321. I don't remember. Pretty sure it was not a 6000 or 1-50, those were old enough to be more interesting, so I would have noticed. Also, I think the weather was nice enough that some of the windows would have been open.

[@QuarioQuario54321]

Dan Cluley I noticed at 12:04 that the car has sliding doors. It’s unclear what this could be then as the 2400s from what I know didn’t have that sound, the 2600s don’t, and the 3200s do but they didn’t exist yet. Probably a 2400.

[@packr72]

QuarioQuario54321 6000s/5-50 series we’re only temporarily assigned to this route for a few weeks in the 70s and they have never ran in service. 2000s were moved to Elevated lines only following the disaster of the 79 blizzard. The road salt from the expressway lines killed the 2000s bad. 2200s were purely north-west route. That leaves 2400s and 2600s, which were assigned to Lake-Dan Ryan trains at this time.

[@BraydenBachlott]

How many videos did you film in the 90s?!

[@dlcluley]

Not sure exactly. I shot on vhs tapes from 1990-2004 and in that 15 years it totals about 130 hours. So the answer is lots!

[@moonoink]

Do you have any early Howard-Dan Ryan videos or Metra Electric videos when the highliners were starting to appear in the Metra paint scheme?

[@dlcluley]

I probably don't have much HDR. I know this weekend in '91 is the only time I have ridden the Ryan end of that line. I should have some Metra Highliners, but I'm putting the videos up chronologically, so it will be quite a while before I get to anything like that. I don't think there will be any more Chicago stuff until next year.

[@mbroadnax1]

So this was on a weekend? That explains the two car configuration on the Lake-Dan Ryan line. Also explains why it made all stops...

[@K-BREEZYDARAILFAN]

Did u see the TMC RTS buses at The soon to be built Roosevelt Rd station and 69th st? R.I.P the CTA TMC RTS

[@ThePizzaPoPo]

Omg this is so epic.

[@K-BREEZYDARAILFAN]

Dan do you have the unedited version of this video? It's so much to see that I can remember from my childhood. I'd pay for it if you do.

[@dlcluley]

No, that's all I filmed. Sorry

[@paulj6756]

Interesting to see State & Roosevelt before Jewel went in. Also how Roosevelt passed over State Street on a bridge.

[@111danish111]

Thanks I was wondering about that parking lot !

[@derricklangford4725]

Do you remember the old St. James Hotel that stood there, it was a run down flophouse with cheap rentals 😆

[@dream.machine]

This is 30 years ago!

[@awesomegirl97]

The original “Ride The Rails” series lol

[@ir10031981]

13:51 Speed Limit 50 vintage sign! they don't make them like those anymore.

[@ir10031981]

18:59 Speed Limit 55, finally!

[@diyintrovert961]

Around the above said date, September 21 1991, I was in 7th grade.

[@citizenstranger]

i just started 5th grade then

[@Nvideofilmsproductions]

Those tracks at the Dan Ryan was 22 years another 22 years it has been rebuilt

[@KillSteelVol3]

3:45 oh so that funny diagonal like turn wasn’t always right there🤔

[@kinkisharyocoasters]

They didn't even have manuel announcements at the time? I thought there were conductors

[@dlcluley]

I'm not sure why there were not announcements on that train. The other trains I filmed that weekend definitely had conductors making regular announcements.

[@JP-wx6uh]

That city is colder than shit!

[@theresarichardson410]

the original Metra Rock Island District 18:15

[@williamerazo3921]

S curve was dumb aF