Chicago ''L''.org: Picture Gallery - 4000-series Gallery 13

4000-series Gallery 13

crt4253.jpg (95k)
Car 4253 heads up an eight-car train posed in the center track on the Jackson Park branch just beyond the platform for the University station where the photographer was standing on May 25, 1939. Car 4253 was one of the "Plushies" to finish out 4000 service on the Evanston Line in November of 1973, after which time it and car 4288 became the "horses" assigned to Skokie Shops. Among their duties in that service was unloading the 2400-series cars from the railroad flat cars on which they were delivered. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)

cta4274.jpg (75k)
Car 4274 is on the head end of a two-car Evanston Express train northbound at Davis in this undated photo. In the early 1970s, the CTA Supervisor's Guide (employee timetable) for the Evanston service scheduled four 2-car 4000-series trains running north from Wilson (where the cars had been inspected midday) to Linden. These four trains left Wilson between 3:15 and 3:50 pm. The first of those four trains was also scheduled to make a Linden-Howard-Linden trip as a two-car train, before being made into a four-car consist for the PM rush service to/from the Loop. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)

cta4275.jpg (93k)
The near-constant stream of 6000-series car deliveries during the 1950s, coupled with elimination of branch operations and a general decline in transit usage, made for massive changes in rapid transit car assignments over this decade. At the end of 1957, 55 cars from the 4251-series (including 4275 and sister cars shown in this undated view at Linden Yard) were assigned to the Evanston service. The line also had five 4001-series "Baldie" trailers assigned to it. These cars replaced the wood-steel motors that had previously held down this assignment. The worn appearance these cars present is typical of the way the 4000s looked at this period in their life. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)

crt4303.jpg (84k)
crt4304.jpg (85k)
crt4432.jpg (91k)
At the height of the World War Two effort (1942-1944), CRT wood and steel cars were used to provide extra capacity on the North Shore Line, both for workers and trainees, at the Great Lakes/Downeys and Fort Sheridan installations.

Surviving photos show that four-, six- and seven-car consists were used in this service. Six-car 4000 trains typically consisted of four plushies and two baldies. An April 1942 six-car wood train, running express on the Skokie Valley Line to Great Lakes/Downeys, included four 1001-series motors and two 1260-series trailers. Trains of CRT equipment were operated on both the Shore Line and Skokie Valley routes during this period, depending on available timetable paths and the destination for the train. CRT's Baldwin-Westinghouse locomotives S-104/S-105 were also used on North Shore freight trains during the war.

The top two undated photos show the 4303 on the rear of a cut of cars at the North Shore's Highwood shops, while the 4304 is shown with 12 other 4000s sitting on the Great Lakes tail track. One of the North Shore's specially-painted "Buy War Bonds" merchandise dispatch cars is parked right behind the 4304. Car 4432 is on Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette in 1942. (Photos from the Jeff Obarek collection)

crt4317.jpg (75k)
CRT 4317 and 4401 are shown near the 22nd/Mannheim terminal of the Westchester Branch during the CERA fantrip of February 12, 1939. This trip also operated on the CA&E Mt. Carmel Line and the Garfield Park elevated route. Service on the outermost portion the Westchester Line had been running for less than a decade at the time of this photo. The 4317 would finish out its CTA career as work motor S-349. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)

cta4296b.jpg (74k)
cta4298.jpg (75k)
cta4300.jpg (74k)
The importance of the Lake Street service to the rapid transit increased during the first decade of CTA's existence, especially prior to the inception of the West-Northwest routing in 1958. Transfer of 4000-series cars to the line began in the mid-50s, culminating in these cars providing 100% of the service in the latter part of the decade.

A fundamental difference between the Lake Street and Evanston-assigned plushies was the decision to retain the number 1 end trolley poles on the Lake-assigned cars, as shown in these three views at the Marion/Lake station. In the mid-50s several of the Lake Street 4000s had the number 1 end poles removed, as was done on the Evanston cars. A electrical bus between the cars in a pair was used under this arrangement. However, by 1957 most of the Lake-assigned cars had the number 1 end poles restored, and the electrical bus was removed. Part of the reason for this decision was that the six-car rush operation on Lake Street meant there was no manpower advantage to removing the number 1 end poles -- you still needed the conductor and two trolley men to either put up or take down poles on each train at Laramie. By contrast, the four-car Evanston trains with number 2 end poles allowed CTA to reduce the trolley man requirements, translating into an operating cost reduction.

Reviewing photos of this era, it is possible to find cars that moved between the two lines and so had their pole complements changed. For example, in June of 1958 the 4431-32 were on the Evanston, equipped only with number 2 end trolley poles. By October of 1962 they were assigned to the Lake service and had the number 1 end poles restored. This same pair would later move to the Ravenswood, losing all trolley poles at that time. (Photos from the Jeff Obarek collection)

(Thanks to Art Peterson for writing the above captions, plus Glenn Andersen for consulting on the bottom two captions!)

	crt4253.jpg (95k) Car 4253 heads up an eight-car train posed in the center track on the Jackson Park branch just beyond the platform for the University station where the photographer was standing on May 25, 1939. Car 4253 was one of the "Plushies" to finish out 4000 service on the Evanston Line in November of 1973, after which time it and car 4288 became the "horses" assigned to Skokie Shops. Among their duties in that service was unloading the 2400-series cars from the railroad flat cars on which they were delivered. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)
	cta4274.jpg (75k) Car 4274 is on the head end of a two-car Evanston Express train northbound at Davis in this undated photo. In the early 1970s, the CTA Supervisor's Guide (employee timetable) for the Evanston service scheduled four 2-car 4000-series trains running north from Wilson (where the cars had been inspected midday) to Linden. These four trains left Wilson between 3:15 and 3:50 pm. The first of those four trains was also scheduled to make a Linden-Howard-Linden trip as a two-car train, before being made into a four-car consist for the PM rush service to/from the Loop. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)
	cta4275.jpg (93k) The near-constant stream of 6000-series car deliveries during the 1950s, coupled with elimination of branch operations and a general decline in transit usage, made for massive changes in rapid transit car assignments over this decade. At the end of 1957, 55 cars from the 4251-series (including 4275 and sister cars shown in this undated view at Linden Yard) were assigned to the Evanston service. The line also had five 4001-series "Baldie" trailers assigned to it. These cars replaced the wood-steel motors that had previously held down this assignment. The worn appearance these cars present is typical of the way the 4000s looked at this period in their life. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)
	crt4303.jpg (84k) crt4304.jpg (85k) crt4432.jpg (91k) At the height of the World War Two effort (1942-1944), CRT wood and steel cars were used to provide extra capacity on the North Shore Line, both for workers and trainees, at the Great Lakes/Downeys and Fort Sheridan installations. Surviving photos show that four-, six- and seven-car consists were used in this service. Six-car 4000 trains typically consisted of four plushies and two baldies. An April 1942 six-car wood train, running express on the Skokie Valley Line to Great Lakes/Downeys, included four 1001-series motors and two 1260-series trailers. Trains of CRT equipment were operated on both the Shore Line and Skokie Valley routes during this period, depending on available timetable paths and the destination for the train. CRT's Baldwin-Westinghouse locomotives S-104/S-105 were also used on North Shore freight trains during the war. The top two undated photos show the 4303 on the rear of a cut of cars at the North Shore's Highwood shops, while the 4304 is shown with 12 other 4000s sitting on the Great Lakes tail track. One of the North Shore's specially-painted "Buy War Bonds" merchandise dispatch cars is parked right behind the 4304. Car 4432 is on Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette in 1942. (Photos from the Jeff Obarek collection)


	crt4317.jpg (75k) CRT 4317 and 4401 are shown near the 22nd/Mannheim terminal of the Westchester Branch during the CERA fantrip of February 12, 1939. This trip also operated on the CA&E Mt. Carmel Line and the Garfield Park elevated route. Service on the outermost portion the Westchester Line had been running for less than a decade at the time of this photo. The 4317 would finish out its CTA career as work motor S-349. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek collection)
	cta4296b.jpg (74k) cta4298.jpg (75k) cta4300.jpg (74k) The importance of the Lake Street service to the rapid transit increased during the first decade of CTA's existence, especially prior to the inception of the West-Northwest routing in 1958. Transfer of 4000-series cars to the line began in the mid-50s, culminating in these cars providing 100% of the service in the latter part of the decade. A fundamental difference between the Lake Street and Evanston-assigned plushies was the decision to retain the number 1 end trolley poles on the Lake-assigned cars, as shown in these three views at the Marion/Lake station. In the mid-50s several of the Lake Street 4000s had the number 1 end poles removed, as was done on the Evanston cars. A electrical bus between the cars in a pair was used under this arrangement. However, by 1957 most of the Lake-assigned cars had the number 1 end poles restored, and the electrical bus was removed. Part of the reason for this decision was that the six-car rush operation on Lake Street meant there was no manpower advantage to removing the number 1 end poles -- you still needed the conductor and two trolley men to either put up or take down poles on each train at Laramie. By contrast, the four-car Evanston trains with number 2 end poles allowed CTA to reduce the trolley man requirements, translating into an operating cost reduction. Reviewing photos of this era, it is possible to find cars that moved between the two lines and so had their pole complements changed. For example, in June of 1958 the 4431-32 were on the Evanston, equipped only with number 2 end trolley poles. By October of 1962 they were assigned to the Lake service and had the number 1 end poles restored. This same pair would later move to the Ravenswood, losing all trolley poles at that time. (Photos from the Jeff Obarek collection)