Chicago Transit Agency Links

• CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of the Chicago Transit Authority. There's no history or anything here, but it's got lots of current information like maps, schedules, news bulletins, fare information and more. It's recently been revamped and updated.
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• REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (RTA) WEB SITE
  The official site for the Regional Transportation Authority provides an overview of their history, mission, governance, financial oversight, programs and initiatives. They oversee public transit in northeastern Illinois, including the CTA, Metra and Pace.
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• RTA TRAVEL INFORMATION CENTER
  The Chicago area's first reliable computer online trip-planning service for transit riders. The system produces customized travel itineraries based on the starting point and destination addresses. The system then produces one or several possible trip scenarios using CTA, Metra, and/or Pace, keeping in mind the time at which you are traveling (i.e. if the Purple Line Express is running or not, et cetera).
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• METRA OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of Metra, Chicago's commuter rail service. Metra operates commuter service on many Chicago-area main line railroads, including the Union Pacific, Milwaukee Road, Rock Island, and others. The site has maps, schedules and more.
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• PACE OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of Pace, suburban Chicago's bus service. It has schedules, maps, vanpool information and more..

Chicago "L" Links

• BILL VANDERVOORT'S CHICAGO TRANSIT PAST AND PRESENT
  This site has a lot of interesting, if esoteric information. It has information on subjects like general history and chronologies, train rosters, some photos and other hard to find information.
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• DAVE'S ELECTRIC RAILROADS
  A collection of railroad photography (20,000 pics and rising) from many eras from the likes of Joe Testagrose, John Bell, Jerry Appleman, Bob Redden and others of the "L", plus other Chicago interurbans and Midwest railroads. A Must-See for Chicago railfans!
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• THE ARTHUR U. GERBER HOMEPAGE
  Gerber was a prolific and eclectic architect with five buildings currently on the National Register of Historic Places. He designed many "L" stations, from about 1910-1930, including Prairie and Beaux Arts depots along with more eclectic renderings of English Tudor and Mission Style train stations.
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• CBBS TRANSPORTATION FORUM ON CHINET
  Here's a forum to discuss transportation issues in and around Chicago. Talk on traffic and transit is welcome. Consumer advocates and riders and drivers will raise issues of concern, suggest solutions, and discuss the history of what led us to this point. To post, you'll need to register and log in and you must accept the cookie.
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• YAHOO! CHICAGOLAND TRANSIT GROUP
  An on-line club and message forum for those interested in CTA, Pace and Metra issues. Come join and get in on the ground floor of this new site!
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• YAHOO! CHICAGO TRANSIT GROUP
  A mailing list devoted to the discussion of trains, buses, transit, urban traffic infrastructure issues, the CTA, RTA and Metra in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.
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• JERRY'S RAILROAD PHOTO ALBUM
  An archive of photos of North American passenger, steam and traction railroads, as well as rapid transit, including Chicago!
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• UMCYCLING.COM CTA PHOTOS
  A good collection of "L" and streetcar images from the 1950s and 1960s, concentrating largely on the PCCs, but also including some of the high performance cars.
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• DON'S RAIL PHOTOS
  An impressive collection of train and traction images from hundreds of rail properties all over America, including photos of the "L" from the CTA, CRT and predecessor companies.
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• 4000-SERIES LAST STAND
  Phil O'Keefe's web page about a publicity run the CTA's historic cars, 4271-4272, took around the system in mid-1999. The trip included the first time the 1924-vintage 4000-series cars ran on the 1993-vinatge Orange Line! If the CTA doesn't receive funding for these cars, they may be forced to sell them off to a museum. They are the only operable historic cars left on CTA property...
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• ELEVATED CHICAGO
  An art exhibit features images containing or pertaining to the "L". The artist is a graduate of The School of The Art Institute of Chicago trained in classical easel painting. The paintings are made with acrylic resin paint, are transparent, to translucent, to opaque in character.
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• ALL-THE-6000s-YOU-MISSED PRODUCTIONS
  "L" enthusiast David Harrison has produced a vast array of "L" videos, which include current and historic footage, tape from the 100th Anniversary of the Loop, profiles and close-ups of different car types and driver's perspective real-time footage of several lines. Volumes 1 - 5 are covered under Chicago's "L"/Subway System: A Video Odyssey while Volumes 6 - 10 comprise Chicago's "L"/Subway: The Video Odyssey Continues.
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• EXPLORE CHICAGO!- THE CHICAGO ELEVATED SYSTEM
  A page with some computer-generated maps and a couple history sections. Its most interesting feature is a map of the 1922 system proposal, some of which later came to be (most didn't).
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• THE GRAY LINE
  A proposal by a group of interested citizens to convert the Metra Electric line into a CTA transit operation.
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• CWI PROPOSAL (South Commuter Trunk and Commuter-Freight Conflict Elimination Proposal)
  A Transit Riders' Authority proposal to CATS RTP 2030 to eliminate all major points of conflict between passenger and freight routes on the south side of Chicago. The projected result would be a greatly improved commuter rail and freight rail network. A rapid transit route (operated as commuter rail) would share the same right-of-way and new infrastructure with mainline freight services. Because they'd be developed together, the two different kinds of service would be coordinated so that they complement each other to serve the greatest number of riders.
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• KEITH L. HACKETT PHOTOGRAPHY: Portfolio - CTA Dusk to Dawn
  A portfolio of images from Chicago photographer Keith Hackett, in which "the viewer sees a Chicago "L" platform at a calm moment, when the opposite more than likely is true... This series represents peaceful images that you can just look at and enjoy, without having to try to figure out." Keith also wants people who utilize the "L" for everyday transportation, visit to the city or have seen some other way to see the stops he has captured "in a different way… the angles, texture, historical and architecture values..."
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• FREEWAREPALM: CHICAGO "L" TRAIN MAPS v1.00
  Downloadable maps of the Chicago "L" system for your PDA. Includes B/W, 4-bit grayscale, 16-bit grayscale, and color versions for Palm OS PDAs.
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• THIS IS GRAND: Stories of Chicago's Rapid Transit
  An online journal chronicling stories that take place on the CTA, including anecdotes, overheard conversations, sighted graffiti, dialogues spoken or not, found items, personal reminiscences, parenthetical tangents, and any other creative offerings submitted by riders via the internet.

General Chicago Transit Links

• CENTRAL ELECTRIC RAILFAN ASSOCIATION
  The Central Electric Railfans' Association was formed in 1938 to encourage study of the history, equipment and operation of urban, suburban and mainline electric railways. They publish a new book annually and often sponsor fantrips.
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• SHORE LINE INTERURBAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
  The Shore Line Interurban Historical Society is a railfan group interested in the electric railways of the Chicago area. The Society's primary focus are the North Shore Line, South Shore Line, and CA&E, as well as several other Chicago area electrics, including the "L", the Chicago Surface Lines, and others. The Society has a number of functions and activities, including production of First & Fastest magazine, a high-quality quarterly publication about the Chicagoland electric railways.
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• CHICAGOBUS.ORG
  This site about the Chicago bus system includes news updates, rosters, bus garage and operations information, photo galleries, and multimedia.
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• CHICAGO NORTH SHORE & MILWAUKEE PAGE
  This is the biggest site I've found on the North Shore Line. It has lots of historical information, but even more interesting is the site administrator's collection of North Shore Line memorabilia, from uniforms to maps, photos of which decorate the page. There's also some historical photos. An excellent site.
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• GREAT THIRD RAIL.ORG
  New site for the Chicago Aurora & Elgin interurban. The site includes information on the Great Third Rail's history, stations, routes, operations, rolling stock, yards, shops, towers, substations, maps, and more. Site is currently under construction, with new information added regularly.
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• THE MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC RAILWAY & TRANSIT HISTORICAL SOCIETY
  The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transit Historical Society, Inc. (TMER&THS) is a nonprofit, State chartered, educational organization founded in 1983. Our goal is to preserve the memories and artifacts of electric railway history in Milwaukee and around the world.
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• CHICAGO TUNNEL COMPANY RAILROAD HOME PAGE
  An extensive page dedicated to the old freight tunnels that are under the Loop. Once used to haul retail merchandise, coal, coke and more, today they are part abandoned and part used by ComEd for running cables.
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• TOM'S TROLLEYBUS PIX - CHICAGO
  An offshoot of Dave's Train Pictures site above, with photos of diesel, propane, gasoline, and trolley buses of the CTA and CSL around Chicago, from a number of different collections.
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• THE LAKEWOOD BRANCH
  The Lakewood Branch on Chicago's North Side features a four-block stretch from Fullerton to Diversey with some of the last remaining street freight railroad trackage in the city. This half-mile section of track, serving a single customer, is nearly all that remains from the extensive Chicago & Evanston Railroad (C&E) line that ran from downtown Chicago north to Evanston, which became the Northwestern Elevated's Evanston extension north of Wilson in 1908.
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• CHICAGO'S NORTH SIDE SWITCHING
  A site detailing the history, remnants of, and current operations of various freight lines and switching operations on the North Side of Chicago.

Transit Museum Links

• SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: AMERICA ON THE MOVE
  The Smithsonian National Museum of American History's official web site for their permanent transportation exhibition, which includes a restored car 6719 and a replica of the Madison/Wabash elevated station. The site features material from the exhibition, plus behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of the exhibition and more stories from curators about our objects and their place in American history.
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• ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM
  The Illinois Railway Museum at Union, IL has a fantastic collection of passenger, steam, commuter and "L" trains and rail memorabilia. It's only open during the summer, but you can ride the trains when you go there (they have a private track they operate trains on). If you live in northern Illinois, I highly suggest a trip there.
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• FOX RIVER TROLLEY MUSEUM
  The Fox River Trolley Museum in South Elgin, IL is an outdoor, admission-free museum that offers rides on 4000- and 5000-series "L" cars, as well as CNS&M and CA&E interurban cars. They also have a fun collection of nonoperating rolling stock. Excellent for a lazy summer afternoon!
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• EAST TROY ELECTRIC RAILROAD MUSEUM
  The East Troy Electric Railroad runs from Mukwonago to East Troy in southeast Wisconsin. Built in 1907 by the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company, it continues in its 92nd year as both a living shortline as well as a museum. They provide passenger service, as well as a unique dinner train service.
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• APPLETON TROLLEY MUSEUM (TROLLEY CAR '86 INC.)
  An all-volunteer organization that works closely with the city of Appleton, WI and is dedicated to the restoration and operation of working electric streetcars for the enjoyment and education of all. They operate the only original restored Milwaukee city streetcar in the Midwestern United States and is also the home of 1-50 series CTA car 28.
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• SEASHORE TROLLEY MUSEUM
  The Seashore Trolley Museum was founded in 1939 in Kennebunkport, Maine, to save Biddeford and Saco Railroad open trolley #31 from destruction. Today they are the oldest and largest electric railway museum in the world! Their collection includes a pair of CTA 6000s and cars from the CSL, CNS&M and the CA&E.
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• MONTICELLO RAILROAD MUSEUM
  The mission of the museum is to collect, preserve, interpret and exhibit materials and artifacts relating to railroading, with emphasis on Central Illinois, and to operate a demonstration railroad for the education and enjoyment of the public. Although the museum's primary focus is main line (especially the IC) locomotives and passenger coaches, they are also home to 5000-series car 53 (5003), one of the only three remaining of the original four.
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• MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION
  A national museum in St. Louis, MO with one of the largest collections of transportation vehicles in the world, including over seventy locomotives, automobiles,, buses, streetcars, rapid transit vehicles (including CTA car 44), aircraft, and river boats.
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• CONNECTICUT ELECTRIC RAILROAD MUSEUM
  The Connecticut Electric Railway Association, Inc. is the owner and operator of the Connecticut Trolley Museum. Founded in October 1940, it is the nation's oldest incorporated organization dedicated to the preservation of streetcars and the Trolley Era. Cars in their collection include CRT/CTA cars 4175, 4284, 4409, and 4436.

General Transit Links

• AMERICAN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ASSOICATION
  APTA members include bus, rapid transit and commuter rail systems, and the organizations responsible for planning, designing, constructing, financing and operating transit systems. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services, and by improving those services to meet national energy, environmental, and financial concerns.
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• NYCSUBWAY.ORG
  The premiere unofficial site about the history of New York City's subway system, on-line since 1995.
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• HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK SUBWAY
  A history and overview of the New York City subway.
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• TRANSPORTATION HISTORY: THE TROLLEY, TRAM AND STREETCAR
  A brief history of trolleys, trams and streetcars, with links to trolley and streetcar historical resources and museum websites.
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• ALL ABOUT THE STREET CAR, TROLLEY AND SUBWAYS
  A general overview of streetcars/trolleys/trams, light rail , and subway modes, and a long list of history and museum website links.
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• RAPID TRANSIT.NET
  A site for the study of the history, technology and politics of metropolitan transit. Includes issues of The Third Rails Online, other transit history, book reviews, and much more.
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• RAILSERVE
  Since 1996, RailServe.com has provided rail information services to individuals, organizations, and businesses worldwide.
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• TrasniTALK
  TransiTALK or TTMG is a web-based group dedicated to providing transportation hobbyist with the best possible on-line media entertainment.
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• LONDON UNDERGROUND OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of the London Transport subway system, 'the tube'.
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• WASHINGTON METRO OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of the Washington D.C.'s rapid transit system.
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• BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of San Francisco's BART transit system.
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• NYC METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY
  The official web page of New York City's subway and transit system.
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• LA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT AUTHORITY
  The official web page of Los Angeles' new subway system.
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• MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSIT AUTHORITY OFFICIAL WEB SITE
  The official web page of Boston's subway/el/streetcar system.
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• METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY
  The official web page of Atlanta's MARTA transit system.
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• ST. LOUIS REGIONAL TRANSIT
  The official web page the St. Louis metro area's new light rail system.
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• SOUND TRANSIT
  The official web page of Seattle's transit system.
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• CINCINNATI'S ABANDONED SUBWAY
  Cincinnati has America's largest abandoned subway system, with about half of a planned 16-mile system completed when construction ceased in 1925. Seven miles between Cincinnati's central business district and the industrial suburb of Norwood were tunneled, bridged, or graded, but no track was laid and no subway cars were ordered.
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• THE SUBWAY PAGE
  A comprehensive links site listing pages for many cities, nationally and internationally.
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• TRANSIT TORONTO
  An excellent railfan site about Toronto, Ontario's system of subways, streetcars, buses, and electric buses.
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• RAILROAD HISTORY: WHO CONSTRUCTED RAILROADS?
  Many workers contributed to the construction of railroads. Native Americans, recently freed black people, and white laborers worked on railroads on the East Coast, while on the West Coast many of the railroad workers were Chinese immigrants. This site discussed labor history in the development of railroading in the United States.
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• HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL BUS
  Student transportation has been evolving for decades to what it is today. Traces school bus vehicle design and technology.
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• A BRIEF HISTORY OF TEXAS RAILROADS
  An overview of railroad history and development in the Lone Star State, from the 1800s thru today.