View allAll Photos Tagged CSL
CTA "169 car " 3142 (Brill 1923 order 21686) ex CSL (CRys) @IRM Union IL 7-4-2001
On Jan. 26, 1922 a fire devastated the Devon carhouse and destroyed 90 cars. To replace them (and add more capacity) the Chicago Surface Lines ordered this group of new streetcars known by the name "The 169 cars" because of their total number. Because CSL was only an operating company and owned no equipment , actual ownership belonged to 2 of the underlying companies that made up the Surface Lines. Chicago Railways owned 1721-1785 (built by CSL's West Shops), 3119-3160 (Brill) and 3161-3178 (Cummings) while Chicago City Railway owned 6155-6158 (West Shops), 6159-6186 (Brill) and 6187-6198 (Cummings.) This car, 3142, is the last survivor.
As built all were Pay-As-You-Enter two man cars with a rear entrance and sliding front doors and were assigned to the heaviest CSL routes (they had the alternate name of Broadway-State cars). In 1949-1950, following the CTA takeover, the Chicago Transit Authority converted them to one-man cars for use on the lighter lines, replacing the sliding front doors with folding ones and adding foot controls.
The Illinois Railroad Museum has done a fantastic job of restoring this car to its CTA appearance complete with the white band alerting prospective passengers that this is a front-entrance car. It would take a major project to faithfully restore it to its 1923 appearance and I'm glad IRM resisted the temptation. It's just like I remember these cars (I lived on the West Side as a child and remember them well on Ogden Avenue after Ogden became a one-man route.)
One positive story from the 2018-19 shipping season - CSL Tadoussac's return to service - pictured upbound on the St. Clair River headed for Sarnia and layup (January 6, 2019)
This is a product review of Malaysia S CSL Switch Mars Mi450 4.5-inch dual-sim dual-standby Android 4.0 smartphone.
Chicago Surface Lines "Matchbox" 1374 (St Louis 1905 order 715) @Illinois Railway Museum 7-4-94
This car was built as Chicago Union Traction 4903. It became Chicago Railways 1374 in 1908 when CUT was bought out by CRys and kept that number through the CSL years until 1947 when the newly formed CTA turned it into salt car AA-63. It was this conversion that allowed it to survive.
CTA "Green Hornet" postwar PCC 4391 (St Louis 1948 order 1662) @ Illinois Railway Museum, Union IL 7-4-85
Unlike the prewar "Blue Geese", the postwar PCC cars were built as Pay As You Enter cars as were most of Chicago's two-man cars. One boarded the car through the triple stream rear doors and paid one's fare to the conductor who stood directly in front of them on the opposite side. One could then take a seat and/or exit the car either at the single center door or the double-stream front doors.
Csl assiniboine Length Overall (LOA) 739' - 10"
Length B.P. (Lpp) 730' - 04"
Breadth (MLD) 78' - 00"
Depth (MLD) 48' - 05"
CTA "Green Hornet" postwar PCC 4391 (St Louis 1948 order 1662) @ Illinois Railway Museum, Union IL 9-3-84
Unlike the prewar "Blue Geese", the postwar PCC cars were built as Pay As You Enter cars as were most of Chicago's two-man cars. One boarded the car through the triple stream rear doors and paid one's fare to the conductor who stood directly in front of them on the opposite side. One could then take a seat and/or exit the car either at the single center door or the double-stream front doors.