A train on the "L" in 1949 as photographed by Stanley Kubrick for Look magazine. By the 1940s, the financial condition of the "L", and of Chicago mass transit in general, had become too precarious to permit continued operation without subsidies, and the necessary steps were taken to enable a public takeover.

In 1924, the various lines, which were owned by separate groups, were consolidated into one entity: the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. A train bound for Ravenswood and Albany Park pulls into the Quincy Station in the Loop in the 1940s. Photo: Courtesy of the Chicago Transit Authority.

All of Chicago’s trains were either elevated or at street grade until the 1940s. With funding from the Federal Works Agency—part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal—the State Street Subway, now part of the Red Line, opened in 1943.

After the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) assumed operational control of the “L” in 1947, it abandoned and ultimately demolished seven entire lines and branches. Although CTA largely eliminated even the slightest trace of these structures in …

A look at many different trains that used the L tracks in 1940s

Markers are colored lights displayed on the front of "L" trains. The color combinations identify trains of each route to towermen, supervisors, and other employees. The lights were first introduced in the late 1940s with the 5000-series cars and were retrofit onto the 4000s as well.

The chronologies present the history of the "L" in a simple date-by-date fashion, broken down between the four original operating elevated companies, the Chicago Rapid Transit, and the Chicago Transit Authority. The major events and changes in the system's history are listed in chronological order, with brief descriptions.

2020年9月12日 · North Shore Line's Electroliners were surely the most unique trains to ever operate on the Loop "L". These fast and comfortable streamliners made five round trips per day between between Chicago and Milwaukee, and had a …

These files are scans of authentic antique and contemporary "L" maps from throughout the century. Just click on a name to see a large image of the map, cover, or inside booklet pages. For those users with slower connections or who do not wish to wait for these to download, we offer lower resolution verions of some of our larger map files.

2016年10月19日 · A northbound Ravenswood train comes out of the subway near Armitage in the 1940s. This picture had to have been taken between 1943 and 1949. (Joe L. Diaz Photo, George Trapp Collection)