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Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 24, 2013 12:01PM
My travels on streetcars, buses and el trains in the 1940s and 50s had views of Chicago that remain in my memory. In the 40s, one the unforgettable views was of the Maxwell Street market, viewed from a Halsted Street streetcar, that always riveted my attention; and of its smells, of cooking sausages. And, and at certain street corners where I had to wait for a streetcar or bus, could invoke thoughts of mysteries of times past.
Do you have any memorable views?
Do you have any memorable views?
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
Richard Stachowski
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 24, 2013 02:54PM
[b]I remember 51st & South Parkway from the street car going to the lake in the late 40's & 50's. I saw men wearing straw hats and spats on their shoes. There was a large bath house there about 5040 Southpark where some of my friends went to. It was operated by a Polish friend of the family. Also across the street was the apartment house where Joe Lewis lived.This is a very historic area you don't hear much about.Many intertainers got thier start at the Regal Theater at 47th & South park (Grand Blvd) such as Nat King Cole, Luie Armstrong and many others.[/b]
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
(---.dsl.chcgil.sbcglobal.net)
Date: June 24, 2013 10:34PM
Staring out the windows of a train is one of life's great pleasures. Some images that stick out in my mind are passing between the buildings of the Oscar Mayer plant and going under the crosswalk between them, circling the buildings in the loop and seeing the old business names painted on the second-story windows, the Mandarin Inn sign above the Jimmy Wong's marquee on Wabash that was only visible from the tracks, watching old buildings get demolished and new ones built along Milwaukee Avenue, and seeing this strange white-line art that was painted on the tar roofs of some buildings adjacent to those tracks, the conductor who would announce the time over the PA and preface it with, 'HoDar time is...'. watching the Granada Theater (and later the Sheridan Theater) being demolished, and wondering at the creepy, shuttered subway station while passing at full speed (Grand Ave.).
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
trainutlen
(---.lais.com)
Date: June 25, 2013 11:16AM
I recall first starting to work downtown in 1967 and rode the old 4000s on the Ravenswood Line. The nosie and the clattering were just great. Since I had grown up until 5th grade near Wrigley Field I was able to ride both the Green Hornet and Red Rocket streetcars on Clark and Halsted Streets. But I most remember watching the Congress Street expressway being built and as a little kid, I couldn't understand why there were L's running on the street. My father, who worked for the electric company installing the L in the expressway as well as all the mercury vapor lights (as the streetcars were being retired) explained that the Garfield Park line had to be removed to build the highway.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
zorchvalve
(---.hsd1.wa.comcast.net)
Date: June 27, 2013 05:59PM
I remember that the streetcars had a conductor and you would enter at the rear door. I liked watching the engineer turn the controls. As I remember the seats were straw woven and you could reverse the seats at the end of the line. When the end of the electrical pole hit a cross connection, it would always cause a spark. And at the end of the line, the engineer or the conductor would go out and pull down the cable in the rear and raise the one in the front. There were different shapes of streetcars. I think that the green ones in my neighborhood first appeared on either Ogden ave. or Clark street. They also had a smoother sound when they would speed up. From what I understand, the tracks on North ave. and Larabee are still there; under layers of asphalt.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 27, 2013 11:44PM
zorchvalve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember that the streetcars had a conductor and
> you would enter at the rear door. I liked watching
> the engineer turn the controls. As I remember the
> seats were straw woven and you could reverse the
> seats at the end of the line. When the end of the
> electrical pole hit a cross connection, it would
> always cause a spark. And at the end of the line,
> the engineer or the conductor would go out and
> pull down the cable in the rear and raise the one
> in the front. There were different shapes of
> streetcars. I think that the green ones in my
> neighborhood first appeared on either Ogden ave.
> or Clark street. They also had a smoother sound
> when they would speed up. From what I understand,
> the tracks on North ave. and Larabee are still
> there; under layers of asphalt.
The tracks are still under many of the streets, and still carrying current! They serve as a current return for the elevated system, so the traction power doesn't short through gas and water lines, and cause them to corrode and leak.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember that the streetcars had a conductor and
> you would enter at the rear door. I liked watching
> the engineer turn the controls. As I remember the
> seats were straw woven and you could reverse the
> seats at the end of the line. When the end of the
> electrical pole hit a cross connection, it would
> always cause a spark. And at the end of the line,
> the engineer or the conductor would go out and
> pull down the cable in the rear and raise the one
> in the front. There were different shapes of
> streetcars. I think that the green ones in my
> neighborhood first appeared on either Ogden ave.
> or Clark street. They also had a smoother sound
> when they would speed up. From what I understand,
> the tracks on North ave. and Larabee are still
> there; under layers of asphalt.
The tracks are still under many of the streets, and still carrying current! They serve as a current return for the elevated system, so the traction power doesn't short through gas and water lines, and cause them to corrode and leak.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
Mornac
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: June 27, 2013 11:59PM
About ten years ago the city did a major overhaul on the stretch of Clark Street where it marries Ashland for the few blocks between Andersonville and Devon. Part of the facelift entailed pulling up the long-buried streetcar tracks that ran down the middle of the street. One of the happy consequences was the yield of large granite paving stones that apparently made the bed for the tracks. People showed up with flatbeds, shopping carts, and Radio Flyers to collect the bounty. Today when you walk down the streets of the neighborhood you can see bits of old Clark Street formed into front porch aprons, gangways, and garden borders all over the place.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: June 28, 2013 09:18AM
I rode a streetcar under the river, through the Washington Street tunnel. I remember a fast and dark passage; and understand that the tunnel was 1,605 feet long, opened January 1, 1869, and was closed in 1954.
Lives were saved when people to escape the Great Fire by crossing the river through the Washington Street tunnel; while the wooden bridges were in flames.
See photograph: Washington Street Tunnel entrance, streetcar on the left hand track
@Photographs from the Chicago Daily News:1902-1933
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/ichihtml/
Search by Keyword: "washington street tunnel"
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2013 08:34AM by nordsider.
Lives were saved when people to escape the Great Fire by crossing the river through the Washington Street tunnel; while the wooden bridges were in flames.
See photograph: Washington Street Tunnel entrance, streetcar on the left hand track
@Photographs from the Chicago Daily News:1902-1933
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpcoop/ichihtml/
Search by Keyword: "washington street tunnel"
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/2013 08:34AM by nordsider.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
trainutlen
(---.lais.com)
Date: June 28, 2013 05:00PM
All of you should take a trip to the Illinois Railway Museum. The only surviving Green Hornet streetcar is there along with many examples of Chicago L cars,from the wooden cars to the 4000's to the 2000's, along with several of the red streetcars
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
zorchvalve
(---.hsd1.wa.comcast.net)
Date: June 29, 2013 11:21PM
I didn't remember the tracks carrying current for the streetcars.They had an electric line overhead.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-75-249-19.myvzw.com)
Date: June 30, 2013 12:56AM
zorchvalve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I didn't remember the tracks carrying current for
> the streetcars.They had an electric line overhead.
The tracks served as the current return. On routes where the streetcars were replaced with trolley buses, the second wire was connected to the rails, which continued to carry current even after being covered over with bituminous concrete.
They still act as a current return for the El, to keep the water and gas mains from corroding.
-------------------------------------------------------
> I didn't remember the tracks carrying current for
> the streetcars.They had an electric line overhead.
The tracks served as the current return. On routes where the streetcars were replaced with trolley buses, the second wire was connected to the rails, which continued to carry current even after being covered over with bituminous concrete.
They still act as a current return for the El, to keep the water and gas mains from corroding.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
zorchvalve
(---.hsd1.wa.comcast.net)
Date: June 30, 2013 04:00PM
Thanks Jeff.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
lilienfeldb
(---.washdc.east.verizon.net)
Date: June 30, 2013 05:13PM
As a University of Chicago student in the late 1970s and early 80s I remember taking the 55/Garfield bus to either of the L lines down 55th-it was always an adventure for a young woman who grew up in a small town in western New York state. I loved to ride the L downtown from there, marveling at the the expanse of the south side and the effects of blight on the communities. My favorite part was the train squealing around the old S curve, then rumbling by the buildings downtown. As a curator of the transportation exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History I had the unbelievable experience of buying one of the last 6000s, unfortunately splitting up the married pair, and creating a virtual trip around the loop in 1959. It's still the higlight of my career. Not least because I got to spend a lot of time in the archives at the old CTA headquarters.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
nordsider
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: July 06, 2013 09:34AM
lilienfeldb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a University of Chicago student in the late
> 1970s and early 80s I remember taking the
> 55/Garfield bus to either of the L lines down
> 55th-it was always an adventure for a young woman
> who grew up in a small town in western New York
> state. I loved to ride the L downtown from there,
> marveling at the the expanse of the south side and
> the effects of blight on the communities. My
> favorite part was the train squealing around the
> old S curve, then rumbling by the buildings
> downtown. As a curator of the transportation
> exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of
> American History I had the unbelievable experience
> of buying one of the last 6000s, unfortunately
> splitting up the married pair, and creating a
> virtual trip around the loop in 1959. It's still
> the higlight of my career. Not least because I
> got to spend a lot of time in the archives at the
> old CTA headquarters.
Regarding Bonnie Lilienfeld, the Smithsonian the exhibit curator, see --- Putting the Exhibit Together
@ http://www.chicago-l.org/museums/smithsonian.html
And, U. of C. grad navigates 'L' car into the Smithsonian
@ http://www.chicago-l.org/articles/smithsonian02.html
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2013 09:45AM by nordsider.
-------------------------------------------------------
> As a University of Chicago student in the late
> 1970s and early 80s I remember taking the
> 55/Garfield bus to either of the L lines down
> 55th-it was always an adventure for a young woman
> who grew up in a small town in western New York
> state. I loved to ride the L downtown from there,
> marveling at the the expanse of the south side and
> the effects of blight on the communities. My
> favorite part was the train squealing around the
> old S curve, then rumbling by the buildings
> downtown. As a curator of the transportation
> exhibition at the Smithsonian's National Museum of
> American History I had the unbelievable experience
> of buying one of the last 6000s, unfortunately
> splitting up the married pair, and creating a
> virtual trip around the loop in 1959. It's still
> the higlight of my career. Not least because I
> got to spend a lot of time in the archives at the
> old CTA headquarters.
Regarding Bonnie Lilienfeld, the Smithsonian the exhibit curator, see --- Putting the Exhibit Together
@ http://www.chicago-l.org/museums/smithsonian.html
And, U. of C. grad navigates 'L' car into the Smithsonian
@ http://www.chicago-l.org/articles/smithsonian02.html
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/2013 09:45AM by nordsider.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
ChiTownJim
(---.hsd1.il.comcast.net)
Date: July 07, 2013 02:54AM
I went to DePaul from 89-91 and took some classes(not intentionally) at the downtown campus. I took the Ravenswood L downtown and I remember seeing Ogden Ave as a stub by North Ave and wondering what happened. I also remember seeing the old fire insurance staton on Orleans and wonderng what that was. (Thanks to your website, I know what both these items are). I also thought it was neat how the tracks curved around the church (St Josephs?)near Oscar Meyer and seeing the fireboat near the Merchandise Mart.
One time after classes,I took the Ravenswood to the end of the line and passing over the Chicago River,I was surprised how park-like this area was.
One time after classes,I took the Ravenswood to the end of the line and passing over the Chicago River,I was surprised how park-like this area was.
Re: Views of Chicago on public transportation
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
(---.sub-75-241-133.myvzw.com)
Date: July 16, 2013 07:52PM
I was just thinking of our trips to the North Side to visit my grandparents in the Lakeview neighborhood. When we took the el, we would see the red and green cars of the North Shore Line stored for the evening rush south of Roosevelt Road as we entered the south portal of the State Street Subway.
Then, one day, the big interurban cars were gone. My mother told me that they had abandonned the North Shore, and scrapped the whole railroad. Sad times for an 8-year-old boy in 1963.
Then, one day, the big interurban cars were gone. My mother told me that they had abandonned the North Shore, and scrapped the whole railroad. Sad times for an 8-year-old boy in 1963.
