the_mogra Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the irrelevant hindsight we may have the 'benefit'
> of now is rooted in old CTA bottom-line
> machinations. mix in valuable comtemporary
> foresight with the hindsight and we can see with
> the CA&E, douglas park branch, Humboldt branch et.
> al. how the CTA cuts of their nose to spite their
> face. the paulina street connector would've also
> been torn down decades ago if it weren't for the
> occasional practical need to re-balance train
> numbers on otherwise un-connected lines, and so we
> wouldn't have the pink line as we do. the rest of
> the paulina st connector north of lake street
> could conceivably have had value towards the
> envisioned circle line that's talked about.
>
> those who don't understand also don't appreciate
> what a fine interurban the CA&E was.

Well, maybe you've found your smoking gun, mogra.

The latest issue of [i]First and Fastest[/i] (Autumn 2015) has an article by Wendell J. Dillinger about his efforts to revive CA&E passenger service, working for the railroad. He quotes George Krambles as telling him that he should forget trying to revive the interurban, that it will never run again. He only speculates that Mr. Krambles knew something that he (Dillinger) didn't know, but never revealed. Since he died a few years ago, we may never know what Mr. Krambles knew.

This begs the question: what was it that George Krambles knew as to why the the CA&E was never to run again? Was it their precarious financial condition? Was the CTA afraid that, if Stratton's and Daley's plan came through they would have to shoulder all the costs, without much extra money coming in to keep it going?

There was also the problem of a terminal in Chicago, and getting to it. Also, the question of rolling stock. All of this would cost considerable amounts of money, and the CTA was clearly unable to take on those costs at the time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/06/2016 09:58PM by Jeff_Weiner.