CTA RAPID TRANSIT ROSTER (RETIRED)



Numbers    Builder        Built    Notes

   1-  50  Jackson&Sharp  1892     trailers/to motors
  51-  80  Gilbert Car    1892     trailers/to motors
  81- 100  Jackson&Sharp  1892     trailers/to motors
 101- 150  Gilbert Car    1892     trailers/to motors
 151- 180  Jackson&Sharp  1892     trailers/to motors
 181- 250  Jewett Car     1900-03
 251- 320  Jewett Car     1905
 321- 400  A.C.F.         1905

1001-1037  Pullman        1898
1038-1052  A.C.F.         1900
1053-1059  St. Louis      1901
1100-1209  Pullman        1898     trailers
1210-1234  A.C.F.         1900     trailers
1235-1259  St. Louis      1901     trailers
1260-1299  A.C.F.         1907     trailers/to motors
1700-1734  St. Louis      1903
1735-1768  Jewett         1906
1769-1788  Pullman        1908
1789-1808  shops/A.C.F.   1913     motorize 1260-1299
1809-1815  shops/A.C.F.   1950     motorize 1260-1299

2100-2199  Pullman        1894     trailers
2200-2249  Pullman        1895-97  trailers
2250-2267  H&H            1899     trailers
2268-2340  A.C.F.         1900-01  trailers
2500-2520  A.C.F.         1900-01  trailers
2701-2755  Barney&Smith   1894
2756-2781  Barney&Smith   1898-99
2782-2789  Jewett         1901
2790-2812  Jewett         1904
2813-2857  A.C.F.         1904
2858-2927  Pullman        1906-07

3001-3100  Gilbert Car    1893     trailers
3101-3125  Pullman        1894     trailers/to motors
3126-3138  Gilbert Car    1893     motorize 3001-3100
3101,2,19  St. Louis      1905     replacements
3139-3146  St. Louis      1901
3147-3166  Brill          1909
3201-3215  Pullman        1900     trailers
3216-3235  St. Louis      1901     trailers
3236-3238  shops/Pullman  1902     trailers/rebuilt

4001-4066  Cincinnati     1914     trailers
4067-4250  Cincinnati     1914-15
4251-4455  Cincinnati     1922-24
4256       shops/Cinc.    1955     rebuilt from 4111

5001-5002  Pullman        1947     3-unit articulated
5003-5004  St. Louis      1948     3-unit articulated

6001-6200  St. Louis      1950-51  married pairs
6201-6470  St. Louis      1954-55  married pairs
6471-6670  St. Louis      1956-58  married pairs
6671-6720  St. Louis      1959     married pairs

   1-  50  St. Louis      1959-60

2001-2180  Pullman        1964     married pairs/air cond.
2201-2350  Budd           1969-70  married pairs/air cond.
2401-2600  Boeing-Vertol  1976-78  married pairs/air cond.


Click for CTA Car Assignment Chronology.


Original cars 1-400 were originally South Side Elevated cars with same numbers. Trailer cars 1-180 were originally steam hauled, and most were motorized in 1897-1900. Entire electrification was third rail system.

Cars 1001-1815 were originally Northwestern Elevated cars 1-815, renumbered in 1913 by adding "1000". Most of trailer cars 1260-1299 were motorized in 1913 and 1950, and renumbered 1789-1815. North of Wilson Avenue, ground level operation initially required the use of overhead trolley wires, and cars equipped with trolley poles. But as the line was elevated, third rail replaced the trolley wires north through Howard Street.

Cars 2100-2927 were originally Metropolitan West Side cars 100-927, renumbered by adding "2000". Cars 2250-2267 were built by Harlan and Hollingsworth. Entire electrification was third rail system.

Cars 3001-3238 were originally Lake Street Elevated cars 1-238, renumbered by adding "3000". Lake Street trailers 1-125 were originally steam hauled. Cars 101-125 were motorized in 1896, retaining same numbers. Cars 101, 102, and 119 were wrecked and rebuilt into cars 236-238. Cars 126-138 were renumbered from cars in the series 1-100, when they were motorized in 1896. The outer end of the Lake Street line at ground level used overhead trolley wires, requiring trolley poles.

Cars 4251-4455 were equipped with trolley poles. At the time of their delivery, the only lines with overhead trolley wires were the outer end of the Lake Street line, and the Evanston line north of South Blvd. These cars were used on the Evanston line until 1973, when that line was completely equipped with third rail.

Cars 5001-5004 were renumbered 51-54 in 1964, when they were equipped with pantographs for the Skokie Swift line.

Cars 1-50 and 6201-6720 were built in 1954-1960 using trade-in components from PCC streetcars.

Cars 25-28 and 39-50 were equipped with trolley poles for the Evanston line. Cars 1-4, 23-26, 29-30 were later equipped with pantographs for the Skokie Swift line.

Cars 61-64 were formed in 1985 out of cars 5,7,9,11,15,19,21,31. And car 65 was formed in 1990 out of cars 23-24. All cars were equipped with pantographs for the Skokie Swift line. In each situation, a single number was assigned to a pair of cars.

Cars 6127-6130 were also equipped with trolley poles for the Evanston line, and were the only 6000 series cars equipped with fluorescent lights.


STEAM LOCOMOTIVES PRIOR TO ELECTRIFICATION

Prior to electrification, the South Side Elevated Railroad, and the Lake Street Elevated Railroad operated trains powered by steam locomotives. Locomotives on both lines were a 0-4-4T "Forney" type. The South Side had locomotives built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1892 and 1893, numbers 1-46. And Lake Street had locomotives built by Rhode Island Locomotive Works between 1893 and 1895, numbers 1-35.


Click for Photos of retired equipment (CRT).

Click for Photos of retired equipment (CTA).


Some of this roster information is from the Central Electric Railfan's Association book "Chicago's Rapid Transit, Volume I: Rolling Stock/1892-1947", and from the "Railway Passenger Car Annual" books, published during the 1970's by W. David Randall.