CHICAGO MOTOR COACH BUSES



EARLIEST BUSES (1917-1929)

Numbers    Builder              Built    Model        Notes

 101- 152  Shops/St. Louis Car  1917-19               double deck
 153- 175  American Motor Bus   1922                  double deck
 176- 185  FACCo                1923     L            double deck
 101- 102  Yellow               1926     Z-AAI-297    double deck
 201       Shops                1928
 301       American Motor Bus   1922     K            double deck
 501- 534  Yellow               1923     Z-A-199      double deck
 535- 539  Yellow               1924     Z-B-200      double deck
 540       Yellow               1923     Z-A-199      double deck
 541- 570  Yellow               1922-24  Z-B-200      double deck
 571- 640  American Motor Bus   1922-23  K            double deck
1001-1097  Yellow               1923-24  Z-A-199      double deck
1501-1592  Yellow               1923     Z-A-199      double deck
1593-1609  Yellow               1924     Z-B-200      double deck
1901-1902  Ruggles              1926
1903-1961  Yellow               1926-28  Z
2001-2004  Yellow               1923     Z-K-209
2005-2051  Yellow               1924-26  Z-L-210
2052-2061  Yellow               1927     Z
2101-2175  Yellow               1929     Z-AAAI-339

LATER BUSES (1933-1951)

Numbers    Builder              Built    Model        Notes

   1-  55  Yellow               1935     728
  61-  72  GM                   1947     TDH-3207     to CTA
  77       Yellow               1934     718
 103       Yellow               1933     706          double deck
 104- 244  Yellow               1934-38  720          double deck
 401- 410  Mack                 1936     G-CW-3S
 411       Ford                 1938     80
 431- 440  Ford                 1944     49-B         to CTA
 500- 600  GM                   1948     TDH-5502     to CTA
 601- 700  GM                   1950-51  TDH-5103     to CTA
 701- 778  Yellow               1936-37  731
 801- 830  Yellow               1937     740
 831- 880  Yellow               1939     740
1001-1008  Mack                 1951     C-50-DT      to CTA
1101-1144  Yellow               1939     TD-4501      to CTA
1145-1169  Yellow               1940     TD-4502      to CTA
1170-1204  Yellow               1942     TD-4505      to CTA
1205-1399  GM                   1945-46  TD-4506      to CTA
1400-1464  GM                   1947-48  TDH-4507     to CTA


The original double decker buses had open tops, later buses had closed tops. Some earlier open top buses were converted to closed top. The last double decker buses operated in 1950.

The first diesel buses were buses 831-880, built in 1939. All prior buses were gasoline powered. The last CMC buses to survive into the CTA era were the series 601-700, some of which survived until 1972. Also worth noting is that some of the series 1400-1464 lasted until 1969, as they were the only remaining CTA buses narrow enough to maneuver around the elevated supports of the Lake Street route. The arrival of a special group of narrow Flxible New Look buses 3700-3729, enabled their retirement.


CTA BUSES OF THE PAST PHOTOS

(click to view)


Roster information is from the March 1972 issue of the magazine "Motor Coach Age".