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System Movies

 

Welcome to the Quicktime movies section! Check out movies of trains on regular operations, some special cars on exhibit and TV news stories on CTA milestones. Many of the files are new, some are back from the previous incarnation of this section. All files have been compressed, so they the download times are reasonable if you have a high-speed connection.

NOTE: In spite of the compression, some of these files are quite large, so we recommend the following for best results (i.e. your computer not crashing): a T-1 Ethernet or cable modem connection, a high memory allocation to your web browser and/or saving the file to your computer to open it.

Here's a 30 second QuickTime movie showing shots of the CTA's 6000-series cars, with a voice over explaining their PCC technology.

 

From Trolley: The Cars That Built Our Cities

Here are several TV news segments on the retirement of the 6000-series equipment from a couple Chicago channels. The fact that the local news saw fit to cover this as a news store is a testament to these cars' place in the hearts of Chicagoans. The report from NBC channel 5 was quite long, so it has been split into five parts.

© 1992 WMAQ -TV and WGN-TV. All right reserved.

A shot of the 4000-series cars 4271-4272, repainted and retained as a historic train, on a trip around the Loop for the "L" 100th Anniversary in 1992. The first movie is of the historic train pulling into the historic Quincy station. The second is of the train going around the Inner Loop, turning from Wells to Lake at Tower 18 and into the old Clark/Lake station.

A 5000-series car assigned to the Skokie Swift, pulls into Howard, through the yard.

A shot from 4000s2.mov

Two trains of 2400-series cars pass going through Tower 18.

A motley crew of 5-50 series trains assigned to the Evanston Express (some of which still have trolley poles), which are alternately painted mint green/alpine white and silver/charcoal/red-white-and-blue, pull southbound into Belmont. At the same time, a northbound train of 6000s on the North-South Route pulls in. The voice over is David Harrison, cameraman and producer of the video.

A scene of North-South 6000s entering Belmont from 5-50s1.mov

A single 5-50 series Skokie Swift unit leaves Howard and proceeds northbound through the remodeled Howard Yard.

A six-car train of Ravenswood 6000s pulls into Armitage on its way southbound to the Loop. The first four cars are painted mint green and alpine white. Although its tough to see, the last two cars are the 1950s-painted historic cars 6101-6102.

A single 5-50 series car from 5-50s2.mov

At Tower 18, a six-car train of Lake-Dan Ryan 2400s passes east over Lake Street while a train of Ravenswood 6000s -- the first four painted in the silver/charcoal/red-white-and-blue of the original 2400s, the last two in the Bicentennial scheme -- turns north onto Wells.

Car 6154 leads a Ravenswood "B" train pulling into Clark/Lake.

An aerial view of a six-car Evanston Express train lead by a 3200-series car turning east from Wells to Lake at Tower 18.

All above movies from Chicago's "L"/Subway System: Rolling Stock '94

Lake-Dan Ryan and Rave trains pass in 6000s3.mov

An Evanston Express rounds Junction 18 in Tower18.mov

After completing the CTA's® order for the 2600-series cars, the Budd/Transit America company left the railcar-building business. The last railcar built at the Budd Company's Red Lion Plant was CTA® car 3200 (the last car in the 2600-series) on April 3, 1987. During the last few days it was open, these films were made of the workers posing for pictures and having a final celebration before the plant's closing.

Above movies are courtesy the John Almeida Collection at the Oaks Model Railroad Club web site

Budd Company workers pose with the final railcar they made, CTA car 3200.

About the Videos

Trolley: The Cars That Built Our Cities

© 1991 Transit Gloria Mundi. All right reserved. ISBN 0-945716-77-X
Available at most train stores and museums.

Chicago's "L"/Subway System: Rolling Stock '94

© 1997 All the 6000s You Missed Productions. All right reserved.
Available at the Illinois Railway Museum, or contact:
David Harrison
8404 South Bennett Av.
Chicago, IL 60617-2253.