Chicago ''L''.org: Yards & Shops - Kimball Yard & Shops

Kimball Yard, looking north. May 1, 2005. For a larger view, click here. (Photo by Dennis Herbuth)

Kimball Yard & Shops
Kimball Avenue and Lawrence Avenue, Albany Park

Service Notes:

Located:

Brown Line: Ravenswood

Quick Facts:

Address: 3365 W. Lawrence Avenue
Established: 1908
Shop Area: 60,923 square feet
Yard Area: 299,700 square feet
Rebuilt: 1990s
Status: In Use

This Chicago-L.org article is a stub. It will be expanded in the future as resources allow.

kimball07.jpg (??k)

May 27, 1965 looking south at temporary shop and park'n'ride. (Photo from the CTA Collection)

kimball02.jpg (??k)

A Brown Line train snakes through the switches into Kimball Yard on September 3, 2000. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

kimball04.jpg (??k)

December 21, 2003. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

kimball05.jpg (??k)

December 21, 2003. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

cta335.jpg (77k)

Car 335 is shown in the Kimball Yard of the Ravenswood line in the mid-50s. The car was part of an 80-car order (321-400) filled by American Car & Foundry in 1905, the last order purchased for the exclusive use of the South Side routes. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek Collection)

cta6130.jpg (228k)

Cars 6129-6130, seen here at the Kimball Yards in 1963, were two of four 6000-series cars delivered with experimental motors and controls. Along with single-unit cars 1-4, they comprised the high-performance PCCs and like 1-4 received the luxury maroon and silver gray scheme in 1960. By late 1963, the cars reverted back to the green-cream-orange scheme seen behind them. (Photo by Charles L. Tauscher)

cta6101.jpg (116k)

Cars 6101-6102 are seen in the Kimball Yard on the Ravenswood Line on August 30, 1982 not long after becoming a Heritage Train. Then-General Operations Manager Harold Geissenheimer had 6101-6102, which still retained its original headlight/destination sign configuration restored to its 1950s appearance. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

cta6139.jpg (129k)

Several generations of CTA equipment in one yard: car 6139 (on the right), painted in the red/white/blue scheme introduced by the 2400s, sits with (from right to left) fellow 6000-series car 6120, 1-50 series cars 16 and 18, and 2400-series car 2405 in the Kimball Yard on August 17,1978. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

cta6139b.jpg (147k)

Car 6139 rests in the Kimball Yard on August 17, 1978. Several CTA paint schemes can be seen in this six-car train: 6139-6140 wears the red/white/and blue scheme introduced by the 2400s in 1976; the pair behind wears the Bicentennial scheme, the predecessor of the R/W/B scheme; the last pair wears the Mint Green and Alpine White introduced with the 2000s, first applied to the 6000s in 1965. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

cta6234.jpg (145k)

Car 6234 and several other 6000-series cars are stored with newer 2400s in the Kimball Yard on August 14, 1978. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

ctaelcar2.jpg (155k)

Two ex-Met wooden cars sit in the Kimball Yard after retirement on August 14, 1978. After a simple conversion of plywood window coverings, paint, and some utilities service, the cars are most likely service as crew rooms or perhaps work rooms. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

cta4244.jpg (50k)

4000-series car 4244, built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1915, is in the yard at Kimball Avenue in November, 1963 after completing a Ravenswood "A" run. Car 4244 is an original version 4000, as evidenced by the center side door (with the CTA logo on it), which was never used in regular service. (Photo by Jerry Appleman)

cta2409.jpg (125k)

2400-series car 2409 is parked among the 6000s, which make up the bulk of the Ravenswood's assigned fleet, in the Kimball Yard on August 8, 1981. (Photo by Alan Feinstein, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

cta2412.jpg (135k)

Pulling into Kimball Yard to await its next assignment, car 2412 leads a train coming off the Ravenswood All-Stop run on August 17, 1978. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)

cta3200sYard01.jpg (61k)

Rows of 3200-series trains, lined up in the Kimball Yard, looking south on August 10, 1998. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

cta3343.jpg (82k)

3200-series car 3343 sits in Kimball Yard between runs on September 3, 2000. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta3319b.jpg

A northbound Brown Line run led by 3200-series car 3319 is going through the crossover onto track 1 of Kimball terminal, looking into Kimball Yard from the west side of Kimball Avenue on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta3335.jpg

3200-series car 3335 trails a Brown Line train leaving Kimball on its way to the Loop on August 22, 2001. The "Not in service" reading displayed on the back destination sign is incorrect, probably due to an improperly aligned roller curtain. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta3424.jpg

After finishing a run from the Loop, car 3424 leads a Brown Line of 3200-series cars heading through Kimball Yard into Kimball terminal, looking south from the island station platform on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)

cta2223.jpg (171k)
Departing Kimball Terminal, car 2223 leads a 4-car fantrip charter of 2200-series cars on May 1, 2005. The charter took the cars to a number of lines that the cars rarely or never visited or ran on. The 2200-series cars have never been formally assigned to the Brown (Ravenswood) Line. (Photo by Art Peterson, courtesy of J. Terrell Colson)

cta2223b.jpg (153k)
Another view of car 2223 in Kimball Yard on the May 1, 2005 fantrip chartered by New York railfan Mark Wolodarksy. Wolodarksy brought his own historic roller curtains to install in the end cars in the 4-car 2200-series consist. The curtain in 2223 is a 1980s-era curtain showing the generic Spirit of Chicago reading. (Photo by J. Terrell Colson)

cta3354-DaVinciCode.jpg (222k)
One of four units wrapped to advertise the movie The Da Vinci Code, based on the popular best-selling book, cars 3354-53 are seen parked in Kimball Yard on June 4, 2006. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

	kimball07.jpg (??k) May 27, 1965 looking south at temporary shop and park'n'ride. (Photo from the CTA Collection)
	kimball02.jpg (??k) A Brown Line train snakes through the switches into Kimball Yard on September 3, 2000. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	kimball04.jpg (??k) December 21, 2003. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	kimball05.jpg (??k) December 21, 2003. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	cta335.jpg (77k) Car 335 is shown in the Kimball Yard of the Ravenswood line in the mid-50s. The car was part of an 80-car order (321-400) filled by American Car & Foundry in 1905, the last order purchased for the exclusive use of the South Side routes. (Photo from the Jeff Obarek Collection)
	cta6130.jpg (228k) Cars 6129-6130, seen here at the Kimball Yards in 1963, were two of four 6000-series cars delivered with experimental motors and controls. Along with single-unit cars 1-4, they comprised the high-performance PCCs and like 1-4 received the luxury maroon and silver gray scheme in 1960. By late 1963, the cars reverted back to the green-cream-orange scheme seen behind them. (Photo by Charles L. Tauscher)
	cta6101.jpg (116k) Cars 6101-6102 are seen in the Kimball Yard on the Ravenswood Line on August 30, 1982 not long after becoming a Heritage Train. Then-General Operations Manager Harold Geissenheimer had 6101-6102, which still retained its original headlight/destination sign configuration restored to its 1950s appearance. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	cta6139.jpg (129k) Several generations of CTA equipment in one yard: car 6139 (on the right), painted in the red/white/blue scheme introduced by the 2400s, sits with (from right to left) fellow 6000-series car 6120, 1-50 series cars 16 and 18, and 2400-series car 2405 in the Kimball Yard on August 17,1978. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	cta6139b.jpg (147k) Car 6139 rests in the Kimball Yard on August 17, 1978. Several CTA paint schemes can be seen in this six-car train: 6139-6140 wears the red/white/and blue scheme introduced by the 2400s in 1976; the pair behind wears the Bicentennial scheme, the predecessor of the R/W/B scheme; the last pair wears the Mint Green and Alpine White introduced with the 2000s, first applied to the 6000s in 1965. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	cta6234.jpg (145k) Car 6234 and several other 6000-series cars are stored with newer 2400s in the Kimball Yard on August 14, 1978. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	ctaelcar2.jpg (155k) Two ex-Met wooden cars sit in the Kimball Yard after retirement on August 14, 1978. After a simple conversion of plywood window coverings, paint, and some utilities service, the cars are most likely service as crew rooms or perhaps work rooms. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	cta4244.jpg (50k) 4000-series car 4244, built by the Cincinnati Car Company in 1915, is in the yard at Kimball Avenue in November, 1963 after completing a Ravenswood "A" run. Car 4244 is an original version 4000, as evidenced by the center side door (with the CTA logo on it), which was never used in regular service. (Photo by Jerry Appleman)
	cta2409.jpg (125k) 2400-series car 2409 is parked among the 6000s, which make up the bulk of the Ravenswood's assigned fleet, in the Kimball Yard on August 8, 1981. (Photo by Alan Feinstein, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	cta2412.jpg (135k) Pulling into Kimball Yard to await its next assignment, car 2412 leads a train coming off the Ravenswood All-Stop run on August 17, 1978. (Photo by Doug Grotjahn, Collection of Joe Testagrose)
	cta3200sYard01.jpg (61k) Rows of 3200-series trains, lined up in the Kimball Yard, looking south on August 10, 1998. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	cta3343.jpg (82k) 3200-series car 3343 sits in Kimball Yard between runs on September 3, 2000. (Photo by Mike Farrell)
	cta3319b.jpg A northbound Brown Line run led by 3200-series car 3319 is going through the crossover onto track 1 of Kimball terminal, looking into Kimball Yard from the west side of Kimball Avenue on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)
	cta3335.jpg 3200-series car 3335 trails a Brown Line train leaving Kimball on its way to the Loop on August 22, 2001. The "Not in service" reading displayed on the back destination sign is incorrect, probably due to an improperly aligned roller curtain. (Photo by Mike Farrell)
	cta3424.jpg After finishing a run from the Loop, car 3424 leads a Brown Line of 3200-series cars heading through Kimball Yard into Kimball terminal, looking south from the island station platform on August 22, 2001. (Photo by Mike Farrell)
	cta2223.jpg (171k) Departing Kimball Terminal, car 2223 leads a 4-car fantrip charter of 2200-series cars on May 1, 2005. The charter took the cars to a number of lines that the cars rarely or never visited or ran on. The 2200-series cars have never been formally assigned to the Brown (Ravenswood) Line. (Photo by Art Peterson, courtesy of J. Terrell Colson)
	cta2223b.jpg (153k) Another view of car 2223 in Kimball Yard on the May 1, 2005 fantrip chartered by New York railfan Mark Wolodarksy. Wolodarksy brought his own historic roller curtains to install in the end cars in the 4-car 2200-series consist. The curtain in 2223 is a 1980s-era curtain showing the generic Spirit of Chicago reading. (Photo by J. Terrell Colson)
	cta3354-DaVinciCode.jpg (222k) One of four units wrapped to advertise the movie The Da Vinci Code, based on the popular best-selling book, cars 3354-53 are seen parked in Kimball Yard on June 4, 2006. (Photo by Graham Garfield)