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cta2894.jpg (60k)
This view of the CTA's Holiday Train looks east at 2600-series car 2894 in
the north pocket track at the Ashland/63rd terminal on December 16, 2000. The CTA sent the six cars
normally used on the Holiday Train to Alstom out of sequence
for rehab so they'd be ready for use in the 2000 train. (Photo by Sean Gash) |
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cta2898.jpg (60k)
Car 2898 leads one end of the 2000 Holiday Train, looking
west at Ashland/63rd on December 16th. That year, the Holiday Train was made up
entirely of rebuilt 2600s,
whose unpainted metal exterior made for a cleaner, less
cluttered background to the holiday decorations on the cars. (Photo by Sean Gash) |
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cottagegrove-HolidayTrain.jpg (70k)
The CTA's Holiday Train visits the Green Line on December
16, 2000, looking east on the outbound platform at Cottage
Grove-East 63rd. The Holiday Train consists of a CTA
flat car decorated with a Santa sleigh, elf workshop, and
copious amounts of lights, between sets of decorated
rehabbed 2600-series cars. (Photo by
Graham Garfield) |
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cta2895.jpg (95k)
Wrapped in special holiday decorations, car 2895 is behind
the "sleigh" on the 2001 Santa's Express train, stopped at 95th/Dan Ryan between
runs on December 9, 2001. (Photo by Mike
Farrell) |
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cta2894b.jpg (88k)
Car 2894 is at the front of the 2001
CTA Holiday Train at 95th/Dan Ryan on
December 9, 2001. (Photo by Mike
Farrell) |
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cta2898b.jpg (122k)
2600-series car 2898 will
be at the head of the
CTA Santa's Express
holiday train when it leaves 95th/Dan
Ryan for its trip north on the Red Line, looking
northeast on December 9, 2001. (Photo by
Mike Farrell) |
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cta2894-holiday02a.jpg (179k)
The Holiday Train, led by car 2895, is decorated with 35,000
lights and seasons greetings from the
CTA at Linden on November 23, 2002. The decal under the windows changes
each year with a different design. (Photo by
Graham Garfield) |
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cta2896-holiday02a.jpg (202k)
The interior of Holiday Train car 2896 is decorated with
garlands, lights, decals, and other decorations, seen on
November 23, 2002. Because of how Christmas fell and the
weekends were arranged in 2002, the
CTA had to begin
operation of the Holiday Train before Thanksgiving in order
to have enough weekends to hit every line before December
25. (Photo by Graham Garfield) |
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cta2895-holiday02a.jpg (211k)
Santa's sleigh is usually occupied by Jolly Ol' Saint Nick
himself, but here one of Santa's
CTA helpers is having
a rest while the train is on a layover at East
63rd terminal on December 14, 2002. In addition to
uniformed and plainclothes
CTA crewpersons and
volunteers, the train also has a staff of
CTA elves! (Photo by Graham Garfield) |
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cta2898-holiday02a.jpg (179k)
The Holiday Train is on a 15-minute layover at Cottage
Grove-East 63rd in the middle of its first roundtrip on
the Green Line on December 14, 2002. The full length of the
train can be seen here -- "wreath" wrapping below the
windows, vinyl snowflakes, lights and all -- with the gap
between the fourth and fifth passenger cars for the flat
car. The "Santa's Express" destination sign occasionally
causes some confusion among riders, who wonder if the train
will make all regular stops on the line. (Photo by Graham Garfield) |
