Chicago ''L''.org: Rolling Stock

Work Car Gallery 9

ctaS-363.jpg (157k)
S-363 is one of four new ballast cars the CTA took delivery of in late December 2006 and early 2007. The car was built by Teleweld, Inc. of Streator, IL. The car was transported to CTA by the Silk Road transport company. The brand new ballast car, resplendent in fresh yellow paint and appropriate markings and heralds, is seen at the Skokie Shops yard. (Photo by Fred Lonnes)

ctaS-502.jpg (141k)
One of CTA's four diesel locomotive snowfighter units, S-502, sits in the yard outside of 61st Shops on shop track D on September 18, 2009. The diesel snowfighters, built in 1986 by Niigata, are useful for clearing large snow drifts on ballasted "L" tracks. Each snowfighter actually consist of three units: the main unit is the diesel locomotive, the A unit is a broom attachment, and the B unit is an auger attachment. Here, the B unit is connected to the locomotive, but the A unit is disconnected and inside the shop. Their self-propelled design, not relying on 600V traction power like most "L" equipment, is especially useful when the snow covers the third rail. The locomotive unit is sometimes also used for other purposes, such as moving work equipment, at times when traction power is otherwise unavailable. (Photo by Graham Garfield)

ctaS-105a.jpg (141k)
Recently delivered from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, locomotive S-105 is spotted outside the Northwestern Elevated's Wilson Shop in 1920, posed for the company photographer. The unit was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in August 1920 at the builder's Philadelphia plant, according to the unit's builder's plate. As delivered, the locomotives -- S-105 and its twin, S-104 -- were painted a dark color, probably Pullman green, with light (perhaps white, silver or gold) lettering on the sides and ends. The locomotives were originally lettered for the owner, the Northwestern Elevated. After the merger of the individual companies, they were relettered "Chicago Rapid Transit Company". (Photo A.F. Scholz photo; Lou Gerard collection)

ctaS-105b.jpg (143k)
Looking to spruce up its rolling stock, the newly-created CTA repainted a number of cars in its early years. After spending their first 28 or so years painted Pullman Green or perhaps black, the CTA repainted S-104 and S-105 in a bright aluminum-colored silver paint scheme in 1948. The carbody was silver, while certain components such as the headlights and cast stands that held the bells on the hood were painted black. On the sides, under the center side windows, was an orange CTA herald and below that the car number painted in black. The aluminum paint job weathered poorly, however, and in September 1953 the locomotives were repainted yellow. S-105 is posed outside the paint booth at Skokie Shops with its pantograph up. (CTA Photo)

ctaS-105c.jpg (147k)
Freight locomotive S-105 pulls a consist of loaded hoppers up the incline from Buena Yard to the elevated freight lead connecting to the North Side elevated on a fall night in 1949. Most freight operations were performed at night, since the absence of scheduled service on Track 1 allowed it to be vacated for bidirectional freight moves. The disused piggyback loading ramp for the North Shore Line's Merchandise Despatch service, discontinued in 1947, is visible in the left foreground. (CTA Photo)

ctaS-104a.jpg (222k)
The S-104, in its weathered silver paint scheme, sits in Buena Yard between trips on a sunny day circa the early 1950s. Staged behind it, barely visible, it is twin, S-105. Note behind the locomotives are a train of Baldie 4000s still in their CRT orange and brown paint and the Wilson Shops building in the background up on the elevated, while down below are the incline up from Buena Yard to the elevated structure and the out-of-service Merchandise Despatch ferry truck loading ramps and lead tracks. (Photo by George Krambles, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

ctaS-105d.jpg (163k)
After spending about five years in an aluminum-colored silver paint scheme that wore poorly, in September 1953 the CTA repainted the two electric freight locomotives in the first version of the yellow scheme, which had become the CTA's standard color for work equipment. Locomotive S-105 is newly repainted in its yellow paint scheme in this 1953 photo taken of the unit positioned on a Skokie Shops yard lead. (CTA Photo)

ctaS-105e.jpg (171k)
S-105 was photographed on its first yellow scheme at Skokie Shops in 1953, shortly after receiving the new livery. In September 1953, the two electric freight locomotives were repainted yellow, which became the CTA's standard color for work equipment. The carbody was yellow, while the various handles and grab irons, end railings, and other components were black. Under the side center windows was a green CTA herald and a black car number. The locomotives retained one variation or another of this paint scheme for the rest of their CTA service lives. (CTA Photo)

ctaS-105f.jpg (134k)
Freshly out of Skokie Shops after receiving an overhaul and a fresh version of their yellow work-car paint scheme, locomotive S-105 is seen eastbound on the Skokie Swift near McCormick Boulevard on July 24, 1963. The locomotive is leading a special consist made up of S-105, crane car S-363, an unidentified flat car, and South Side Rapid Transit wooden car 1 which moved historic car 1 from Skokie Shops, where it was rehabilitated, to temporary storage at the former Lincoln-Wrightwood former streetcar carbarn. (CTA Photo)

ctaS-105g.jpg (179k)
During a major inspection of S-105 resulting from reports of a leaky distributing valve in the locomotive's air brake system, the unit's portable kerosene markers and 600v DC headlight were replaced with battery-operated sealed-beam lights. This required the installation of batteries and a battery charger on the locomotive. S-104 was upgraded with battery-powered lights soon after. As part of this and other improvements performed as part of the overhaul, the locomotives also received a fresh yellow paint job, mostly similar to the one applied in 1953 but with some minor differences, including the newer CTA herald with "Metropolitan Transit" banner and painting all of the roof-mounted power equipment and apparatus black (some parts had been painted silver previously). The S-105 is seen outside Skokie Shops in its fresh paint in September 1963. (Photo by Glenn Andersen, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)

	ctaS-363.jpg (157k) S-363 is one of four new ballast cars the CTA took delivery of in late December 2006 and early 2007. The car was built by Teleweld, Inc. of Streator, IL. The car was transported to CTA by the Silk Road transport company. The brand new ballast car, resplendent in fresh yellow paint and appropriate markings and heralds, is seen at the Skokie Shops yard. (Photo by Fred Lonnes)
	ctaS-502.jpg (141k) One of CTA's four diesel locomotive snowfighter units, S-502, sits in the yard outside of 61st Shops on shop track D on September 18, 2009. The diesel snowfighters, built in 1986 by Niigata, are useful for clearing large snow drifts on ballasted "L" tracks. Each snowfighter actually consist of three units: the main unit is the diesel locomotive, the A unit is a broom attachment, and the B unit is an auger attachment. Here, the B unit is connected to the locomotive, but the A unit is disconnected and inside the shop. Their self-propelled design, not relying on 600V traction power like most "L" equipment, is especially useful when the snow covers the third rail. The locomotive unit is sometimes also used for other purposes, such as moving work equipment, at times when traction power is otherwise unavailable. (Photo by Graham Garfield)
	ctaS-105a.jpg (141k) Recently delivered from the Baldwin Locomotive Works, locomotive S-105 is spotted outside the Northwestern Elevated's Wilson Shop in 1920, posed for the company photographer. The unit was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in August 1920 at the builder's Philadelphia plant, according to the unit's builder's plate. As delivered, the locomotives -- S-105 and its twin, S-104 -- were painted a dark color, probably Pullman green, with light (perhaps white, silver or gold) lettering on the sides and ends. The locomotives were originally lettered for the owner, the Northwestern Elevated. After the merger of the individual companies, they were relettered "Chicago Rapid Transit Company". (Photo A.F. Scholz photo; Lou Gerard collection)
	ctaS-105b.jpg (143k) Looking to spruce up its rolling stock, the newly-created CTA repainted a number of cars in its early years. After spending their first 28 or so years painted Pullman Green or perhaps black, the CTA repainted S-104 and S-105 in a bright aluminum-colored silver paint scheme in 1948. The carbody was silver, while certain components such as the headlights and cast stands that held the bells on the hood were painted black. On the sides, under the center side windows, was an orange CTA herald and below that the car number painted in black. The aluminum paint job weathered poorly, however, and in September 1953 the locomotives were repainted yellow. S-105 is posed outside the paint booth at Skokie Shops with its pantograph up. (CTA Photo)
	ctaS-105c.jpg (147k) Freight locomotive S-105 pulls a consist of loaded hoppers up the incline from Buena Yard to the elevated freight lead connecting to the North Side elevated on a fall night in 1949. Most freight operations were performed at night, since the absence of scheduled service on Track 1 allowed it to be vacated for bidirectional freight moves. The disused piggyback loading ramp for the North Shore Line's Merchandise Despatch service, discontinued in 1947, is visible in the left foreground. (CTA Photo)
	ctaS-104a.jpg (222k) The S-104, in its weathered silver paint scheme, sits in Buena Yard between trips on a sunny day circa the early 1950s. Staged behind it, barely visible, it is twin, S-105. Note behind the locomotives are a train of Baldie 4000s still in their CRT orange and brown paint and the Wilson Shops building in the background up on the elevated, while down below are the incline up from Buena Yard to the elevated structure and the out-of-service Merchandise Despatch ferry truck loading ramps and lead tracks. (Photo by George Krambles, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)
	ctaS-105d.jpg (163k) After spending about five years in an aluminum-colored silver paint scheme that wore poorly, in September 1953 the CTA repainted the two electric freight locomotives in the first version of the yellow scheme, which had become the CTA's standard color for work equipment. Locomotive S-105 is newly repainted in its yellow paint scheme in this 1953 photo taken of the unit positioned on a Skokie Shops yard lead. (CTA Photo)
	ctaS-105e.jpg (171k) S-105 was photographed on its first yellow scheme at Skokie Shops in 1953, shortly after receiving the new livery. In September 1953, the two electric freight locomotives were repainted yellow, which became the CTA's standard color for work equipment. The carbody was yellow, while the various handles and grab irons, end railings, and other components were black. Under the side center windows was a green CTA herald and a black car number. The locomotives retained one variation or another of this paint scheme for the rest of their CTA service lives. (CTA Photo)
	ctaS-105f.jpg (134k) Freshly out of Skokie Shops after receiving an overhaul and a fresh version of their yellow work-car paint scheme, locomotive S-105 is seen eastbound on the Skokie Swift near McCormick Boulevard on July 24, 1963. The locomotive is leading a special consist made up of S-105, crane car S-363, an unidentified flat car, and South Side Rapid Transit wooden car 1 which moved historic car 1 from Skokie Shops, where it was rehabilitated, to temporary storage at the former Lincoln-Wrightwood former streetcar carbarn. (CTA Photo)
	ctaS-105g.jpg (179k) During a major inspection of S-105 resulting from reports of a leaky distributing valve in the locomotive's air brake system, the unit's portable kerosene markers and 600v DC headlight were replaced with battery-operated sealed-beam lights. This required the installation of batteries and a battery charger on the locomotive. S-104 was upgraded with battery-powered lights soon after. As part of this and other improvements performed as part of the overhaul, the locomotives also received a fresh yellow paint job, mostly similar to the one applied in 1953 but with some minor differences, including the newer CTA herald with "Metropolitan Transit" banner and painting all of the roof-mounted power equipment and apparatus black (some parts had been painted silver previously). The S-105 is seen outside Skokie Shops in its fresh paint in September 1963. (Photo by Glenn Andersen, courtesy of the Krambles-Peterson Archive)