Flag Stop 4,614 transit photos from Chicago and beyond, mostly 1940s–2000s
Eras

1940s

130 photographs
Side view of two orange and maroon interurban cars on a street, with overhead wires and a vintage car in the corner. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Birney car 1721, painted in orange and maroon, is shown in street service with a 'LAKE B' destination sign. c. 1930 to 1940 A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago streetcar, number 270, on a street with a building and a car in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 270, is shown on a city street in the late 1930s. c. 1930 to 1940 A black-and-white photo of a vintage streetcar with the number 973 on its front, traveling on a city street with tall buildings and a large Coca-Cola billboard in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 973, bound for Indiana Avenue, travels through the city streets in the 1930s or 1940s. c. 1931 to 1947 A black and white street scene showing a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 3006 on the front, pulling a second car down a busy city street lined with buildings and pedestrians. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3006 on route 87 to Macine at State and Van Buren, circa 1935. June 1940 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series rapid transit car, numbered 4085, at an elevated station with a platform and tracks visible. Chicago Rapid Transit Company car 4085, a 4000-series rapid transit car, stopped at an elevated station platform. 1941 · Wells and Randolph, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago streetcar numbered 1735, with several people near it and a car parked alongside, in front of a building labeled UPTOWN. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1735, is shown on a street in front of a building marked 'UPTOWN'. April 1941 · Broadway and Lawrence, Chicago, IL A black steam locomotive billowing thick black smoke travels on a set of tracks with embankments and utility poles on either side. A steam locomotive emits a large plume of black smoke as it travels along a set of tracks bordered by embankments and utility poles. July 1941 · Roxbury, MA A black and white photo of a crowded street in Chicago where a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 1748, is stopped at an intersection while pedestrians cross the tracks. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 1748, a Master Unit car, navigates a busy street crossing at Clark and Addison in Chicago during the late 1930s. October 5, 1941 · Clark and Addison, Chicago, IL A bustling 1940s street scene in Chicago with two vintage streetcars, many pedestrians, and classic automobiles at the intersection of Clark and Addison, with Wrigley Field visible in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcars 1715 and 1760 at Clark and Addison, with pedestrians crossing in front of Wrigley Field. October 5, 1941 · Clark and Addison, Chicago, IL A black and white photograph of two vintage streetcars on a dirt road in Chicago; one is numbered 5023 and the other 6163, both with trolley poles and route signs, set against a backdrop of large buildings. Two Chicago Surface Lines streetcars, a Master Unit and a Peter Witt, on an unpaved street in winter. 1942 · State and Randolph, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage streetcar numbered 3286 on a city street, with a drugstore and other storefronts visible behind it. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3286, photographed on a city street with storefronts in the background. 1942 · 78 and Broadway A vintage black and white photo shows a white, wood-bodied electric interurban car numbered 4427 with a navy recruitment ad along its side, sitting on tracks in a grassy area. Chicago Surface Lines interurban car 4427, a Cincinnati Car Master Unit, displays a 'Join the WAVES' recruitment advertisement while stopped in a grassy yard. 1942 · Skokie, IL A black and white photo of a heavily damaged rapid transit car with its front end crumpled, sitting on an elevated track next to another car. A severely damaged Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series rapid transit car after a wreck, seen on an elevated structure. July 1944 · 61 St and Calumet, Chicago, IL Black-and-white photo of two vintage streetcars at a city intersection, one labeled 604 and the other 8010, with a storefront reading 'Marianne's DRESSES' in the background. Two Chicago Surface Lines streetcars, 604 (Master Unit) and 8010 (4000-series), at an intersection with a corner store in the 1930s or 1940s. 1945 A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago streetcar, number 1412, on the 26-Cottage route, driving on a street with an elevated train track in the background and a building labeled 'PLYMOUTH' on the right. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 1412 on the 26-Cottage route, operating on Wabash Avenue under an elevated railway structure. 1945 · 26th Wabash, Chicago, IL A black and white photograph shows a vintage Chicago streetcar on a city street with an elevated railway overhead and a large building in the background. The car is numbered 1412 and displays the route 26-Cottage. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 1412 on the 26-Cottage route at 26th and Wabash, likely in the late 1930s or early 1940s. 1945 · 26th and Wabash, Chicago, IL A vintage streetcar with the number 3298 and destination Montrose is shown on a city street with overhead wires, passengers visible inside, and a few pedestrians nearby. Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar number 3298 heads to Montrose on a summer day in the 1930s or 1940s. 1945 · Montrose and Lincoln, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 3293, a Master Unit, stopped on a cobblestone street with storefronts in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3293 on a downtown street, likely Montrose and Clark, in the early 1930s. 1945 · Montrose and Clark, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a streamlined streetcar with a dark lower body and white upper body. It has a cream stripe sweeping up over its single headlight, the number 4022 on the front, and a sign reading 20 Dearborn-Monroe. It stands on pavement in front of bare trees and houses, and a second stre Chicago PCC streetcar 4022, signed for route 20 Dearborn-Monroe, likely at the Madison and Austin terminal. 1945 · Madison and Austin, Chicago, IL A black and white photograph of two Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban cars on a snow-covered street in Milwaukee, with car 3288 in the foreground showing its destination as Montrose. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car 3288, a Master Unit, on a Milwaukee street in winter, with another car visible in the background. 1945 · Milwaukee, WI A black and white photo of two vintage streetcars, numbers 604 and 8010, operating on a city street lined with shops and a few automobiles. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 604, is shown at a street intersection, with a Master Unit car, number 8010, visible in the background. 1945 A black and white photograph of a vintage streetcar on a city street, with an elevated train track above and a building with 'HOTEL' signage in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 5091, navigates a street corner under an elevated railway, with a 'HOTEL' sign and a 1930s automobile in the background. 1945 · Root and Halsted, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago 'L' car, number 1149, with a rear destination sign reading 'EXPRESS HOWARD ST', on elevated tracks with city buildings in the background. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series rapid transit car, number 1149, is shown on an elevated structure with a destination sign indicating service to Howard Street. 1945 · Wabash and Congress, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban car, number 2157, on an elevated track with passengers visible inside; signs indicate routes to Douglas Park, Cicero, and Berwyn. A Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban car numbered 2157, showing its destination to Douglas Park, Cicero, and Berwyn, on an elevated structure in Chicago. 1945 · Douglas and Polk St., Chicago, IL A front view of a red and cream Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 856, with the destination '79-WESTERN' displayed, as passengers board on a crowded street. A Chicago Surface Lines White Motor bus, number 856, on the 79-WESTERN route, surrounded by passengers boarding on a city street. March 1945 · Ford City, Chicago, IL A black and white photo showing three workers washing a white and dark green bus with the number 1183 and 'Chicago Motor Coach Company' lettering inside a large, windowed garage. Workers wash a Chicago Motor Coach Company GMC TDH-5303 bus, number 1183, inside a large garage. 1946 · Diversey and Keeler A black and white photo of a vintage Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 6180 on a city street, with a 1950s sedan and a building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 6180, a Master Unit, is pictured on a street, likely in Cicero, Illinois, during the early 1950s. 1946 · Lawrence and Cicero, Cicero, IL A vintage black-and-white photo shows a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 3010, on a city street with 1930s automobiles parked nearby and a brick building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3010 on a summer day, likely at 29th and Wallace Streets in Chicago. 1946 · 29th and Wallace, Chicago, IL Black and white photo of a vintage Chicago interurban car, number 1766, labeled 'Evanston Express,' stopped on city street tracks with passengers inside and commercial buildings behind. Chicago Rapid Transit Company Plush interurban car 1766, marked for the Evanston Express, on street tracks with buildings of downtown Chicago in the background. 1946 · Franklin, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a Chicago Motor Coach Company double-decker bus, number 114, on route 25 Henson, turning a corner in a city street with pedestrians and 1940s cars nearby. Chicago Motor Coach Company double-decker bus No. 114 in service on route 25 Henson in a downtown street scene. 1946 · Jackson, MI A black and white photograph of a vintage Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 2500, parked on a street with a Wabash freight car and a classic car visible in the background. Chicago Motor Coach Company bus number 2500, a GM New Look, is shown at a street stop with a Wabash freight car in the background, likely in the early 1940s. 1946 · Diversey and Keeler A black and white photo of a Chicago Motor Coach Company bus number 2500, a Flxible New Look model, parked on a street with a tall tower and a freight car in the background. Chicago Motor Coach Company bus number 2500, a Flxible New Look model, posed for a roster shot on a street in Chicago. 1946 · Diversey and Keeler, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a white-roofed motor bus with the number 346 and destination signs for route 92 on a street with trees and an old car in the background. An Illinois Central Coach Company GMC New Look bus, number 346, is shown on a street, likely in Chicago, with its route signs reading '92 NORTHWEST HWY - CLARK' and 'FOSTER'. 1946 High view of a green and cream streetcar on double track at a broad intersection, with a theater marquee, shops, palm trees, a large white building and a few pedestrians and parked cars. A streetcar crosses a wide downtown intersection past the Tower theater and a YMCA sign, in what the note gives as San Diego. 1946 · San Diego, CA A black-and-white photograph of a city street in Chicago with double-decker buses, classic cars, and pedestrians, with a large apartment building in the background. A street scene at the intersection of Sheridan and Foster in Chicago, featuring double-decker and single-decker buses alongside 1940s automobiles. 1946 · Sheridan and Foster, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a double-decker bus on a city street with pedestrians and old buildings. The bus is marked '51 SHERIDAN RD.' and 'ADAMS' with the number 114. A double-decker Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 114, operating on route 51 Sheridan Road in downtown Chicago during the 1940s. 1946 A black-and-white photo of a 1940s streetcar on a city street with vintage automobiles and storefronts. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 868, on route 80, navigating a bustling street lined with shops in the 1940s. 1946 A black-and-white photograph of a vintage Chicago streetcar with the number 400, showing a driver inside and the destination sign reading 'LAWRENCE - BROADWAY'. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 400, on the Lawrence-Broadway route. 1946 · Lawrence and Austin, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 4[?]2, driving down a street lined with trees and old cars on a sunny day. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 4[?]2, travels down a tree-lined street in summer, with 1940s automobiles following behind. 1946 · 3 and 73 Rd St. A black and white photo of a vintage motor bus on a city street with tall buildings in the background. A passenger is boarding, and other cars are visible. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1613, on route 41 to Clybourn-Belmont, navigating city streets in winter. 1946 · Orleans and Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL Black and white photograph of a Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1268, stopped at an intersection with pedestrians crossing and a statue of a mounted rider in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1268, is seen at an intersection in the late 1940s, with pedestrians crossing and a prominent equestrian statue in the background. 1946 · 51st St, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 600, with passengers inside, a conductor in the front, and people on the street under a network of overhead wires. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 600, on route 42 to North Western Station, likely in the mid-1930s. 1946 · Milwaukee, WI A vintage black and white photograph of a Master Unit streetcar with fleet number 400, displaying a destination sign for LAWRENCE - BROADWAY and a 'STEP IN SAVE STEPS' sign on its front, parked on a snowy street. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 400, is shown on a winter day with its destination sign reading "LAWRENCE - BROADWAY". 1946 · Lawrence and Austin, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage streetcar, number 3286, on a city street with storefronts and pedestrians visible. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3286, operates on a city street in the 1930s or 1940s. 1946 · Montrose and Broadway, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a streetcar on a city street with an elevated train above it and storefronts along the sidewalk. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3260, travels along a city street under an elevated rapid transit line. 1946 · 69th and Normal Blvd A black-and-white street scene from the 1930s showing a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 3260 on the street, with a Chicago Rapid Transit Company elevated car visible on the structure above. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3260, on a street below an elevated structure carrying a Chicago Rapid Transit Company car, likely at 69th and Normal Boulevard in the late 1930s. 1946 · 69th and Normal Blvd., Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo shows a vintage double-decker bus on a wide city street, with pedestrians on the sidewalks and multi-story buildings lining the road. The bus displays route 51 Sheridan Road and destination Adams. A Chicago Surface Lines double-decker bus, number 114, runs on Sheridan Road in Chicago under overcast skies, likely in the late 1930s or 1940s. 1946 · Sheridan and Wilson, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage motor bus on a city street with trolley tracks, surrounded by 1940s cars and two pedestrians on the sidewalk. A Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 3425, travels along a street with embedded trolley tracks, likely on route 31 Cottage Grove, in the late 1940s. 1946 · 31 and Pitney Ct., Chicago, IL