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

1940s

130 photographs
A 1940s motor bus from Chicago Surface Lines, fleet number 318, labeled 'Archer Express Cicero-63', is stopped at a bus stop on a sunny day, with American Airlines and Texaco buildings visible in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 318 on the Archer Express route to Cicero-63, is shown stopped at a bus stop in 1946 with an airport in the background. 1946 · Cicero and 63rd St., Cicero, IL A black and white photograph of a 1940s-era Chicago Surface Lines bus driving down a tree-lined street, viewed from a three-quarter front angle, with several vintage cars behind it. A Chicago Surface Lines bus operates on a tree-lined residential street in 1946, with a line of vintage automobiles following behind. 1946 · South Park and 73rd St., Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a 4000-series 'L' car, numbered 2900, at a station with its destination sign 'LOOP' visible. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series rapid transit car, number 2900, is pictured at a station platform with its destination sign reading 'LOOP.' 1946 · Canal St. Union Sta., Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage bus on a city street, showing its front and side with the number 871 and 'Chicago Motor Coach Company' lettering. Cars from the 1950s and storefronts line the street. A Chicago Motor Coach Company New Look bus, number 871, on the 33 Austin Blvd. route near the intersection with Roosevelt Road in the early 1950s. 1946 · 33 and Austin A black and white photo of a Chicago Motor Coach Company bus garage filled with numerous buses, with one bus in the foreground showing the destination sign '34 DIVERSEY PULASKI'. A Chicago Motor Coach Company GMC New Look bus, number 1223, is parked in a garage with other buses of the same fleet. 1946 · Deversey and Keeler A vintage black-and-white photo shows a double-decker bus on a city street with trees and a large brick building, alongside several 1930s automobiles. A Chicago Motor Coach Company GMC bus, number 136, on the S 1 Sheridan Road route, parked on a tree-lined street in Glenview, Illinois, in the late 1930s. 1946 · Glenlake A vintage black-and-white photograph of a double-decker bus with the number 212 on a city street, with other buses and cars in the background. A Chicago Motor Coach Company double-decker bus, number 212, on a city street in the 1940s, heading to Michigan Avenue and Garfield Boulevard. 1946 · Monroe, Michigan A vintage black-and-white photo shows a double-decker bus on a wide city street lined with multi-story buildings and period automobiles, with pedestrians walking on the sidewalks. A Chicago Motor Coach Company double-decker bus, number 114, is pictured on a city street, serving route 51 Sheridan Road, circa the late 1930s or 1940s. 1946 · Sheridan and Wilson, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a double-decker bus with 'Chicago Motor Coach Company' and '25 Jackson' on its signs, stopped at an intersection with pedestrians and 1940s cars nearby. A Chicago Motor Coach Company double-decker bus, number 11-4 on route 25 Jackson, is seen on a city street in the early 1950s. 1946 · 26 @ Jackson, MI A black and white photo shows a side view of a white and dark-colored bus with 'CHICAGO MOTOR COACH COMPANY' lettered on its side, driving on a street in winter with bare trees and a tall column monument in the background. A Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 1810, on a winter street with the Logan Square Monument in the background. 1946 · Logan Square, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a 1950s GMC New Look bus with the number 1181 and destination 'UNIVERSITY' on a city street with pedestrians and tall buildings in the background. A Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 1181, heading for the University, is captured on a city street in the 1950s. 1946 · Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines bus numbered 348, with a destination sign reading 'CICERO-63', stopped at a curb with passengers and crew nearby. In the background are an American Airlines terminal and parked airplanes. Chicago Surface Lines bus number 348, on the Cicero-63 route, stands at a stop near an airport in summer 1946, with American Airlines and Texaco signs visible in the background. October 1946 · 63rd and Cicero, Cicero, IL A vintage bus with the destination 'MILWAUKEE 63' and fleet number 2874 is surrounded by pedestrians on a city street, with storefronts and a street sign visible in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 2874, on the Milwaukee 63 route, with passengers boarding at a busy street corner. October 1946 · State and Adams, Chicago, IL A vintage red electric interurban streetcar on a city street, surrounded by 1950s cars, palm trees, and multi-story buildings. A Pacific Electric Railway interurban car, number 1541, known as the 'Long Beach Limited', runs on a street through a city with palm trees and mid-century automobiles. c. 1947 to 1953 Black and white photo of a damaged streetcar with a curved front and large windows, with smoke rising from its side. A person in uniform holds up a sign that says 'NOT IN SERVICE'. A Chicago Transit Authority Peter Witt streetcar after a wreck, with a person holding a 'NOT IN SERVICE' sign. c. 1947 to 1957 A black and white photo of a vintage Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 577, parked on a city street with a person in a coat nearby. A Chicago Motor Coach Company Flxible bus, number 577, is shown on a city street, likely in the late 1940s or early 1950s, with its 'The Boulevard Route' lettering visible. c. 1947 to 1953 A red and cream streetcar with the number 7-45 on its front is stopped on a city street with several vintage cars and a truck, under an overcast sky. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 7-45, running on a street in Blue Island, Illinois, in the 1940s, with period automobiles and a truck nearby. 1947 · Ashland and Cermak, Blue Island, IL Front three-quarter view of a white CTA bus with fleet number 4308 on a city street, next to a yellow taxi, with tall buildings in the background. A Chicago Transit Authority New Flyer D40LF bus, number 4308, running an express route on a city street, with a yellow taxi nearby. April 1947 · Wacker and Clark, Chicago, IL A vintage streetcar, number 1675, is shown inside a dimly lit tunnel, with two operators visible in the front cab and the destination sign reading 'DIVISION-CALIFORNIA'. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, numbered 1675, runs through the Van Buren Tunnel with its 'DIVISION-CALIFORNIA' destination displayed. June 10, 1947 · Van Buren Tunnel A black-and-white photo of a single, old rapid transit car, number 2077, on an elevated track with snow on the ground and city buildings in the background. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 2000-series rapid transit car, number 2077, on an elevated structure in winter. July 18, 1947 · Market and Madison, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a streetcar with number 849 turning a corner on a city street, with a Walgreens sign visible in the background. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar number 849, a Birney safety car, turns a corner on the 61 - Lawrence - Austin line. September 6, 1947 Black-and-white photo of a streamlined streetcar with its trolley pole raised, on a snowy street in front of a brick factory lettered MACHINE CO., with overhead wires above. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 406[?] signed for route 20 Monroe-Dearborn, likely at Madison Street and Fifth Avenue on Chicago's West Side, in winter. c. 1948 to 1953 · Madison and 5th Av., Chicago, IL A green and cream streamlined streetcar with its trolley pole raised stands on a street beside utility poles, bare trees and brick buildings. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 4119, likely at Austin and Madison, signed for route 20 Madison, in Chicago. 1948 · Austin and Madison, Chicago, IL A green and cream PCC streetcar numbered 4095 on a city street with pedestrians crossing, tall buildings in the background, and overhead trolley wires. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4095 on route 20 at Madison and Wacker in 1948. 1948 · Madison and Wacker, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority motor bus, number 1787, showing its front and side with route signs and advertisements, parked on a wet street with a house in the background. Chicago Transit Authority bus number 1787, a Flxible New Look, on the 82 Kimball-Foster route in a winter scene. 1948 · Kedzie and Foster, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago streetcar numbered 507 parked on a snowy street, with a large circular billboard above it advertising Blue Ribbon Beer. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar number 507, likely in the early 1930s, standing on a snowy street beside a large Blue Ribbon Beer billboard. 1948 · Clark and Southport, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 6180, with a trolley pole, running on a city street with cars and a building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 6180 operates on route 81, viewed from a three-quarter front angle on a summer street. 1948 · Lawrence and Cicero, Chicago, IL A historic black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 0178 on route 81, running on a city street with overhead wires and a building marked 'COMMERCIAL WEST' in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 0178 on route 81, likely on Lawrence Avenue, in the 1930s. 1948 A vintage red streetcar with a curved roof runs on cobblestone tracks past a brick building with storefronts and a yellow car in the background. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1619, operates on a city street in the 1940s. 1948 · Van Buren and Marshfield A vintage red streetcar with a destination arch is stopped on a snow-dusted street with bare trees in the background. Two people are near the car. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, fleet number 6[?]7, is shown on a snowy Chicago street, likely at the Bryn Mawr and Pulaski intersection. 1948 · Bryn Mawr and Pulaski, Chicago, IL A red and cream vintage streetcar with the number 1769 on the front and route 58 on top, running on tracks down a city street with 1940s cars and buildings. A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1769, on route 58, travels down a tree-lined street in the mid-1940s. 1948 A vintage black-and-white photo of a CTA bus driving down a street with trolley tracks, past storefronts and parked 1950s cars. A Chicago Transit Authority New Look bus, number 2371 on route 40 Lincoln-Southport, drives down a tree-lined street in Chicago. 1948 · Lincoln and Southport, Chicago, IL A vintage Chicago Transit Authority motor bus is parked on a street near a gazebo with bare trees in the background. A Chicago Transit Authority New Look bus from the 1960s is posed on a street near a gazebo in winter. 1948 Black and white photo of a CTA bus on a city street with overhead wires, an overpass in the background, and vintage cars. A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible bus, number 3[?]1 on route 79 to North Ave. and Marquette, navigates a street corner under a railroad overpass, with a 1940s automobile blurred in motion nearby. 1948 · Montrose and Cicero, Chicago, IL Rear view of a 1950s CTA bus on a city street with old cars, a Sinclair gas station, and a church steeple in the background. A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible bus, number 2363, travels down a street with embedded trolley tracks on a summer day in the 1950s. 1948 · Southport, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photograph of a Chicago Transit Authority bus from the 1950s on a city street, with embedded trolley tracks, classic cars, and a Sinclair gas station in the background. A Chicago Transit Authority bus, number 2358, serves the Lakeview-Ashland route on a street with embedded trolley tracks in the mid-1950s. 1948 · Southport and Diversey, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar from the Chicago Surface Lines, numbered 1592, is shown on a city street with a large industrial building and an automobile in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1592, runs on a city street in the 1930s or 1940s, captured in a three-quarter front view. 1948 · Van Buren and Racine, Chicago, IL Black and white photo of a streetcar on a cobblestone street with an elevated railroad track above it, carrying a steam locomotive. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company streetcar, number 277, on a street under an elevated structure carrying a Chicago and North Western steam locomotive, number 1526. 1948 · Grand and Union, Chicago, IL An orange interurban car numbered 233S is parked on railroad tracks in a yard, with destination signs for 'DOUGLAS PK.' and 'LOOP.' visible on its ends. Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad interurban car 233S, in orange livery, at a yard with destination signs reading 'DOUGLAS PK.' and 'LOOP.' March 1948 An orange and black interurban car with the number 261 is stopped at a brick elevated station platform, with a large 'Beatrice Foods Co.' billboard visible on a building in the background. A Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban car, number 261, is pictured on an elevated structure in Chicago, likely in the 1940s or 1950s. July 1948 · Wilson 18th St, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage streetcar on a city street, surrounded by parked cars and people on the sidewalks. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3435, runs down a commercial street lined with 1930s automobiles and storefronts. October 4, 1948 · Belmont Central Side view of a red and white SOO diesel locomotive numbered 414, coupled to a matching SOO caboose numbered 102, in a multi-track railroad yard with shipping containers in the background on a cloudy day. SOO 414, an EMD SW1200 diesel switcher, stands in a yard with SOO caboose 102 and several intermodal freight cars under an overcast sky. November 1948 · Lake and Mannheim, Melrose Park, IL A vintage black and white photograph shows a CSL streetcar, number 211, on a cobblestone street with overhead wires, next to a pre-war delivery truck. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 211, is pictured on a winter day in the 1930s, with a vintage delivery truck nearby. December 31, 1948 Two light green and cream Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars, numbered 4147, run on a street with overhead wires, near a brick building and a GMC Trucks sign, on a sunny day. Two Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars number 4147 on Route 20 at Fifth Avenue and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, circa 1949. 1949 · Fifth Avenue and Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL A vintage orange and maroon interurban railcar, number 1100 of the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, sits on tracks with overhead wires and trees in the background. The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad's unique Master Unit car, number 1100, is shown in its distinctive orange and maroon livery on a private right-of-way. 1949 · Michigan City, IN A yellow and green streetcar with a trolley pole and the number 1240 on its dash approaches a crosswalk on a wide street under overhead wires, with a gas station and a parked car on either side. Streetcar 1240, signed for route N, on a wide street in Los Angeles, likely at 8th and Western. 1949 · 8th and Western, Los Angeles, CA A red and white interurban car with the number 2001 on an elevated steel trestle, with a boxcar train and city buildings behind it. Chicago Terminal Railroad Interurban car 2001 on an elevated structure in a rail yard, with a B&O freight train in the background. 1949 A red Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 3074, travels down a city street with overhead wires, past a large billboard and older automobiles. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar number 3074, running on route 55 to Elston, is captured in motion on a sunny day in the late 1930s. 1949 · 55 and Lawrence, Chicago, IL