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

1950s

331 photographs
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 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 Front view of two Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars, numbers 4057 and 7040, parked side by side on streetcar tracks with destination signs visible, under overcast skies. Two Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars, 4057 and 7040, are shown side by side at a streetcar terminal, bound for Western-Bedford and Western-79 routes. c. 1950 to 1958 A black steam locomotive with the number 473 on its tender moves along a paved road next to a steep, tree-covered hillside on a sunny day. Steam locomotive 473 of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad runs along a paved road against a backdrop of forested hills. c. 1950 to 1967 A red wooden interurban car with round porthole windows on its front end, numbered 416 and carrying a San Pedro sign, sits at a street crossing beneath a web of trolley wires, with apartment buildings and a ship chandlery building behind it. Pacific Electric interurban car 416, signed for San Pedro, crossing a street under heavy overhead wire. c. 1950 to 1958 A yellow and cream Pacific Electric PCC streetcar with the number 28 on its front is driving down a busy street lined with 1950s cars and businesses like Sinclair Paints and Downtown Bakery. A Pacific Electric PCC streetcar, number 28, travels down a Los Angeles street in the early 1950s, surrounded by automobiles and storefronts. c. 1950 to 1953 A close-up of a large black steam locomotive with a white stripe and a circular 'M' herald on its tender, parked on tracks in a yard with a person in the background taking a picture. A Milwaukee Road H-10 class steam locomotive, number [?]225, at rest in a yard on an overcast day. c. 1950 to 1957 A black steam locomotive with the number 1509 and 'Rio Grande' lettering on its tender, parked on multiple tracks in a rail yard on a cloudy day. A Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad K-28 steam locomotive, number 1509, is shown in a yard on an overcast day in 1950. c. 1950 · Denver A vintage maroon and white Chicago Great Western caboose, numbered 522, photographed from a three-quarter rear angle on a grassy trackside. A Chicago Great Western caboose, number 522, in maroon and white livery, parked on a private right-of-way. c. 1950 to 1960 A vintage color photograph of two red Chicago streetcars on a street with a large brick building and billboards in the background. Two red and cream Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcars, numbered 218 and 219, operate on a city street lined with brick buildings under a clear blue sky. 1950 · 81 and Broadway View from inside a vintage streetcar, looking down the aisle towards the front door, with rows of woven seats and wooden paneling on the walls and ceiling. The interior of an early 20th-century streetcar, showing wooden trim, incandescent lighting, and woven seats. 1950 A black and white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority bus number 2503, a GM New Look model, parked on a cobblestone street with a destination sign reading DU46 KUSTNER. CTA New Look bus 2503, likely from the 1960s, is stopped on a cobblestone street in Chicago with its destination sign reading 'DU46 KUSTNER'. 1950 · Monroe and Dearborn, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with its trolley pole raised stands beside a covered shelter, and a green and cream bus is parked on a dirt lane on the shelter's other side, under a cloudy blue sky. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 7010 and bus 3077 at the covered transfer shelter, likely at 63rd Place and Narragansett in Chicago. 1950 · 63rd Pl and Narragansett, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photograph of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar on route 67, number 6259, moving along a street under an elevated railroad bridge with an 'Illinois Central West' sign. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar no. 6259 on route 67, passing under the Illinois Central elevated structure. 1950 · 67th and Harper, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a dark, riveted steel streetcar with the number 3359 and signs for route 4 and Lincoln Park Zoo, stopped on a cobblestone street with a Coca-Cola sign in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3359 on route 40, bound for Lincoln Park Zoo, at Wabash & 9th Street in the late 1930s or early 1940s. 1950 · Wabash and 9TH ST., Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage Birney streetcar, number 3359, from Chicago Surface Lines, running on a city street with a Coca-Cola sign visible on a building behind it. Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar 3359 on route 4, displayed with a Lincoln Park Zoo advertisement, at an urban street intersection. 1950 · Wabash and 18th St., Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago Rapid Transit Company rapid transit car, number 2719, on an elevated track with a destination sign reading 'DOUGLAS A PARK'. Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series car 2719 at Polk Street on the Douglas Park line, showing its destination to Douglas Park. 1950 · Polk St An orange and white interurban railcar on tracks beside a gravel road, with trees and utility poles in the background. An orange and white Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban car is captured on a private right-of-way in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, likely in the 1950s. 1950 · Prospect St, Glen Ellyn, IL A vintage brown interurban car numbered 2817 is parked on a private right-of-way next to a white building, with a trolley pole overhead and a 'LOOP.' destination sign. An Illinois-based interurban car, likely from the Chicago Aurora and Elgin, sits on a private right-of-way with its number 2817 and destination 'LOOP.' clearly visible. 1950 · Oak Park Ave., Garfield Park A vintage black-and-white photo of a wooden rapid transit car on an elevated track, with a destination sign reading 'A LAKE' and city buildings in the background. A wooden Chicago Rapid Transit Company rapid transit car on an elevated structure, showing its 'A LAKE' destination sign. 1950 · Madison and Wells, Chicago, IL A green and orange streamlined electric train at a station with people on the platform and overhead wires above. A South Shore Line Highliner electric multiple-unit car, number 4098, is shown at a station platform in 1950. 1950 · Kenosha, WI A red and cream streetcar with the number 6184 and route 81 on its destination board travels down a street lined with brick buildings and vintage automobiles. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 6184 on route 81, travels down a street in Chicago in the late 1930s or early 1940s. 1950 · 81 and Lawrence A red and cream vintage streetcar, number 585, is turning on streetcar tracks in front of a house, with overhead wires above. A red and cream Milwaukee Master Unit streetcar, number 585, navigates a turning loop on a sunny autumn day. 1950 A vintage red streetcar with the number 6152 travels down a cobblestone street lined with brick buildings, including a Studebaker dealership and a Drewrys Beer billboard. A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 6152, runs on a cobblestone street past a Studebaker dealership and a Drewrys beer billboard. 1950 · Lawrence and Clark, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority bus with fleet number 2503, showing its front and side on a paved street with embedded track. A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus, number 2503, on a city street in the 1960s. 1950 · Monroe and Dearborn, Chicago, IL A red and green streetcar and a green and cream bus are on a city street with tall buildings, neon signs for 'SPIEGEL' and 'the COTTON shop', and mid-1950s cars. A woman in a coat is crossing the street. A Chicago Transit Authority Birney streetcar and a New Look bus share the street in downtown Chicago, likely on State Street, in the mid-1950s. 1950 · State Madison, Chicago, IL A red and cream vintage streetcar with the number 7 on its front, running on city streets with old buildings and a 1940s car in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 7, on the 66 Michigan route in downtown Chicago. 1950 · 66 Michigan, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar with the number 3111 turns on a street corner, with a brick building and trees in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3111, turns a corner on a sunny autumn day, with passengers visible inside. 1950 · Cottage Grove and 111th, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 177, with an elevated railroad bridge labeled 'Englewood Union' behind it, and parked cars nearby. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 177, on a street under the Englewood Union Station bridge. 1950 · 63rd and State, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a streetcar numbered 127 running on a city street under a railway bridge marked 'Englewood Union'. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 127, on a Chicago street near the Englewood Union Station underpass. 1950 · 63rd and State, Chicago, IL A red and cream trolleybus on a sunny day, with overhead wires, passengers inside, and vintage cars and buildings in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Brill T-44 trolleybus, number 834, on the 85 Central-Lexington route, captured in a summer street scene. 1950 · 85 and Central A red and cream streetcar marked 'LAKE' and number 1758 is stopped on a city street with a red work vehicle beside it and two men on its roof, with tall buildings in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 1758, on the Lake route, is attended by a work vehicle and two workers on its roof on a city street in the late 1940s. 1950 · Franklin and Randolph, Chicago, IL Black-and-white photo of a streetcar numbered 1674 on a city street beneath an elevated train line with a car numbered 2535, located at the corner of Van Buren and Clinton streets in Chicago. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 1674, operates under an elevated structure with a Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series car, number 2535, above at Van Buren and Clinton streets. 1950 · Van Buren and Clinton, Chicago, IL A vintage wooden rapid transit car on an elevated track in a city, with tall buildings in the background. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series rapid transit car, number 321, on an elevated structure. 1950 · Clark and Lake, Chicago, IL Side view of a vintage white and green Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 582, with advertisements, driving on a tree-lined street. A Chicago Motor Coach Company New Look bus, number 582, operates on the Boulevard Route in a suburban setting on an overcast summer day. 1950 · Columbus and Park, Chicago, IL A vintage motor bus with number 582 and Chicago Motor Coach Company lettering is driving down a tree-lined street. A Chicago Motor Coach Company New Look bus, number 582, in service on The Boulevard Route. 1950 · Columbus Park A side view of a Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, numbered 1008, parked inside a large bus garage with its engine compartment open. A Chicago Motor Coach Company New Look bus, number 1008, inside a bus garage. 1950 · Diversey and Keeler, Chicago, IL A side view of a vintage Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 1008, with a streamlined body, parked inside a large, well-lit bus garage. A Chicago Motor Coach Company GMC TDH-3610 bus, number 1008, is shown in a bus garage, likely in the late 1930s or early 1940s. 1950 · Diversey and Keeler, Chicago, IL A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 1001 is shown from a three-quarter front view on a city street, with a large billboard for 'LEAF' cigarettes on a building behind it. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1001, travels along a cobblestone street under a 'LEAF' cigarette billboard. May 14, 1950 · Wells and Hubbard, Chicago, IL A vintage wooden interurban train car numbered 1237 is parked on tracks in a rail yard, with a dark green and wood-trim livery, under clear skies. Interurban car 1237 of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee sits in a yard on a sunny day. June 1950 · Lower Wilson A red and cream interurban car numbered 699 with a destination sign reading 16 AUSTIN, traveling on an elevated wooden trestle with overhead wires. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit 699 on an elevated structure in Chicago. June 1950 · Roosevelt over Illinois Central Tracks, Chicago, IL A vintage red streetcar with the number 556 turns a corner on a city street, with brick buildings and a classic automobile in the background. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 556, rounds a corner on a sunny day in the late 1940s. June 1950 · Paulina and Madison, Chicago, IL A vintage red Chicago streetcar with the number 551 travels down a busy urban street lined with parked cars and a white delivery truck. A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 551, operates on a cobblestone street in Chicago. June 1950 · State and Roosevelt, Chicago, IL Elevated view of a green and cream streetcar on a cobblestone street with double tracks. People stand at its front beside a parked car, dark sedans pass in the next lane, and billboards and old buildings line the far side. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar signed for Broadway-Devon on State Street at Roosevelt Road, Chicago, in the 1950s. June 1950 · State and Roosevelt, Chicago, IL A street scene with a cream and green CTA bus and a red CTA streetcar under an elevated train structure, with pedestrians on the sidewalk and vintage cars parked alongside a brick-paved street. A Chicago Transit Authority GMC bus and a PCC streetcar share a sun-drenched street beneath an elevated structure on Washington & Wells in the late 1940s. June 8, 1950 · Washington and Wells, Chicago, IL A street scene in downtown Chicago featuring a red streetcar, green and yellow buses, and vintage automobiles on a cobblestone street, with an elevated train structure overhead and neon signs on surrounding buildings. A Chicago Surface Lines streetcar and motor buses operate on a downtown street under an elevated railway in the late 1940s. June 8, 1950 · Washington and Wells, Chicago, IL