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

1950s

331 photographs
A busy city street at dusk with vintage cars, a red trolleybus, and green-and-cream double-decker buses under an elevated train structure, with neon signs for 'Hardin's' and 'Schroder Paints' in the background. A bustling Chicago street scene from the mid-1950s featuring Chicago Transit Authority double-decker buses, a trolleybus, and 1950s automobiles under an elevated structure with neon signs. June 8, 1950 · Washington and J Wells High-angle view of a bustling city street with multiple streetcars, cars, and pedestrians under a clear sky. Several streetcars operate on a busy city street lined with tall buildings and vintage automobiles. June 27, 1950 A high-angle, sunlit street scene in Chicago with multiple yellow and cream streetcars running on tracks between rows of cars and pedestrians on the sidewalks. High-angle view of several vintage streetcars and 1940s automobiles navigating a busy downtown Chicago street. June 27, 1950 A side and front view of a vintage orange and maroon interurban streetcar with the number 1721 and a destination sign reading 'LAKE B' on a city street with overhead wires. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit 1721, in orange and maroon livery, is shown on the Lake Bluff line in Chicago. July 1, 1950 · Lake B and Harlem, Chicago, IL An elevated view of a street in Chicago with two trolleybuses on tracks, surrounded by classic cars and onlookers on the sidewalks. Two Chicago Surface Lines trolleybuses, one in orange and cream and one in cream and green, navigate a busy cobblestone street lined with pedestrians and 1950s automobiles. July 3, 1950 · Calumet A vintage red and cream streetcar numbered 723, with a destination sign reading 'THE ISLAND', is shown on a cobblestone street with passengers visible through its windows, under overhead wires and next to a building with a 'FLOOR COVERINGS' sign. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit 723, painted in red and cream, is seen on a street running route, likely near the Clinton and Harrison intersection, with passengers aboard and an advertisement for golf on its front. July 11, 1950 · Clinton and Harrison, Chicago, IL A vintage interurban streetcar with the number 25, in dark green and wood trim, runs on an elevated track through a city neighborhood with a 'Fox Deluxe Beer' billboard in the background. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit car #25 on the Lake Street Loop, circa 1920s. August 1950 · Lake and Paulina, Chicago, IL Front three-quarter view of a green and cream Chicago Transit Authority 2000-series rapid transit car with an 'A LOGAN SQUARE' destination sign, running on an elevated structure under an overcast sky. A Chicago Transit Authority 2000-series rapid transit car on the 'A' line to Logan Square, photographed on an elevated structure in the 1960s or 1970s. September 16, 1950 · Logan Square, Chicago, IL A dark brown Soo Line caboose with the number 141 is parked in a snow-covered rail yard, with green and red boxcars visible in the background. A Soo Line caboose numbered 141 sits in a snowy rail yard alongside other freight cars. October 1950 · Cedar and Whaley, Franklin Park, IL A three-quarter front view of a train of old, wood-bodied elevated cars on an elevated track in Chicago, with large brick and stone industrial buildings in the background under a clear sky. A train of vintage wood-bodied elevated cars on an embankment in Chicago, framed by industrial buildings on a sunny day. October 18, 1950 · Halsted St., Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar with the number 567 and 'NORTH WESTERN STATION' shown on its front is stopped on a city street with cars and brick buildings in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 567, operates on a street in front of storefronts including Schlesinger's Meats. October 18, 1950 · Armitage A green and cream streetcar numbered 4206, with a HALSTED-79 sign, travels on track laid over fresh ballast through a rubble-strewn lot, with overhead wires, wooden poles and brick industrial buildings behind it. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4206, signed for Halsted-79, runs on temporary track through a cleared construction site at Halsted and Congress in Chicago. October 29, 1950 · Halsted and Congress, Chicago, IL A vintage orange and cream streetcar with the number 1746 and route 58 sign, moving down a city street lined with 1930s-era storefronts and billboards under a clear blue sky. A CSL Master Unit streetcar, number 1746, on route 58, traveling on a cobblestone street in Chicago. October 29, 1950 · Ogden and Van Buren, Chicago, IL A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 436, is stopped on a city street with several passengers standing on its running board, surrounded by vintage 1940s automobiles and a Lay's potato chips billboard. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 436, is packed with passengers on a fan trip in downtown Chicago, circa 1948-1950. October 29, 1950 · Roosevelt and Wabash, Chicago, IL A vintage orange streetcar on city streets at dusk, with a classic car and pedestrians nearby. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1786, is seen at the Ogden and Ashland intersection under dusk lighting. October 29, 1950 · Ogden and Ashland Blvd., Chicago, IL An old electric train car with 'RAPID TRANSIT' lettering on its side travels on elevated tracks near a building with a 'MOODY PIE CO' sign. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban car on an elevated track, with the Moody Pie Company building visible in the background. October 30, 1950 · Lake Paulina An elevated train of vintage wooden 'L' cars travels across a metal truss bridge above a river, with a large building visible behind it under a clear sky. A train of Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series 'L' cars crosses an elevated truss bridge over a river, with a large building in the background. November 1, 1950 · Canal St. Union Sta., Chicago, IL An early 20th-century interurban car with a cream and maroon livery and an open front platform is parked on an elevated wooden structure. Snow is visible on the platform and the car's roof. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban car, likely in the 1950s, rests on an elevated wooden structure in a snowy, overcast setting. November 6, 1950 · Irving Pk, Chicago, IL Two green and cream streetcars, one approaching and one going away, on a brick street under trolley wires, with brick warehouses at left and a GMC Trucks sign at right. Two streetcars, the leader signed for Pulaski, run on a brick-paved street near 5th Ave and Harrison, likely on the Chicago Transit Authority. 1951 · 5th Ave and Harrison, Chicago, IL Two red and cream streetcars with numbers 610 and 501 are parked in a brick carbarn; the front of car 610 shows a destination sign reading 'ASHLAND AV'. Two Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcars, numbered 610 and 501, are parked side by side in a carbarn with overhead wires visible above. 1951 · 96th and Ashland Side view of a dark green and cream streamlined streetcar with a red stripe, numbered 4020, on curving track in front of a brick building with a large painted sign reading Supply & Hardware Corp., beneath a dense web of overhead wires. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 4020 on the turning loop at 63rd Place and Central, Chicago. 1951 · 63rd Pl and Central, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar numbered 4095 travels down a slushy city street past brick warehouses with The Fair billboards, while a red and green train passes on an elevated structure at right. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4095 heads along State Street near 15th Street in winter, with The Fair billboards and an elevated train behind. 1951 · 15th and State, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar with the number 726 and destination Halsted is stopped on a city street, with tall buildings and a 1950s car in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 726 on the Halsted route in downtown Chicago, circa 1950-1953. 1951 · 42 and Washington A red and cream interurban car, number 1766, is stopped at a railroad crossing under a large bridge with the words 'Chicago and North Western System' on it; the street sign reads 'Pine Av' and the car's destination sign reads 'LAKE'. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car 1766 at a grade crossing under a Chicago and North Western Railway bridge on a winter day. 1951 · Lake and Pine, Chicago, IL A vintage red streetcar with the number 357 and destination 'California + Roscoe' is shown on a snowy street, with a driver visible in the cab and overhead wires above. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 357, displays its California + Roscoe destination on a winter day. 1951 · California and Roscoe, CA A vintage red and cream streetcar with the number 6296 and route 4 sign is moving down a street with overhead wires and a building labeled 'GUARDIT' in the background. A red Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 6296, on route 4 to Cottage Grove 65, is seen on a street with a 'GUARDIT' building in the background. 1951 · Cottage Grove and 96th St., Chicago, IL Black-and-white street scene with a streamlined streetcar under overhead wires, large rug cleaner signs on buildings at left and a tall GRANADA sign down the street. A PCC streetcar signed for route 36 to 119th and Morgan on a Chicago commercial street, with the Granada theater sign in the distance. 1951 · 4134 Broadway Sepia street scene with a streamlined streetcar under trolley wires on a shop-lined street, while pedestrians cross the intersection and a crowd stands on the corner. A PCC streetcar signed 63-Stony Island, likely Chicago Transit Authority, at 63rd Street and Loomis Boulevard, Chicago, with pedestrians crossing in the foreground. 1951 · 63rd and Loomis Blvd, Chicago, IL A green and cream Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit train, car number 6150, travels on an elevated track with a destination sign reading 'JACKSON PARK', set against an urban skyline with water towers. A CTA 6000-series rapid transit car, number 6150, heads toward Jackson Park on an elevated structure in Chicago, likely in the 1950s or 1960s. 1951 · Racine Ave A green and cream streetcar with its trolley pole raised sits on a curved track beside a covered shelter and a wooden fence. A longer, older streetcar and part of another car stand across a paved loop under overhead wires. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar signed for Western stands at an off-street loop with a passenger shelter, with older streetcars in the background. 1951 · Western and 49 and Berwyn, Chicago, IL A black and white photo shows a CTA bus on a city street at dusk, surrounded by parked cars and pedestrians, with large glowing signs for shops like Sears and Bond's above. A Chicago Transit Authority New Look bus, number 638, on route 8 Halsted, moves down a busy street at dusk, flanked by vintage automobiles and illuminated storefronts. 1951 · 64th St. A black-and-white photo shows a 1950s CTA bus numbered 5207 on a cobblestone street with trolley tracks, a dark streetcar behind it, and brick buildings lining the road. A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus on route 73 at Armitage and Clark, with a vintage streetcar in the background. 1951 · Armitage and Campbell, Chicago, IL A vintage streetcar and a bus on a wide Chicago street lined with tall buildings and 1940s cars. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 629, on a downtown street in the 1940s, sharing the road with buses and vintage automobiles. 1951 · 4 and Washington, Chicago, IL A red Birney streetcar marked 351 travels down a busy State Street in Chicago, flanked by buildings with signs for 'BOND' and 'COLE JEWELERS', with vintage cars and pedestrians on the sidewalks. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 351, operates on State Street in downtown Chicago, surrounded by mid-century traffic and pedestrians. 1951 · State and Jackson, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage wooden 'L' car with a clerestory roof, stopped at an elevated station. The front sign reads 'A LAKE', and a 'Del Monte Fruit Co.' ad is visible on the platform wall. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company Master Unit rapid transit car at an elevated station platform, with a destination sign reading 'A LAKE'. 1951 · Wells and Madison, Chicago, IL A vintage tan and cream interurban railcar with the number 268 and a 'LOCAL KENWOOD' sign, stopped on elevated tracks near a signal tower. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car, number 268, in its original tan and cream livery, stopped at an elevated station. 1951 · 40th and Indiana, Chicago, IL Two Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban cars on an elevated track, surrounded by buildings. A Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban car on an elevated structure in Chicago, with another car visible in the distance. 1951 · Wells St. Terminal, Chicago, IL A red and cream interurban car with the number 505 on its side, labeled 'MILWAUKEE' on its front, is shown on a snowy street with passengers visible through its windows, in front of a Tudor-style building. A Milwaukee Road Master Unit interurban car, number 505, in orange and cream livery, stands on a snow-dusted street with passengers on board. January 1951 · Logan Blvd, Milwaukee, WI A vintage electric work car with the number W 205 on its front, parked on a snow-covered track in a rail yard with overhead wires and other cars in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines electric work car, number W 205, stands in a snow-covered yard, its dual control cabs and flatcar body clearly visible under overhead wires. January 1951 · 77th and Vincennes, Chicago, IL The interior of an old streetcar with wooden walls, woven seats, and overhead light bulbs illuminating vintage advertisements. The warmly lit interior of a vintage streetcar, featuring wooden paneling and woven cane seats, viewed from the rear toward the front door. March 1951 A red Birney streetcar, number 277, travels on a snowy city street under trolley wires, with large brick and white factory buildings behind it. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 277, is shown on a winter day at the intersection of State and Wacker, with the Steele-Wedeles and Central Cold Storage buildings in the background. March 1951 · State and Wacker, Chicago, IL Three red and white interurban cars from the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee line are parked side-by-side in a snowy yard, with complex overhead wiring above them. A lineup of Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban cars, including car 330, in a snow-dusted yard under an intricate web of overhead wires. March 13, 1951 · Kedzie Jackson Barn A blue and white streamlined interurban car, number 716, travels on a curved track through a snowy, industrial landscape. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Electroliner 716 rounding a curve on a snowy day. March 30, 1951 · N. Elgin Dv. A line of red interurban railcars on a city street with steam rising from factory chimneys behind them, surrounded by 1950s cars. Three red South Shore Line interurban cars on street running trackage in Chicago, with factory smokestacks in the background. April 1951 · 40th and Ashland Two dark green and cream rapid transit cars travel on an elevated steel trestle above a street scene with a large black steam crane and several vintage automobiles. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series rapid transit car on an elevated structure above street-level construction featuring an American Bridge Company steam crane, likely in the late 1930s or early 1940s. April 28, 1951 · Lake Market Two red streetcars and vintage cars on a cobblestone street in Chicago, Illinois, in June 1951, with overhead wires and buildings in the background. A street scene in Chicago, Illinois, circa June 1951, featuring two red streetcars and several automobiles on a cobblestone street with streetcar tracks and overhead wires. June 1951 · Ogden and Roosevelt, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with a red stripe, signed 63-CENTRAL PARK, rounds a curve on a brick street with streetcar tracks; a brick hotel building is at left, trees and parked 1940s cars are behind it, and a dark storm sky is overhead. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 4023 on route 63 to Central Park on the brick pavement at 64th Street and Stony Island Avenue, likely about 1949 to 1953. July 1, 1951 · 64th and Stony Island, Chicago, IL A white, orange, and blue streetcar with the number 1023 on its front is stopped at an intersection on a cobblestone street, with vintage cars and a brick building in the background. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar, number 1023, heads toward 63-Central Park on a cobblestone street lined with 1950s cars and a brick hotel. July 1, 1951 · 64th and Stony Island, Chicago, IL