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

1950s

331 photographs
An overhead view of a red and cream Peter Witt streetcar on a wide city street with vintage automobiles and crowds of pedestrians on the sidewalks. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 3, travels down a busy downtown street, likely State Street, in the late 1940s. July 17, 1951 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo showing two trolleybuses on a city street with multiple vintage automobiles and a Sears store in the background. Two Chicago Transit Authority trolleybuses, including number 788, operate on a city street lined with 1950s-era buildings and automobiles. 1952 · Lawrence and Ravenswood, Chicago, IL A two-story brick carbarn lettered Chicago City Railway Company with numbered open bays. Three streamlined streetcars are parked inside, with curving tracks and overhead wires in front. Three Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars stand in the bays of the old Chicago City Railway carbarn at 38th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. 1952 · 38th and Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a long two-story brick carbarn lettered CHICAGO CITY RAILWAY COMPANY and dated 1907, with five streamlined two-tone streetcars nosed out of its numbered bays under trolley wires. PCC streetcars, including car 4004, rest in the bays of the 1907 Chicago City Railway Company carbarn at 38th Street and Cottage Grove in Chicago. 1952 · 38th and Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL Sepia photo of a streetcar numbered 7180 entering an indoor car wash, between tall rotating brushes on a wet floor with track, under a steel-beamed roof with brick walls and tall windows. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 7180 passes through the brushes of a car washer, likely at Devon carbarn, Chicago. 1952 · 7180 Devon, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with snow on its roof travels toward the camera on a slushy street lined with bare trees and snow-covered lawns, with another streetcar farther back. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 7154, signed for route 22 Vincennes-80th, on snowy Clark Street, likely near Chase Avenue. 1952 · Clark and Chase, Chicago, IL Black-and-white photo of a streamlined two-tone streetcar numbered 4008 with its trolley pole raised, moving past a tall brick building and a Y.M.C.A. billboard. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4008 at Wabash and 8th in Chicago, with a Y.M.C.A. hotel billboard behind it. 1952 · Wabash and 8th, Chicago, IL Black-and-white photo of a two-tone streamlined streetcar with its trolley pole raised, signed 36 STATE-KINZIE, on a street under tall trees. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar [?]197 on route 36, signed STATE-KINZIE, on a tree-lined street, likely in the 1950s. 1952 · 36 and Wisconsin Black-and-white photo of a two-tone streamlined streetcar signed 36 119 - Morgan on a bridge under overhead wires, with a riveted steel railing, an ornate street light and tall downtown office towers behind it. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar [?]121, signed 36 119 - Morgan, crosses a bridge at State and Wacker in Chicago, likely the State Street bridge. 1952 · State and Wacker, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar numbered 3164 is parked in a rail yard, with overhead wires visible and other scrapped cars in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar no. 3164, painted in red and cream livery, sits in a rail yard under overcast skies. 1952 · 77th and Vincennes, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photograph of Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 3359 on a city street, with its destination sign reading 'Cottage Grove Ave' and an ad for Lincoln Park Zoo on the front. The car is on a street lined with buildings and has a Coca-Cola sign on a building above it. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3359, operating on the Cottage Grove Avenue line, photographed in the 1930s or 1940s. 1952 · 4 and Wabash A black and white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority trolleybus, number 9563, on route 86 NARRAGANSETT, driving down a street with overhead wires and a building displaying ads for Jacob Loibl and City Club Beer. A Chicago Transit Authority trolleybus, number 9563, on route 86 NARRAGANSETT, captured on a winter day with overhead wires and period advertisements in the background. 1952 · 86 and Narragansett A green and cream streetcar signed 42 HALSTED-79 comes toward the camera under overhead wires. Old brick storefronts line the street, a man walks across the foreground, and a red truck blurs past at the right. A Chicago Transit Authority streetcar signed 42 Halsted-79 approaches the Milwaukee and Grand intersection in Chicago. 1952 · Milwaukee and Grand, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with a single trolley pole runs on a wide, curving bridge approach beneath a massive dark steel truss frame. A traffic signal stands on a concrete median, and a dark old sedan drives away at the right. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar, likely number 72[?]6, crosses a bridge under a large steel truss structure. The note places it at Western Avenue and 31st Boulevard in Chicago. 1952 · Western and 31st Blvd, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with a trolley pole turns on a brick street next to a massive columned stone building. Cars of the early 1950s, including a yellow taxi, are in the street, with tall buildings behind. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar, likely in service, rounds a corner on a brick-paved street at Madison and Clinton in Chicago. 1952 · Madison and Clinton, Chicago, IL A black and white photo from the 1950s shows a CTA bus on a city street with Wrigley Field in the background, surrounded by classic cars and pedestrians. A Chicago Transit Authority New Look bus, number 1005, on route 152 ADDISON, drives down Sheffield Avenue past Wrigley Field in the late 1950s. 1952 · 152 and Sheffield A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority bus, number 1327, with 'The Boulevard Route' written on its side and 'HARLEM 152 ADDISON' on its front sign, parked near a brick building. A Chicago Transit Authority GM New Look bus, number 1327, in its 'Boulevard Route' livery, parked on a winter day. 1952 · Keeler and Diversey, Chicago, IL A black and white photo showing a line of dark-colored buses inside a garage with striped warning markings on the door; one bus has the number 1320 and a 'NOT IN SERVICE' sign; a man in overalls stands to the right. A Chicago Transit Authority GM New Look bus numbered 1320, marked 'NOT IN SERVICE', is parked inside a garage with other buses, as a man in work clothes stands in the doorway. 1952 A red and cream streetcar with the number 672 on its front navigates a sunny city street, with pedestrians on the sidewalk and storefronts in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 672, travels down a city street lined with early 20th-century buildings and storefronts. 1952 · State and Randolph, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar travels down a busy urban street lined with vintage cars and tall buildings under a clear sky. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 2143, on route 25, travels down a bustling city street in the late 1940s. 1952 · 45 and Jackson, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1327, parked on a city street with a destination sign reading 'Harlem 152 Addison' and an advertisement for Braumeister Beer on the front. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1327, is parked on a city street, displaying 'Harlem 152 Addison' on its destination sign and 'The Boulevard Route' along its side. 1952 · Diversey and Keeler, Chicago, IL A red and green Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban train, led by car 759, on elevated tracks with city buildings in the background under a partly cloudy sky. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban train, led by car 759, rounds a curve on an elevated structure in Chicago. 1952 · Sheridan and Irving Pk., Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar numbered 4029 runs on a cobbled street with two sets of tracks, beside a two-story brick building with arched windows and GOLF and HOTEL signs, with bare trees and overhead wires behind it. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4029 runs on Stony Island Avenue near 64th Street, passing the Jackson Park View Hotel. March 10, 1952 · 64th and Stony Island, Chicago, IL A vintage orange streetcar with the number 75 runs on tracks embedded in a busy, wide city street lined with tall buildings and 1950s automobiles. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 75, navigates a cobblestone street in downtown Chicago, likely in the early 1950s. April 1952 · 45 and Roosevelt Two red and cream streetcars, numbered 473 and 857, are stopped on a city street lined with tall buildings and large store signs for Spiegel and Wieboldt under a clear sky. Two Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcars, numbers 473 and 857, on a downtown street with prominent store signs for Spiegel and Wieboldt in the background. May 1, 1952 · 63rd and Green, Chicago, IL Two vintage wooden interurban cars in brown and cream livery are parked on an elevated wooden platform, with overhead wires visible. Two brown and cream Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban cars on an elevated platform, likely at Lawndale station. May 3, 1952 An old photograph of a vintage interurban car on an elevated wooden track platform, showing its rear with decorative festoons and a matching car on a parallel track. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban car, decorated with festoons, sits on an elevated wooden platform, with a second identical car on an adjacent track. May 3, 1952 A dark blue Pacific Electric Railway electric locomotive numbered 1622 is coupled to a brown caboose on a street with overhead wires. Pacific Electric Railway electric locomotive 1622, a C-1 class unit, is seen coupled to a caboose on a street-running track. June 1952 · Torrance, CA A red and cream vintage streetcar numbered 3164, identified as a Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit, is parked in a rail yard with overhead wires visible and a route number 4 sign on the front. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3164, painted in red and cream livery, is pictured in a yard under an overcast sky, with its route number 4 displayed on the front. June 1952 · 77th and Vincennes, Chicago, IL A red and cream interurban car numbered 396 travels on an elevated wooden trestle, surrounded by greenery with a network of tracks in the background. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car, number 396, navigates a wooden trestle in a lush, green setting. June 1952 · Loop, Chicago, IL A cream and green streetcar with a trolley pole and a C route sign turns across a downtown intersection with tracks, while pedestrians cross in front of tall office buildings. A San Francisco Municipal Railway streetcar showing route C turns through the intersection of 1st and Market streets in San Francisco. July 1952 · Cline and 1st and Market, San Francisco, CA A row of red Birney streetcars is parked inside a large brick carbarn with the number 5, 6, and 7 painted above the bays; a 'CITIES SERVICE' sign is visible on the building's corner. Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcars at the South Chicago carbarn in the 1930s. July 1, 1952 · 69th and Lashland, Chicago, IL A black and white photograph of a vintage interurban car, numbered 4, with a destination sign reading 'HOWARD B', on a set of tracks with overhead wires and a wooden utility pole in the background. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car #4, a Master Unit, photographed on its private right-of-way in Skokie, Illinois. July 29, 1952 · Skokie, IL A red wooden interurban car with round end windows and a trolley pole rounds a curve at a multi-track junction under a dense web of overhead wires, with a red wooden car parked beside a white building at right. Pacific Electric interurban car 435 at Dominguez Jct. October 1952 · Dominguez Jct. A green and cream streetcar numbered 7010, its sign reading 4 Cottage Grove, turns across a cobblestone street under overhead trolley wires, with brick buildings, billboards, a gas station and parked 1950s cars and trucks behind it. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 7010, signed for route 4 Cottage Grove, crosses a cobblestone intersection, likely at Indiana and Cermak in Chicago. October 19, 1952 · Indiana and Cermak / Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL A vintage green and cream streetcar numbered 3141 with a 'LAKE' destination sign, parked on cobblestone tracks under a steel elevated structure in a city. A green and cream Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 3141, on a city street under an elevated structure, showing its destination as LAKE. October 19, 1952 · Franklin and Lake, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with a trolley pole crosses a cobblestone intersection with tracks in front of a brick corner building with a Walgreens store, and a dark sedan is parked at left. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar on Route 4 Cottage Grove crosses a cobbled intersection beside a Walgreens store in Chicago. October 19, 1952 · Indiana and Cermak and Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL A black Santa Fe steam locomotive numbered 3760 is on the tracks in a yard with a red and silver diesel locomotive visible behind it. Santa Fe steam locomotive 3760, a 2-10-4, is shown in a yard with a diesel locomotive in the background. November 1952 · Los Angeles, CA A green and cream streetcar with a lit 49 Western-Berwyn sign stands under a web of overhead wires beside a passenger shelter, with another streetcar to the right and two buses to the left. A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar signed 49 Western-Berwyn waits at the terminal at Western & 79th, Chicago, with a second PCC and two buses nearby. November 23, 1952 · Western and 79th, Chicago, IL An elevated view of a city street in winter with two vintage streetcars in the foreground, one red and one green, surrounded by cars and brick buildings with signs. Two Chicago Surface Lines streetcars, a Master Unit and a PCC, pass on a city street lined with vintage storefronts in the late 1940s. December 1952 · 63rd and Harvard, Chicago, IL A dark green and orange interurban train with the number 176 is stopped at a small station platform in a bare-treed winter scene, with a man standing nearby. North Shore Line interurban car 176 at the Wilmette station in winter. 1953 · Wilmette, IL A green and cream streetcar numbered 4008 with a sign reading 4 Cottage Grove runs along a street in the shadow of a steel elevated railway, with piano store signs on the buildings at left. Chicago Transit Authority streetcar 4008 on route 4 Cottage Grove passes beneath the 'L' structure, likely at Wabash and Jackson in the Loop. 1953 · Wabash and Jackson, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar with a rounded front and a trolley pole turns on a curved brick-paved track between dark brick buildings on a sunny day. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 707[?], signed 22 81-HALSTED, rounds the loop track at Clark and Howard in Chicago. 1953 · Clark and Howard, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar numbered 7030 with a trolley pole up stands on brick-paved track under a web of overhead wires, with another streetcar behind it and a red brick building at right. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 7030 signed for route 4 Cottage Grove–Downtown, likely at 115th Street and Cottage Grove in Chicago. 1953 · 115th and Cottage Grove, Chicago, IL A green and cream streetcar rounds a snowy street corner under overhead wires, next to a brick tavern and a painted Drewrys Beer sign. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 40[?]6 on route 4 in the snow at 115th and St. Lawrence, Chicago. 1953 · 115th and St. Lawrence, Chicago, IL A vintage Chicago streetcar numbered 1783, running on the Lake route, is shown in a city street with a Ford dealership sign in the background and passengers visible inside. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 1783 on the Lake route at the intersection of Lake and Dearborn Streets in Chicago, circa 1950s. 1953 · Lake and Dearborn, Chicago, IL A green and cream Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 1733 is stopped on a city street under an elevated structure, with pedestrians nearby and storefronts in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 1733 on Lake Street under the elevated tracks on a sunny day. 1953 · Lake and Dearborn, Chicago, IL A red electric interurban train car numbered 34 is on a set of tracks next to a grassy area, with a water tower and vintage cars in the background. A red Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban car, number 34, heads toward Wheaton on a private right-of-way in Maywood, Illinois. 1953 · 1st Ave, Maywood, IL