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Eras

1950s

331 photographs

Two vintage Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban railcars, 3003 and 3004, travel on a track bordered by grass and trees, with a large water tank visible behind them under an overcast sky.

A pair of Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban cars, numbered 3003 and 3004, on a private right-of-way with a water tower in the background. 1953 · Elgin Gas Work Spur

A green and cream PCC streetcar numbered 7178 on a Chicago street in 1953, surrounded by 1950s automobiles and storefronts.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar, number 7178, travels down a city street in 1953. 1953 · Clark and Devon, Chicago, IL

A black and white photograph of a classic PCC streetcar in Chicago, numbered 1208 and heading for Morgan Street, passing under a large bridge sign for Englewood Union Station.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar, number 1208, on route 36 to Morgan Street, is pictured under the Englewood Union Station bridge. 1953 · 36 and State

A green and cream streetcar on a cobbled street with tracks under overhead wires. A pale blue station wagon and a man crossing the street are in the foreground, and parked cars and old brick buildings with shop signs line the street.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar signed for Route 22 in summer street traffic in Chicago, Illinois. 1953 · Clark and Chicago, Chicago, IL

Black-and-white photo of a streamlined streetcar with a single trolley pole, signed 36 119-MORGAN, coming out from beneath a riveted steel railroad bridge lettered ENGLEWOOD UNION STATION.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar on route 36, signed for 119-Morgan, comes out from under the Englewood Union Station railroad bridge on State Street near 64th Street, Chicago. 1953 · State and 64th St., Chicago, IL

An orange and dark blue interurban car, number 411, with 'Chicago & North Western' lettering, is rounding a curve on a private right-of-way with overhead wires, passing a wooden signal tower and a parked automobile in the background.

A Chicago & North Western Master Unit interurban car, number 411, rounds a curve on a private right-of-way in Maywood, Illinois, likely in the 1940s. 1953 · Cate 9th Ave, Maywood, IL

A red and cream streetcar with the number 141 travels down a city street lined with shops and cars from the late 1940s, while a police officer directs traffic.

A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 141, operates on a city street in the late 1940s, surrounded by 1950s automobiles and period storefronts. May 20, 1953 · 63rd Western, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar, number 1759, turns on a city street with an elevated train structure overhead, surrounded by 1950s-era cars and a large movie billboard on a building.

A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1759, navigates a turn on a city street under an elevated structure, with a 1950s Billboard for 'Red Stiff' visible in the background. June 14, 1953 · Randolph and Franklin, Chicago, IL

Elevated view down a busy downtown Chicago street with a green and cream streetcar on double track, crowded sidewalks, a mail truck in the foreground and a neon Harding's sign at lower right.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar approaches on a brick-paved downtown street lined with shoppers and Harding's restaurant sign, seen from an elevated vantage point. June 15, 1953 · Washington and Franklin, Chicago, IL

A green and cream PCC streetcar on a cobblestone street in Chicago, surrounded by pedestrians, vintage cars, and storefront signs including 'Harding's' and 'U.S. Mail'.

A Chicago Surface Lines PCC streetcar travels downtown on a sunny day in the late 1930s or 1940s, passing storefronts and pedestrians. June 15, 1953 · Washington and Franklin, Chicago, IL

A vintage elevated train with a cream and maroon livery travels on wooden-decked tracks between tall buildings, passing a signal marked '0' and a building with a 'Rubin Grand' sign.

A Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000-series car, number 2[?]94, navigates the complex trackwork of the Wells Street Terminal, with a second car in the background. July 1953 · Wells St. Term.

A red streetcar runs down the center of a bustling city street, surrounded by vintage cars and pedestrians under an elevated structure.

A red Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar navigates a busy city street lined with mid-century storefronts and parked cars. August 2, 1953 · 52 and Garfield

Front view of a dark-bodied CTA bus with the number 5306 and a 'Van Buren - Racine' destination sign, driving on a snowy city street next to elevated train tracks.

A Chicago Transit Authority New Look bus, number 5306, on the Van Buren-Racine route in winter. August 9, 1953 · Van Buren and Racine, Chicago, IL

Three vintage red and white streetcars parked in front of a brick carhouse on a sunny day.

Three Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcars, numbers 6151, 3196, and 554, parked in front of the Ashland Carhouse. August 23, 1953 · Ashland Carhouse

A green and cream PCC streetcar numbered 4263 travels down a busy Chicago street with vintage cars and pedestrians, under clear skies.

Chicago Surface Lines PCC streetcar #4263 on State Street, likely in the early 1950s, surrounded by vintage automobiles and city storefronts. August 23, 1953 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A green and cream streetcar on tracks in the middle of a busy downtown street lined with tall buildings, parked cars, a yellow taxi and pennant banners on the lamp posts.

A Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar heads south on State Street at Van Buren under "College Days" banners, about 1953–57. August 23, 1953 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A vintage red-roofed Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 64, is parked on a paved lot, with a man walking nearby and trees and buildings in the background.

A Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 64, operating on the Lake Front-State Street Shuttle Service in a parking lot area. August 27, 1953 · Columbus Dr. and Monroe, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar with the number 1788 is on a city street, with a green and white elevated train passing overhead on a steel structure, surrounded by 1950s-era cars and storefronts.

A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 1788, travels on the street below an elevated Chicago Transit Authority rapid transit train at the Lake and Dearborn intersection. September 26, 1953 · Lake and Dearborn, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar marked 'LAKE' and numbered 1758 runs on a city street beneath an elevated green and cream rapid transit train, surrounded by 1940s automobiles and storefront signs including 'ENNEPER' and 'Ford'.

A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 1758, on a street below an elevated 'L' line carrying a Chicago Rapid Transit Company train, with vintage automobiles and storefronts in the background. September 26, 1953 · Lake and Dearborn, Chicago, IL

Side view of two green and cream Chicago Surface Lines buses, numbered 1201 and 645, on a city street with a building labeled CHAS T WILT behind them.

Two Chicago Surface Lines buses, numbered 1201 and 645, operate on The Boulevard Route along a city street with storefronts in the background. September 30, 1953 · Michigan and Jackson, Chicago, IL

A green and cream Chicago Motor Coach Company bus, number 1369, is parked on a city street with a pedestrian walking nearby and a large stone building in the background.

Chicago Motor Coach Company bus number 1369, a GM New Look, is shown at Jackson and Canal in Chicago on a sunny day. October 2, 1953 · Jackson and Canal, Chicago, IL

A green and cream Chicago Motor Coach Company bus numbered 1369 is on a city street, with a pedestrian crossing nearby and a large building in the background.

Chicago Motor Coach Company bus 1369, a GM Old Look, is seen on a city street with its destination sign reading '150 WALK'. October 2, 1953 · Jackson and Canal, Chicago, IL

A vintage red streetcar labeled number 6435 and route 8 sits on tracks beside an elevated train station, with several people nearby and city buildings in the background.

A red Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 6435, on route 8, is pictured on a city street next to an elevated station. October 5, 1953 · Halsted and Congress, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar numbered 507 is stopped at an intersection with an elevated train bridge in the background, under a clear sky, with several vintage automobiles and a person standing on the sidewalk.

A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 507, on a street crossing with a Chicago and North Western commuter train passing overhead on a bridge in the mid-1940s. October 15, 1953 · Archer and Clark, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar numbered 3153 on route 21 is shown on a city street with an underpass in the background and a 1950s car driving past.

A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 3153 on route 21, navigates a street corner near an underpass in the early 1950s. October 15, 1953 · Cermak and Clark, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar marked CSL 1721 moves down a street beneath a dark steel elevated structure, flanked by parked 1940s cars and a few pedestrians.

A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 1721, travels under an elevated rail structure on a sunny day in the late 1940s, surrounded by period automobiles. October 20, 1953 · Lake and Ashland, Chicago, IL

A green and cream streetcar numbered 4064 moves along a wet city street between early-1950s cars and a delivery truck loaded with bottle crates, with large stone buildings and a clock tower behind.

Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4064, signed for Fifth-Pulaski, on a slushy winter street near Madison and Canal in Chicago, likely in the early 1950s. November 25, 1953 · Canal, Chicago, IL

Two bright orange CA&E electric locomotives lead a freight train on multiple tracks under overhead wires on a sunny day.

Two CA&E electric boxcab locomotives, 2001 and 2002, lead a freight train through Hillside, Illinois, under the overhead wires of their private right-of-way. 1954 · Hillside, Hillside, IL

A yellow and green streetcar numbered 1387 with a W roof sign travels on a wide paved street under overhead wires, with a second streetcar behind it, a large City Ford sign on a tower, low buildings, a 1940s sedan and hills in the distance.

Streetcar 1387 on route W passes under the City Ford sign as another streetcar approaches, with the note placing the scene at Pasadena Avenue and Avenue 18 in Los Angeles. 1954 · Pasadena and Ave 18, Los Angeles, CA

Two green and cream streetcars with trolley poles stand side by side on a street under overhead wires, with 1950s cars and trucks at the left and brick buildings behind.

PCC streetcars 4396 and 7223 meet on route 22, with 4396 signed for 81-Halsted, likely at Wentworth and Garfield Boulevard in Chicago. 1954 · Wentworth and Garfield Blvd, Chicago, IL

A black and white photo of a Chicago Transit Authority bus from the 1950s on a crowded city street, surrounded by pedestrians, vintage cars, and theater marquees.

Chicago Transit Authority bus #1829 on route 49 State St, navigating a busy downtown street in the mid-1950s, with the State Lake Theater and vintage automobiles in the background. 1954 · 149 and Lake, Chicago, IL

An interurban train with a green and orange car, numbered 713 and marked 'MUNDELEIN', is stopped at a station platform under overhead wires, with a 1950s car parked nearby.

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car 713, a Master Unit, is pictured at the Mundelein station in summer. 1954 · Mundelein, IL

An orange and green interurban train labeled CNS&M 183 travels down a street with visible trolley wires, passing a brick station and a stop sign, with a person standing on the sidewalk and cars parked nearby.

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car 183, a Master Unit, on Central Avenue in Highland Park, Illinois, in the 1950s. 1954 · Central Ave, Highland Pk

A red and green streamlined interurban train car with the number 741 on the front, moving along a snow-lined city street with overhead wires and a 'Schlitz' billboard in the background.

An Electroliner interurban car, number 741, of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee, travels along a snowy street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, likely on N. 6th St. & W. St. Paul. 1954 · N. 6th St. and W. St. Paul, Milwaukee, WI

A green and cream streetcar comes down a cobbled street with rails, past parked 1940s and 1950s cars and storefronts with Hotel, Tally Ho and Schlitz signs, with a green and cream taxicab in the foreground.

A Chicago Transit Authority streetcar on Clark Street near Adams, passing hotels, taverns and clothing stores in the Loop, early 1950s. 1954 · Clark and Adams, Chicago, IL

Elevated view along a busy downtown street lined with neon signs: a green and cream streetcar and two green and cream buses are in the foreground, with cars, a taxi and a red-fronted bus behind them.

A Chicago Transit Authority streetcar and buses on State Street, seen from above near Van Buren in Chicago. 1954 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL

A vintage photo show a CTA bus on a city street with people boarding and various store signs including 'HOT PEANUTS' and 'GREYHOUND' in the background.

A Chicago Transit Authority Flxible New Look bus, number 2724, on route 27 in a street scene with storefronts and pedestrians. 1954 · 27 and Stony Island

A red-tinted photograph of a vintage streetcar on a city street, with storefronts and other cars in the background.

A Chicago Surface Lines PCC streetcar, number 3890, runs on a city street with its destination sign reading 'JBS STATE 04'. 1954 · State and Madison, Chicago, IL

A vintage motor bus with the number 1366 and 'SHUTTLE SERVICE' on its roof sign, traveling on a city street with visible trolley tracks.

A Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad bus, number 1366, on a shuttle route in the 1950s. 1954 · 149 and Van Buren

A long, streamlined electric train with a blue and red paint scheme and a silver upper body stands on railroad tracks in a snowy, open field under an overcast sky.

A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Silverliner interurban car in its distinctive blue and red livery stands on a snowy right-of-way. 1954 · Lake Bluff, IL

Green and orange interurban train on a street with bare trees, showing destination 'CHICAGO-EXPRESS SHORE LINE ROUTE' and number 164.

A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban train, car 164, in green and orange livery, runs on Kenilworth Avenue in winter 1954, with bare trees lining the street. 1954 · Kenilworth Ave

A vintage black-and-white photo of a two-tone GMC bus with 'SHUTTLE SERVICE' on its roof and the number 1366 on its front, driving on a street with trolley tracks and pedestrians on the sidewalk.

A Chicago and North Western shuttle bus, fleet number 1366, operates on a city street, marked for service to a parking lot. 1954 · 1366 State

A vintage red streetcar numbered 688 travels across a metal truss bridge, with its destination sign showing 63RD-STONY, and cars following behind under bright sunlight.

A red Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 688, crosses a truss bridge on a sunny day, its destination sign reading '63RD-STONY'. February 22, 1954 · Halsted and Kinzie, Chicago, IL

A red and cream streetcar with the number 317 on its front travels down a cobblestone street lined with 1950s cars and buildings with signs reading 'Romano Drugs' and 'Coca-Cola'.

A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 317, on a city street lined with parked automobiles and storefronts, including Romano Drugs, in the early 1950s. February 22, 1954 · Grand, Halsted and Milwaukee, Chicago, IL

A row of old, damaged interurban railcars with green and cream livery sit in a gravel and debris-filled scrapyard under overhead wires.

Derelict Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit interurban cars in a scrapyard, likely shortly after the line's 1963 abandonment. March 21, 1954 · 77th and Vincennes, Chicago, IL

An elevated night view down a wet city street lined with neon store signs, with a bus in the center lane surrounded by taxicabs and 1950s automobiles and pedestrians on the sidewalks.

A bus signed for Halsted-Armitage in heavy evening traffic on a rain-wet, neon-lit Halsted Street, likely near 63rd Place in Chicago's Englewood shopping district. April 19, 1954 · Halsted and 63rd Pl., Chicago, IL

A green and cream streamlined streetcar on a wet street at night, with its headlight on and a roll sign reading 36 Broadway Devon. Two people stand beside it, and a lit theater marquee advertising Judy Holliday is at upper right.

A Chicago Transit Authority streetcar on route 36 Broadway-State, signed for Devon, passes a lit theater marquee on a rainy night, likely at State and Lake in 1954. April 21, 1954 · State and Lake, Chicago, IL

Two green and cream streamlined streetcars numbered 7123 and 4400 stand beside a faded red older streetcar on curved track in a cobblestone yard, with more streetcars lined up behind a green fence.

Chicago Transit Authority streetcars 7123 and 4400, signed for Western-63 and Ashland-71, beside an older red streetcar at a carbarn yard in Chicago. April 25, 1954 · 76th and Ashland / 69th and Ashland, Chicago, IL