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

Chicago Surface Lines

160 photographs
A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 3185, viewed from the front-left on a street with overhead wires and a building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3185 is shown in a three-quarter front view on a city street. c. 1930 to 1939 A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago streetcar, number 270, on a street with a building and a car in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 270, is shown on a city street in the late 1930s. c. 1930 to 1940 A black and white photograph from the 1930s showing a streetcar on a snowy city street with several people and old cars around it. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1211, on a snowy street in the 1930s, with pedestrians and early automobiles nearby. November 16, 1930 A black and white photo shows a vintage streetcar numbered 1211 on a snowy city street with people, old cars, and storefronts, including a 'MEATS' shop and a 'HARD LAUNDRY'. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1211, is stopped on a snowy street under an elevated structure, with pedestrians and early 1930s automobiles nearby. November 16, 1930 · Montrose and Broadway, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage streetcar with the number 973 on its front, traveling on a city street with tall buildings and a large Coca-Cola billboard in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 973, bound for Indiana Avenue, travels through the city streets in the 1930s or 1940s. c. 1931 to 1947 A black and white photo shows a trolleybus on a city street with a large crowd of people holding protest signs, one of which reads 'FOSTER AVE FEEDER BUS WED. JUNE 30', marking the last day of trolleybus service on that route. A Chicago Surface Lines trolleybus, number 82 on the Kimball-Leland route, is surrounded by a crowd of protesters holding signs on the last day of service for the Foster Avenue feeder line on June 30, 1936. June 21, 1931 A black and white photo shows a Chicago trolleybus on a city street, with a large crowd of people holding signs in front of it, protesting a bus route change. A Chicago Surface Lines Brill trolleybus, number 1033, on route 82 Kimball Leland, is surrounded by a crowd holding protest signs about a new feeder bus route in the late 1930s. June 21, 1931 · Kimball, Chicago, IL A vintage streetcar numbered 236 travels on a city street alongside a horse-drawn wagon and early automobiles, under overhead wires. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 236, at the corner of Clinton and Roosevelt streets, sharing the street with horse-drawn and motorized traffic. 1932 · Clinton and Roosevelt, Chicago, IL A black and white street scene from the 1930s showing a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar on a cobblestone street with an elevated railway in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3259, heads to the North Western Station on a winter day in the 1930s. May 7, 1932 · Franklin and Washington, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a 1930s Chicago street scene showing a streetcar on tracks, several old cars, and a person crossing the road, with a Shell gas station and a Capitol sign in the background. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar number 5460, route 8, on Halsted Street in the 1930s, with vintage automobiles and a pedestrian crossing the street. March 1933 · Halsted A black and white photo of a vintage streetcar on a city street with a pedestrian crossing and several cars from the era. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 5460, operates on a city street in the early 1930s. March 1933 · Halsted and 80th St, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a 1936 Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 418, on a cobblestone street, showing its front and side with a '95 95-STATE' route sign and a 1936 Illinois license plate. A 1936 Chicago Surface Lines White motor bus, number 418, parked on a cobblestone street with its route sign reading '95 95-STATE'. 1936 · 77th and Vincennes, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of two vintage streetcars on a snowy city street lined with parked cars and large stone buildings. Two Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcars, numbers 1971 and 1955, are shown on a snow-covered street with parked 1930s automobiles and large stone buildings. 1937 · Fairbanks, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of two PCC streetcars on a Chicago street, with overhead wires and houses in the background. Two Chicago Surface Lines PCC streetcars, numbers 187 and 178, are seen on the 76 DIVERSEY-WESTERN route at the intersection of Diversey and Harlem in Chicago, likely in the 1940s. 1938 · Diversey and Harlem, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo showing a streetcar on a wet city street in front of a movie theater, with pedestrians and an elevated train structure in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3022, heading to Elston, captured in a winter street scene near the Chicago Theater with a marquee advertising 'Love Thy Neighbor'. December 1938 · State and Lake, Chicago, IL A black and white street scene showing a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 3006 on the front, pulling a second car down a busy city street lined with buildings and pedestrians. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3006 on route 87 to Macine at State and Van Buren, circa 1935. June 1940 · State and Van Buren, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago streetcar numbered 1735, with several people near it and a car parked alongside, in front of a building labeled UPTOWN. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1735, is shown on a street in front of a building marked 'UPTOWN'. April 1941 · Broadway and Lawrence, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a crowded street in Chicago where a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 1748, is stopped at an intersection while pedestrians cross the tracks. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 1748, a Master Unit car, navigates a busy street crossing at Clark and Addison in Chicago during the late 1930s. October 5, 1941 · Clark and Addison, Chicago, IL A bustling 1940s street scene in Chicago with two vintage streetcars, many pedestrians, and classic automobiles at the intersection of Clark and Addison, with Wrigley Field visible in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcars 1715 and 1760 at Clark and Addison, with pedestrians crossing in front of Wrigley Field. October 5, 1941 · Clark and Addison, Chicago, IL A black and white photograph of two vintage streetcars on a dirt road in Chicago; one is numbered 5023 and the other 6163, both with trolley poles and route signs, set against a backdrop of large buildings. Two Chicago Surface Lines streetcars, a Master Unit and a Peter Witt, on an unpaved street in winter. 1942 · State and Randolph, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage streetcar numbered 3286 on a city street, with a drugstore and other storefronts visible behind it. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3286, photographed on a city street with storefronts in the background. 1942 · 78 and Broadway A vintage black and white photo shows a white, wood-bodied electric interurban car numbered 4427 with a navy recruitment ad along its side, sitting on tracks in a grassy area. Chicago Surface Lines interurban car 4427, a Cincinnati Car Master Unit, displays a 'Join the WAVES' recruitment advertisement while stopped in a grassy yard. 1942 · Skokie, IL Black-and-white photo of two vintage streetcars at a city intersection, one labeled 604 and the other 8010, with a storefront reading 'Marianne's DRESSES' in the background. Two Chicago Surface Lines streetcars, 604 (Master Unit) and 8010 (4000-series), at an intersection with a corner store in the 1930s or 1940s. 1945 A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago streetcar, number 1412, on the 26-Cottage route, driving on a street with an elevated train track in the background and a building labeled 'PLYMOUTH' on the right. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 1412 on the 26-Cottage route, operating on Wabash Avenue under an elevated railway structure. 1945 · 26th Wabash, Chicago, IL A black and white photograph shows a vintage Chicago streetcar on a city street with an elevated railway overhead and a large building in the background. The car is numbered 1412 and displays the route 26-Cottage. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 1412 on the 26-Cottage route at 26th and Wabash, likely in the late 1930s or early 1940s. 1945 · 26th and Wabash, Chicago, IL A vintage streetcar with the number 3298 and destination Montrose is shown on a city street with overhead wires, passengers visible inside, and a few pedestrians nearby. Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar number 3298 heads to Montrose on a summer day in the 1930s or 1940s. 1945 · Montrose and Lincoln, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 3293, a Master Unit, stopped on a cobblestone street with storefronts in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3293 on a downtown street, likely Montrose and Clark, in the early 1930s. 1945 · Montrose and Clark, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of two vintage streetcars, numbers 604 and 8010, operating on a city street lined with shops and a few automobiles. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 604, is shown at a street intersection, with a Master Unit car, number 8010, visible in the background. 1945 A black and white photograph of a vintage streetcar on a city street, with an elevated train track above and a building with 'HOTEL' signage in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 5091, navigates a street corner under an elevated railway, with a 'HOTEL' sign and a 1930s automobile in the background. 1945 · Root and Halsted, Chicago, IL A front view of a red and cream Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 856, with the destination '79-WESTERN' displayed, as passengers board on a crowded street. A Chicago Surface Lines White Motor bus, number 856, on the 79-WESTERN route, surrounded by passengers boarding on a city street. March 1945 · Ford City, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 6180 on a city street, with a 1950s sedan and a building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 6180, a Master Unit, is pictured on a street, likely in Cicero, Illinois, during the early 1950s. 1946 · Lawrence and Cicero, Cicero, IL A vintage black-and-white photo shows a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 3010, on a city street with 1930s automobiles parked nearby and a brick building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 3010 on a summer day, likely at 29th and Wallace Streets in Chicago. 1946 · 29th and Wallace, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a 1940s streetcar on a city street with vintage automobiles and storefronts. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 868, on route 80, navigating a bustling street lined with shops in the 1940s. 1946 A black-and-white photograph of a vintage Chicago streetcar with the number 400, showing a driver inside and the destination sign reading 'LAWRENCE - BROADWAY'. A Chicago Surface Lines Peter Witt streetcar, number 400, on the Lawrence-Broadway route. 1946 · Lawrence and Austin, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 4[?]2, driving down a street lined with trees and old cars on a sunny day. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 4[?]2, travels down a tree-lined street in summer, with 1940s automobiles following behind. 1946 · 3 and 73 Rd St. A black and white photo of a vintage motor bus on a city street with tall buildings in the background. A passenger is boarding, and other cars are visible. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1613, on route 41 to Clybourn-Belmont, navigating city streets in winter. 1946 · Orleans and Merchandise Mart, Chicago, IL Black and white photograph of a Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1268, stopped at an intersection with pedestrians crossing and a statue of a mounted rider in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines motor bus, number 1268, is seen at an intersection in the late 1940s, with pedestrians crossing and a prominent equestrian statue in the background. 1946 · 51st St, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 600, with passengers inside, a conductor in the front, and people on the street under a network of overhead wires. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 600, on route 42 to North Western Station, likely in the mid-1930s. 1946 · Milwaukee, WI A vintage black and white photograph of a Master Unit streetcar with fleet number 400, displaying a destination sign for LAWRENCE - BROADWAY and a 'STEP IN SAVE STEPS' sign on its front, parked on a snowy street. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 400, is shown on a winter day with its destination sign reading "LAWRENCE - BROADWAY". 1946 · Lawrence and Austin, Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo of a vintage streetcar, number 3286, on a city street with storefronts and pedestrians visible. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3286, operates on a city street in the 1930s or 1940s. 1946 · Montrose and Broadway, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a streetcar on a city street with an elevated train above it and storefronts along the sidewalk. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3260, travels along a city street under an elevated rapid transit line. 1946 · 69th and Normal Blvd A black-and-white street scene from the 1930s showing a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 3260 on the street, with a Chicago Rapid Transit Company elevated car visible on the structure above. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 3260, on a street below an elevated structure carrying a Chicago Rapid Transit Company car, likely at 69th and Normal Boulevard in the late 1930s. 1946 · 69th and Normal Blvd., Chicago, IL A black-and-white photo shows a vintage double-decker bus on a wide city street, with pedestrians on the sidewalks and multi-story buildings lining the road. The bus displays route 51 Sheridan Road and destination Adams. A Chicago Surface Lines double-decker bus, number 114, runs on Sheridan Road in Chicago under overcast skies, likely in the late 1930s or 1940s. 1946 · Sheridan and Wilson, Chicago, IL A black and white photo of a vintage motor bus on a city street with trolley tracks, surrounded by 1940s cars and two pedestrians on the sidewalk. A Chicago Surface Lines bus, number 3425, travels along a street with embedded trolley tracks, likely on route 31 Cottage Grove, in the late 1940s. 1946 · 31 and Pitney Ct., Chicago, IL 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 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 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