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

Chicago Surface Lines

160 photographs
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 high-angle view of a red streetcar turning a corner on a city street, surrounded by 1940s cars and brick buildings, with a person standing on the car's roof. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar navigates a city street in the late 1940s, with vintage automobiles and brick buildings lining the road. May 12, 1954 · Larrabee Division, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar from the Chicago Surface Lines turns at a street intersection in Chicago, surrounded by 1940s automobiles, brick buildings, and visible trolley wires. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, likely numbered [?]3, navigates a cobblestone intersection in Chicago during the 1940s, with vintage automobiles and storefronts lining the street. May 12, 1954 · Halsted - Grand, Chicago, IL A red and white Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 141 is positioned on a bascule bridge with vintage cars and a control tower nearby under a clear sky. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 141, stands on a bascule bridge under a clear sky in the late 1940s. May 24, 1954 · Halsted Lumber