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

1206 photographs
A black and white photograph of an old double-decker bus with 'CHICAGO MOTOR BUS' lettering on its side and the number 1155829 on its rear, driving down a street with two men on its open top deck. A vintage open-top double-decker bus of the Chicago Motor Coach Company, fleet number 1155829, is seen on a city street with passengers on its upper deck. May 9, 1919 · Lake Shore Drive, OH A vintage black-and-white photo of a double-decker bus with 'Chicago Motor Bus Company' lettering on its side and number 1155 on its front, showing passengers on the upper deck and a clear destination sign. A Chicago Motor Coach Company double-decker bus, number 1155, is shown on a summer day, likely in the 1910s or 1920s, with passengers on its open top deck and destination sign reading 'DOWN TOWN 7th Lake Shore Drive'. May 9, 1919 · Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL A vintage black and white photo of a double-decker bus labeled 'Chicago Motor Bus Company' with a 'Soldiers Welcome Sailors' sign on its roof, driving down a city street with passengers visible on the top deck. A Chicago Motor Bus Company double-decker bus from the World War I era, carrying passengers and displaying patriotic 'V for Victory' signs. May 9, 1919 · Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL A large red and black sign reading 'NORTH SHORE LINE' is mounted on wooden posts in front of a long, white industrial building with a red roof trim, surrounded by grass and utility poles under an overcast sky. A large 'NORTH SHORE LINE' sign stands on wooden posts in front of a long white building with a red trim, set against a grassy yard and a pale sky. c. 1930 to 2000 A red and silver interurban railcar with the number 25 and the name 'Rosemont' on its side, parked on train tracks in front of a brick building under an overcast sky. A Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car, number 25, in its classic red livery, displayed on a private right-of-way. c. 1930 to 1963 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 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 red and white interurban railcar with the number 25 and the name Ravenswood on its side, sitting on tracks in a yard. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee interurban car 25, a Master Unit, in its orange and white livery at a yard. c. 1940 to 1963 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 Side view of a black steam locomotive with a round CB&Q herald on its side, showing its number 26[?] and builder's plate from 1943. A Chicago, Burlington and Quincy S-4 steam locomotive, number 26[?], built in 1943 by the American Locomotive Company, is seen emitting steam. c. 1943 to 1960 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 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 Side view of two orange and green interurban cars, numbered 31 and 210, on tracks in a yard under an overcast sky. Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Master Unit car 31, paired with car 210, in a yard. c. 1946 to 1963 A black and white photo of a vintage bus on a city street, showing its front and side with the number 871 and 'Chicago Motor Coach Company' lettering. Cars from the 1950s and storefronts line the street. A Chicago Motor Coach Company New Look bus, number 871, on the 33 Austin Blvd. route near the intersection with Roosevelt Road in the early 1950s. 1946 · 33 and Austin 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 Front three-quarter view of a white CTA bus with fleet number 4308 on a city street, next to a yellow taxi, with tall buildings in the background. A Chicago Transit Authority New Flyer D40LF bus, number 4308, running an express route on a city street, with a yellow taxi nearby. April 1947 · Wacker and Clark, Chicago, IL A green and cream PCC streetcar numbered 4095 on a city street with pedestrians crossing, tall buildings in the background, and overhead trolley wires. Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcar 4095 on route 20 at Madison and Wacker in 1948. 1948 · Madison and Wacker, Chicago, IL An orange interurban car numbered 233S is parked on railroad tracks in a yard, with destination signs for 'DOUGLAS PK.' and 'LOOP.' visible on its ends. Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad interurban car 233S, in orange livery, at a yard with destination signs reading 'DOUGLAS PK.' and 'LOOP.' March 1948 Two light green and cream Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars, numbered 4147, run on a street with overhead wires, near a brick building and a GMC Trucks sign, on a sunny day. Two Chicago Transit Authority PCC streetcars number 4147 on Route 20 at Fifth Avenue and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, circa 1949. 1949 · Fifth Avenue and Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, IL A green and yellow PCC streetcar numbered 1240 travels down a street lined with 1950s automobiles, overhead wires, and storefronts. A Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority PCC streetcar numbered 1240 travels down a city street under overhead wires. 1949 · 8th Western, L. A., CA A vintage red and cream streetcar with the number 3152 on its side and front, running on city streets with tall buildings and a water tower in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Birney streetcar, number 3152, runs on a city street near the C&EI tracks in the 1930s. 1949 · Roosevelt and Clark, Chicago, IL A red and cream streetcar, number 1693, is shown on a city street in front of a building, with tracks visible on the ground. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1693, on a city street. May 10, 1949 · Franklin and Van Buren, Chicago, IL A close-up of a large black steam locomotive with a white stripe and a circular 'M' herald on its tender, parked on tracks in a yard with a person in the background taking a picture. A Milwaukee Road H-10 class steam locomotive, number [?]225, at rest in a yard on an overcast day. c. 1950 to 1957 A green and orange electric locomotive numbered L8 stands on tracks in a yard with trees and a building nearby. A Milwaukee Road E-50C electric locomotive, number L8, in a rail yard with a pantograph raised. c. 1950 to 1970 A red and cream streetcar with the number 6184 and route 81 on its destination board travels down a street lined with brick buildings and vintage automobiles. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 6184 on route 81, travels down a street in Chicago in the late 1930s or early 1940s. 1950 · 81 and Lawrence A vintage red streetcar with the number 6152 travels down a cobblestone street lined with brick buildings, including a Studebaker dealership and a Drewrys Beer billboard. A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 6152, runs on a cobblestone street past a Studebaker dealership and a Drewrys beer billboard. 1950 · Lawrence and Clark, Chicago, IL A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 1001 is shown from a three-quarter front view on a city street, with a large billboard for 'LEAF' cigarettes on a building behind it. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1001, travels along a cobblestone street under a 'LEAF' cigarette billboard. May 14, 1950 · Wells and Hubbard, 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 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 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 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 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 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