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

Streetcar

194 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 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 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 shows the burned-out interior of a carbarn, featuring the front of a streetcar numbered 268, surrounded by charred debris and twisted metal. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar 268 sits damaged inside a burned-out carbarn, with only its front end and number board still visible among the wreckage. September 1938 · Lawndale P'Ke 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 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 a streamlined streetcar with a dark lower body and white upper body. It has a cream stripe sweeping up over its single headlight, the number 4022 on the front, and a sign reading 20 Dearborn-Monroe. It stands on pavement in front of bare trees and houses, and a second stre Chicago PCC streetcar 4022, signed for route 20 Dearborn-Monroe, likely at the Madison and Austin terminal. 1945 · Madison and Austin, 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 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 High view of a green and cream streetcar on double track at a broad intersection, with a theater marquee, shops, palm trees, a large white building and a few pedestrians and parked cars. A streetcar crosses a wide downtown intersection past the Tower theater and a YMCA sign, in what the note gives as San Diego. 1946 · San Diego, CA 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 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 Black and white photo of a damaged streetcar with a curved front and large windows, with smoke rising from its side. A person in uniform holds up a sign that says 'NOT IN SERVICE'. A Chicago Transit Authority Peter Witt streetcar after a wreck, with a person holding a 'NOT IN SERVICE' sign. c. 1947 to 1957 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 A vintage streetcar, number 1675, is shown inside a dimly lit tunnel, with two operators visible in the front cab and the destination sign reading 'DIVISION-CALIFORNIA'. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, numbered 1675, runs through the Van Buren Tunnel with its 'DIVISION-CALIFORNIA' destination displayed. June 10, 1947 · Van Buren Tunnel A vintage black and white photo of a streetcar with number 849 turning a corner on a city street, with a Walgreens sign visible in the background. Chicago Surface Lines streetcar number 849, a Birney safety car, turns a corner on the 61 - Lawrence - Austin line. September 6, 1947 A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago streetcar numbered 507 parked on a snowy street, with a large circular billboard above it advertising Blue Ribbon Beer. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar number 507, likely in the early 1930s, standing on a snowy street beside a large Blue Ribbon Beer billboard. 1948 · Clark and Southport, Chicago, IL A vintage black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar, number 6180, with a trolley pole, running on a city street with cars and a building in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 6180 operates on route 81, viewed from a three-quarter front angle on a summer street. 1948 · Lawrence and Cicero, Chicago, IL A historic black-and-white photo of a Chicago Surface Lines streetcar numbered 0178 on route 81, running on a city street with overhead wires and a building marked 'COMMERCIAL WEST' in the background. Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar 0178 on route 81, likely on Lawrence Avenue, in the 1930s. 1948 A vintage red streetcar with a curved roof runs on cobblestone tracks past a brick building with storefronts and a yellow car in the background. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1619, operates on a city street in the 1940s. 1948 · Van Buren and Marshfield A vintage red streetcar with a destination arch is stopped on a snow-dusted street with bare trees in the background. Two people are near the car. A red Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, fleet number 6[?]7, is shown on a snowy Chicago street, likely at the Bryn Mawr and Pulaski intersection. 1948 · Bryn Mawr and Pulaski, Chicago, IL A red and cream vintage streetcar with the number 1769 on the front and route 58 on top, running on tracks down a city street with 1940s cars and buildings. A red and cream Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1769, on route 58, travels down a tree-lined street in the mid-1940s. 1948 A red and cream streetcar from the Chicago Surface Lines, numbered 1592, is shown on a city street with a large industrial building and an automobile in the background. A Chicago Surface Lines Master Unit streetcar, number 1592, runs on a city street in the 1930s or 1940s, captured in a three-quarter front view. 1948 · Van Buren and Racine, Chicago, IL Black and white photo of a streetcar on a cobblestone street with an elevated railroad track above it, carrying a steam locomotive. A Chicago Rapid Transit Company streetcar, number 277, on a street under an elevated structure carrying a Chicago and North Western steam locomotive, number 1526. 1948 · Grand and Union, Chicago, IL