Those "ghost tracks" tracks on the Northside Main Line (present day Brown Line ) were actually local tracks. The tracks the Brown Line presently uses were actually express tracks, mainly used by the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee interurban line. When the CNSM ceased operation in 1963, the present arrangement was adopted.

I love this. CTA is one of my favorite places to railfan

Some of the lines were shortened, but entirely new ones were also added (like Orange line, or trains into O’Hare). The former A-B system of trains not stopping at every stop kept the trains moving

Quite interesting on how much Chicago changed from 1975 to 2024! I follow three cities quite closely, NYC, Boston and Chicago. All have very similar histories and transit structures over the years. It's wild to think that the AMTRAK train I took out of Chicago in the early 1980's going West is now entirely abandoned and ripped. The train was rediverted onto another main line away from the old Milwaukee Road. You can still see some remains of it in Montana.

Those two non-revenue tracks are available for revenue service during cases where the loop needs to be bypassed, once I rode a "corrupted" brown, red, and orange train without transferring due to a building fire in downtown that closed the loop L. It can get very wacky when either the loop or State St. subway must be closed. The blue line is completely severed when the Dearborne St. subway goes down as there is only one connection (Paulina St. - former blue branch line now the pink line) between the loop and subway.

More remnants, please. As a side note, the tunnel on 13th and State St. was used in the move Blankman starring Marlon Wayans.

Great video history, thanks! In 1985-86, I lived in Oak Park, and took the Congress L train into the city, to work at the CBOE (Chicago Board of Options Exchange). Lots of stops between Oak Park Ave, and LaSalle/Buren. Very crowded in the morning, and in the early evening. I think it cost around .75 cents, and you had to pre-pay just to go down the ramp to the station

I kinda wish Chicago couldve kept the Ashland section of the L to avood downtown transfers. Now they needed is an orbital line between O'hare and Midway to Jackson Park.

The remnant structure at Hubbard St Curve of the brown line was a leftover from a curve straightening and realignment project many long years ago. The lead to the North Water Street Terminal was opposite the Merchandise Mart at Carroll Street.

Thanks, cool, I won’t to look at the tracks the same way again. Cheers

I wished they could rebuild all the lost lines/branches & Ⓜ️ both on the mainline & branches

Very informative and interesting video, and Very interesting that Chicago has an actual loop while the closest thing that NYC has to a loop is the M line.

When the Dan Ryan Branch was being renovated in 2013, they fully rerouted the ⬇️ terminal to Ashland/63 through the 13th Street Incline & they also did that in 2017 when the 95th Street Ⓜ️ was being renovated but only during Rush Hour

A very informative video. Thanks!

Good video, but could have benefited from satellite view maps, especially for section discussing swap of South L and Dan Ryan Branch.

Great info thanks

Chicago is pronounced "shicago," not "tchicago"

This video was amazing for a true blue Chicahgoan 😂😂😂

Another excellent historical video by you--congrats from this old guy who remembers some of these. My memory goes back to the late 50s and I recall wthat the old CAE terminal was till partly in place off of Wells. The tracks out to the Water Street terminal were still there but inaccessible as a platform extension for Merch. Mart was built over them. The Congress Street stub was till there. It was the original Alley L terminal and was used for package freight by the North Shore Line. The CNSM terminated at Roosevelt Road and used a third track in that area for storage. The tracks continued towards Cermack, meeting the subway line where they came above ground. There was no revnue service south of Roosevelt from the completion of the State St subway (1943) until the late 60s rerouting of the Lake Street line down to the Dan Ryan. Paul, below, is correcting in noting that the 4 track section south of Armitage was for the CSM post 1943. Pre-1943 it was just continuation of the 4 track sytem extending to Wilson.

You forgot the 63rd and racine station on the green line closed on January 9th 1994

It's pronounced "Shicago..."

I think it’s a bit much to say that the CTA is a shell of its 70s self. The North green line and west blue line really did have too many stops. And I’d say that the development of the pink, orange and ohare extensions are far better for the city. A revised Humboldt spur is needed, but it’s down the list of potential extensions

Are there any physical connection(s) between Chicago's elevated rail system and the rest of the US railway network?

:o

What happened to my comment?

Why are my comments being deleted?

What's wrong with having old trains like the 46s run on the lines that have cbtc because if their not compatible with cbtc shouldn't they just not have to use it at all and it would be fine?

L