The Budd 2200 Series

[sw4400]

I read a lot of stories online from various sites, mostly from www.urbanophile.com, that mentions about frequent problems with the Blue Line(malfunctioning equipment, dead trains, etc...). Since there are nearly 150 2200 Series "L" Cars on this Line, I am wondering what Blue Line riders experiences have been with these train cars. Have you noticed these cars have a lot of problems during your trips on them?

[geneking7320]

I don't get to ride the Blue line that often but when I do I try to board a 2200.

I haven't had any problems on those occasions. As someone else has said, I would have preferred the black seats not have been replaced in the rehab.

[RJL6000]

My most recent ride on the CTA 'L' was this past Thursday; it was on the Blue Line. Most trains on the Blue Line during midday on weekdays are eight-car trains consisting of two pairs of 2200's in the middle and one pair of 2600's at each end. I sat in a 2200 in both directions.

[Ahmed Burson]

The 2200's, to my best friend James, are the best, most fastest trains in the system. He says that the 3200's are an evolution of the 2200's. Plus, they are the only cars still on the system with blinker doors.

2200'S RULE THE CTA!!

[RIPTA42]

I read a lot of stories online from various sites, mostly from www.urbanophile.com...

The "Weekly Breakdown" section hasn't been updated in over six years, so I'm not sure if any of his published experiences are reflective of the state of the system today.

I commute on the Blue Line and haven't noticed any problems specific to the 2200s. The few times I was held up because of door problems, it was in a 2600. The bulk of the problems on the Blue Line are related to the infrastructure, not the trains.

[qwantae]

I read a lot of stories online from various sites, mostly from www.urbanophile.com, that mentions about frequent problems with the Blue Line(malfunctioning equipment, dead trains, etc...). Since there are nearly 150 2200 Series "L" Cars on this Line, I am wondering what Blue Line riders experiences have been with these train cars. Have you noticed these cars have a lot of problems during your trips on them?

Not to me, I actually like riding the 2200-2300 series better than 2900-3100 series, because 2200-2300 series, they maybe about 38 years old but they are more cleaner and smells better, 2600-3100s are the dirtiest and worst smelly.

[qwantae]

The 2200's, to my best friend James, are the best, most fastest trains in the system. He says that the 3200's are an evolution of the 2200's. Plus, they are the only cars still on the system with blinker doors.

2200'S RULE THE CTA!!

Yeah 2200-2300 series are the best on the L, comparing to 3200-3400 are the 2nds Best. They should put some 2200-2300s on the Red Line.

[rmadisonwi]

Not to me, I actually like riding the 2200-2300 series better than 2900-3100 series, because 2200-2300 series, they maybe about 38 years old but they are more cleaner and smells better, 2600-3100s are the dirtiest and worst smelly.

Cleanliness has nothing to do with the series of car, and everything to do with whether or not anyone is servicing the equipment at the end of the line.

[Chicago80]

The 2200s were first put in service by the CTA on the Lake-Dan Ryan line & Milwaukee-Congress-Douglass Line on July 1969.

[qwantae]

The 2200s were first put in service by the CTA on the Lake-Dan Ryan line & Milwaukee-Congress-Douglass Line on July 1969.

My favorite CTA train cars, almost 40 years old. GOD BLESS 2200s!!!

[Guest]

My favorite CTA train cars, almost 40 years old. GOD BLESS 2200s!!!

Heres something for all of us bus/railfans to think about before the 2200s are gone! I suggest that everyone who reads this and tell your fellow railfans, get your video camera out and start recording the 2200 Budds before the replacements begin to arrive next year. Lets all remember that these are the last of the Chicago Style blinker door rapid transit cars! In 2010 this will not exist ever in service!, except at IRM of course!. But lets all start taking video before theyre gone!. I live near the Blue Line, I will begin this summer as my project. And I will be video taping wherever I can of the 2200s. Especially on the weekends when the 2200 cab ends are used on the 4 car trains. These cars will be missed once theyre gone just like our 6000s. Today, after 15 years of retirement we still miss them! I did this project a few years ago with the RTA/Metra Pullman bilevels, I went out for four summers and recorded all I could get of those awesome historical cars. Now the Metra North, West and NW lines resemble nothing of the old CNW days. And now the cars are gone but I have lots of video that Im now glad I took. The only thing I never recorded of the Pullman smoothside bilevels, when they were used as cab cars and listening to that bell. So I suggest that everyone grab your video cameras and start filming these historical cars (2200s) whether interior or exterior of the cars, on video before they disappear. What does everyone think???

Whos on board with me on this???

The 2200s will be no more in two years! :(

[trainman8119]

The 2200s were first put in service by the CTA on the Lake-Dan Ryan line & Milwaukee-Congress-Douglass Line on July 1969.

I think you might be a little bit off. The Dan Ryan extension with the 2200's being part of it opened on September 28, 1969. The Kennedy extension to Jefferson Park opened on Feb 1, 1970. The Milwaukee 2200's first ran on the Friday before when the CTA gave free rides from the new Logan Square station (underground) to Jeff Park as part of the extension celebration. In fact, on the Sunday the line opened, there were no 2200's in service...it was all 6000's. For those who remember, the first day of operation was marred by a collision at Belmont in the late morning that shut down the new part of the line the better part of the day.

I don't think the 2200's ran anytime before the Dan Ryan extension opened, thus their first day of operation would have been on the 28th of September.

[Guest joemvcnj]

If the 2200's are pretty trouble-free cars, while the 2400's, reading from other posts, seem to be more troublesome, why not scrap[ them first ?

This sounds like the R32/R38 situation the NYCT has: The R32 (Budd) cars from 1964 are pretty sturdy, while the R38 (St. Louis) cars from 1966 are pretty rotted out.

I wonder if PATH cars would fit on CTA ? I know they are 3 feet longer. They scrapping their entire fleet, including 95 PA4 cars by 2011. The were built by Kawasaki in 1986.

[trainman8119]

If the 2200's are pretty trouble-free cars, while the 2400's, reading from other posts, seem to be more troublesome, why not scrap[ them first ?

Mainly because with the blinker doors, the 2200's are not wheelchair accessible...while the 2400's, the first CTA cars with sliding doors are. So even though they are less troublesome in mechanical terms, they are more troublesome in other areas. Me, I hate to see em go.

[Busjack]

I wonder if PATH cars would fit on CTA ? I know they are 3 feet longer. They scrapping their entire fleet, including 95 PA4 cars by 2011. The were built by Kawasaki in 1986.

Every source on the L says that curves and platform clearance prevents using a larger car. Even though the curve at Harrison has been eliminated, there is still the one at Wabash and Lake (where the fatal derailment occurred) as well as several north of the Merchandise Mart.

[Guest joemvcnj]

Every source on the L says that curves and platform clearance prevents using a larger car. Even though the curve at Harrison has been eliminated, there is still the one at Wabash and Lake (where the fatal derailment occurred) as well as several north of the Merchandise Mart.

North Shore cars were 54'6" and went around those curves. I think PATH cars could be useful on Skokie and Evanston shuttles. Although few on CTA are qualified with air brakes.

[Busjack]

North Shore cars were 54'6" and went around those curves. I think PATH cars could be useful on Skokie and Evanston shuttles. Although few on CTA are qualified with air brakes.

All CTA L cars are all electric.

And why would CTA want cars that NJ is scrapping? CTA has 406 new cars on the way. It may take a couple of years, but unless there is some huge shortage (and it was claimed by the press that CTA has more spares than the feds think is appropriate) there doesn't seem to be a need for incompatible equipment.

[Guest joemvcnj]

All CTA L cars are all electric.

And why would CTA want cars that NJ is scrapping? CTA has 406 new cars on the way. It may take a couple of years, but unless there is some huge shortage (and it was claimed by the press that CTA has more spares than the feds think is appropriate) there doesn't seem to be a need for incompatible equipment.

The only reason I brought it up is that the PA4's are relatively new (1986), and will be scrapped by 2011. 406 cars doesn't sound like enough to replace the troublesome 2400's, assuming all the 2200's go first.

[RJL6000]

406 cars doesn't sound like enough to replace the troublesome 2400's, assuming all the 2200's go first.

Actually, 406 cars are more than the combined total number of 2200s and 2400s remaining on CTA property. In fact, only 150 2200s and 200 2400s (350 cars total between the two series) were ever delivered to the CTA. There are currently 142 2200s and 192 2400s (including those cars not currently in service due to their needing repairs) remaining on the CTA system (for a total of 334 cars). Thus, there would actually be 72 additional cars of the 5000 series after the CTA retires all of the 2200s and 2400s.

[Guest joemvcnj]

Actually, 406 cars are more than the combined total number of 2200s and 2400s remaining on CTA property. In fact, only 150 2200s and 200 2400s (350 cars total between the two series) were ever delivered to the CTA. There are currently 142 2200s and 192 2400s (including those cars not currently in service due to their needing repairs) remaining on the CTA system (for a total of 334 cars). Thus, there would actually be 72 additional cars of the 5000 series after the CTA retires all of the 2200s and 2400s.

Well, there goes that theory

[Guest]

Using cars from another system really isnt a bad idea, but of course the cars have to be somehow compatible with the system its running on. Does anyone remember many years ago when Phillys SEPTA purchased North Shores Electroliners and then in the 80s some of CTA 6000 rapid transit cars?.

It would be interesting to see rail cars from other systems running in Chicago even for a brief period.

[Guest joemvcnj]

Using cars from another system really isnt a bad idea, but of course the cars have to be somehow compatible with the system its running on. Does anyone remember many years ago when Phillys SEPTA purchased North Shores Electroliners and then in the 80s some of CTA 6000 rapid transit cars?.

It would be interesting to see rail cars from other systems running in Chicago even for a brief period.

2 SOAC cars (basically NYCTA R-44's) ran on the Skokie branch for a short spell around 30 years ago. They had to install platform plates to accomodate 10' wide cars.

Your PCC "L" cars ran on the Norristown line. They were there, but never ran simultaneosuly due to different heights in anti-climbers) with Philly Market-Frankford subway/el cars with trucks from PATH "K" cars so as to standard-gauge them.

Be a great movie shoot to see IRM's R28 Redbirds on the Loop. They once dressed up some 2200's like an IND train for the "R" train. While trying to impersonate an R42, it still looked very fake.