Busjack Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 I was under the impression that the old interior was covered over, much like when someone sides a house with tarpaper siding from the 60's (I guess that's what it's called) to the plastic type siding that's more current today. As far as the seats, I'm pretty sure those seats are similar to the pre '91 #2200 ones, except Busjack did mention the #2200's seats were vinyl blue which I don't remember. I'm not saying he's wrong, but I remember black. I'm pretty sure I put up somewhere a sales demonstration of the #2200's when they were new. (kind of comical complete with a sales model like on the Price is Right) I'll see If i can repost those pictures or find the post because the seats were black in that. I said that the 2000 seats were vinyl blue, and later dyed black. The 2200 seats were black, and as best as anyone knew, leather. There might have been an indefinite antecedent in the prior post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 16, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 Oops!! Sorry Busjack, BTW, looks like things are starting to wind down for the #2200's on the blue line. Yesterday there were only 8 cars in service (#2223-24, #2339-40, #2345-46, and another set.) #2249-50 was in Rosemont yard laid up with the ready to go in service cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmorris Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 Probably. My recollection, which probably is bad, is that the paneling was originally gray, but I really didn't note before or after. The faux wood paneling and plastic shell seat design were results of the 1972 bus procurement, first appearing on rapid transit cars with the 2400s. Thanks for the information. You don't know of any photos showing the original interior do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 Thanks for the information. You don't know of any photos showing the original interior do you? Chicago's Rapid Transit, Volume II, Central Electric Railfans' Association #115 has a picture on page 87, but in black and white and very little detail. The main point of the picture was that stanchions were eliminated (replaced by handholds on the pipes in the chair frames)--note that this is another instance where rail car design has regressed. Update: That also reinforces my recollection above. On page 84 it says "The esthetic features of the 2200-series cars included large windows, charcoal gray seat coverings, beige window masks and gray wainscot panels, loop handles on the seats..." (emphasis added). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 Slightly OT, but what were the original seat layouts in the 2400's and 2600's? I can't imagine they were the cloth ones. Were they the hard plastic like on the GM Fishbowls and Flyer D901's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 On the 2400s, I think padded vinyl inserts, either tan or orange. However, by that time, similar inserts in the buses had all been slashed, and started to be replaced with black very hard ones. Update: Krambles's book shows similar padded vinyl inserts in a 3200 as delivered (page 69). I think that the "slash proof tight weave" fabric was a mid 1990s invention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nflyer22 Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 Slightly OT, but what were the original seat layouts in the 2400's and 2600's? I can't imagine they were the cloth ones. Were they the hard plastic like on the GM Fishbowls and Flyer D901's? I'm only old enough to remember that the original 2600 seats were hard plastic. I was heading to O'Hare on the Blue Line back in 2001 to pick up a relative and noticed that the interior and seats were somewhat different from those on the Red Line. This was because the 2600s on the Red Line had already been refurbished by Alstom. The seats were the same bucket-type we have, but instead of a fabric insert for the seat and backrest, it was just a hard plastic shell. The colors of the shell were either black or orange. The lighting inside the cars were dimmer, similar to what we still have on the 2400s currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted July 16, 2013 Report Share Posted July 16, 2013 The original seats in the 2400 & 2600s were padded brown and orange. The hard plastics of the same colors came much later, as a result of the padded seats getting slashed and torn. The 2200s got a nearly complete overhaul whwn they received new lighting, fake wood, and the seats prevalent on the CTA today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
See Tea Eh Posted July 17, 2013 Report Share Posted July 17, 2013 I'm told there are about 10 left in service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buslist Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 Saw one pair in an eight car train on the tail track at Des Plaines yesterday afternoon. They were going later in the evening so presumably they were in service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmorris Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 I ride the Blue Line at rush hour, and it's getting quite difficult to find one. Waited about 25 minutes to catch one yesterday, found westbound 2224/2225 around 17:45. Didn't see any others in passing from Clark/Lake to Forest Park to Belmont. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2200SeriesFan Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 I ride the Blue Line at rush hour, and it's getting quite difficult to find one. Waited about 25 minutes to catch one yesterday, found westbound 2224/2225 around 17:45. Didn't see any others in passing from Clark/Lake to Forest Park to Belmont. Agreed. I rode the Blue Line slightly before rush hour a few days back(guess I hoped a tad too early that the few 2200s still on the roster would've entered service by then?), and rode in an all 8 car 2600s train with no 2200s(even as few as at least one 2 2200s car/6 2600s one going the other way) sighted whatsoever. Was surprised that when I rode the Blue Line in late May, that I saw a few 4 2200s/4 2600s trains in operation. I'm thinking about riding the Blue Line for a little bit of this afternoon's rush hour, just to see how many I spot in service. And as I haven't done that lately, as much as I did a few months back. I'd still like for the CTA to do one last 2200s run(or perhaps all 8 car runs with 2200s on the very last day would be like this), where the 2200s would be in the front and rear most cars, and all the 2600s be in the middle. Certainly such a reversed arrangement from the normal(where the 2200s are in the middle of the train) wouldn't violate ADA rules, since there'd still be 4 handicapped accessible railcars in the consist? (edit) Finally, I rode the Yellow Line a few days ago passing Skokie Shops, and was surprised I didn't see any 2200s laid up in the storage tracks that had been decommissioned. Maybe they were stored in the storage tracks closer to Oakton Ave., and away from the storage tracks that are the most visible to passing Yellow Line trains for all I can guess? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmorris Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 Agreed. I rode the Blue Line slightly before rush hour a few days back(guess I hoped a tad too early that the few 2200s still on the roster would've entered service by then?), and rode in an all 8 car 2600s train with no 2200s(even as few as at least one 2 2200s car/6 2600s one going the other way) sighted whatsoever. Was surprised that when I rode the Blue Line in late May, that I saw a few 4 2200s/4 2600s trains in operation. I'm thinking about riding the Blue Line for a little bit of this afternoon's rush hour, just to see how many I spot in service. And as I haven't done that lately, as much as I did a few months back. I'd still like for the CTA to do one last 2200s run(or perhaps all 8 car runs with 2200s on the very last day would be like this), where the 2200s would be in the front and rear most cars, and all the 2600s be in the middle. Certainly such a reversed arrangement from the normal(where the 2200s are in the middle of the train) wouldn't violate ADA rules, since there'd still be 4 handicapped accessible railcars in the consist? (edit) Finally, I rode the Yellow Line a few days ago passing Skokie Shops, and was surprised I didn't see any 2200s laid up in the storage tracks that had been decommissioned. Maybe they were stored in the storage tracks closer to Oakton Ave., and away from the storage tracks that are the most visible to passing Yellow Line trains for all I can guess? Not sure about ADA laws, but the problem with leading/trailing 2200s is that those are the cars closest to the elevators. Not friendly for the person needing assistance or the other riders who would be delayed. I'd love for a last run to happen with a few pairs of 2200s, but I think it's unlikely. Seems like they are just going to be replaced one pair at a time, until there's only one pair left. No one at CTA that I've talked to has anything good to say about these cars. If you do find one this afternoon at rush hour and see a guy riding with a camera, say hello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 19, 2013 Report Share Posted July 19, 2013 ... I'd still like for the CTA to do one last 2200s run(or perhaps all 8 car runs with 2200s on the very last day would be like this), where the 2200s would be in the front and rear most cars, and all the 2600s be in the middle. Certainly such a reversed arrangement from the normal(where the 2200s are in the middle of the train) wouldn't violate ADA rules, since there'd still be 4 handicapped accessible railcars in the consist?... Might not directly, but certainly would anger someone waiting in a wheelchair or scooter in the position where car #1 or #8 is supposed to stop. I assume that CTA riders still know approximately where the door opens on the platform. I also assume that the operator would have to get out to accommodate the passenger, slowing service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 20, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2013 Looks like the end is near, they have been laying up a #2200 2 car set at the east end of Rosemont shop this week (good photo opportunity) Thursday it was #2327-28, today it's #2339-40. Looks like they are giving the fans one last photo opp, before a possible total retirement within the next week or two. I still don't know if they will be running a final service train dedicated to the retirement of the series, but they had #2249-50 on the lift at the shop (maybe a final inspection before a grand finale of the series) In other news, they have removed alot of roll signs from the stored #2200's at Rosemont yard (on 7/18), I don't know if they need roll signs for some of the ex Red line #2600's coming in (10 at least this week) because some of them don't have blue line signs. So if they do run a final train they will most likely be doing it with these final 10 cars. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 I'd love for a last run to happen with a few pairs of 2200s, but I think it's unlikely. Seems like they are just going to be replaced one pair at a time, until there's only one pair left. No one at CTA that I've talked to has anything good to say about these cars... I don't know if that was true throughout their whole service life, but maybe post-1990, especially after 1999, which was the end of their FTA useful life(30 years). From 2000 onward, there were major issues on the Blue Line at times(e.g: fires, derailments) and some of the most severe, like the 2006 incident near Clark/Lake which was caused by a broken down car manufactured in 1969 according to ABC7 in that article. I remember seeing the video on YouTube where they tried pushing the dead train to Clark/Lake, only to have a cover fall off, hit the third rail and cause a sea of sparks and fill the car with smoke. At that point, they finally evacuated the train two hours after it stalled escorting the passengers to Clark/Lake. Only those who were with the CTA or new people in the CTA, especially Rail Operators, might know for sure if the 2200's were only disliked post-1990 or from 1969 until present. ABC Video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Skip all this guessing, Im guessing everybody wants to know, When is the Final 2200-Series Run & will CTA faithfully be announcing this or will we have only the May 2013 Bus & Rail Map to brag that this was our final trip on the 2200-series Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Skip all this guessing, Im guessing everybody wants to know, When is the Final 2200-Series Run & will CTA faithfully be announcing this or will we have only the May 2013 Bus & Rail Map to brag that this was our final trip on the 2200-series Speculation: We're down to 10 cars now... 10 days left in July before August. Final day of 2200's will be between 7/21/13 and 8/4/13. Exact day is unknown by me, but this is my guess, and I'll stick to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juniorz Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 Ok............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcmorris Posted July 21, 2013 Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 I don't know if that was true throughout their whole service life, but maybe post-1990, especially after 1999, which was the end of their FTA useful life(30 years). From 2000 onward, there were major issues on the Blue Line at times(e.g: fires, derailments) and some of the most severe, like the 2006 incident near Clark/Lake which was caused by a broken down car manufactured in 1969 according to ABC7 in that article. I remember seeing the video on YouTube where they tried pushing the dead train to Clark/Lake, only to have a cover fall off, hit the third rail and cause a sea of sparks and fill the car with smoke. At that point, they finally evacuated the train two hours after it stalled escorting the passengers to Clark/Lake. Only those who were with the CTA or new people in the CTA, especially Rail Operators, might know for sure if the 2200's were only disliked post-1990 or from 1969 until present. ABC Video Although I qualified my statement with "that I've talked to," I should be more specific--only a handful of people in the past few months. Looks like the end is near, they have been laying up a #2200 2 car set at the east end of Rosemont shop this week (good photo opportunity) Thursday it was #2327-28, today it's #2339-40. Looks like they are giving the fans one last photo opp, before a possible total retirement within the next week or two. I still don't know if they will be running a final service train dedicated to the retirement of the series, but they had #2249-50 on the lift at the shop (maybe a final inspection before a grand finale of the series) In other news, they have removed alot of roll signs from the stored #2200's at Rosemont yard (on 7/18), I don't know if they need roll signs for some of the ex Red line #2600's coming in (10 at least this week) because some of them don't have blue line signs. So if they do run a final train they will most likely be doing it with these final 10 cars. Thank you for the tip. Here are a couple photos and a video I got today: And a quick 30 second video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/influxed/9330337397/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 Skip all this guessing, Im guessing everybody wants to know, When is the Final 2200-Series Run & will CTA faithfully be announcing this or will we have only the May 2013 Bus & Rail Map to brag that this was our final trip on the 2200-series Ok............. I don't think anyone here can pinpoint the actual date of the final use of 2200's, Juniorz. To me, it would make sense to run them through July, perhaps early August then retire them. I would agree that there should be a special announcement since they are unique, being the last railcars with "blinker-style" doors, but I don't think they will have one. They might just run them for their final day as the belly cars of a six or eight-car set throughout a good portion of the day on the Blue Line and at the end of the day, they'll be sent to Skokie Shops or Rosemont Yard, where the flatbeds await to truck them off... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtrosario Posted July 23, 2013 Report Share Posted July 23, 2013 Saw 2345-2346 NB at Addison-Blue today at 10:00am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtrosario Posted July 24, 2013 Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 Saw 2/5ths of the remaining in service 2200s in the same consist yesterday. Cars 2223-2224 and 2339-2340 were in positions 3-6 of an 8 car consist and were going towards O'Hare at Harlem(O'Hare branch) around 6pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted July 24, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2013 Saw 2/5ths of the remaining in service 2200s in the same consist yesterday. Cars 2223-2224 and 2339-2340 were in positions 3-6 of an 8 car consist and were going towards O'Hare at Harlem(O'Hare branch) around 6pm. Yeah, Monday there were only two trains with #2200 series cars in them, one with those same four cars mentioned above and a consist with #2327-28 in it. #2249-50 has been staying in Rosemont yard alot, but it's not in storage yet. I haven't seen the other two cars (#2345-46) this week. I have to check and see if their still around. I'm starting to wonder if another museum is interested in #2249-50? Seems like it's being kept away from the general public and it was on the lift recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted July 25, 2013 Report Share Posted July 25, 2013 ...I'm starting to wonder if another museum is interested in #2249-50? Seems like it's being kept away from the general public and it was on the lift recently. I just got a magazine with an article on the Smithsonian, saying that it got 6719 because someone bought it for them at scrap value, but CTA wasn't willing to sell them 6720. (Similar from the SI official site.) So maybe you have something there. BTW, the 5000s constitute a similar size order delivered at a similar rate. However, $51,000 a car is sure different than $1.4 million. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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