Favorite Collectible

[Wolfman]

Some of us are collectors.

Some more than others.

So, let me ask this;

If you have a collection of things from the CTA (bus or rail, no matter), what would you say is your most prized possession?

Think hard.

Now, with that said, if something were to happen to you, what do you think would happen to it?

Would you be willing to donate it to a museum or archive?

Do you think a museum or archive would want it?

Conversely, what item or artifact do you wish you had to have and to hold, and to call your very own?

[Busjack]

I mostly collected maps and transfers. At one time I had a early 70s transfer collection that rivaled the 1920s collection in Lind. However, at some point after transfers were replaced by transit cards, I tossed them. I still have the maps.

BTW, I'm sorry to hear that the bus barn is dead. Location?

[Guest]

I have a couple of cool items Ill display here in this post for my my fellow busfans to share with. I hope more bus/railfans will post some pics here.

[Wolfman]

I mostly collected maps and transfers. At one time I had a early 70s transfer collection that rivaled the 1920s collection in Lind. However, at some point after transfers were replaced by transit cards, I tossed them. I still have the maps.

Good for you! I used to collect transfers back from the 60s. At one time, I had a COMPLETE collection of every type of transfer and fare check (Oo! Who here remembers FARE CHECKS?) that was issued in the mid 1960s (back when most routes had their very own transfer). I kept them in an envelope and hoped to scrapbook them or something. You know, properly save them for posterity? Well, a very good bus fan (bus operator for SDT) that I know in San Diego was a SERIOUS transfer collector, and had done me a lot of favors. I figured I'd pass this very rare collection on to him (who was vehemently against putting these transfers in any silly book - go figure)...

Long story short, the transfers were in a manilla envelope. Said collection got put in a storage unit that didn't get paid for, so the entire contents of the unit were auctioned off. I can only imagine the transfers were thrown away.

[Wolfman]

I mostly collected maps and transfers. At one time I had a early 70s transfer collection that rivaled the 1920s collection in Lind. However, at some point after transfers were replaced by transit cards, I tossed them. I still have the maps.

Oh. I also have a good selection of CTA Maps throughout the years.

I keep them in a file drawer.

Good thing. My memory is for shit.

The other day, I had to look up the 74L Route. An ex-co worker couldn't remember we worked it out of Limits.

Hell, nowadays, few people even remember Limits!!

[Guest]

Oh. I also have a good selection of CTA Maps throughout the years.

I keep them in a file drawer.

Good thing. My memory is for shit.

The other day, I had to look up the 74L Route. An ex-co worker couldn't remember we worked it out of Limits.

Hell, nowadays, few people even remember Limits!!

I love this pic!. I grew up near Lincoln Park in the 1970s. I remember passing Limits Garage many times and seeing nothing but #9200 GMCs with "Clark/Diversey" on the front. Other memories in that time were GMC #400 series along Stockton drive, GMCs #9600/9700 series on Broadway and Clark. And last but not least were the special painted "74L L'ephant Flxible 3400s.

[Busjack]

John Kass still remembers Limits for the political deal (he alleges) to sell it, not noting that part of it was that without it, CTA couldn't even give North and Cicero away.

I also remember (late 70s) that my sister had an apartment on Pine Grove overlooking the Limits barn from the rear. A couple of years later, there was some television news special about coke dealers on the street, and sure enough, it was about the same view of North Clark St.

I think I also mentioned here that I was teed off that a LaSalle Sheridan Express turned back at Granville instead of going to Broadway and Devon (so I could connect with the 155 Devon bus), and I had enough presence to ask the CTA phone operator for "the supervisor of transportation at Limits" and was actually connected to him.

(Oo! Who here remembers FARE CHECKS?) that was issued in the mid 1960s (back when most routes had their very own transfer).

As to fare checks, do you mean like what they gave in Evanston (and later Skokie) to prove that you paid either the through fare or express fare? I remember those. When there was the through fare issue (Evanston local CTA bus and L north of South Ave. were 25 cents, but regular CTA fare was 45), there was a CTA employee who got on at South Avenue to make sure you had a fare check or through transfer. Near the end of the conductors, an Evanston Express conductor collected the "express checks" between Howard and Belmont.

I guess Andre reported that there were similar fare checks for the 17 and 97 buses, but I don't have personal knowledge of them.

[Wolfman]

I guess Andre reported that there were similar fare checks for the 17 and 97 buses, but I don't have personal knowledge of them.

No, don't recall any sort of fare checks on the buses.

I DO recall that on the 97 Skokie, you paid getting OFF of the outbound bus. I think it was premium once the bus left the Chicago City Limits.

I think on the 17, you paid extra if you wanted a transfer that got you onto the rail, as in a surcharge above the usual transfer cost.

[2200fan]

I have several rolls of "L" signs, various years of route maps, a bunch of historic calendars,and some oddball other "L" stuff. Probably my prized possession is a set of model 3200 series cars painted with the White Sox world series logos. There's probably more but this is what I remember. I may post back after I check the basement.

[Read as you ride]

At one time I had a early 70s transfer collection that rivaled the 1920s collection in Lind. However, at some point after transfers were replaced by transit cards, I tossed them.

"Back in the day," you could send to the CTA for a complete set... and actually get one. Here's mine... still around more to neglect on my part than to intentional saving. But it's here, which is what counts!

[Read as you ride]

Now, for the other questions. Hard to say what piece of CTA memorabilia I value the most. But I'll take a shot at it and say this St. Louis Car Co. manufacturer plate from car #6714. I doubt any transit museum would want it.

If I could have any CTA anything, I'd probably pick one of these parade buses. Don't know where I'd put it. Maybe in my back yard, though there's probably a zoning ordinance against that.

[Wolfman]

St. Louis Car Co. manufacturer plate from car #6714.

I doubt any transit museum would want it.

Aw.

This is great. Not only is it a testament to a leading railcar manufacturer that's long gone, but you know exactly what unit it came from! So technically, a small piece of car 6714 still lives! Good for you for saving it.

TRANSIT MUSEUMS: I think at some point, we should start a thread or discussion on them.

Loved the transfer collection as well.

When I was a kid, these were more valuable to me than any baseball card. If CTA was smart, back then, they'd have sold bubble gum! Hahahahaha! :D

[Busjack]

Loved the transfer collection as well.

When I was a kid, these were more valuable to me than any baseball card. If CTA was smart, back then, they'd have sold bubble gum! Hahahahaha!

They probably would have made money selling the transfer collection, as opposed to the garbage in the CTA Gift Store now.

I would think that tokens unaltered into jewelry would be worth something, but since the tokens had actual value, I guess people didn't keep them as collectables.

The "READ AS YOU RIDE" pamphlet holders are classic too (at least on the Big Green buses), but I don't remember any of them that actually had pamphlets.

Probably what would have been the best collectible was the CTA farebox (of the 1970s era, repainted beige for the New Looks) that I saw at the Chicago Store when it was still in the North Pier building. However, I could never figure out how to lug it home or what to do with it.

[sht6131]

"Back in the day," you could send to the CTA for a complete set... and actually get one. Here's mine... still around more to neglect on my part than to intentional saving. But it's here, which is what counts!

Speaking of transfers,I collected them in the 40`s from bus operators and streetcar conductors. One day I had hundreds of them spread by route name all over my mothers dinning rooom table. She warned me that she wanted to clean the table which I ignored. Well in a couple of swipes they were all over the floor. I not only collected them , I used them to cut out the route name and paste them on my mothers wooden clothspins which were round and flat. I pretended they were streetcars as the flat ones were pullmans and the round ones were curved roof types. I played on the floor. I often wonder what the neighbors thought seeing my mothers laundry hanging on the clothesline with street names on the clothspins.

[Busjack]

Speaking of transfers,I collected them in the 40`s from bus operators and streetcar conductors...

That's really going back.

Did you have any of the various colors allowing intercompany transfers (CSL to CRT or CMC, as indicated by Lind), or any CMC only ones?

[sht6131]

That's really going back.

Did you have any of the various colors allowing intercompany transfers (CSL to CRT or CMC, as indicated by Lind), or any CMC only ones?

Yes Busjack I did. They came about mixed with the CSL as a last ride. To be honest I was really into CSL as a kid. Most of my collection came from the old 82A as it was only 1 block from my house. I had a few operators that let me ride back and forth with them. What intrigued me was where the transfer originated and what methed of transfer was obtained before winding up on the route I took the transfers from. I was pretty good reading the punch holes.

[Wolfman]

Hey. Anybody that might be looking to buy a CTA transfer punch (surface), message me offlist.

I have a few extra. If I don't hear from you in the next few days, I'm turning them over to a metal recycler.

I'm asking $5 for the punch, and another $5 for priority mail (USPS).

Understand, these punches are USED and show some wear, but they work perfectly good.

[Busjack]

Hey. Anybody that might be looking to buy a CTA transfer punch (surface), message me offlist.

Again, my memory may be failing, but were these all circular, or did each driver have his own punch, i.e. like clovers or diamonds?

[Wolfman]

Nope. All circular.

They were in use from surface lines days. Same type of punchmark.

The rail used a rectangular hole punch.

Many of the suburban operators used a variety of ticket punches, but CTA kept to the classic 3/16" round McGill Utility punch. Uniformity, you know. At one time, the suburban operators sold Sunday Supertransfers. It was really odd to see CTA transfers validated with foreign punchmarks. Many driver wouldn't accept them thinking they were frauds.

[MRCTA]

Some of us are collectors.

Some more than others.

So, let me ask this;

If you have a collection of things from the CTA (bus or rail, no matter), what would you say is your most prized possession?

Think hard.

Now, with that said, if something were to happen to you, what do you think would happen to it?

Would you be willing to donate it to a museum or archive?

Do you think a museum or archive would want it?

Conversely, what item or artifact do you wish you had to have and to hold, and to call your very own?

I've since collected old CTA Badges from back in the day off EBay(Since November 2010)and I shared them with friends(some of whom work for the CTA and some of whom don't)and since I don't work for the CTA, I thought I'd collect some from as far as I can remember as a little boy riding the buses what badges the CTA Bus drivers wore in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s as well! That would be my most prized posession

[MRCTA]

Now, for the other questions. Hard to say what piece of CTA memorabilia I value the most. But I'll take a shot at it and say this St. Louis Car Co. manufacturer plate from car #6714. I doubt any transit museum would want it.

If I could have any CTA anything, I'd probably pick one of these parade buses. Don't know where I'd put it. Maybe in my back yard, though there's probably a zoning ordinance against that.

Seriously, would you want something like that(an old CTA Parade bus)? How much would one of those things cost?

[MRCTA]

"Back in the day," you could send to the CTA for a complete set... and actually get one. Here's mine... still around more to neglect on my part than to intentional saving. But it's here, which is what counts!

Man, that was back in the day! I used to collect transfers myself when I was little!

[Wolfman]

Seriously, would you want something like that(an old CTA Parade bus)? How much would one of those things cost?

My best guess is that these were custom-made in the shops (most likely, South Shops). The guys in South Shops have been customizing little electric stock conveyors and people movers for years and years. The platform they build on is that of a basic golf cart, or something similar.

Because of the custom work and supplies, not to mention the TIME put into the craftsmanship, you can't put a dollar value on these critters.

[Read as you ride]

Don't want to hog this topic, but I've got to show just one more collectible. The years haven't been kind to my CTA emblem (thanks mostly to my careless storage), but it's still around. I've always wanted to stick it on something, but never could figure out what, so it remains (except for this photo) in a box in my basement, curled edges and all.

Now it's someone else's turn...

[Busjack]

Don't want to hog this topic, but I've got to show just one more collectible. The years haven't been kind to my CTA emblem (thanks mostly to my careless storage), but it's still around. I've always wanted to stick it on something, but never could figure out what, so it remains (except for this photo) in a box in my basement, curled edges and all.

Now it's someone else's turn...

It is still interesting.

Do you know if it was once on a vehicle or something, and somehow was removed fairly intact? Or was it just surplus and curled up over the years (now at least 40)?

Anyway, if you look way back in this forum, many of us acknowledged this as the real CTA logo. I wonder if anyone would collect the current bullet one on Rodriguez's clown hat.