2400-series - Updates (Retired)

[Brandon93]

I'm really gonna miss these cars. These cars had the best seating setup ever. We're never gonna see anything like it again for at least 50 years.

Especially the seats by the operator I could look straight out the window as oppose to the 2600/3200's to turn my head and look out the window.

[Busjack]

Apparently according to SubChat the 2400s are done as of today...

Also, according to chicagobus.org

[Juniorz]

There's going to be a farewell celebration if you missed today. (still in the planning stages) The question is on what line it will be on. Someone I talked to claimed they would take some #2400's from Skokie Shops and they wouldn't be work motors. I guess they really don't want anyone on those.

Well I enjoyed the trip, rode both sets of #2400's today. I took a bunch of shots I'll upload them when I have more time like maybe tonight. Mostly people from HQ were in attendance, people who you would usually expect to see like Graham Garfield, Bruce Moffat and supervision and a few others. The #2400's work train was at Midway station as well. Took a few shots of that as it was pulling out. Don't know how long it was there before we showed up. Some more #2600's showed up today as well at Midway yard I'll put those in the "L" rosters thread.

This explains what occurred this morning, it is a done deal.............

[BusHunter]

They claim they want to put the stripes on a #2400 set to be the farewell old friends train. So it's going to be a mock 70's train like the #2200's farewell trains were. I don't see how they could do the charcoal around the windows. Would be nice if they painted the end caps even if it was just on a front and back car.

[Pink Jazz]

Perhaps the farewell trip will be on the Green Line, as historically the 2400s were the dominant series on the line, with it being 100% 2400s for many years. Purple is also a possibility. The Orange Line on the other hand has only had 2400s since 2012; prior to that it was 100% 3200-series.

[sw4400]

Perhaps the farewell trip will be on the Green Line, as historically the 2400s were the dominant series on the line, with it being 100% 2400s for many years. Purple is also a possibility. The Orange Line on the other hand has only had 2400s since 2012; prior to that it was 100% 3200-series.

Brown Line got 2400's brand new in 1976-1978 to have a mixed fleet of 6000's and 2400's there. They could run the Farewell charter from Kimball to the Loop as well.

[garmon757]

Brown Line got 2400's brand new in 1976-1978 to have a mixed fleet of 6000's and 2400's there. They could run the Farewell charter from Kimball to the Loop as well.

Just run the damn charter on every line since they were mostly on all lines (branches)!!!! :p

[BusHunter]

So here is my shots from the last #2400's in revenue service on the Orange line

Let's start with a look at the final consist:

Then here's a picture of from left to right,Graham Garfield, the operator of the train, and Bruce Moffat

Then I have a few pictures of the other #2400 train, this would be the second to last in service

Then i have a work train which was sitting at Midway station and pulled out destined for Midway Shop.

Then we have the arrival of the last train at 35th/Archer as well as the final departure of the train to Midway yard

[qwantae]

It's kinda sad that they're retiring and I already miss them so much. :'(

I miss them so much dearly on the Green Line, I wish they would've spent rest of their service lives on the Green instead of Orange Line.

[Mr.cta85]

Just run the damn charter on every line since they were mostly on all lines (branches)!!!!

What he said ^^^^^^^ lol

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

I'm so going to miss these cars, I don't care how much I've said that before. If I miss the Farewell Old Friends run I'm going to be really bummed out. I just hope it's at least on the Green Line.

I miss them so much dearly on the Green Line, I wish they would've spent rest of their service lives on the Green instead of Orange Line.

Seconded! I think all of us Green Line riders could have enjoyed the last years of their service lives. Yeah, the 5000s are cool and whatever, but I think I was so happy back when the Green Line was getting the 5000s that I forgot I couldn't even get a seat on them...

[chgofan78]

There's a 8 car train of 2400s sitting in Howard yard tonight with 2441-2442 at the tail end.

[Pink Jazz]

There's a 8 car train of 2400s sitting in Howard yard tonight with 2441-2442 at the tail end.

I wonder if that is a hint that the farewell trip will be on the Purple Line.

[R36BoxMotor]

There's going to be a farewell celebration if you missed today (still in the planning stages). The question is on what line it will be on. Someone I talked to claimed they would take some #2400's from Skokie Shops and they wouldn't be work motors. I guess they really don't want anyone on those.

Liability issues with work motors in passenger service, I suspect? At NYCT there are some cars such as a number of R33 and R36s and surplus R32s as work motors, and although operational/roadworthy, they cannot be used for passenger service, (only crews and employees on board allowed).

[sw4400]

Brown Line should be at least one section for a Farewell Charter, IMO.... lots of history on the Ravenswood/Brown Line....

2400's on the Ravenswood/Brown Line(All Photos In The Chicago-l.org collection):

Pic #1(5/26/78)

Pic #2(8/14/78)

Pic #3(Unknown Date)

Pic #4(8/17/78)

Pic #5(8/14/78)

Pic #6(8/??/78)

Pic #7(8/8/81)

Pic #8(8/17/78)

Pic #9(8/16/78)

Pic #10(5/26/78)

Pic #11(8/31/82)

Pic #12(Unknown Date, Late '70's)

This doesn't include all the Ravenstons and Brownages assigned with 2400's.

Sad truth is only one line will most likely be allowed the Charter, and it'll probably be the Green Line which only got them after it's reopening and retiring of the 2000's or the Purple Line which had them for the longest aside from the Brown and Red.

[Juniorz]

Wishful thinking, but how about making the last ceremonial trip a memorable one, a Red Line Train to 63rd/Ashland, it's wishful thinking, but why not throw the notion out there

[andrethebusman]

Liability issues with work motors in passenger service, I suspect? At NYCT there are some cars such as a number of R33 and R36s and surplus R32s as work motors, and although operational/roadworthy, they cannot be used for passenger service, (only crews and employees on board allowed).

The 2400 "work motors" were never exclusively work-service. They were used in passenger service every day until only a few months ago, and were considered "available for passenger service" apparently until now.

The NYCTA work motors are a completely different creature. Most are in fact unpowered "cabooses", as they are used in diesel-powered work trains to give the laborers a place to sit down out of the weather while enroute to and from the work site. Most have only a few seats, and have tool and clothes lockers installed. Years ago, there were work motors that were still fully functional and with full interiors used mostly for garbage trains, but that was a long time ago. In recent times, garbage trains used whatever cars were handy, plus the Cincinnati & Lake Erie box motor replicas that Kawasaki built in the 1980's.

[sw4400]

The work motor 2400's will not be retired anytime soon. They'll be used to continue transporting equipment inside and on flatcars as needed throughout the system.

Quoted directly from a news article

"A couple dozen of the cars, with red-and-white stripes on the ends and sides, will remain indefinitely for maintenance purposes."

The press doesn't sound too confident in the replacements...

"The last of the controversial 5000-series ‘L’ cars should be delivered next year....."

[chgofan78]

There's a 8 car train of 2400s sitting in Howard yard tonight with 2441-2442 at the tail end.

2473-2474 and 2505-2506 plus 2 more cars are part of this train sitting in Howard yard. All of the destination signs have been removed. I wouldn't be surprised if instead of putting the stripes and charcoal coloring on these cars for the farewell trip, the cta decides to use a wrap on the entire car of the old logo. It may not be very authentic, but it did fool a lot of people when pace started wrapping its NABI buses with the blue wraps.

[BusHunter]

Hey that sounds kinda cool but wouldn't it be expensive?

[Busjack]

Hey that sounds kinda cool but wouldn't it be expensive?

Since Graham Garfield has access to the print shop, it depends on what he can do, as illustrated by the realistic looking, but ultimately fake destination signs on the 2200s farewell trip.

However, since wraps are usually contracted out, I would be shocked if that came to pass.

[chicagopcclcar]

Sponsors for the" 2400s Farewell Trip" at the CTA have a number of decisions to make. Easiest to make is deciding on a rollsign and I predict it would be the "Chicago" rollsigns that were sported when the cars made their debut runs. A cache of stripes and the charcoal masks would make duplication an easy task. Painted end covers would be needed only on the end cars.

Deciding where to run the trip might involved train length. A eight-car train could be run almost system-wide except the Evanston on the Purple line and East 63rd Branch on the Green line. Operations personnel could use a trick used by the Holiday Train by cutting out doors, then an eight-car train could run on those two lines.

[BusHunter]

They should just have a two day weekend event where they can run the cars on all lines. I'd like to see them on the Blue line something I haven't experienced since I was a kid over 30 years ago.

[Mr.cta85]

Here's a question for you guys. Have anyone ever seen a 2400 series coupled with the 2000's? I've seen them paired with the 26, 32, and the 2200 series for the exception of the 2000's. I missed those 2000 series trains by the way they were awesome.

[chicagopcclcar]

Here's a question for you guys. Have anyone ever seen a 2400 series coupled with the 2000's? I've seen them paired with the 26, 32, and the 2200 series for the exception of the 2000's. I missed those 2000 series trains by the way they were awesome.

Unfortunately, the CTA personnel didn't share your feelings that the "New Look" Pullmans were "awesome", especially the personnel in charge in maintaining them. People say that's one of the reasons that the 2000s did not get any "farewell goodbyes."