Your Favorite CTA Logo.

[jesi2282]

Hey Guys, just wondering what your favorite CTA logo is.

[Buslover88]

My favorite Livery is the Newest one

[CTA 9537]

My favorite livery is green I think it looks the best and it is the one I grew up with.

[Busjack]

When you say the green logo, I assume you mean the one with "Metropolitan Transit" over it, from chicago-l.org, identified as 1956-1970s.

I thought that the CTA was associated with Household Finance Corporation (HFC), because they used similar circular logos with similar lettering.

[jesi2282]

Yep, that's the green logo I'm talking about.

[RJL6000]

Yep, that's the green logo I'm talking about.

I have very fond memories of that logo. It was the original logo that was put onto the sides of the 2000-series Pullman 'L' cars with air conditioning (ordered in 1962 and delivered in 1964), which were at the time painted in a Mint Green and Alpine White scheme (the as-delivered livery of the 2000's) which the 6000's were repainted in between the mid-1960's and early 1970's (the last 6000's repainted from their original Mercury Green/Swamp Holly Orange/Croydon Cream livery were the cars in the 6511-6720 group assigned to the West-Northwest Route, which occured around 1972, a couple of years after the Kennedy extension of the Milwaukee line to Jefferson Park opened). When I began riding the 'L' at a very early age of 5 (that was in 1970), all of the 2000's (2001-2180) were assigned to the then-new West-South (Lake-Dan Ryan) route (the famous 6000-series St. Louis Car Company cars from the 1950's were never officially assigned to either the Lake route or the West-South route during their lifespan). When the 2000's were repainted silver and black throughout 1973 and 1974, I lamented the loss of the logo on those cars. (Later in their lives, cars 2181-2182 were created through the renumbering of existing cars whose mates were retired.)

The West-South route also had some 2200-series Budd cars assigned to supplement the 2000's. The remaining 2200's were assigned to the West-Northwest Route (which continued to use primarily 6000's at the time). The 2200's did not, and still don't, have a logo applied to them. (All of the 2200's are today assigned to the Blue Line; cars "2351-2352" are actually cars 2307 and 2316, renumbered. Unit 2289-2290 was destroyed in the infamous 1977 Loop accident, while car 2342 was destroyed in an accident at the then-new Cicero station on the Douglas (now Cermak) branch of the Blue Line. 2342's mate 2341 was converted to a training car, as was car 2257, whose mate 2258 was eventually sold to Universal Studios in Hollywood.)

[Busjack]

I voted for the Green one, because it is so CTA (the new one is too "punk" in my mind).

BTW, does anyone remember if the 1972 New Looks (those 1000s) had them? By the time the 9000s arrrived, there was the RTA logo as part of a rounded rectangle saying "Chicago Transit Authority" both under the windshield and on the rocker panels (the Nortran 400s had something similar, but saying Nortran) and a non-italic "cta" over the front door and driver's window.

[trainman8119]

Yes, when the 1000 series came in, they did have the old CTA logo. In fact the 7400 series also had them too !!!

Check out 1233 and 7449

[Busjack]

That guy, http://www.busdrawings.com, has a great CTA collection. The Harry Gershen pictures clearly show how transit was in 1974, including the sign format for the train station runs on the Drexel bus, the Elston-Clybourn bus for those pushing for its return, proof that the 8800s were sent to NP after the 7500s came to 69th, the 1974 only sign format, and the Bicentennial (see I said it was 1974) design. The Paul Hunnell ones are much later (note the pine and green design and the garage code in the run box; I would guess mid or late 1980s), and establish, for instance, that some 1200s were shifted from Forest Glen or Kedzie to Archer. Does anyone else have a better idea about when those pictures were taken?

There are a few things that show that he is not from Chicago, such as saying that the location of 8748 is unknown (it is clearly at Howard, as indicated by CTA Evanston 23 in the background) and references to the "West Terminal" route. We'll let that pass.

Thank you for finding this.

[trainman8119]

The 1233 and 7449 pics show 2 things that I really liked and miss.

1. Bus numbers being under the windshield (easy to read)

2. Old curtain destination signs...which can be easily read even in a so-so picture.

And to add a 3rd thing...the old logo under the first window.

Bring em all back !!!!!!!!

[Buslover88]

Yeah, bring them all back! :cool:

[cta1060]

The green was the right color on the GM buses. I remember them well in the 1980's and into the 1990's. The white was OK on the GMs. Green will always be #1 on the GM's.

[Buslover88]

Paul Hunnel's Photos are either from 1986 (as incidated with the Americana) or from 1987-1990 or even from 1991-1992, as incidated with the TMCs

[cta6085]

At Least The 103rd Garage Has The Old Logo That Says "cta"

[Operator]

I like the speed logo in red,white,& blue the best. the new logo is like CTA is tryin to put on a throw-back jersey.

[Zol87]

The best logo is the speed letters CTA logo. The best paint scheme is the Bicentennial and Red, White and Blue stripes. I miss that look.

[qwantae]

I like the Fast lettering CTA thats still on 4400s best. I really miss the Green Logo, I'll put that second.

[CHI74]

Ah yes !!! the green limousine's back to the thrilling days of the super transfer drivers with the whole punchers and the fact that you could pay for your ride with pennies . good times .

[MRCTA]

When you say the green logo, I assume you mean the one with "Metropolitan Transit" over it, from chicago-l.org, identified as 1956-1970s.

I thought that the CTA was associated with Household Finance Corporation (HFC), because they used similar circular logos with similar lettering.

Now, that was THE Logo right there! I remember it on the old Flxible propanes and Flxible New Looks as a kid in the 1960s and 1970s and, also, on the Mack Buses(Macks)too until CTA retired it in 1975 for the small letter italic "cta" as seen on the 9000 buses that year(1975)!

[MRCTA]

Yes, when the 1000 series came in, they did have the old CTA logo. In fact the 7400 series also had them too !!!

Check out 1233 and 7449

I remember those 1972 and 1973 GMC "Fishbowl" buses with the "old school" green CTA "Metropolitan Transit" logo, too!