Unusued/Extra Tracks

[sw4400]

I've often wondered the purpose of some of the extra tracks you see on your trips on the "L". One that comes to mind that I see is the "Third" track at the Western Station on the Brown Line. What is the purpose of this track? Is it there for Express/Out Of Service Equipment, or is it just an unused track?

[Busjack]

That one was supposedly for storage.

There were like the center express one on the South Side Main, but that's gone. The outer tracks between Chicago Ave. and the jct. with the subway on what we consider the Brown/Purple line were left to rust away, until work on the Brown Line project, where, for instance, they were removed because they were in the way of the Sedgwick expanded platforms.

Old storage tracks also remained past Jefferson Park even after the yard was moved to Rosemont.

[Chicago13]

That one was supposedly for storage.

There were like the center express one on the South Side Main, but that's gone. The outer tracks between Chicago Ave. and the jct. with the subway on what we consider the Brown/Purple line were left to rust away, until work on the Brown Line project, where, for instance, they were removed because they were in the way of the Sedgwick expanded platforms.

Old storage tracks also remained past Jefferson Park even after the yard was moved to Rosemont.

Speaking of that center track at Jeff Park, while heading out to Des Plaines, I saw a consist parked there this morning at around 8:40 am. They had pink LOOP destinations signs. The train was gone when I drove back inbound a couple hours later.

[Sam92]

Speaking of that center track at Jeff Park, while heading out to Des Plaines, I saw a consist parked there this morning at around 8:40 am. They had pink LOOP destinations signs. The train was gone when I drove back inbound a couple hours later.

That was a rush hour short turn train. In the rush a lot of Blue Line trains only operate between UIC-Halsted and Jefferson Park. The LOOP signs were probably a fluke

[Guest]

That one was supposedly for storage.

There were like the center express one on the South Side Main, but that's gone. The outer tracks between Chicago Ave. and the jct. with the subway on what we consider the Brown/Purple line were left to rust away, until work on the Brown Line project, where, for instance, they were removed because they were in the way of the Sedgwick expanded platforms.

Old storage tracks also remained past Jefferson Park even after the yard was moved to Rosemont.

I remember as a kid when Jeff Pk. was the end of the line. We would take the #40 OHare Express bus to the airport. I remember they ran #7900 series GMCs. The bus entered at Foster ave. as you go down the onramp onto the Kennedy Expy. I still remember seeing the storage tracks lined with nothing but 6000s.

[MetroShadow]

During the Brown Line renovation (and even back before that), they had to short turn trains at Western, causing trains to turn around or layover using the middle track. They used to middle track as storage too.

[RJL6000]

The outer tracks between Chicago Ave. and the jct. with the subway on what we consider the Brown/Purple line were left to rust away, until work on the Brown Line project, where, for instance, they were removed because they were in the way of the Sedgwick expanded platforms.

The tracks in the vicinity of the Sedgwick station were removed as part of the project while the remainder of the outer tracks were removed at a later date, leaving only deteriorated wood on the outer portions of the structure.

By the way, those outer tracks were kept serviceable for well over a decade by the CTA even after the North Shore Line ceased operations in 1963, until they were permanently removed from service in 1976.

[Guest]

The tracks in the vicinity of the Sedgwick station were removed as part of the project while the remainder of the outer tracks were removed at a later date, leaving only deteriorated wood on the outer portions of the structure.

By the way, those outer tracks were kept serviceable for well over a decade by the CTA even after the North Shore Line ceased operations in 1963, until they were permanently removed from service in 1976.

As a kid, I lived near the Armitage L stop in the 1970s. There you actually had six tracks! I thought that was incredible! The two North Shore line tracks, the Ravenswood line and the North/South Howard line that operate in and out of the subway portal.

[sw4400]

As a kid, I lived near the Armitage L stop in the 1970s. There you actually had six tracks! I thought that was incredible! The two North Shore line tracks, the Ravenswood line and the North/South Howard line that operate in and out of the subway portal.

The North Shore Line tracks you speak of(the ones that have since been removed), were those "L" revenue tracks, or were those for the now defunct Freight Train Service the CTA had back in the day?

[RJL6000]

The North Shore Line tracks you speak of(the ones that have since been removed), were those "L" revenue tracks, or were those for the now defunct Freight Train Service the CTA had back in the day?

Those outer tracks were once used in revenue service by the 'L'. Prior to August 1949, there were local stops at Larrabee, Schiller, Division and Oak that were served only by trains operating on the outer tracks. In addition, there was a stop at Halsted that was served by all four tracks. Halsted was closed along with those local stops mentioned earlier in this post on August 1, 1949 (in Halsted's case, it was partly due to its short platforms, and lengthening those platforms would have required a complete rebuild of the 'L' structure in the vicinity of the station; the others were closed as a result of their modest usage).

[Busjack]

The North Shore Line tracks you speak of(the ones that have since been removed), were those "L" revenue tracks, or were those for the now defunct Freight Train Service the CTA had back in the day?

The defunct freight service was apparently on the westernmost track between Buena Yard and Howard. I remember in the mid 70s that there was still trolley wire over it, although the coal train business was by then defunct (Illinois EPA orders prohibiting coal use for heating).