CTA 'L' Rosters

[jajuan]

Purple Line Run #517: #5251-52/#5243-44/#5269-70. I guess the Purple Line getting the best of both worlds.

Looks like it falling along the lines that Art mentioned in terms of them using what's available in Howard Yard. But it doesn't change that 5000s are on the Purple Line now.

[garmon757]

Looks like it falling along the lines that Art mentioned in terms of them using what's available in Howard Yard. But it doesn't change that 5000s are on the Purple Line now.

Valid point indeed. I'm just wondering why the hell #5239-40 are still on the Green Line. It's really not adding up at all about that.

[BusHunter]

#2781-82 is new to the blue.

[sw4400]

#2781-82 is new to the blue.

"It's new to the Blue. That's what I said, fool!!!"

Nice rhyme, BusHunter.... goes well with what I added and the photo.

[BusHunter]

"It's new to the Blue. That's what I said, fool!!!"

Nice rhyme, BusHunter.... goes well with what I added and the photo.

That's why he's mad and he's bad. His favorite line the blue got the screw with the not so new and when he got on he said phew!!

[Pink Jazz]

About the Orange Line getting 2600-series cars, I know it was supposed to be an interim replacement for the 2400-series cars until the Red Line and Purple Line are fully equipped with the new 5000-series cars, which then the rest of the cars from the 5000-series order will be assigned to the Orange Line to replace the 2600s, leaving the Blue Line as the only line to operate 2600-series cars and only one of two lines (the other being the Brown Line) not to operate 5000-series cars. However, I have been hearing some rumors that the Orange Line is no longer planned to receive any 5000-series cars, so it looks like the 2600-series being assigned to the Orange Line may actually be a permanent assignment until the 7000-series are delivered.

I wonder, if the Orange Line is no longer planned to receive 5000-series cars, what will the extra cars on order be used for? That seems like it would be a lot of spares just to cover the Red Line, Purple Line, Yellow Line, Green Line, and Pink Line, and would definitely be more than enough cars to at least replace the Orange Line's 2600-series cars.

[Busjack]

About the Orange Line getting 2600-series cars, I know it was supposed to be an interim replacement for the 2400-series cars until the Red Line and Purple Line are fully equipped with the new 5000-series cars, which then the rest of the cars from the 5000-series order will be assigned to the Orange Line to replace the 2600s, leaving the Blue Line as the only line to operate 2600-series cars and only one of two lines (the other being the Brown Line) not to operate 5000-series cars. However, I have been hearing some rumors that the Orange Line is no longer planned to receive any 5000-series cars, so it looks like the 2600-series being assigned to the Orange Line may actually be a permanent assignment until the 7000-series are delivered.

I wonder, if the Orange Line is no longer planned to receive 5000-series cars, what will the extra cars on order be used for? That seems like it would be a lot of spares just to cover the Red Line, Purple Line, Yellow Line, Green Line, and Pink Line, and would definitely be more than enough cars to at least replace the Orange Line's 2600-series cars.

That's still the mystery of the day.

However, I pointed out before that the spec for the 7000s stated that 400 would replace 2600s and 256 would replace 3200s. However, that is now dead.

There sure seems some reason to inflate the fleet, in that 520 5000s have been reported, which would have replaced about 130 2200s (now gone) 190 2400s (assuming the work motors were to be retained) and about 200 of the 2600s. We can assume that about 30 of the 2600s are wrecked, but there has to be some justification (other than about 50 cars at Midway yard for combined Brown Line service, while reportedly about 50 2400s are still around). In any event, my math indicates an unexplained increase of 170 cars from when the 5000s first started being delivered. If the goal of car replacement is to get rid of cars that incur expensive maintenance costs, that doesn't make sense.

Of course, there hasn't been any official explanation, other than some veiled references to fleet expansion.

Update: Thinking over someone's comment that the Raveston (Brown-Purple) couldn't be reinstated because Evanston only has 6 car platforms, they could run it express from Howard Yard to Belmont and just ignore Evanston.

[jajuan]

That's still the mystery of the day.

However, I pointed out before that the spec for the 7000s stated that 400 would replace 2600s and 256 would replace 3200s. However, that is now dead.

There sure seems some reason to inflate the fleet, in that 520 5000s have been reported, which would have replaced about 130 2200s (now gone) 190 2400s (assuming the work motors were to be retained) and about 200 of the 2600s. We can assume that about 30 of the 2600s are wrecked, but there has to be some justification (other than about 50 cars at Midway yard for combined Brown Line service, while reportedly about 50 2400s are still around). In any event, my math indicates an unexplained increase of 170 cars from when the 5000s first started being delivered. If the goal of car replacement is to get rid of cars that incur expensive maintenance costs, that doesn't make sense.

Of course, there hasn't been any official explanation, other than some veiled references to fleet expansion.

Update: Thinking over someone's comment that the Raveston (Brown-Purple) couldn't be reinstated because Evanston only has 6 car platforms, they could run it express from Howard Yard to Belmont and just ignore Evanston.

That's not quite what I said considering the Ravenston trips were still around as of late winter-early spring of last year if I'm remembering the last time I rode one those trips correctly. SW4400 had commented that they maybe started using more Brownages than Ravenstons to provide extra service for Brown Line riders because he figured not switching at Clark Junction to head to Evanston lets them send as many trains between Midway and Kimball and back as often as needed. (By the way SW, Brownages are done with Orange Line equipment actually and start from Midway up to Kimball and head back to Midway. You had it in reverse in your post). And I mentioned that it likely had a lot less to do with switching and more to do with the fact that Brown Line trains now operate as an 8-car service like the Orange Line while the Purple Line is restricted to 6 cars due to the Evanston station platforms as the Brown Line previously had been before the Brown Line rehabilitation and expansion project. I wasn't saying the Ravenstons couldn't be done anymore, only commenting on why Brownages were now done more often than Ravenstons.

[BusHunter]

Forgot to mention #2777-78 is new to the blue.

[chgofan78]

Just saw 2895-2896 out of storage and sitting in the Howard yard. I wonder if all of the Holiday cars are out of storage.

[Juniorz]

I thought the Holiday Train set were Blue Line assignments

[Busjack]

Just saw 2895-2896 out of storage and sitting in the Howard yard. I wonder if all of the Holiday cars are out of storage.

I thought the Holiday Train set were Blue Line assignments

They were Yellow Line. Hence, unless someone saw them on the Blue Line in the past 6 months, they would not have been, but probably in storage.

I'm, of course, assuming that Yellow Line is now 5000s.

[BusHunter]

Only saw three #2600 consists on the Purple line. Pretty soon they can say...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBzJGckMYO4

[garmon757]

#3269-70 were spotted on the Brown Line, #3049-50 were spotted at Linden Yard, and #2895-96 were spotted in the far back of Howard Yard.

[BusHunter]

On Sunday night I saw a set of 8 #2600's deadheading past me at Halsted/Orange line towards Midway. It was night and all the lights were off in the cars and they were all #2600's. I don't know if possibly the orange line got some more #2600's or not, I haven't been out there since Sunday evening.

[briman94]

I just saw 5150s on the purple line SB at Belmont. I believe it was 5153-54 but I didn't get more than a glance. Not sure if they're just being borrowed or if they're permanently moved

[Chicagos_D]

I'm not for sure if this is permanent or just for today. There were some Orange line equipment on the Brown line I do believe 2799-2800, 3239-3240 and I couldn't get a read on the other 4 cars.

[Brandon93]

I just saw 5150s on the purple line SB at Belmont. I believe it was 5153-54 but I didn't get more than a glance. Not sure if they're just being borrowed or if they're permanently moved

They're back on Red, so they were borrowed I saw 5153-54 that week on Purple.

[Busjack]

I'm not for sure if this is permanent or just for today. There were some Orange line equipment on the Brown line I do believe 2799-2800, 3239-3240 and I couldn't get a read on the other 4 cars.

Again it depends on time of day, as interspersed morning trips are from Midway yard.

[Chicagos_D]

Again it depends on time of day, as interspersed morning trips are from Midway yard.

My bad, I should've been more precise. It was in the evening peak sometime after 5:00 pm Kimball-bound. Unless they provide Brownage runs in the evening randomly, which would be awesome!

[Busjack]

My bad, I should've been more precise. It was in the evening peak sometime after 5:00 pm Kimball-bound. Unless they provide Brownage runs in the evening randomly, which would be awesome!

No problem. It isn't reflected in the schedule, but it depends on whether one can read anything in the "every 4-6 minutes" blocks.

However, given yard capacity limits at Kimball, it would have to be either that or a loaner.

[briman94]

My bad, I should've been more precise. It was in the evening peak sometime after 5:00 pm Kimball-bound. Unless they provide Brownage runs in the evening randomly, which would be awesome!

I saw a brownage run on the outer-loop time trackers yesterday, but I never passed it on the purple line. Instead I saw a 5000 series Not-in-Service where the brownage should have been, so I'm not sure if there actually was one or not.

[peter.pyterek]

How long before the Orange Line is assigned less 2400's and more 2600's? Its fleet hasn't been updated since August 21st. As of then, it has 54 2400's, 24 2600's, and 86 3200's.

[chgofan78]

Spotted 2871-2872 on the Orange Line from the Red Line last week. It looked like there could have been a few more, but the cars were hidden in the yard.

[Pink Jazz]

Yep, I really wonder why CTA is inflating the Red and Purple Line fleets with 5000s while not moving any 2600s over to the Orange Line to replace its 2400s. I am having some doubts that the Orange Line will eventually get 5000s after Red and Purple are fully equipped with them despite CTA's earlier claims that all lines except for Blue and Brown would get them.