CTA 'L' Rosters

[Busjack]

It's amazing that they are still using them.  They have to be down to between 30 and 36 cars left ...

Which indicates that with about that many 5000s to go, the Red Line is where they end up.

[BusHunter]

The supervisor could have been wrong also. It could be any number of reasons as to why we don't see #2600's on the Brown Line. I have the faintest idea of CTA rail operations but makes sense to me is Kimball Yard probably has primarily #3200 parts so it's probably easier to just use #3200's on the Brownages. I could be wrong, that's what makes the most sense to me.

This person is a railfan also, so it's not like I'm talking to Elmer Fudd. Kimball yard wouldn't matter for CTA brownages, as the home yard is Midway yard. Now if there were a CTA emergency, they would probably run them in earnest. If just seems funny to me, the #2400's had no problem running the brown, but yet the #2600's are taboo. So far it seems we haven't been proved wrong. Don't you think it's funny that the majority on the orange line, (#2600's) are staying on it and the minority (#3200's) are being used as brownages. Even looking at Midway yard the consists are lined up by car type. Very few are mixed sets.

[BusHunter]

How is the Blue line able to be assigned 400+ cars? I've seen Forest Park and Rosemont yards and the two yards combined (heck throw in 54th Yard also) don't look like they could hold 400 cars. Do they just run 8 car trains 24/7 now or what?

I don't know but if you look at my older rosters that haven't been edited, blue line used to have 344 cars, but they also had between 30-40 #2200's sitting around at the yards. Now those places have the cars with the chocks and flags. (The cars awaiting repair) It probably is interesting at 3AM, because there's only 30-50 cars max on the road, but they can put an extra 8 car set in the O'hare subway middle track and one even on the station track if need be. I think Forest Pk yard expanded also to the west, so that's a little extra space for 2 or 3, eight car sets. They also might have a few at Skokie shops under heavy repair and there's some on the racks at the blue line yard facilities. So there's places to squeeze some cars in.

Edited August 13, 2015 by BusHunter

[juelzkellz]

I don't know but if you look at my older rosters that haven't been edited, blue line used to have 344 cars, but they also had between 30-40 #2200's sitting around at the yards. Now those places have the cars with the chocks and flags. (The cars awaiting repair) It probably is interesting at 3AM, because there's only 30-50 cars max on the road, but they can put an extra 8 car set in the O'hare subway middle track and one even on the station track if need be. I think Forest Pk yard expanded also to the west, so that's a little extra space for 2 or 3, eight car sets. They also might have a few at Skokie shops under heavy repair and there's some on the racks at the blue line yard facilities. So there's places to squeeze some cars in.

I noticed how the Blue Line ran with around 300-350 cars in the past and seeing 400 cars assigned to them now just raised questions in my head about where they were going to store the extra 50-100 cars.

[chgofan78]

I noticed how the Blue Line ran with around 300-350 cars in the past and seeing 400 cars assigned to them now just raised questions in my head about where they were going to store the extra 50-100 cars.

I always wondered the same thing.  I know in the past, extra cars were stored at 54th yard and two trains would leave 54th shortly before the first Pink Line train of the day at 4 a.m..  They would run east to the Morgan Middle, then west to Forest Park.  The last Track map showed Forest Park storing 124 cars and Rosemont with 144.  Add in the middle storage track at O'Hare and maybe one platform track at O'Hare plus a few cars probably up at Skokie and it still doesn't seem like there is enough room- especially since the Blue Line cuts to 4 cars majority of the time at night.

[renardo870]

You sure it was in service? As in the roll sign had Belmont on it?

Yes it was. It had orange and red  marker lights and it was in service with passengers on it

[sw4400]

I don't know what is this about 2600's not being able to run on the Brown Line..... they have for years. They replaced the 2400's on the Brown Line in the 1980's at some point and stayed on the line until the 3200's came starting in 1991-1992. They were unrehabbed, but even rehabbed, the Brown Line had 2600's assigned to it in the 2000's.... here's a full listing of all married pairs...

2681-2682,2769-2770,2825-2826,2853-2854,2947-2948,2949-2950-2951-2952,2961-2962,2963-2964,2981-2982,2983-2984,2985-2986,2987-2988,2989-2990,2991-2992,2993-2994,2995-2996,2997-2998,2999-3000,3001-3002

All these pairs were assigned at one time or another between 2001 and 2004 to the Brown Line, post rehab in Hornell, NY. So, any blue light troubles doesn't seem very prudent if they ran them during this time. They still today if you think about it....

2893-2894,2895-2896,2897-2898(Santa's Express)

3457-3458(3458 is just 3032 renumbered and rehabbed).

My opinion is that the Brown Line had some of the oldest equipment when the 3200's were introduced in 1991(the 6000's were still used then). The CTA decided to phase them out with the 3200's and with the Orange Line nearing completion and ready to open, they decided to make it all brand new with the 3200's too, and the rest is history. The 2600's assigned during that time found homes on the Red, Blue and Green Lines, beginning retirement on the 2000's around that time slowly, and the closure of the Green Line for renovation finished them off.

[sw4400]

And of course these ran pretty well on there in 2003.... I even rode them several times.

 

[BusHunter]

#2671-72 is on the blue line.

[sw4400]

From time to time I hear about 2600s work motors equipped to run with air braked flats and maintenance vehicles that frequent the isolated Blue line.  On Friday, Sept. 4, six 2600s made an appearance at 63rd St. lower yard and left with the sewer vacuum flat in its consist. Interesting was the choice of number series......#31x9-31x0.....#3119-3120, #3139-3140, #3159-3160.

  

Must've either made more work motors, or they can use non-work motors to pull flatcars. 2891-2900 are work motor equipped according to chicago-l.org

[Busjack]

Must've either made more work motors, or they can use non-work motors to pull flatcars. 2891-2900 are work motor equipped according to chicago-l.org

Apparently Santa train.

[chgofan78]

All Time Blue Line Work Motor List (What a strange number system)

1. 3109-3110
2. 3119-3120
3. 3129-3130 Gone to the big interlocking in the sky. (Harlem Wreck)
4. 3139-3140
5. 3149-3150 On HOLD a lot.
6. 3159-3160
7. 3169-3170
8. 3179-3180
9. 3189-3190 On loan to Orange line.
10. 3199-3200

I always thought there was something with this group of cars because whenever the Blue Line loaned cars to other lines, they always used these specific cars.  And I've seen this all the way back to the last few months of the Lake-Dan Ryan.

[sw4400]

All Time Blue Line Work Motor List (What a strange number system)

1. 3109-3110
2. 3119-3120
3. 3129-3130 Gone to the big interlocking in the sky. (Harlem Wreck)
4. 3139-3140
5. 3149-3150 On HOLD a lot.
6. 3159-3160
7. 3169-3170
8. 3179-3180
9. 3189-3190 On loan to Orange line.
10. 3199-3200

Interesting that Chicago-l.org never mentioned these cars when they posted which ones have a 600v Jumper for Work Train Service.

[sw4400]

How up-to date are their postings?

June 5, 2013 was their last entry, but their last entry with details about what train cars had 600v Jumpers was longer than that.... one of their 1st posts.... March 25, 2000. After that, the details were omitted pretty much. That's why I've always known that 2891-2900, 2401-2422 and 3441-3444 are all equipped with 600v Jumpers. Anything else is a surprise.

[BusHunter]

I located #2771-72 on the blue line from the red. I also saw the #2632-2721 mismatch on the blue earlier in the week. #2737-38 were on the orange this week along with #2829-30. So I have 42 #2600's now on the red.

[BusHunter]

I located #2771-72 on the blue line from the red. I also saw the #2632-2721 mismatch on the blue earlier in the week. #2737-38 were on the orange this week along with #2829-30. So I have 42 #2600's now on the red.

More cars jumping around, I spotted #2859-62 on the orange line today. Those were blue line cars.

[sw4400]

 

Has it ever been explained how the 600v jumpers are used? What are their purposes....why are they plural?

No.... this is how it's worded on the March 25, 2000 entry in the footnotes....

* =Equipped with 600V jumper for work train service

I made it plural here since I was talking about all work motors(2400's, 2600's and 3200's), but whatever their purposes, they must be what makes them capable of pulling flatcars and doing other work car-related jobs, as the cars with the "*" are the ones with the red & white striping(2401-2422), the "Santa" Cars(2891-2900) and the four 3200's(3441-3444).

2891-2892 and 2899-2900 are not part of the regular Santa consist, I know. But, they could be used if a set or two is down for repair, as they are equipped the same as 2893-2898 as well as being part of the number block.

[BusHunter]

#2849-50 and #3173-74 were on the blue line tonight in the same consist, so I'm down to 38 #2600 cars now on the Red line.

[BusHunter]

I spotted #2725-26 and #2821-22 in Rosemont yard. So I'm down to 34 #2600's on the red. I can't believe it they finally fixed the escalator at O Hare

[BusHunter]

Where are these cars?  They are not at 98th St. yard.  I see two with derails. Most of the rest are 5000s.

Good questIon!! The ones I'm saying are on red that was their last known assignment. You would think someone with some connections could find out where they are. (hint hint!!)

if there are no cars at 98th, where is the gap train pulling out of?

Edited September 14, 2015 by BusHunter

[BusHunter]

Maybe some went to 63rd yard Or Racine yard or Harlem yard. It's getting close to full capacity on the Orange and Blue lines. The #2600 count on Orange is in the 100's and blue is close to 400. Some will probably have to retire cause there's really no room for 34 more cars, but there might be a little space in those Green line yards I mentioned. 

Edited September 14, 2015 by BusHunter

[Busjack]

Maybe some went to 63rd yard Or Racine yard or Harlem yard. It's getting close to full capacity on the Orange and Blue lines. The #2600 count on Orange is in the 100's and blue is close to 400. Some will probably have to retire cause there's really no room for 34 more cars, but there might be a little space in those Green line yards I mentioned. 

The 7000s spec was based on 400, so by your count 100 still are to be scrapped.

[BusHunter]

The 7000s spec was based on 400, so by your count 100 still are to be scrapped.

Which totally contradicts what you said before, that the Orange line will not retire any cars. It doesn't really matter if the Orange gets #5000's, they are already half #2600's and half #3200's and they can't mix those cars (for the brownages)

[Busjack]

Which totally contradicts what you said before, that the Orange line will not retire any cars. It doesn't really matter if the Orange gets #5000's, they are already half #2600's and half #3200's and they can't mix those cars (for the brownages)

Not necessarily. You said there was a lot of pork out there, unless someone can justify a fleet of 1460.

[BusHunter]

#2719-20 has been spotted on the blue line, and #2711-12 has been spotted on the orange line, so I'm down to 30 for the red line.

Edited September 14, 2015 by BusHunter