chicagopcclcar Posted December 16, 2012 Report Share Posted December 16, 2012 The CTA's oldest active 'L' car series, the Budd 2200 series has outlasted all predictions that they would be removed from the roster by the close of 2012. They can be expected to roll out additional miles, perhaps into the beginning of the summer 2013. There may be several reasons for this, including slower than anticipated delivery of Bombardier 5000 series cars, the need for a larger car fleet to carry out a "decrowding" initiative adding service to numerous 'L' lines at rush hours. The 2200s remain assigned only to the Blue line, from O'Hare to Forest Park. Several other roster changes have also occurred including Bombardier cars assigned to three 'L' routes, Pink, Green and Red. 2400 series have been assigned to the Orange line, the first regular assignment of any series other than 3200 series to the Loop-Midway service. 2400 series also are still assigned to the Green, Red, and Purple. 2600 series are assigned mainly to the Red and Blue lines, but see duty on the Purple line thanks to the sharing from the joint yard at Howard Street. Two railfan groups are investigating running rail charters with 2200s in 2013. DH 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
See Tea Eh Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 I'm hoping at least one of those groups is considering chartering a train with all four compatible series of cars in one consist. Just so say they did it. Otherwise, after about the 317th 2200-series charter, it all becomes a blur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted December 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 I'm hoping at least one of those groups is considering chartering a train with all four compatible series of cars in one consist. Just so say they did it. Otherwise, after about the 317th 2200-series charter, it all becomes a blur. Sure you wouldn't want the State of Illinois 2000s out at Skokie rehabbed and OKed for service. Then we'd have ALL the high performance DC cars available for one train, LOL. Now you know I'm just kidding, OK. Physically a ten-car train could be run. It couldn't stop, but at only certain stations though. This was a long story, just to say that your concept has been discussed. Biggest issue with an eight-car charter is rest rooms. There is nothing on the CTA property that could accomodate that size of a crowd. You would have to unload the entire group, say downtown and have everyone go for themselves...probably combining it for a lunch/food break. DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 17, 2012 Report Share Posted December 17, 2012 The CTA's oldest active 'L' car series, the Budd 2200 series has outlasted all predictions that they would be removed from the roster by the close of 2012. They can be expected to roll out additional miles, perhaps into the beginning of the summer 2013. The 2200s remain assigned only to the Blue line, from O'Hare to Forest Park. I did say last month that the #2200's would make it to 2013. With the delivery slowdown as well as the decrowding mentioned above being contributing factors it would be a foregone conclusion that this were going to happen. Maybe if they can get deliveries going faster they can retire those by the Spring, but the #2400's should easily make it to 2015. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amtrak41 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Will any 2400's go out before the the 2200's are extinct ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.cta85 Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Will any 2400's go out before the the 2200's are extinct ? I seriously doubt that happening considering the 2400's are younger and are in better shape that the 22's. If anything I believe the 2400's will be here until they're about 40+ yrs as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 I seriously doubt that happening considering the 2400's are younger and are in better shape that the 22's. If anything I believe the 2400's will be here until they're about 40+ yrs as well. No. The real predictor will be about when car 5390 shows up, I bet. The budget says 100 2600s are going to get C rehabs, but certainly no 2400s will. They only got light midlife rehabs, certainly not like the 2200s and 2600s did. They certainly will be gone long before 2017. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2200SeriesFan Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Something was making me increasingly wonder(and also skeptical) that all 2200 railcars would actually be completely retired by the end of the year, anyway. Does anyone know the exact number of 2200s pairs that've been retired, since the CTA started to get more 5000s deliveries as of early 2012? I thought I heard it was something like 30-35 pairs that'd been retired, but am not sure. Interesting it is true about some 2400s being assigned to Orange Line service. I saw Zol87's pic of a 4 car 2400s Orange Line run on flickr, and I couldn't believe that pic when I saw it. But it does make sense, since the Yellow Line has some 2400s assigned to it(and in case I'm wrong, I know I saw some running on that line earlier this year, and I think also in 2011). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 18, 2012 Report Share Posted December 18, 2012 Something was making me increasingly wonder(and also skeptical) that all 2200 railcars would actually be completely retired by the end of the year, anyway. Does anyone know the exact number of 2200s pairs that've been retired, since the CTA started to get more 5000s deliveries as of early 2012? I thought I heard it was something like 30-35 pairs that'd been retired, but am not sure. Interesting it is true about some 2400s being assigned to Orange Line service. I saw Zol87's pic of a 4 car 2400s Orange Line run on flickr, and I couldn't believe that pic when I saw it. But it does make sense, since the Yellow Line has some 2400s assigned to it(and in case I'm wrong, I know I saw some running on that line earlier this year, and I think also in 2011). Whatever the Yellow Line gets is from Howard Yard, and it is short this time of year, since the Santa train cars come from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted December 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Whatever the Yellow Line gets is from Howard Yard, and it is short this time of year, since the Santa train cars come from there. Do you have figures that show Howard Yard is "short of cars at this time of year." DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 20, 2012 Report Share Posted December 20, 2012 Do you have figures that show Howard Yard is "short of cars at this time of year." DH I guess you are playing grammar police, too. The antecedent to it was Yellow Line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jos Callinet Posted December 22, 2012 Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 Sure you wouldn't want the State of Illinois 2000s out at Skokie rehabbed and OKed for service. Then we'd have ALL the high performance DC cars available for one train, LOL. Now you know I'm just kidding, OK. Physically a ten-car train could be run. It couldn't stop, but at only certain stations though. This was a long story, just to say that your concept has been discussed. Biggest issue with an eight-car charter is rest rooms. There is nothing on the CTA property that could accomodate that size of a crowd. You would have to unload the entire group, say downtown and have everyone go for themselves...probably combining it for a lunch/food break. DH An alternative to everyone's having to get off this chartered train downtown for a bathroom break might be for the CTA to couple one of their Christmas Train's flatcars (like the one that holds Santa and his Sleigh) into the train and load it with "Porta-Potties" so that people could "go" while on the go! A flatcar full of PortaPotties would draw a lot of attention, I'm sure, but it would nicely solve the restroom problem (the potties would of course have to be securely anchored to the flatcar's deck - wouldn't want any toppling to the street while rounding a sharp curve). What do the rest of you think of this idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
See Tea Eh Posted December 22, 2012 Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 I'm thinking that an alternative to having everyone get off this chartered train downtown for a bathroom break might be for the CTA to put one of their Christmas Train's flatcars (like the one that holds Santa and his Sleigh) in the train and load it full of "Porta-Potties" so that people could "go" while on the go. That flatcar full of PortaPotties would draw a lot of attention I'm sure, but it would solve the restroom problem. What do the rest of you think of the idea? As long as you're not serious, I think it's a great idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 What do the rest of you think of this idea? No Way!!!! But there was a charter that had a flat car entrained. The flat was inbetween two Yellow line 3200s .....the ones with pans. In those days the Yellow line did not run on Sundays. There was an operator in each pair of 3200s to raise and lower the pans. We stopped in catenary territory. Passengers went out onto the flat for a photo stop. Then passengers went down onto the right of way for some movie runbys. At no time was anyone allowed out onto the flat car at any other time. DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jos Callinet Posted December 22, 2012 Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 No Way!!!! But there was a charter that had a flat car entrained. The flat was inbetween two Yellow line 3200s .....the ones with pans. In those days the Yellow line did not run on Sundays. There was an operator in each pair of 3200s to raise and lower the pans. We stopped in catenary territory. Passengers went out onto the flat for a photo stop. Then passengers went down onto the right of way for some movie runbys. At no time was anyone allowed out onto the flat car at any other time. DH DH, you might be glad for that portapotty car if you really had to go and it was going to be a long while before you could get to a regular bathroom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagopcclcar Posted December 22, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2012 DH, you might be glad for that portapotty car if you really had to go and it was going to be a long while before you could get to a regular bathroom. Sir, a funny story or a humorous one is enjoyable for a time, but there is a limit. The regulations of the CTA will NEVER ALLOW passengers or charter riders to be aboard a moving flat car or to walk between a moving 'L' passegner car and a flat car. So your idea will NEVER happen. The difficulty in arranging and scheduling charter trains is the fact that there are NO PUBLIC WASHROOMS anywhere on the 'L' system. For small charters of four or six cars, arrangements are made to use the "trainroom" facilities normally reserved for employees at the end terminals. An extended break is written into the schedule to allow for this. Also a mid-trip lunch/washroom break is included where all charter riders are off the train and off CTA property and can avail themselves to public facilities. This is not to say that emergencies never happen. On a charter last October, a concerned mother pointed out her little eight-year old boy who was clutching his pants and "doin the dance." She asked could he go between the cars...."No ma'm" was the polite reply. But a few stops later, the supervisor and I came back through the train...we had made an unscheduled stop at a Green line station. We "pulled" a door and the supervisor escorted the parent and child to a platform level washroom there. Problem solved. DH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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