1981 Ravenswood ride video

[Vinny]

John Schmidt from WBEZ recently posted a 1981 video he took of a ride on the Ravenswood from just north of Clark Junction down to Lasalle/Van Buren.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_x0uFd1i7w

Amazing how bad some of Lincoln Park and Near North looked back then.

[Busjack]

...

Amazing how bad some of Lincoln Park and Near North looked back then.

Amazing how bad the camera phones were then, too.

A decent amount of the empty lots were because nobody wanted to be near Cabrini Green until the area around North Ave. started developing around 1990 or so. "River North" didn't become trendy until later, either.

The equivalent challenge would be somebody taking a movie camera on the south Green Line and then seeing if anything develops there 30 years from now. I bet you, that, unlike the 1980s pictures, the cars will be the same.

[MetroShadow]

I kinda miss skip-stop service after looking at that video.

[Busjack]

I kinda miss skip-stop service after looking at that video.

Was one of the changes that made rapid transit far less rapid, especially north of Wilson. Supposedly, the justification was that with L service cut back, the wait at an A or B station would be too long, but, again, going back, I wonder what the interval was at the Garfield-Ryan B station in the 70s compared to the all stop station recently.

[BusHunter]

John Schmidt from WBEZ recently posted a 1981 video he took of a ride on the Ravenswood from just north of Clark Junction down to Lasalle/Van Buren.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_x0uFd1i7w

Amazing how bad some of Lincoln Park and Near North looked back then.

Not bad, just old. Alot of the home construction nowadays is more visually appealing, than all the wooden frame houses. The CTA itself looks old, like it's a video of the 50's.

[Busjack]

Not bad, just old. Alot of the home construction nowadays is more visually appealing, than all the wooden frame houses. The CTA itself looks old, like it's a video of the 50's.

There were all the references to vacant lots. Also, I don't think you had Walter Payton College Prep there back then.

And I did refer to the film looking bad. In fact, given the poor quality of the film, I thought it surprising that there were 2000s and 2400s on it.

[BusHunter]

There were all the references to vacant lots. Also, I don't think you had Walter Payton College Prep there back then.

And I did refer to the film looking bad. In fact, given the poor quality of the film, I thought it surprising that there were 2000s and 2400s on it.

Well the #2400's debuted on the Ravenswood and the #2000's were mostly on the Howard/Englewood/Jackson Pk and Lake/Dan Ryan lines back then. (I thought I posted a lifetime assignment roster for the #2400's, but maybe not) Thinking off the top of my head, I believe the Ravenswood had the first 50-60 #2400 cars, Howard had the next 60, and the West - Northwest had the last 85 cars. As far as Walter Payton Prep that opened in 2000 shortly after his passing.

[Busjack]

Well the #2400's debuted on the Ravenswood and the #2000's were mostly on the Howard/Englewood/Jackson Pk and Lake/Dan Ryan lines back then. (I thought I posted a lifetime assignment roster for the #2400's, but maybe not) Thinking off the top of my head, I believe the Ravenswood had the first 50-60 #2400 cars, Howard had the next 60, and the West - Northwest had the last 85 cars. As far as Walter Payton Prep that opened in 2000 shortly after his passing.

Being around at the time (1976), the first 2400s were on the Lake-Dan Ryan, and appear depicted in the film by "a Lake Street train is crossing." From the film, whatever is on the North Main south of Armitage (some Ravenswood signs are visible, others not) are 6000s.*

The film depicts a 2000 set on the center tracks, which indicates a Howard-Englewood/Jackson Park train. I wasn't around at that time, but reports were that after getting their undercar equipment mauled in the 1979 blizzard, the decision was made to take them off the LDR.

___________

*Not sure what is on the far track at Armitage, might be a 2400 on Ravenswood. Stopping at the Lake St. train crossing, it looks like narrower stripes on the first couple of cars, compared to wider stripes on the followers, the wider stripes being more typical of how the first ones were delivered.

[busfan2]

Really cool video. Thanks for posting. It was neat to see the older trains that would pass by in the opposite direction. Watching what is now the Red line descend into the subway was cool. I wonder if it would be allowed to take video like that in todays day and age. I also enjoyed seeing the older cars and buses in the video.

[Busjack]

... I wonder if it would be allowed to take video like that in todays day and age. I also enjoyed seeing the older cars and buses in the video.

You wouldn't have the "railfan seat," since the cab partition goes across the left side.

It probably would conform to the filming and photography guidelines, but someone would probably steal your camera phone.

[artthouwill]

Well the #2400's debuted on the Ravenswood and the #2000's were mostly on the Howard/Englewood/Jackson Pk and Lake/Dan Ryan lines back then. (I thought I posted a lifetime assignment roster for the #2400's, but maybe not) Thinking off the top of my head, I believe the Ravenswood had the first 50-60 #2400 cars, Howard had the next 60, and the West - Northwest had the last 85 cars. As far as Walter Payton Prep that opened in 2000 shortly after his passing.

Being around at the time (1976), the first 2400s were on the Lake-Dan Ryan, and appear depicted in the film by "a Lake Street train is crossing." From the film, whatever is on the North Main south of Armitage (some Ravenswood signs are visible, others not) are 6000s.*

The film depicts a 2000 set on the center tracks, which indicates a Howard-Englewood/Jackson Park train. I wasn't around at that time, but reports were that after getting their undercar equipment mauled in the 1979 blizzard, the decision was made to take them off the LDR.

___________

*Not sure what is on the far track at Armitage, might be a 2400 on Ravenswood. Stopping at the Lake St. train crossing, it looks like narrower stripes on the first couple of cars, compared to wider stripes on the followers, the wider stripes being more typical of how the first ones were delivered.

My first recollection of riding a 2400 was on the Howard A train. I remember riding a 6000 series Jackson Park B train to a Cubs game, but for some reason the train wound up going express from Belmont to Wilson. So we had to wait for the next train (A trains stopped at Addison on game days). And behold, this was a new train with the same seats as the CTA buses. From that point on (late 70s?) I only saw the 2400s on the Lake-Dan Ryan and the next time I saw any "newer cars" was the 2000 series as they disappeared from the Lake Dan Ryan and wound up on the Englewood-Jackson Pk/Howard. Eventually the 2600s started making their way over after the Lake-Dan Ryan and the Ravenswood lines got them. I also remember the early 2600s and 27xx had the regular windows but the 28xx and the 29xx that were on the Howard/Englewood?jackson Pks had tinted windows which really looked great with the original livery. Riding the Lake-Dan Ryan often also, there were only 2000s and 2200s on that line until the 2400s came along. The 2000s were the first to disappear, going to the 'Old L", but the 2200s stayed a little longer, maybe until the mid '80s (like 83 or 84).

My recollection of first rides are as follows:

1 -50: Evanston Express now Purple Line Express

6000s - Englewood Howard

2000s - Lake/Dan Ryan

2400s - Englewood Howard

2600s - Lake/Dan Ryan

3200s - Howard/Dan Ryan aka Red Line. This was in a mixed consist of 2400s and 2600s

5000s - Red Line

[artthouwill]

Was one of the changes that made rapid transit far less rapid, especially north of Wilson. Supposedly, the justification was that with L service cut back, the wait at an A or B station would be too long, but, again, going back, I wonder what the interval was at the Garfield-Ryan B station in the 70s compared to the all stop station recently.

Being around at the time (1976), the first 2400s were on the Lake-Dan Ryan, and appear depicted in the film by "a Lake Street train is crossing." From the film, whatever is on the North Main south of Armitage (some Ravenswood signs are visible, others not) are 6000s.*

The film depicts a 2000 set on the center tracks, which indicates a Howard-Englewood/Jackson Park train. I wasn't around at that time, but reports were that after getting their undercar equipment mauled in the 1979 blizzard, the decision was made to take them off the LDR.

___________

*Not sure what is on the far track at Armitage, might be a 2400 on Ravenswood. Stopping at the Lake St. train crossing, it looks like narrower stripes on the first couple of cars, compared to wider stripes on the followers, the wider stripes being more typical of how the first ones were delivered.

That was a 2600 series train and all of those stripes are narrow. I believe the train crossing the Lake/Wells junction was a mixed 2400 and 2600 set. It was certainly after the winter of 1979 when those 2000s came off of the Lake Dan Ryan, and they all received the same livery as the 2600s upon their arrival on the North-south Main Line

[Busjack]

That was a 2600 series train and all of those stripes are narrow. I believe the train crossing the Lake/Wells junction was a mixed 2400 and 2600 set. It was certainly after the winter of 1979 when those 2000s came off of the Lake Dan Ryan, and they all received the same livery as the 2600s upon their arrival on the North-south Main Line

Looking again at the one crossing at Lake, I guess the first 2 cars were 2600s.

It isn't real clear from the literature when the 2600s started arriving; chicago-l.org referred to a 1982 brochure, and Krambles only refers to a 1978 order.

[BusHunter]

Being around at the time (1976), the first 2400s were on the Lake-Dan Ryan, and appear depicted in the film by "a Lake Street train is crossing." From the film, whatever is on the North Main south of Armitage (some Ravenswood signs are visible, others not) are 6000s.*

The film depicts a 2000 set on the center tracks, which indicates a Howard-Englewood/Jackson Park train. I wasn't around at that time, but reports were that after getting their undercar equipment mauled in the 1979 blizzard, the decision was made to take them off the LDR.

___________

*Not sure what is on the far track at Armitage, might be a 2400 on Ravenswood. Stopping at the Lake St. train crossing, it looks like narrower stripes on the first couple of cars, compared to wider stripes on the followers, the wider stripes being more typical of how the first ones were delivered.

Hum weird. Here's a bunch of pictures on the #2400's including manufacture pictures at the factory as well as pictures in '77 and '78 that I was using for reference. Link:http://nycsubway.org/perl/showpix?bmNhcnR5cGUlMjBpbiUyMCgxNjgpfDB8NXw1MHxTaG93aW5nfC93aWtpL0NUQV8yNDAwX1Nlcmllc3xuc3Rh I only watched the video to just south of Sedgwick, I'll have to watch that again. But I never thought there were some #2400's on the Lake/Dan Ryan at that time unless that's a fan train or something.

[BusHunter]

Looking again at the one crossing at Lake, I guess the first 2 cars were 2600s.

It isn't real clear from the literature when the 2600s started arriving; chicago-l.org referred to a 1982 brochure, and Krambles only refers to a 1978 order.

Just saw this, OK that explains it. The first #2600 Budd cars were in 1981. I'd have to look up an exact date.

[Busjack]

Hum weird. Here's a bunch of pictures on the #2400's including manufacture pictures at the factory as well as pictures in '77 and '78 that I was using for reference. Link:http://nycsubway.org/perl/showpix?bmNhcnR5cGUlMjBpbiUyMCgxNjgpfDB8NXw1MHxTaG93aW5nfC93aWtpL0NUQV8yNDAwX1Nlcmllc3xuc3Rh I only watched the video to just south of Sedgwick, I'll have to watch that again. But I never thought there were some #2400's on the Lake/Dan Ryan at that time unless that's a fan train or something.

They started on the Lake-Dan Ryan. Now, I don't know if that was some sort of test like the 5000s got for a year and a half, but I did ride the low 2400s to Oak Park and back on Lake St. in 1976.

At least by the time you get to the video, everything south of Armitage consists of 6000s, and it looks like some flat door ones are there. Since there are some single unit cars on the oncoming track, I assume that Ravenswood and Evanston trains are interspersed.

As art confirms, the 2000s were taken off the Dan Ryan in 1979, so maybe then the bulk of them moved back.

[BusHunter]

They started on the Lake-Dan Ryan. Now, I don't know if that was some sort of test like the 5000s got for a year and a half, but I did ride the low 2400s to Oak Park and back on Lake St. in 1976.

At least by the time you get to the video, everything south of Armitage consists of 6000s, and it looks like some flat door ones are there. Since there are some single unit cars on the oncoming track, I assume that Ravenswood and Evanston trains are interspersed.

As art confirms, the 2000s were taken off the Dan Ryan in 1979, so maybe then the bulk of them moved back.

Yeah your right, #2401-04 (the prototypes) tested on all lines starting on August 31st, 1976. They ran for a 600 hour test, which was at least two months. It wasn't until late '76/ early '77 that the rest of the fleet started showing up and those first ones were assigned to the Ravenswood. A few of the flat door #6000 cars survived all the way up until retirement in 1992. One pair I remember was #6193-94. It was still painted alpine white and hunter green. I believe it was one of the last surviving cars painted in that livery. Then there was the #6101-02 heritage car that's at Fox River Trolley Museum now.

[Busjack]

Yeah your right, #2401-04 (the prototypes) tested on all lines starting on August 31st, 1976. They ran for a 600 hour test, which was at least two months. It wasn't until late '76/ early '77 that the rest of the fleet started showing up and those first ones were assigned to the Ravenswood. ...

I checked CERA 115, and the first color plate caption says as much about the 600 hour test.

I sort of remember a few more cars being available then, as I doubt that I would have chased one set (especially on the weekend) and somehow 2406 rings a bell, although that would have been ~36 years ago. But I also seem to remember "that's luck, that was the first train at the platform."

[ibebobo]

If you look at the oncoming train at :53 it looks like cars 6101 and 6102 were the last two. As far as I can remember those were the only two left at that time on the Ravenswood which would have been the outer track.