Roller Curtain Layouts for Different CTA Train Series

[TheBrunswickBowler]

As we all know, the Budd 2200 Series, Boeing Vertol 2400 Series, Budd 2600 Series, Morrison Knudsen 3200 Series all have different layouts of roller curtains. Here you can post any changes or layouts of roller curtains on the different train series.

[TheBrunswickBowler]

This is the Budd 2200 Series roller curtain layout I made: I will miss the 2200 Series cars when they retire

[cta_44499_FG]

I believe there was also a green 'LOOP' mylar curtain too. Might not of been on the 2200s so I could be wrong.

[TheBrunswickBowler]

I believe there was also a green 'LOOP' mylar curtain too. Might not of been on the 2200s so I could be wrong.

Ok. I will have to research that. Thanks!

[chgofan78]

I believe there was also a green 'LOOP' mylar curtain too. Might not of been on the 2200s so I could be wrong.

There was a Green Line "Loop" sign with the signage installed back in 1996 when the signs were changed to the final stop for each route. For the Green Line, there was "Harlem/Lake", "Ashland/63", "Loop", "East 63rd". This was also the set of signs that included that black sign with the old "cta" logo on it.

[See Tea Eh]

The roller curtains aren't car-type specific. Any of the different rollers could fit in any of the cars (excluding 5000s, of course). The differences are based on where the cars are assigned.

As I recall, a few years ago there were three different versions of the roll signs, though off the top of my head I can't remember what their general assignments were. I know you had one set on 2200s/2600s for Blue and Pink (and they probably had one or two other routes in their scroll as well), and you had one set with Red/Purple/Yellow signage (installed on 2400s, 2600s and probably the few 3200s that were assigned to Yellow at the time). The last set was probably Brown/Orange/Green (I know at least Brown and Orange were together, and still are; the last being Green is just a guess on my part). At least one of those three sets also had the black background O'Hare/Downtown/Midway signs (and before that, there was even an Orange "Ford City" display for another expansion dream that was never going to happen).

It has been a while since I've last seen any of the sign rolls, but I'm guessing there are probably still three different versions out there, and likely will remain so until enough 5000s are delivered that certain routes can be more or less entirely 5000s, leaving the rollsigns on just a few routes. But even then, they may keep a few sets of different versions handy in case they need to do some car swaps.

[TheBrunswickBowler]

There was a Green Line "Loop" sign with the signage installed back in 1996 when the signs were changed to the final stop for each route. For the Green Line, there was "Harlem/Lake", "Ashland/63", "Loop", "East 63rd". This was also the set of signs that included that black sign with the old "cta" logo on it.

Ok. I am making the destination sign layouts for each train series. I think I have finished the 2200 Series layout (I think there is only one layout for 2200 series). But I believe there are two different layouts for the 3200 Series. One is with O'Hare (black) Downtown (black) and Midway (black) and the other has purple and yellow line signs.

[TheBrunswickBowler]

Here is version 1 of the 3200 Series Roller Curtain layouts: Here is version 2 of the 3200 Series Roller Curtain layouts:

[Busjack]

The roller curtains aren't car-type specific. Any of the different rollers could fit in any of the cars (excluding 5000s, of course). The differences are based on where the cars are assigned.

...

It has been a while since I've last seen any of the sign rolls, but I'm guessing there are probably still three different versions out there, and likely will remain so until enough 5000s are delivered that certain routes can be more or less entirely 5000s, leaving the rollsigns on just a few routes. But even then, they may keep a few sets of different versions handy in case they need to do some car swaps.

The solicitation for replacing the rollers with electronic signs for the 3200s said there were three different rollers, and hence the electronic signs have to have 45 readings.

Then all Red Line rollers were just changed to put the red Ashland-63 reading on them.

Brunswick: The allocation is based on lines, not car series. At least traditionally, one roller was based on Red/Orange/Brown/Purple, another on Blue/Green/Pink, and I guess Yellow was on the third. People have posted the car cards elsewhere on the forum, indicating that at some point, all rollers had Howard and 95th readings in the same position. So, your so-called 2200 series roller would also be on 2600s on the Blue and Pink lines.

[TheBrunswickBowler]

The solicitation for replacing the rollers with electronic signs for the 3200s said there were three different rollers, and hence the electronic signs have to have 45 readings.

Then all Red Line rollers were just changed to put the red Ashland-63 reading on them.

Brunswick: The allocation is based on lines, not car series. At least traditionally, one roller was based on Red/Orange/Brown/Purple, another on Blue/Green/Pink, and I guess Yellow was on the third. People have posted the car cards elsewhere on the forum, indicating that at some point, all rollers had Howard and 95th readings in the same position. So, your so-called 2200 series roller would also be on 2600s on the Blue and Pink lines.

Yeah, I realized that when I was on a forum and it showed the chart with the roller curtain layout and it was car 3074. I think there are different layouts for different series. 2200/3000 have the same. 2600's are unknown to me and I think are different from 2200/3000. 3200's have their own layouts (I think) and the 2400's layout(s) are unknown to me because I don't ride the Purple Line that much and I never see them flip through the signs on the Purple Line anyways. I only know the 2200/3000 and the 3200 Series layouts.

[Busjack]

Yeah, I realized that when I was on a forum and it showed the chart with the roller curtain layout and it was car 3074. I think there are different layouts for different series. 2200/3000 have the same. 2600's are unknown to me and I think are different from 2200/3000. 3200's have their own layouts (I think) and the 2400's layout(s) are unknown to me because I don't ride the Purple Line that much and I never see them flip through the signs on the Purple Line anyways. I only know the 2200/3000 and the 3200 Series layouts.

No, as I pointed out earlier, it is by lines.

A 2400 on the Purple Line and a 2600 on the Red Line would have the same roller (or at least did until the red Ashland-63 was added). In fact they would have had to, since Purple consisted of some 2400s and a few 2600s, and, again at some time, weekend Purple Line service was run with Red Line Howard yard cars. A 2400 on the Green Line would have had the same signs as a 2200 or 2600 on the Blue Line (I say would have had, as the Green Line is apparently now mostly 5000s).

So, forget the series. In fact, forget about the roll signs being constant.

[chicagomotorman]

Unless the forward facing seats are available, I absolutely refuse to sit sideways.

[See Tea Eh]

Unless the forward facing seats are available, I absolutely refuse to sit sideways.

Which has what to do with rollsigns?

[artthouwill]

I find it strange that there was a roller curtain with Brown Lune AND Green Line signs. I say that because when the Green Line had to borrow Brown Line cars, none of them had Green Line signage.

[TheBrunswickBowler]

I find it strange that there was a roller curtain with Brown Lune AND Green Line signs. I say that because when the Green Line had to borrow Brown Line cars, none of them had Green Line signage.

I remember seeing the Orange Line go from Midway to Not in Service at Midway and I saw Green Line signs Harlem, Ashland/63, and Cottage Grove. Before I exited the train, I saw Brown Line sign Belmont above Midway.

[Pathfinder87]

Everyone who has commented so far is completely correct. The destination sign rollers are based on the line the cars are assigned to and not the series of the cars. One other thing to remember is that each destination sign is limited to 15 spaces due to the mechanics of the system.

The current roller configurations that I know about are:

1: O'Hare (Blue), Forest Park (Blue), 54/Cermak (reversed Blue), Rosemont (Blue), UIC (reversed Blue), Howard (Red), 95th (Red), 54/Cermak (Pink), Loop (Pink), Jefferson Park (Blue), Harlem (Green), Ashland/63 (Green), Cottage Grove (Reversed Green), Not in service (Black), Express (Black)

2: O'Hare (Blue), Forest Park (Blue), 54/Cermak (reversed Blue), Rosemont (Blue), UIC (reversed Blue), Howard (Red), 95th (Red), 54/Cermak (Pink), Loop (Pink), 58th (reversed Green), Harlem (Green), Ashland/63 (Green), Cottage Grove (Reversed Green), Not in service (Black), Express (Black)

3. Kimball (Brown), Loop (Brown), Belmont (Brown), Midway (Orange), Loop (Orange), Howard (Red), 95th (Red), Howard (Yellow), Skokie (Yellow), Roosevelt (Red), Linden (Purple), Loop (Purple), Howard (Purple), Not in service (Black), Express (Black)

4. Kimball (Brown), Loop (Brown), Belmont (Brown), Midway (Orange), Loop (Orange), Howard (Red), 95th (Red), Midway (Black), Downtown (Black), O'Hare (Black), Harlem (Green), Ashland/63 (Green), Cottage Grove (reversed Green), Not in service (Black), Express (Black)

On a related note, does anyone know of any other destination sign configurations the CTA is currently using?

[Busjack]

Everyone who has commented so far is completely correct. The destination sign rollers are based on the line the cars are assigned to and not the series of the cars. One other thing to remember is that each destination sign is limited to 15 spaces due to the mechanics of the system.

The current roller configurations that I know about are:

...

On a related note, does anyone know of any other destination sign configurations the CTA is currently using?

CTA claims that they only have 3 sets at a time, so, you are at least one over, unless the Brown Line ones didn't get replaced the last time the Red Line ones were this year.

Also, you aren't distinguishing between Green Loop, Pink Loop, Orange Loop, Purple Loop, and Brown Loop; Red Howard, Yellow Howard, and Purple Howard, or for that matter Red Ashland-63 and Green Ashland-63 (except perhaps by repeating Loop, but you are still short at least one Howard).

[Pathfinder87]

CTA claims that they only have 3 sets at a time, so, you are at least one over, unless the Brown Line ones didn't get replaced the last time the Red Line ones were this year.

Also, you aren't distinguishing between Green Loop, Pink Loop, Orange Loop, Purple Loop, and Brown Loop; Red Howard, Yellow Howard, and Purple Howard, or for that matter Red Ashland-63 and Green Ashland-63 (except perhaps by repeating Loop, but you are still short at least one Howard).

I've updated the first post to better reflect the colors of the destination signs.

Are you sure that the CTA only has three different curtains at one time? Perhaps they are counting some of them as the same roller curtain series when only one or two signs are different. The first two I listed only differ for one sign (Jefferson Park (Blue) vs. 58th (reversed Green). I also didn't include the most recent roller curtain that has Ashland/63 for the Red Line in place of Roosevelt which would bring the total to 5 currently in use.

[Busjack]

...

Are you sure that the CTA only has three different curtains at one time? Perhaps they are counting some of them as the same roller curtain series when only one or two signs are different....

I left that possibility open by saying "unless the Brown Line ones didn't get replaced the last time the Red Line ones were this year." #3 looks like the traditional Red Line one, but CTA bought (a couple of months ago) 900 sign rolls (300 cars) to get Red Ashland-63 on the Red Line trains. #3 might still be on other lines indicated.

Conversely, #1 became necessary on the Blue Line when Jefferson Park became a short turn, at least as of the Dec. 2012 schedule. If it replaced #2, #2 is dead, because the Green Line is all 5000s with electronic signs.

#4 must be the one that others mention. Not sure why they would put Green on an otherwise Red roll, but other posters have said they have.

Maybe all this shuffling is why CTA wants to put programmable electronic signs in the 3200s, even though they theoretically have only maybe another 7 or 8 years (or 9 or 10).

[sw4400]

The Green line is not mostly, it is 100 percent 5000s. A six car work motor set is under lock and key in lower 63rd St. yard.

Which six car set is that?

• 2401-2410 are assigned to the Purple Line
• 2411-2424 are assigned to the Orange Line

These cars do see revenue service during normal operating hours and would be at the rail yards assigned, not at lower 63rd. The Purple Line went all 2400's again several months ago when they transferred all their 2600's out to the Red and Blue Lines and the Orange Line needs the additional 2400's assigned to it since they went from 98 3200's down to 84.

[cj8scrambler]

Does anyone know the encoding used on the side of the roller curtains in the late 80s?  The one I have is painted (silkscreened) with white marks in a black field to encode the position.  I would like to build a controller mechanism for it.  Before I go through the work of figuring out the encoding, I wanted to see if it's already documented somewhere.

[r-schauer]

CJ8Scrambler-

We have the Teleweld book for the signs in our Museum technical library and I can send you a scan of the relevant page.  PM me with an e-mail address and I'll take care of you.

R. W. Schauer

Illinois Railway Museum volunteer