2600-series - Updates & Retirements

[wayfaringrob]

40 minutes ago, Rhys Pate said:

What is the estimate on when the 2600s will be completely retired? 2 years? How many remain in service currently?

Is it time for the Illinois Railway Museum to acquire a pair(s) of 2600s that are in good condition for preservation?

At the end, when the retirement process is completed, will there be a special train of 2600s like when the 2200s retirement process was completed in 2013?

When will 2600s be added to the Heritage Fleet?

Off the top of my head: there were slightly fewer than 500 when the 7000s started coming in. The base order (400) would not be enough to retire them even if CTA weren't trying to expand its fleet. Since they are, I'd imagine they will hold onto some 2600s as "expansion" cars even after enough options come in to replace them 1:1 (about 100 more cars). In fact, they are going to be rehabbing about 100 of them for this purpose (I believe) since it will take some time to increase the fleet to the number they need.

[Rhys Pate]

45 minutes ago, wayfaringrob said:

Off the top of my head: there were slightly fewer than 500 when the 7000s started coming in. The base order (400) would not be enough to retire them even if CTA weren't trying to expand its fleet. Since they are, I'd imagine they will hold onto some 2600s as "expansion" cars even after enough options come in to replace them 1:1 (about 100 more cars). In fact, they are going to be rehabbing about 100 of them for this purpose (I believe) since it will take some time to increase the fleet to the number they need.

What source says that there will be 2600s that will be rehabbed as “expansion cars?”

[Bus1883]

6 minutes ago, Rhys Pate said:

What source says that there will be 2600s that will be rehabbed as “expansion cars?”

 

51 minutes ago, wayfaringrob said:

Off the top of my head: there were slightly fewer than 500 when the 7000s started coming in. The base order (400) would not be enough to retire them even if CTA weren't trying to expand its fleet. Since they are, I'd imagine they will hold onto some 2600s as "expansion" cars even after enough options come in to replace them 1:1 (about 100 more cars). In fact, they are going to be rehabbing about 100 of them for this purpose (I believe) since it will take some time to increase the fleet to the number they need.

Definitely don’t see them rehabbing 100 cars again to see 50 years, these cars need to go regardless 

[wayfaringrob]

2 hours ago, Rhys Pate said:

What source says that there will be 2600s that will be rehabbed as “expansion cars?”

Pages 62 (pdf 76) and 72 (pdf 86) of this year's budget. My 100 number seems to be off. Sounds like up to 200 of them could even get AC motors along with the 3200s. I would guess that that would only happen, though, if for some reason they cannot get more 7000s, but it is budgeted for. Reading the tea leaves, there won't be a 9000 series anytime soon, either (see this thread)--perhaps leading to this last resort move to keep 2600s running longer if needed.

 

[Mr.cta85]

On 7/30/2025 at 3:33 PM, wayfaringrob said:

Pages 62 (pdf 76) and 72 (pdf 86) of this year's budget. My 100 number seems to be off. Sounds like up to 200 of them could even get AC motors along with the 3200s. I would guess that that would only happen, though, if for some reason they cannot get more 7000s, but it is budgeted for. Reading the tea leaves, there won't be a 9000 series anytime soon, either (see this thread)--perhaps leading to this last resort move to keep 2600s running longer if needed.

 

With the regenerating of power back into the 3rd raid like the 5000 and 7000’s series do, I wonder will that upgrade make the 26 and 3200’s electronically compatible with the newer cars. Not saying it would even happen if it was able but still curious. 

[Busjack]

33 minutes ago, Mr.cta85 said:

With the regenerating of power back into the 3rd raid like the 5000 and 7000’s series do, I wonder will that upgrade make the 26 and 3200’s electronically compatible with the newer cars. Not saying it would even happen if it was able but still curious. 

Regenerative could be either AC or DC; the question is how they would regulate braking over gaps in the third rail. Even if the controllers were made compatible, there would be other issues, such as different numbers of pins in the couplers governing such things as the electronic signs. It was specified that the signs on the 3200s use the same train wires that were already on those cars, it seems not only to work with the two knobs, but also so they could be coupled with 2600s, but it is unlikely that the same arrangement was made on 5000s and 7000s. But I guess we should leave it to the engineers, if it has gone as far as from the budget office to the engineering office.

 

[garmon757]

23 hours ago, Mr.cta85 said:

With the regenerating of power back into the 3rd raid like the 5000 and 7000’s series do, I wonder will that upgrade make the 26 and 3200’s electronically compatible with the newer cars. Not saying it would even happen if it was able but still curious. 

 

22 hours ago, Busjack said:

Regenerative could be either AC or DC; the question is how they would regulate braking over gaps in the third rail. Even if the controllers were made compatible, there would be other issues, such as different numbers of pins in the couplers governing such things as the electronic signs. It was specified that the signs on the 3200s use the same train wires that were already on those cars, it seems not only to work with the two knobs, but also so they could be coupled with 2600s, but it is unlikely that the same arrangement was made on 5000s and 7000s. But I guess we should leave it to the engineers, if it has gone as far as from the budget office to the engineering office.

 

You hit it right on the nose alongside with the 5000s hydraulic system and propulsion system would be conflicting if were electronically coupled with any other rail series. It can result to suspension and/or brake propulsion failures.

[Bus1883]

3155-56 and 3167-68 hasn’t ran since early 2025 

[Javi75]

Saw a 2600s pair in a consist with 6 3200s yesterday on a Forest Park bound blue line train. It looks like the blue line is having a hard time giving them a farewell. Would there be a major announcement once every 2600 is off the blue line? Could cta be waiting until the next rail car pick considering they have at least 200 3200s and 200 7000s in service? 

[Sam92]

6 hours ago, Javi75 said:

Saw a 2600s pair in a consist with 6 3200s yesterday on a Forest Park bound blue line train. It looks like the blue line is having a hard time giving them a farewell. Would there be a major announcement once every 2600 is off the blue line? Could cta be waiting until the next rail car pick considering they have at least 200 3200s and 200 7000s in service? 

Considering any equipment transfer that isn't from Rosemont to 54th is more of a pain in the @$$ that might be the monkey wrench. There wouldn't be an announcement just for 2600s leaving the line, just for a farewell trip. 

[wayfaringrob]

I did not catch any numbers, but there was a full 8-car consist of 2600s operating on the Blue today. Later, I saw two as the lead cars to O'Hare, the rest 3200s.

[Bus1883]

3 hours ago, wayfaringrob said:

I did not catch any numbers, but there was a full 8-car consist of 2600s operating on the Blue today. Later, I saw two as the lead cars to O'Hare, the rest 3200s.

Full 8-Car set of 2600s? If so then that means that set may soon get off blue

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

8 hours ago, Bus1883 said:

Full 8-Car set of 2600s? If so then that means that set may soon get off blue

yes there is a full 8 car set of 2600’s operating on the blue line. 

[artthouwill]

2 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1279 said:

yes there is a full 8 car set of 2600’s operating on the blue line. 

When that set leaves the Blue Line,  how many 2600s are left remaining on the Blue Lune?  Are there still some for spare ratio purposes?  At some point it will be time for 3200s to start leaving the Blue Line  

[Busjack]

On 9/7/2025 at 12:51 PM, Javi75 said:

Saw a 2600s pair in a consist with 6 3200s yesterday on a Forest Park bound blue line train. It looks like the blue line is having a hard time giving them a farewell. Would there be a major announcement once every 2600 is off the blue line? Could cta be waiting until the next rail car pick considering they have at least 200 3200s and 200 7000s in service? 

 

On 9/7/2025 at 7:49 PM, Sam92 said:

Considering any equipment transfer that isn't from Rosemont to 54th is more of a pain in the @$$ that might be the monkey wrench. There wouldn't be an announcement just for 2600s leaving the line, just for a farewell trip. 

Aside from what @Sam92 said, the 2600s won't be retired until they are taken off the Brown and Orange lines, so nothing to commemorate until then. Also, the Blue Line will be stuck with 3200s, so the only event worth noting would be the Blue Line going all 7000s, which won't be until near the end of the base order.

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

26 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

When that set leaves the Blue Line,  how many 2600s are left remaining on the Blue Lune?  Are there still some for spare ratio purposes?  At some point it will be time for 3200s to start leaving the Blue Line  

should be 18 cars left. 

[Bus1883]

7 hours ago, Mr.NewFlyer1279 said:

yes there is a full 8 car set of 2600’s operating on the blue line. 

That set will leave at some point. Either that’ll be sent to midway or will end up OOS with the rest of the other cars stored.

[Bus1883]

11 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

Aside from what @Sam92 said, the 2600s won't be retired until they are taken off the Brown and Orange lines, so nothing to commemorate until then. Also, the Blue Line will be stuck with 3200s, so the only event worth noting would be the Blue Line going all 7000s, which won't be until near the end of the base order.

Not for long, the 3200s will soon start to slowly make their way back to the elevated lines to pre-2018 to retire whatever 2600s that is on the Brown and Orange Lines wherever they end up first. As the 7000s continue to come in as we’re already over half of the base order, let’s see what happens by the end of 2026. Capacity of the blue line is 380 cars. Something is going to happen.

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

2 hours ago, Bus1883 said:

Not for long, the 3200s will soon start to slowly make their way back to the elevated lines to pre-2018 to retire whatever 2600s that is on the Brown and Orange Lines wherever they end up first. As the 7000s continue to come in as we’re already over half of the base order, let’s see what happens by the end of 2026. Capacity of the blue line is 380 cars. Something is going to happen.

the plan is to equip the blue line with all 7000’s so if capacity is 380 cars that means they’ll get 380 7000’s and they have 241 (7001-7010 are included even tho they got sent back to CRRC for mods/upgrades/updates) already so 139 more to go but see what line could see the 7000’s next? orange or brown to knock off some of the 2600’s?

 

[Busjack]

6 hours ago, Bus1883 said:

3200s will soon start to slowly make their way back to the elevated lines

My point was "slowly." As I posted earlier, if 7000 and deployed on schedule, 3200s would have already started moving. And even if CTA rstored the status quo before CTA moved 3200s to the Blue Line, Oange would still have about 100 2600s.