Lost Personality

[trainman8119]

I was able to ride the Swift and the Howard Line (sorry guys, I still don't like the color stuff) yesterday. The one thing that stood out while riding is that the L has lost it's personality. The newer stations seem sterile, the little computer man announcing things never shuts up and is kind of annoying (I deal with it with Metra every day too..I hate that GPS announcement stuff), the steel on the rehabbed 2600s is dull, so the cars look blah.

I think the next time I can, I am going to Quincy and Wells to remember what an old L station used to be....all that'll be missing will be the old red transfer (remember them...those paper things that let you go from one bus/train to another within a time frame) stamp machines.

[Busjack]

I remember the red transfer stamping machines (there was a newer version of them at the Dan Ryan stations), but really couldn't figure out their rationale (other than they made sure you caught the next bus instead of "using the transfer as a stopover check," which was prohibited). It seemed to make more sense when, in the early 70s, L agents distributed timed transfers, and you had so many minutes to traverse each square.

I also remember that the Dan Ryan stations had coin turnstyles that printed paper transfers. One time, the turnstyle printed the transfer, but wouldn't let me through, so the agent punched it. Unfortunately, my transfer collection from the era turned brown and disintegrated.

Transit cards and Chicago Cards, have, of course, made that kind of transfer obsolete.

There was supposed to be historical preservation as part of the Ravenswood project, but the 190 North show on "Rockwell Crossing" indicated that the Rockwell station was completely demolished. Maybe the preservation is limited to Armitage, or maybe there will be some on the elevated portion between Southport and Damen.

[RIPTA42]

Francisco, Diversey, and Fullerton will be preserved; Diversey and Fullerton will also each get an additional modern station house. The station houses at Damen, Belmont, Armitage, and Sedgwick will remain but be expanded. The Chicago station house will be restored and used for storage.

[Busjack]

Francisco, Diversey, and Fullerton will be preserved; Diversey and Fullerton will also each get an additional modern station house.  The station houses at Damen, Belmont, Armitage, and Sedgwick will remain but be expanded.  The Chicago station house will be restored and used for storage.

How much is preservation of the platforms, as opposed to just the station houses? Obviously, with the island platforms at Fullerton being expanded, and the Northbound tracks being shifted to the east, not much there. Chicago-L.org's profile of the Kedzie (Douglas) station indicates that the preservation of the stationhouse was successful, but the use of the historical remnants of the platform canopies was questionable.

[RIPTA42]

Just the stationhouses will be preserved. All platforms are being extended to accommodate eight-car trains, widened to conform with the ADA, and will presumably be concrete with tactile warning strips.