CTA Transit Times archives

[misterb]

Some of you might find this interesting. I stumbled upon the Illinois Railway Museum's online archives of CTA employee publications from 1924-1991

http://irm-cta.org/EEMagazines.html

[sht6131]

Thanks for the memories. I started CTA in 59 and my first job there was being a traffic checker. Looking through the November 59 archives I spotted a photo of my supervisor giving me instructions at the corner of North & Narragansett. Passenger counts at that time was visually.

[Piesciuk]

Thanks so much for posting the link.  That website has a ton of stuff scanned and available with more to come!!!  We are working with Andre and just completed a big "updated route histories" project and are in the process of formatting and adding more data on buses, streetcars and work equipment.

 

Thanks again,

   Ray

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, sht6131 said:

Thanks for the memories. I started CTA in 59 and my first job there was being a traffic checker. Looking through the November 59 archives I spotted a photo of my supervisor giving me instructions at the corner of North & Narragansett. Passenger counts at that time was visually.

Sexual harassment was apparently o.k. in those days, too (page 12).

[Busjack]

Going back to a time with which I was more familiar, I looked at the 1972 Transit News, and noted:

• The drawing on the January one looked familiar, but slightly strange, because they put the pine and lime scheme on a Flxible. More surprising is that while that issue said that they were going out to bid, the July August issue said that the first deliveries were on August 11, and most of them were depicted by October. Also, it said where all the buses were supposed to go. Imagine either happening today.
• The proposal for the 2400s had square classification lights.Also, they talked up how the passengers wanted the same interior scheme as in the buses. In one sense that didn't last long (vinyl inserts), but in another, it lasted until about 2012 ("dusky" must have been a technical term).

[jajuan]

I remember these. I used to pick one of these up on occasion as a young transit fan back in high school during the final years these were getting printed back when CTA headquarters was still on the seventh floor of Merchandise Mart. It was in an early 90s issue that I read that it was policy that bus operators allow passengers to ride on deadhead trips. I suspect they meant something like "52 TO JACKSON" or "22 TO FOSTER" as buses that flash the garage name don't generally take passengers. Though there times on late evenings that North Park operators heading back to the garage along Western with their buses displaying "NORTH PARK GARAGE" will sometimes pick up passengers and take them as far as Foster since they know many are traveling to make that connection to the #49. 

Edited January 1, 2018 by jajuan
Minor clarification

[misterb]

Glad to share. I've been doing lots of personal research into the system as I was hired as a CSA a few weeks ago (pending a negative background check-smile). Thanks to the volunteers and staff that are archiving those publications. Would love to see some old rulebooks. I'm curious how processes have changed over the years.