2018 Historical Calendar Is Available

[Piesciuk]

http://www.transitchicago.com/historicalcalendar/

[Busjack]

Couple of clunkers:

• It took me a bit to figure out what was wrong on the cover, but it is that the 6000s were never ribbed.
• January: Midway wasn't completely defunct in about 1972: I remember having to hike in the snow from the #55 bus stop at 55th and Cicero to the airport entrance in the snow. Somehow, I don't remember the return trek. United was running out of Midway then.
• June: They must have been messing with the destination sign on the last trip. Lind's book shows Vincennes-80, although the caption says it was at Halsted-81. It also says that Clark St, streetcar service ended in Sept. 1957, so this definitely was not a Clark Downtown car.
• Oct.: This differs from the picture in various delis, which has a Peter Witt car.

[geneking7320]

A question arises:

The May picture shows a number of GMC buses at the old 69th and Ashland garage.

Were these buses there for a photo op? I don't recall GMC's on any of the 69th routes I saw in the 1950s and 1960s.

Examples: Nos. 55,59,63,67,75,9,44,50 etc all seem to be operated by propane Flxibles and Macks back in the day.

[Busjack]

46 minutes ago, geneking7320 said:

A question arises:

The May picture shows a number of GMC buses at the old 69th and Ashland garage.

Were these buses there for a photo op? I don't recall GMC's on any of the 69th routes I saw in the 1950s and 1960s.

Examples: Nos. 55,59,63,67,75,9,44,50 etc all seem to be operated by propane Flxibles and Macks back in the day.

This would have been in the late 40s (given that CTA direct purchases in the 1950s were propanes), but Lind's book* indicates that 69th remained streetcar, while Archer converted to bus, generally GMCs and Whites, by 1948. My assumption is that it was either a photo op or a goof.

The long brick apron gives me the feeling that it was the Vincennes side of 77th,** which Lind says got the far south side bus routes (before Beverly opened).

Like you,  all I remember  on 69th routes such as 55 and 63 were propanes, but by then (late 60s), these buses would have been gone, as the only GMC old looks  that were left were the 600s on 21 Cermak.

_____________

*List of car houses, and routes, split by streetcar and bus, on page 367.

**I`m  comparing the picture of the 77th lead track on page 359. That's now behind Jersey barriers.

[artthouwill]

23 hours ago, Busjack said:

This 

Like you,  all I remember  on 69th routes such as 55 and 63 were propanes, but by then (late 60s), these buses would have been gone, as the only GMC old looks  that were left were the 600s on 21 Cermak.

_____________

 

I actually remember the Flxble propane at 69th into the early 1970s, along with the 100s and 300s GMC fishbowls.  I even remember riding bus 804, an air conditioned GMC fishbowl on 63rd.  

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, artthouwill said:

I actually remember the Flxble propane at 69th into the early 1970s, along with the 100s and 300s GMC fishbowls.  I even remember riding bus 804, an air conditioned GMC fishbowl on 63rd.  

Those were different generations, as far as 69th was concerned. Again, when I was riding them, 69th was all propanes (5500s and 8800s) until 1973, when it was converted to diesels, and the diesel series you mentioned came along with the 7400s. The 800s were in Evanston (1-5) before they reached 69th. I don't recall 300s at 69th, though, as most were at Limits and FG.