5000-series cars

[doepack]

We at IRM have four 2200s which are known to be in good shape and will likely be set aside for us when the time is right (two pairs to pick from, one pair to save). They may have been set aside for us for safekeeping, but after leaving the museum on December 31st I passed a train on the Congress median with one of "our" pairs in it. There are a good supply of 2200s at Skokie sitting in the yard, lacking doors and other important items ... right now the CTA is probably pretty tight when it comes to rolling stock.

If I may ask, what are the car #'s of the 2200s that IRM is picking from?

[steve4031]

So are they still out of service? In railfanning this weekend and would like to ride them.

A CTA manager promised there should be 100 Bombardiers in the yard at Skokie Shops when the IRM Snowflake Charter zooms by on the last Sunday in March this year.

David Harrison

P.S. Oops...Sorry, it's never been told here just what caused the AC5000s to be pulled from service. The casting that holds the wheel bearing was Made In China. The casting is not up to specs...so much for Chinese craftsmanship, LOL. The fix will not be easy. The 2200s that were set aside with the 40 Bombardiers in service on the Pink line have been returned to service probably. Enjoy riding the 2200s on the Blue line...they're less threatened now then they were a month ago.

Thanks. I appreciate your input. I can expect not to ride th3 5000s. I profess ignorance in regard to the 2200s. Are they the same as what is operated on the red line and brown line?

[Chicagopcclcars]

2200s are late 1960s. They are the last cars with Chicago style blinker doors. East coast ELs used a folding door, not blinkers. 2200s were built by Budd and today are only assigned to the Blue line. I remarked that while serving aboard the Holiday Train I deadhead to tO Hare aboard a regular train and was astonished at the interior of a 2200 car.....it was full of......... full of.......SEATS!. It was like riding in an old GMC bus or a PCC streetcar.

3200s are assigned to Brown and Orange lines. 2600s are assigned to Red, Blue, Yellow and Pink lines. 2400s are assigned to Purple and Green lines. A stray 2600 might get in a Purple line train, but if a 2400 gets on a yellow line train, it'll be bad-ordered real quick. A good place to see all the cars and get their story is http://www.chicago-l.org/

David

[steve4031]

Thanks for the link.

[Tadman]

I'm always amazed at how plentiful seats are on the 2200s, and the traction junkie in me loves the way they sound. If you listen, you can hear the motors quite clearly and they make a much different sound than the more modern cars.

[byte]

The 5-years-older CTA 2000s sound very similar. Actually the buzzing noises on those are a little louder. It comes from a low-voltage converter and 600v inverter for the lighting.

Also, as info - the 2000s at IRM are actively being worked on and getting more functional/looking better as each weekend passes: http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidfulla ... 664727317/

[MACTRAXX]

Dave (Byte): I noted the 2153/54 restoration and I want to ask if the IRM is restoring the "after-Bicentennial"
color scheme it is currently in or will they be repainted to the original CTA 60s green and white colors?

I always like the CTA's "Bicentennial" and "After-Bicentennial" colors and the 2000s looked fine with them...
In my opinion better then the original CTA 60s green and white or the gray/black colors that were used after
the opening of the Dan Ryan and Kennedy lines in 1969-70...

Noting that the 2200s are approaching retirement hopefully some of those 1969-70 Budd-built cars will go
the preservation route...I recall them being the newest CTA cars at the beginning of my Chicago "visiting
years" of 1973 and 1974...The CTA primarily used them on the Lake-Dan Ryan and the Congress/Douglas-
Milwaukee lines back during the 70s...

I can picture my Uncle at the throttle of these cars and noting how the IRM preserves these I think he would
have been proud to see them there...

MACTRAXX

[R36 Combine Coach]

The 2200s were CTA's first stainless cars and also last blinker door units.

[byte]

Dave (Byte): I noted the 2153/54 restoration and I want to ask if the IRM is restoring the "after-Bicentennial"
color scheme it is currently in or will they be repainted to the original CTA 60s green and white colors?

The cars have indoor space purchased in the next barn that will go up. Until then, no new paint job; not a good idea to put on new paint and stick it back outside. The general consensus is to backdate them to circa 1968-69, after they had received some modifications to "place nicely" with the 2200s but before they were repainted. So, the goal is to eventually repaint them to green and white. If anyone out there is a member of the museum, there's an article about the 2000s in the next newsletter that is coming out.

(IRM being the non-profit that it is [and this goes out to no one in particular], donations are how most of this type of work gets done. Even aluminum cars like the 2000s are a "big deal" to paint if you want to do a good job.)

[Chicagopcclcars]

AC5000s are said to be testing on the Red line...out of service with no passengers. Look to see cars wired up and highy instrumented. Expect no quick fixes...Bombardier has laid off over 100 workers who were on the Chicago cars assembly line.

David Harrison