Railroad Forums 

Discussion related to commuter rail and rapid transit operations in the Chicago area including the South Shore Line, Metra Rail, and Chicago Transit Authority.

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 #1440788  by Milwaukee_F40C
 
I can announce this now since it has already happened:

CTA has reacquired PCC L cars 6101-6102 from the Fox River Trolley Museum. They picked them up last week with their own railcar carrying truck. CTA is also probably getting the 6000 pair from the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, to make a four car train. The people behind this want to be able to market charter trains using cars more historic than the 2400s, while also being able to sell more seats than those available on the two 4000s. They claim that restoration and maintenance expenses for all the historic cars are to come from charter revenue and merchandise sales.

6101-6102 never ran at FRTM, due to a request in their "title" that they not be used to carry passengers. This was after CTA had sold 6000 series cars to SEPTA where some tragedies involving those cars happened, and the lawyers found their way back to CTA. Without this restriction, 6101-6102 "could" have had trolley poles put on them and been run.

So CTA will now have:
2 4000s
4 6000s
around 8 2400s (they previously announced they were keeping)
2 2200s (the locker room cars which supposedly might have been added to the collection)

It will be interesting to see if charters and merchandise can raise enough money for all this. Most of us know what happened to the last "historic collection". The timing kind of sucks. They started all this at the time the 2400s were being retired, but too late for better 2200s. The two 1-50 cars that East Troy scrapped a few years ago also would have been a nice option. The "deaccessioning" of 6101-6102 from FRTM leaves a gap in the collection as the 6000 series cars are really more historically significant than 1-50 series cars.
 #1440791  by Backshophoss
 
Is there a stub ended station somewhere on the system that could be used a a museum station?
Which Shop will get the "honor" of maintaining this fleet along with secure storage duty?
 #1440805  by Milwaukee_F40C
 
Everything is done at Skokie, where I think the 4000s have always been kept. I heard they even made a deal with the union to let CTA retirees and volunteers work on the historic cars.

I doubt CTA has a museum in its plans. That would take real money and there's no location like what MTA has. Maybe the unfinished blue to red line tunnel downtown- good place to show off CTA's success. Otherwise, space in some yard would have to be set aside to display cars for easy access to members of the public. Maybe lower 63rd?
 #1453641  by Milwaukee_F40C
 
Cars 6711-6712 from Museum of Transportation made it to CTA property at some point by November 29. They were stored indoors and are in better shape than 6101-6102 but are less original in appearance- not just paint.

And here is a link to FRTM's official news update on 6101-6102, which I never posted:
http://www.foxtrolley.org/News" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1489994  by Milwaukee_F40C
 
There is a CTA charter scheduled to use Boeing 2400s on Saturday, November 10th, 2018 to benefit the Fox River Trolley Museum. Leaves Wilmette at 10:00am. Tickets are available.
https://www.foxtrolley.org/CTA-Charter" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.gofundme.com/fox-river-trolley-museum" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Meanwhile at the museum, the second single PCC L car is getting the 1985 repaint, to be back in service in about two weeks and with new trolley poles. Third car will probably be painted next year. Two 4000s are getting new roofs and interior ceiling restoration.