Pan trolleys while MU'd?

I've never seen a picture of an older Skokie car (1-50 series) with the Krambles-designed pan-trolleys coupled to and operating with another pan-trolley equipped car under wire, with both pans up. Anyone know if there some sort of limitation with the CTA's homebuilt overhead equipment which discouraged MU operation, or if the management at that time simply elected to run only single units on the Howard-Dempster runs? (aside from 51-54, of course)

I think it was the latter. I'm not aware of any operational limitations, but I do remember that back in the late 70s/early 80s, the 51-54 cars were run primarily during rush, while the single cars covered the off-peak runs. Seemed to be just the SOP at the time...

On opening day all four of the high speed Skokie cars operated in a train. I'll look up the picture. There was no problem MUing. Each car got its own electric power just like all other CTA vehicles, except the 4000s in later years. One trolley pole powered both cars of the married pairs.

The concept of the Skokie service was one man operation. Under the union rules, one man could only operate a one car unit. That was stretched when the 5000s were converted for Skokie service. But each 5000 was still only one car. They were officially known as "compartment cars"...three compartments. THen the 5-50 cars were reworked and although two cars, they were treated as one unit. Finally one man operation...well one person operation went system wide.

David Harrison

I just saw in the Winter 2008 issue of First & Fastest, on page CWC 3 (a special section in the center), a photo of a train of two single cars arriving at Howard St. from Skokie on February 5, 1965. No mention in the caption of whether this was commonplace or rare.

Interesting, thanks for the info guys. I'm writing an academic paper on the creation of the Skokie Swift and its influence on new rapid transit projects built since then. I actually found the picture of 1-50 cars 1 through 4 operating in one train operating to Skokie, with pan-trolleys up, the caption reading "Coupled into one train to bring the inaugural party to dedication day ceremonies, April 18, 1964, car numbers 1 thru 4 made this portrait. In Regular service, Skokie Swift operates only single-car trains." (The picture and caption was found in the 1968 final report of the Skokie Swift project). I recall reading elsewhere that one of the pan trolleys was actually torn off en route, and the picture would seem to support that conclusion - the last car doesn't have one raised. I always knew the cars could MU in general but at this point it would appear that each car's pan trolley had to be raised from button in a cab of that respective car, which was possible on that first four-car trip because those cars immediately began regular service from Skokie right afterward, so there were at least four motormen on hand (one whose timing may have been a little off...).

I'll have to look at that F&F issue when I get a chance, though. Equipment rescue, perhaps? Or maybe they were just deadheading two cars from the Skokie Shops. I need to get out to IRM this summer and ask someone who's operated their articulated #52.