SECOND PART THIS CAR TO THE LOOP

The most recognizable feature of the Chicago "L" system is probably the Loop "L" but the name of the downtown destination...."The Loop"...is actually older than the elevated tracks circling the downtown. The name comes from announcements made by cable car conductors who would loudly proclaim, "This car is bound for the loop."...to differentiate between a run making a short turn or a run going to the carbarn. Cable cars had to terminate either at a turntable or loop around a block. That was a good ten years before the Loop "L" was finished in 1897.

The classic pose of the "L" rounding the only corner of the Loop "L" that was never a junction is shown in these two shots of Lake and Wabash, from below and from track level.




The first leg to be constructed was the Loop "L" over Lake Street. A NB Green line train with two work motors bringing up the rear is caught heading toward Clark & Lake station.


On the Wabash AV side, another NB Green line train departs Randolph & Wabash station and enters the curve at Lake & Wabash. Parking garages used to be the best locations for downtown photography but that has diminished as more security has been added.



The scene shifts to Adams & Wabash and a NB Brown line train brakes entering the station. An independent company was created just to construct the Wabash AV leg which extended two blocks south of the Loop "L" to connect with the South Side elevated.



When the third leg of the Loop "L" was constructed by the Northwestern elevated over Wells Street (Fifth Avenue) the right angle crossing at Lake and Wells was created. The junction, known as Tower 18 would live on to fame, including the world record...."busiest railroad junction." That title was held until the first subway opened in 1943. This view looks north through the junction. Our westbound Pink line train has a red over lunar signal and will make a left hand turn.



It is said hat the most heart pounding experience is to hear a straight routed "L" train rumble over the diamonds at Tower 18 and the best chance of that happening is with an inbound Brown line train like the one pictured here. Brown line trains have a good chance at getting a 35 MPH cab signal because they are the only trains on the outer Loop track along the Wells Street side of the Loop "L".



David Harrison (To be continued)

When it opened at the turn of the century, the Loop "L" had three access routes that approached over the navigable Chicago River and the South Branch. When the connection between the West Side median in the Congress ST Expressway and the subway was completed, one of those access routes was torn down, leaving the two that exist today.

Here is the Lake Street bridge over the South Branch used by the Pink and Green lines.



And the Wells Street bridge, the connection to the north side "L" used today by the Purple and the Brown lines.



The last leg of the Loop "L" to be completed was the south leg over Van Buren ST. To me this leg is the most photogenic thanks to the varied building architectural structures trackside. The owls are symbolic of knowledge and grace the roof of the Harold Washington Public Library, reputed to be the largest municipal building in the world. The narrow slit windows grace what I like to call the "Federal Hilton" which features location,location,location,....close to your appearance in Federal Court, LOL. Easily seen in the Max Car shot are the supports at curbside rather than in the street. This was a concession given property owners.










David Harrison

Those are some fantastic pictures, man. Mighty fine. Liked the shot of the orange line train with a brown line run number, nice catch. Thanks also for the historical captions for many of the pictures...

Thanks Doepack...And hey, you're quite observant on that Orange line train. We'll see if anyone else can decipher this mystery.

David Harrison