CTA's New History Instagram Page Shares Old-School, Epic Photos

DOWNTOWN — The CTA has unveiled a new Instagram page devoted to old-school photos of days, trains and buses gone by.

The Instagram page, which features old-school photos of CTA trains and buses, debuted in honor of the CTA's 70th anniversary this year.

BTW, we've also started an @instagram account to share historical pics as part of #cta70 celebration! Follow us at: https://t.co/xYd4qd4lVP pic.twitter.com/cZcJBGJXSP

— cta (@cta) March 6, 2017

“For 70 years, Chicagoans have turned to the CTA to get them where they’ve needed to go,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter Jr. in a news release. “Our 70th anniversary gives us the chance to not only look back at our proud history, but also to look ahead to the improvements and investments we’re making to serve customers for another 70 years.”

CTA began operations on Oct. 1, 1947, taking over operations by the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (which ran the ‘L’ system) and the Chicago Surface Lines (which ran the streetcar system and some bus lines), according to a release.

Check out some of the photos below or click here:

 

 

Lake Street 'L' at Central, pre-elevation (ca. 1960) This photo shows a Lake Street 'L' train at Central, in Chicago's Austin neighborhood on the West Side, before the part of the route west of Laramie was elevated. At Laramie, train conductors would raise the trolley poles (the station had both third rail and overhead wire to make the transition to running along the street) and trains would descend to grade level where they'd travel alongside Lake Street and the Chicago & North Western railroad embankment, out to a terminal station in Forest Park, just west of Harlem. In 1962, trains were diverted onto the North Western's right-of-way (now Union Pacific), where they operate to the Harlem/Lake terminal, as part of the CTA Green Line, today. The line serves Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. Photo courtesy Bruce G. Moffat. #cta #cta70 #ctahistory #chicago #ctagreenline #train #trolleywire

A post shared by Chicago Transit Authority (@chicagocta) on Mar 5, 2017 at 7:53am PST

 

Rt. 40 O'Harexpress at O'Hare in Bicentennial Colors This MAN articulated bus was assigned to the #40 O'Harexpress service, which ran express between Jefferson Park on the West-Northwest 'L' Route (today's Blue Line) and O'Hare, before the extension from Logan Square to O'Hare was completed. This photo shows the the bus, in Bicentennial livery, posing in front of the bridge used by planes (such as this McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10 in @united service) to cross I-190 at O'Hare. The 'L' would later run down space in the middle of this expressway and service on the 40 would be discontinued once you could take a train directly into the airport. #cta #chicago #ord #ctahistory #airports #airplanes #unitedairlines #ohare #ohareairport #bus #bendybus #articulatedbus #ctablueline #cta70 #roadway #tarmac #taxiway #airplane #ctablueline

A post shared by Chicago Transit Authority (@chicagocta) on Mar 6, 2017 at 9:25am PST

 

Green Hornet Streetcar on Clark This Green Hornet streetcar was in service on the 22 Clark-Wentworth route heading south toward 81st on Clark Street at Halsted. Trying to place this point-of-view? It looks a lot different than today, for sure. In this picture, the photographer is looking north-northwest from the corner where the hot dog stand is, looking up Clark Street toward Belmont (behind streetcar), as well as up Halsted toward Belmont (to right of front of streetcar). #cta #ctahistory #cta70 #chicago #streetcar #greenhornet #pcc #transit #publictransit #railway #trolleywires #lakeview #trolley

A post shared by Chicago Transit Authority (@chicagocta) on Mar 6, 2017 at 5:40am PST

 

Early CTA Bus Stop Sign An old CTA Bus Stop sign for the #49 Western indicates service between Western/79th and Western/Berwyn at all times, including Owl Service every 30 minutes—just like today. Today, of course, you’d call the RTA (1-312-836-7000) for travel information for CTA, Metra and Pace instead of calling us directly, though the phone number on the sign—MOhawk 4-7200—still goes through to our main switchboard! #cta #cta70 #ctahistory #chicago #busstop #signage

A post shared by Chicago Transit Authority (@chicagocta) on Mar 3, 2017 at 2:03pm PST

 

Trolley bus on Grand Ave (from Grand/Desplaines) A CTA trolley (electric) bus makes its way east in the snow in January 1957. The viaduct/bridge it's crossing is no more, but once allowed passage over railroad tracks just west of the North Branch of the Chicago River. Today there's just an at-grade crossing over one track at this location, but there used to be more as part of freight operations on the Chicago & North Western. The bridge to cross over the North Branch of the Chicago River is beyond the bridge that's in view. #cta #ctahistory #cta70 #chicago #riverwest #westtown #westtownchicago #Chicagowinters #winterwonderland

A post shared by Chicago Transit Authority (@chicagocta) on Mar 3, 2017 at 8:48am PST