200 series

Late on a weekday afternoon in 1941 we are at Lockwood Avenue, at the west end of Chicago Aurora & Elgin’s midday storage yard at Laramie Avenue. The 201 heads a four-car train westbound out of the yard. With the motorman’s hand on the whistle cord and the conductor at the switch stand, the motorman will pull his train westbound onto the eastbound main line. The train crew will immediately change ends to run eastbound over the Garfield Park branch of the Metropolitan “L” to CA&E’s Wells Street Ternunal where the terminal switch crew will reverse the train in preparation for a very fast run westbound as a rush-hour Wheaton Express. The 201 was one of four cars, odd numbers only, 201-207, built by Niles Car & Manufacturing Co. in 1904, the second order of cars delivered to the CA&E. In the left background we see an eastbound CSL Harrison Street car.

Photo from the collection of Joe Diaz

Caption by Joe Diaz1

We catch 201 in Lockwood yard while being prepped for a trip to the Wells Street Terminal on a weekday afternoon in 1941. The car has already been equipped with its green flags which signify this is the head end. This is a transitional period for the old rolling stock on the CA&E. 201 has an appearance that is more suited to modern tastes while the car behind it shows its age with its old fashioned stained glass windows. (This car is actually newer than the 201.) Eventually, all of the old wooden cars will have their arched windows hidden.

Photo from the collection of Joe Diaz

Either having just finished a run, or getting ready to embark upon one, 203 is seen laid up in a yard sometime after October 1945. The car wears the earlier version of the red, white, and blue scheme that has the Sunset Lines logo.

Photo from the collection of Joe Diaz

207 was the last standard interurban car in the 200 series order. (An additional car, Carolyn, was the last car in the order, but was a parlor car.) 207 is in Wheaton yard and still carries the Sunset Lines logo, but its arched windows have been covered over, putting this photo after September 1940. The car was retired in 1955.

Collection of T. S. Martorano