Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad | |
---|---|
A train on the Metropolitan main line passes over the Chicago river | |
Overview | |
Type | Rapid transit |
Locale | Chicago, Illinois |
Services |
Logan Square Humboldt Park Garfield Park Douglas Park |
Operation | |
Opened | May 6, 1895[1] |
Closed | 1924 (merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company) |
Operator(s) |
Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company (1895–1899) Metropolitan West side Elevated Railway (1899–1924) |
Character | Elevated |
Technical | |
Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
Electrification | Third rail, 600 V DC |
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad (known as the Met or Polly "L"[2]) was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois and was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park (eventually extended to the suburb of Berwyn, Illinois). Portions of the line survive as the Blue and Pink lines of the Chicago "L" system.
Operation
At 6 o'clock AM on May 7, 1895, the first train of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated left the Robey Street station bound for the downtown terminal at Canal.[1]
Consolidation
In 1913, Chicago's four elevated railroad companies came together to form the Chicago Elevated Railways Collateral Trust establishing crosstown services for the first time, and in 1924 all four companies were formally united to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company.[3] The Chicago Transit Authority took over the assets of the CRT in 1947. In 1952, the Douglas branch was shortened to its present terminal at 54th/Cermak[4] and the Humboldt Park branch was closed.[5] The construction of the Congress Street Super Highway (known today as the Eisenhower Expressway, I-290) required the demolition of the Garfield Park branch and the Main Line but also called for a replacement rapid transit line in the median of the expressway. In 1958, Garfield Service was replaced by the new Congress Line.[6] Today the Douglas Park branch of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad and the remaining portion of the Northwest branch (now called the Paulina Connector) continues as the majority of the Pink Line while the Logan Square branch continues on as part of the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line.
Station listing
Station | Location | Opened | Closed |
---|---|---|---|
Wells Street Terminal | Loop | October 3, 1904 | February 25, 1951 |
Franklin Terminal | Loop | May 13, 1895 | 1897 |
Franklin/Van Buren | Loop | October 11, 1897 | October 11, 1955 |
Canal | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
Halsted | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
Racine | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | April 5, 1954 |
Laflin | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | December 9, 1951 |
Marshfield | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | 1954 |
Ogden | Near West Side | June 19, 1895 | September 27, 1953 |
Hoyne | Near West Side | June 19, 1895 | September 27, 1953 |
Western | Near West Side | June 19, 1895 | September 27, 1953 |
California | East Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | September 27, 1953 |
Sacramento | East Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | June 10, 1952[7] |
Kedzie | East Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
St. Louis | East Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
Garfield Park | West Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | September 20, 1953 |
Pulaski | West Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
Tripp | West Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
Kilbourn | West Garfield Park | June 19, 1895 | September 20, 1953 |
Cicero | Austin | June 19, 1895 | June 22, 1958 |
Laramie | Austin | August 25, 1902 | June 22, 1958 |
Central | Austin | March 11, 1905 | October 11, 1960 |
Austin | Oak Park | March 11, 1905 | March 18, 1960 |
Lombard | Oak Park | March 11, 1905 | September 20, 1953 |
Gunderson | Oak Park | March 11, 1905 | 1957 |
Oak Park | Oak Park | March 11, 1905 | March 19, 1960 |
Home | Oak Park | March 11, 1905 | September 20, 1953 |
Harlem | Forest Park | March 11, 1905 | March 19, 1960 |
Hannah | Forest Park | March 11, 1905 | September 14, 1952 |
Des Plaines | Forest Park | March 11, 1905 | — |
Madison | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | February 25, 1951 |
Lake Street Transfer | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | February 25, 1951 |
Grand | Near West Side | May 6, 1895 | February 25, 1951 |
Chicago | West Town | May 6, 1895 | February 25, 1951 |
Division | Wicker Park/Noble Square | May 6, 1895 | February 25, 1951 |
Damen | Wicker Park | May 6, 1895 | — |
Western | Logan Square | May 25, 1895 | — |
California | Logan Square | May 25, 1895 | — |
Logan Square | Logan Square | May 25, 1895 | — |
Western | West Town | July 29, 1895 | May 4, 1952[8] |
California | West Town | July 29, 1895 | May 4, 1952[8] |
Humboldt Park | Humboldt Park | November 11, 1902 | May 4, 1952[8] |
Kedzie | Humboldt Park | July 29, 1895 | May 4, 1952[8] |
St. Louis | Humboldt Park | July 29, 1895 | May 4, 1952[8] |
Lawndale | Humboldt Park | July 29, 1895[9] | May 4, 1952[8] |
Polk | Illinois Medical District | April 28, 1896[10] | — |
Roosevelt | Near West Side | April 28, 1896[10] | May 3, 1952 |
14th | Near West Side | April 28, 1896[10] | December 9, 1951[11] |
18th | Pilsen | April 28, 1896[10] | — |
Wood | Lower West Side | April 28, 1896[10] | May 19, 1957 |
Hoyne | Heart of Chicago | September 7, 1896 | — |
Western | Lower West Side | September 7, 1896[12] | — |
California | Little Village | March 10, 1902[13] | — |
Douglas Park | South Lawndale | June 16, 1902 | May 3, 1952 |
Kedzie | North Lawndale | March 10, 1902[13] | — |
Homan | North Lawndale | March 10, 1902[13] | December 9, 1951[11] |
Clifton Park | North Lawndale | March 10, 1902[13] | December 9, 1951[11] |
Lawndale | North Lawndale | March 10, 1902[13] | December 9, 1951[11] |
Crawford | North Lawndale | June 16, 1902[14] | — |
Kildare | North Lawndale | May 22, 1907 | — |
Kenton | North Lawndale | May 22, 1907 | December 9, 1951[11] |
48th | Cicero | December 16, 1907[15] | — |
50th | Cicero | August 16, 1910 | 1978 |
52nd | Cicero | August 16, 1910 | August 16, 2003 |
54th | Cicero | August 1, 1912 | — |
56th | Cicero | August 1, 1912 | February 3, 1952[16] |
58th | Cicero | August 1, 1915 | February 3, 1952[16] |
Austin | Cicero | August 1, 1915 | February 3, 1952[16] |
62nd | Cicero | August 1, 1915 | February 3, 1952[16] |
Ridgeland | Berwyn | March 16, 1924 | February 3, 1952[16] |
Oak Park | Berwyn | March 16, 1924 | February 3, 1952[16] |
References
- 1 2 "New "L" Road Opens". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 7, 1895. p. 12.
- ↑ Moffat, Bruce (1995). "Chapter 8: An Innovative Elevated". The "L" The Development of Chicago's Rapid Transit System, 1888-1932. Chicago: Central Electric Railfans' Association. pp. 123–145. ISBN 0-915348-30-6.
- ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Unification". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Douglas". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Humboldt Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Garfield Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2009-01-20.
- ↑ Sacramento Chicago "L".org. Accessed August 18, 2013
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Humboldt Park 'L' Trains Discontinued Today; Put in Buses". Chicago Daily Tribune. May 5, 1952. p. 1.
- ↑ "Opens Its New Line". Chicago Daily Tribune. July 30, 1895. p. 3.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Douglas Park Branch Opened". Chicago Daily Tribune. April 28, 1896. p. 5.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Revise Douglas and Garfield 'L' Service Dec. 9". Chicago Daily Tribune. December 1, 1951. p. 4.
- ↑ Moffat, Bruce (1995). The "L". Chicago, Illinois: Central Electric Railfans' Association. p. 130. ISBN 0-915348-30-6.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "More Trains on Alley "L": Use Old Congress Station". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 9, 1902. p. 3.
- ↑ "Increase in "L" Traffic". Chicago Daily Tribune. April 5, 1903. p. 63.
- ↑ Moffat, Bruce (1995). The "L". Chicago, Illinois: Central Electric Railfans' Association. p. 157. ISBN 0-915348-30-6.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Buses Replace 'L' Tomorrow in Cicero, Berwyn". Chicago Daily Tribune. February 2, 1952. p. 3.