South Side Elevated Railroad

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South Side Elevated Railroad
South Side Elevated Railroad car 1.jpg
South Side Rapid Transit railcar #1, one of the original passenger cars from the railroad, now on display at the Chicago History Museum
Overview
Locale Chicago, Illinois
Service
Type Rapid transit
Services Jackson Park
Englewood
Normal Park
Kenwood
Union Stock Yards
Operator(s)Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company (1892–1897)
South Side Elevated Railroad (1897–1924)
History
OpenedJune 6, 1892
Closed1924 (merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company)
Technical
Line length1903: 10.7 miles (17.2 km) [1]
Track length1903: 19.4 miles (31.2 km) [1]
Character Elevated
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge [2]
Minimum radius 90 ft (27.43 m)
Electrification Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map
South Side Elevated Railroad map.svg
Share of the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company, issued 3. February 1894 Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit RR 1894.jpg
Share of the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company, issued 3. February 1894

The South Side Elevated Railroad (originally Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad) was the first elevated rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Jackson Park, with branches to Englewood, Normal Park, Kenwood, and the Union Stock Yards. The first 3.6 miles (5.8 km) of the line opened on June 6, 1892. [3] Much of its route is still used today as part of the Green Line of the Chicago "L" system.

Contents

Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad

The Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company was incorporated on January 4, 1888, [4] and secured a franchise from the City of Chicago on March 26 of that year to construct an elevated railroad between Van Buren Street and 39th Street (Pershing Road). [5] The franchise required the company to build along a right of way immediately adjacent and parallel to one of the alleys from Van Buren Street to 37th Street, [5] rapidly earning the line the nickname of the "alley L". [6] [7]

In April 1892, the city authorized the extension of the line as far south as 71st street. A further extension along 63rd Street was passed in April 1893. The total cost of construction was estimated at $6,750,000. [5]

A 6-car train carrying 300 guests made the inaugural run along first section of the line—running between a station at 39th Street and the Congress Terminal downtown—on May 27, 1892, [8] and the line opened to the public ten days later. [9] Initially the 3.6-mile (5.8 km) journey from 39th street to downtown took 14 minutes and cost 5¢. [3] The line was gradually extended over the following months, with the route reaching Jackson Park on May 12, 1893 to provide service to the World's Columbian Exposition. [3]

Delivery of the line's first 20 locomotives, 1892 South Side Elevated locomotive delivery 1892.jpg
Delivery of the line's first 20 locomotives, 1892

Rolling stock on the line included 46 Forney-type (0-4-4T) steam locomotives that were built at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, and 180 46-foot (14.02 m)-long wooden passenger cars. [3] [10] The first 20 locomotives were delivered coupled into a single train in April 1892. [11]

The South Side Elevated railroad provided 24-hour service, a major advantage when compared to Chicago's cable railroads, which required daily overnight shutdown for cable maintenance. [12] After midnight, two trains ran on the line, providing service every 20 minutes. In contrast, rush-hour service required 18 trains to maintain a schedule with a 3-minute headway. [12]

Bankruptcy and takeover

When the World's Columbian Exposition closed, lack of development along the southern portion of the route led to plummeting passenger numbers. The Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company went into receivership in 1895 and was sold under foreclosure in September 1896 for $4,100,100. [13] The South Side Elevated Railroad was formed to take over the route in 1897. [3]

Service was extended into the newly built Union Loop in October 1897 connecting the South Side Elevated Railroad with the Lake Street Elevated Railroad, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad, and (after 1900) the Northwestern Elevated Railroad. [10]

These other companies used third rail electrification to power their trains, so the South Side Elevated Railroad enlisted Frank Julian Sprague to convert its rolling stock to electrical power. Sprague used his previously untested system of multiple-unit train control (MU), where multiple self-powered cars could be linked together and controlled by a single person, making the South Side Elevated Railroad the first in the world to use MU operation. [3] [10]

Branches

As ridership increased, the South Side Elevated Railroad constructed additional branches. A 3-mile (4.8 km) branch to Englewood opened in stages between 1905 and 1907. The short 0.9-mile (1.4 km) Normal Park branch opened in 1907. [14] Branches to Kenwood and the Union Stock Yards—both running on tracks owned by the Chicago Junction Railroad—opened in 1907 and 1908 respectively. [15] [16]

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. In 1924 all four companies were formally united to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company. [17] The Chicago Transit Authority took over the assets of the CRT in 1947. The Normal Park branch closed in 1954 [18] and the Kenwood and Stock Yards branches were abandoned in 1957. [19] [20] Most of the rest of the route of the South Side Elevated Railroad continues in service as part of the CTA's Green Line.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line, part of the Chicago L system

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">51st station</span> Chicago "L" station

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad</span> Former Rapid Transit operator

The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois. It was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered. The main line ran from downtown Chicago to Marshfield Avenue, with branches to Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Garfield Park, and Douglas Park. Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line.

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29th was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L"'s South Side main line. Originally constructed by the South Side Elevated Railroad company, it was one of the original ten stations opened on the Chicago "L", beginning service on June 6, 1892. The South Side Elevated Railroad merged operations with three other companies to form Chicago Elevated Railways (CER) in 1911, before merging outright with them in 1924 to form the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT). Public ownership came to the "L" in 1947 with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenwood branch</span> Former Chicago "L" line

The Kenwood branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago 'L' system from 1907 to 1957. The branch served the Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago and consisted of six elevated stations. It opened on September 20, 1907 and closed on December 1, 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan main line</span> Former rapid transit line in Chicago

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Ryan branch</span> Rapid transit infrastructure in Chicago, USA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Side Elevated</span> Elevated railway in Chicago

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stock Yards branch</span>

The Stock Yards branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago 'L' system from 1908 to 1957. The branch served the Union Stock Yards and the Canaryville neighborhood of Chicago and consisted of eight elevated stations. It opened on April 8, 1908, and closed on October 6, 1957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Square branch</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago

The Logan Square branch was an elevated rapid transit line of the Chicago "L", where it was one of the branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Diverging north from the Metropolitan's main line west of Marshfield station, it opened in 1895 and served Chicago's Logan Square and West Town neighborhoods. North of Damen station, the Humboldt Park branch diverged from the Logan Square branch, going west to serve Humboldt Park. The original Logan Square branch was separated into several sections in 1951, some of which remain in revenue service as of 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skip-stop on the Chicago "L"</span> Former Chicago "L" service pattern

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Street Transfer station</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago (1913–1951)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshfield station</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1954

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison station (CTA)</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1951

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laflin station</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1951

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Grand was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L"'s Logan Square branch, one of the several branches of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Located on Grand Avenue, the station was constructed by the Metropolitan in the early 1890s and began service on May 6, 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis station (CTA Garfield Park branch)</span> Rapid transit station in Chicago, 1895–1958

St. Louis was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L" between 1895 and 1953. It was constructed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad and served its Garfield Park branch. The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (CA&E), an interurban serving Chicago's western suburbs, also used the Garfield Park branch's tracks in 1905. To accommodate the mixing of the fast interurban and slow "L" service on a two-track line, two crossovers were installed on either side of the St. Louis station to let CA&E trains pass "L" trains in 1911.

References

  1. 1 2 Poor, H.V.; Poor, H.W. (1903). Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States (Volume 36). p. 925.
  2. ↑ Poor, H.V.; Poor, H.W. (1900). Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States (Volume 33). p. 881.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Borzo, Greg (2007). "Chapter Two: First "L"—South Side". The Chicago "L". Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 23–34. ISBN   978-0-7385-5100-5.
  4. ↑ Maltbie, Milo Roy, ed. (1901). The Street Railways of Chicago: Report of the Civic Federation of Chicago. Chicago: The Civic Federation of Chicago. p. 80.
  5. 1 2 3 Wilcox, Delos F. (1911). Municipal Franchises: A Description of the Terms and Conditions upon which Private Corporations Enjoy Special Privileges in the Streets of American Cities. New York: The Engineering News Publishing Company. pp. 465–470.
  6. ↑ Ralph, Julian (1893). Harper's Chicago and the World's Fair. New York: Harper and Brothers Publishers. pp.  143.
  7. ↑ Stevens, Charles McClellan (1893). The Adventures of Uncle Jeremiah and Family at the Great Fair. Chicago: Laird & Lee Publishers. pp.  33.
  8. ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Green Line: South Side Elevated". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  9. ↑ "Running on the "L.": First Train Goes Through in Fourteen Minutes". Chicago Daily Tribune . 1892-06-07. p. 9.
  10. 1 2 3 Moffat, Bruce G. "Steam On The Alley "L"". Discover Live Steam. Archived from the original on 2007-10-26. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
  11. ↑ Morris, Hank. "Chicago's First Elevated's First Locomotives" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-12-28.[ dead link ]
  12. 1 2 Cudahy, Brian J. Destination Loop. Brattleboro, Vermont: Stephen Greene Press; 1982. p.13
  13. ↑ Street Railway Journal (1905). American Street Railway Investments. New York: McGraw Publishing Company. p. 52.
  14. ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Green Line: Ashland (Englewood) branch". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  15. ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Kenwood branch". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  16. ↑ Garfield, Graham. "Stock Yards branch". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved 2008-01-27.
  17. ↑ "Four "L" Lines Merged Under Insull As Chief". Chicago Daily Tribune . 1924-01-17. p. 11.
  18. ↑ "Normal Park 'L' Spur Service to End Today". Chicago Daily Tribune . 1954-01-29. p. A12.
  19. ↑ "Stock Yards 'L' Dies On Oct. 7; Plan Bus Line". Chicago Daily Tribune . 1957-09-27. p. A5.
  20. ↑ "An Era Ends: Wood 'L' Cars On Last Runs". Chicago Daily Tribune . 1957-11-29. p. A2.
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