Tomorrow, Saturday, July 29, the Chicago Transit Authority will mark the 100 “birthday” of its vintage 4000-series railcars with a return to the tracks.
Customers will be able to take a ride back in time on one of the historic railcars which will travel around the Loop ‘L’ from 10 am to 2 pm.
“The 4000-series railcars and the entire Heritage Fleet are a treasure not just in CTA’s history, but the City of Chicago’s history too, and Chicagoans of all ages are welcome to come out and experience this century-old gem,” said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr.
“It is a privilege to serve our customers each day, and events such as this are just as much a gift for us as it is for those coming out to ride and experience a bygone era of public transit that is appreciated across multiple generations.”
CTA’s Heritage Fleet comprises a collection of vintage buses and railcars from the 1920s through the 1970s. The 4000-series railcars, which were built in two phases: from 1914-15 and from 1922-24, were Chicago’s first steel body cars and are the oldest vehicles in the Heritage Fleet.
In addition to being the 100th anniversary of the introduction of 4000-series railcars, it is also almost 50 years since they were retired from regular passenger service back in October 1973.
The railcars 4271-4272 traveling around Chicago tomorrow will feature the burnt orange and brown paint scheme they wore in the 1940s as well as replica advertisements from the era within the train.
A limited quantity of commemorative posters will be distributed from a table at the south end of the inner-loop platform of the Washington-Wabash station.
Unchanged CTA rail fare will apply.
More information can be found at transitchicago.com/heritagefleet.