At 6:00 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]
ConsolidationEdit
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.[3] The Chicago Transit Authority took over the assets of the CRT in 1947. In 1951, the Logan Square branch was rerouted into the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, and the Humboldt Park Branch was cut back to a shuttle to Damen Avenue. The Humboldt Park branch would be discontinued a year later.
In 1952, the Douglas branch was shortened to its current terminal at 54th/Cermak[4] and the Humboldt Park branch was closed.[5] The construction of 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, the Garfield Park Branch was replaced by the new Congress Line.[6]
Much of the Metropolitan still operates today, with the Blue Line using a portion of the Logan Square branch on its way to O'Hare International Airport, as well as the Congress Line that replaced the Garfield Park Branch. The Douglas Park Branch, operated as a branch of the Blue Line from 1958 to 2008, is now operated as the Pink Line.
ReferencesEdit
^ ab"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. ISBN0-915348-30-6.
^Garfield, Graham. "Unification". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
^Garfield, Graham. "Douglas". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
^Garfield, Graham. "Humboldt Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
^Garfield, Graham. "Garfield Park". Chicago "L".org. Retrieved January 20, 2009.
External linksEdit
Metropolitan West Side Elevated Company System Map
August 26, 2023
metropolitan, west, side, elevated, railroad, known, polly, third, elevated, rapid, transit, line, built, chicago, illinois, first, chicago, elevated, lines, electrically, powered, main, line, from, downtown, chicago, marshfield, avenue, with, branches, logan,. 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 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 eventually extended to the suburb of Berwyn Illinois Portions of the system are still operated as sections of the Blue Line and the Pink Line Metropolitan West Side Elevated RailroadA train on the Metropolitan main line passes over the Chicago river OverviewLocaleChicago IllinoisServiceTypeRapid transitServicesLogan SquareHumboldt ParkGarfield ParkDouglas ParkOperator s Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad Company 1895 1899 Metropolitan West side Elevated Railway 1899 1924 HistoryOpenedMay 6 1895 1 Closed1924 merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company TechnicalCharacterElevatedTrack gauge4 ft 8 1 2 in 1 435 mm standard gaugeElectrificationThird rail 600 V DCRoute mapLegendWells StreetTerminal to LoopFranklinTerminal Franklin Van BurenCanalHalstedRacineLaflinMarshfieldLogan Square Garfield ParkDouglas ParkMadison PolkLake Street Transfer RooseveltGrand OgdenChicago 14th PlaceDivision HoyneRobey 18th StreetHumboldt Park WesternWestern WesternCalifornia CaliforniaLogan Square Humboldt ParkKedzie WoodBallou CaliforniaLawndale HoyneSacramento WesternKedzie CaliforniaSt Louis Douglas ParkGarfield Park KedzieCrawford HomanTripp Clifton ParkKilbourn LawndaleCicero CrawfordLaramie KildareCentral KentonAustin 48th AvenueLombard 50th AvenueGunderson 52nd AvenueOak Park 54th AvenueHome 56th AvenueHarlem 58th AvenueHannah AustinDes Plaines 62nd AvenueConcordiaCemetery WaldheimCemeteryDes Plaines RiverChicago Aurora amp Elgin RailroadMetropolitan L trackageChicago Aurora amp Elgin trackageMetropolitan L trackage rightsThis diagram viewtalkedit Contents 1 Operation 2 Consolidation 3 References 4 External linksOperation EditAt 6 00 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 EditIn 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 3 The Chicago Transit Authority took over the assets of the CRT in 1947 In 1951 the Logan Square branch was rerouted into the Milwaukee Dearborn Subway and the Humboldt Park Branch was cut back to a shuttle to Damen Avenue The Humboldt Park branch would be discontinued a year later In 1952 the Douglas branch was shortened to its current terminal at 54th Cermak 4 and the Humboldt Park branch was closed 5 The construction of 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 the Garfield Park Branch was replaced by the new Congress Line 6 Much of the Metropolitan still operates today with the Blue Line using a portion of the Logan Square branch on its way to O Hare International Airport as well as the Congress Line that replaced the Garfield Park Branch The Douglas Park Branch operated as a branch of the Blue Line from 1958 to 2008 is now operated as the Pink Line References Edit a b 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 December 28 2007 Garfield Graham Douglas Chicago L org Retrieved January 20 2009 Garfield Graham Humboldt Park Chicago L org Retrieved January 20 2009 Garfield Graham Garfield Park Chicago L org Retrieved January 20 2009 External links EditMetropolitan West Side Elevated Company System Map Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad amp oldid 1144454715, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
