Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad

Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
Overview
Type Rapid transit
Locale Chicago
Services 4
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 right of way
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge)
Electrification Third rail, 600v 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.

Contents

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 54/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 CTA's Pink Line while the Logan Square branch continues on as part of the O'Hare branch of the Blue Line.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b "New "L" Road Opens". Chicago Daily Tribune: p. 12. May 7, 1895. 
  2. ^ 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. 
  3. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Unification". Chicago "L".org. http://chicago-l.org/history/unification.html. Retrieved 2007-12-28. 
  4. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Douglas". Chicago "L".org. http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/douglas.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
  5. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Humboldt Park". Chicago "L".org. http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/humboldt.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
  6. ^ Garfield, Graham. "Garfield Park". Chicago "L".org. http://www.chicago-l.org/operations/lines/garfield.html. Retrieved 2009-01-20. 
Chicago 'L'
Lines
Defunct lines
Stock Yards  · Kenwood  · Normal Park  · Market Street  · Metropolitan Main Line  · Garfield Park  · Westchester  · Humboldt Park  · Northwest  · Randolph Street  · Cuyler
Stations
Rolling stock
Defunct: 4000  · 5000  · 6000  · 1-50  · 2000
Current: 2200  · 2400  · 2600  · 3200  · 5000
Operators
Other