Finding the unexpected in the everyday.
May 6, 1895 The third elevated rapid transit line in Chicago, and the first of those lines to be electrically operated, made its debut. The first train of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad -- also called the Metropolitan “L” -- left the Robey Street station at six o’clock that morning for the downtown terminal at... Continue Reading →
April 9, 1961 The California-based Pacific Electric (PE) mass transit system ended its operations after nearly six decades of serving the Greater Los Angeles Area. At its zenith during the 1920s, this network was the world’s largest electric railway system. More than 2,100 PE interurban trains covered about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of tracks altogether, providing... Continue Reading →
December 4, 1992 The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) retired the last of the 6000-series cars that had served the rapid transit system for that city and some of the surrounding suburbs for 42 years. “Best remembered for their green bodies and white tops, these were the first truly modern cars of the post-World War II... Continue Reading →
Transportation History 