page_title: Chicago "L" rolling stock
section_title: 1–50 series
hierarchical_section_title: Chicago "L" rolling stock / Historic/retired / Metal cars / 1–50 series
caption_attribution_description: An ex-Chicago metro car from the Halton County Radial Railway museum.
context_page_description: The current rolling stock of the Chicago "L" rapid transit system consists of three series of railcars. The oldest series is the 2600-series which was built between 1981 and 1987 and refurbished between 1999 and 2002. The second series is the 3200-series, built between 1992 and 1994 and refurbished between 2015 and 2018. The third and newest series is known as the 5000-series; built between 2009 and 2015, they feature new technologies such as LED color signs, security cameras, new seating configuration, AC motors, and date and time.
  Plans call for the purchase of 7000-series cars to replace the 2600-series cars beginning in 2021, with options for additional cars that would replace the 3200-series cars.
  All cars are 12 ft tall and 48 ft 3 in long. They are 9 ft 4 in wide at the window sills but only 8 ft 8 in wide at the door sills. Currently, most railcars operating on the Chicago "L" are DC power only; the 5000-series features AC motors, but the traction power supply continues to use DC.
context_section_description: The 1–50 series cars (numbered 1–50) were manufactured by the St. Louis Car Company of St. Louis, Missouri, and delivered to the CTA in 1959 and 1960. The cars were similar to the 6000-series design, but were double ended, single cars, as opposed to the 6000-series single ended, married pair configuration. The quarter point doors were adjacent to the operators cabs, allowing the operator to collect fares without leaving the cab. Like some members of the 6000-series, these cars utilized parts salvaged from Chicago's recently retired fleet of PCC streetcars.
  Cars 1-4 were equipped for high performance test service, with higher horsepower motors, and were delivered in a distinctive maroon and silver gray paint scheme.
  Originally assigned to the West-Northwest service, in later years these cars were found mainly on the Ravenswood, Skokie, and Evanston lines.
  10 of these cars were converted in 5 married-pair sets and renumbered 61a-b to 65a-b, and were utilized in Skokie service.
  The last cars of the 1–50 series were retired in 1999. Seven cars of this series have been preserved by various railway museums.
caption: Car 48 at the Halton County Radial Railway museum.
exif: {}