6000-series (CTA)
| Industry | Rail vehicle manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | St. Louis , United States |
The 6000-series rapid transit cars were manufactured by the St. Louis Car Company between 1950 and 1959 for the Chicago Transit Authority. A total of 720 vehicles were built, serving Chicago's "L" network until their phase-out in 1992.
Design
During 1947–1948, the Chicago Transit Authority experimented with PCC technology in rapid transit by deploying four three-car articulated trainsets (numbers 5001–5004), constructed by both Pullman Company and St. Louis Car Company. These sets utilized equipment from various suppliers to assess different performance characteristics. The design of the 6000-series incorporated lessons learned from these trials as well as from the earlier 5000-series, subsequently influencing models like the G series used on the Toronto subway.
Bodies
The 5000-series featured a rounded body shape previously seen on North Shore Line and Chicago, Aurora & Elgin cars running on the "L". Their floor width measured , allowing for platform clearance, while the sides flared outward to provide a broader seating area. This approach was retained in the 6000-series, which had a seat-level width greater than that at the floor. The series also employed blinker doors that swung inward along an arc, a feature that proved effective.
Unlike the articulated design of the 5000s, the 6000-series consisted of single cars semi-permanently coupled into married pairs. Each car had a control cab at its outer end, forming two-car double-ended units that became standard practice for CTA.
All 6000-series cars, along with their single-car counterpart—the 1-50 series—were produced by St. Louis Car Company. From car number 6201 onward, many components were repurposed from Pullman streetcars.
Driveline
The trucks on the 5000-series were modified Clark and St. Louis models equipped with wheels designed for higher speeds. In contrast, the 6000-series used more conventional streetcar trucks fitted with wheels, enabling a maximum velocity of 50 mph—sufficient until the introduction of the faster Skokie Swift shuttle in 1964.
The initial batch of 200 cars was fitted with new Clark B-2 trucks; the subsequent 310 units incorporated Clark B-2 trucks salvaged from Pullman streetcars; and the last 210 cars, along with most of the 1-50 series, utilized St. Louis B-3 trucks recovered from St. Louis streetcars.
All vehicles were controlled using Westinghouse XDA1 systems. Units numbered 6001 through 6488 were powered by Westinghouse 1432 motors; later cars employed General Electric 1220 motors. Both motor types produced . A subset of test cars (6127–6130) featured experimental equipment offering enhanced performance.
Routes
By 1975, over 700 units of the 6000-series were operational, establishing them as CTA’s primary fleet standard.
The first 130 cars initially served the Logan Square route. By 1952, their deployment expanded to include the North-South and Ravenswood routes, while newer 4000-series trains replaced them on Logan Square. Other lines received these cars as they became available; however, they did not operate on the Lake Street line—likely due to clearance restrictions on its ground-level section west of Laramie Avenue powered by overhead wires.
Because of overhead wire limitations, no regular service with 6000-series cars occurred on either the Skokie or Evanston routes except for test units numbered 6127–6130 equipped with trolley poles for express runs on Evanston. The Lake Street line continued using 4000-series stock until it was updated with 2000-series trains from Pullman-Standard in 1964. The single-car variety—the 1-50 series—operated on certain lines where full-length 6000-series trains did not run. After converting Evanston’s power supply from overhead wire to third rail in 1973, more 6000-series vehicles were assigned there.
When the Dan Ryan line commenced service in 1969, newer rolling stock was given priority; nevertheless, occasional use of 6000-series trains occurred during special transfers.
Additionally, CTA transferred some units to SEPTA, where they operated on the Norristown High Speed Line amid delays in receiving N-5 cars.
Retirement & Preservation
The last of the 6000-series cars were officially withdrawn from service on December 4, 1992, with the longest-serving units having operated for 42 years. A number of these cars were repurposed as work vehicles following their retirement.
Among the preserved vehicles are:
- 6101-6102, 6711-6712, which are part of the CTA's Heritage Fleet and kept in operational condition.
- 6599-6600, currently housed at the Seashore Trolley Museum, awaiting future restoration efforts.
- 6719, displayed within the America on the Move exhibit at the National Museum of American History.
- 6655-6656, 6461-6462, 6125-6126, all preserved and exhibited at the Illinois Railway Museum located in Union, Illinois.
External links
- 6000-series Cars at Chicago-L.org