Chicago Transit Authority 3142

Illinois Railway Museum

Built in:1923 by J.G. Brill Company (ord#21686)
Out-of-service/Retired:1958
Type of car:streetcar (standard)
Current Owner:Illinois Railway Museum(Union, Illinois)

Car History by Frank Hicks


Chicago Transit Authority 3142
This car is the only survivor of around 1,000 steel streetcars that once plied the streets of Chicago. It was built as part of a series of 169 cars designed to haul trailers, but 3142 was never actually fitted with couplers. It operated as a single-unit car its entire life. Around 1948, it was rebuilt as a one-man car by CTA, but it only operated in that configuration a few years. After a minor traffic accident in 1951, CTA made 3142 into a storage shed in one of its yards. This saved the car from the mass scrappings that consumed its sister cars, and it survived until acquired by the Electric Railway Historical Society in 1958. The car was stored at ERHS's facility in Downers Grove, Illinois until 1973, when ERHS dissolved and its collection was transferred to IRM. Major restoration work on 3142 began around 1986 and was completed in 2001, when the car entered regular service.

Ownership History:Chicago Surface Lines #3142 1923-1947 / Chicago Transit Authority #3142 1947-1958 / 1st preserved by Electric Railway Historical Society 1958-1973 / Illinois Railway Museum(Union, Illinois) 1973-present



Facts and Figures


Status:operated oftenGauge:4'8.5"
Construction:steelRoof type:AREnded:DE
Length:48'11"Width:8'8"Weight:46850#
#Seats:48#Wheels/Conf.:8 (B-B)Total HP:240
Trucks:Brill 51E2Brakes:Straight AirCompressor:CP-27
Motors:GE 275A (4)Voltage (if not 600DC)

PHOTO PHOTO