Chicago Transit Authority 4449

Built in:1924 by Cincinnati Car Company (ord#2860)
Out-of-service/Retired:1975 (1973)
Type of car:rapid transit car (standard)
Current Owner:Ohio Railway Museum(Worthington, Ohio)

Car History by Frank Hicks


Chicago Transit Authority 4000-series
The most commonly preserved cars from the Chicago elevated system are the 4000-series cars built in the 1910's and 1920's. When the Chicago "L" was unified in 1913, design and construction of the system's first steel cars began. The result was 250 all-steel cars built with more modern trucks and electrical equipment than the older wood cars and designed with subway operation in mind. These cars had steel roofs with no provision for trolley poles (leading to their nickname: Baldies) and three side doors, though the middle doors were never used. After the last of these cars was delivered in 1915 no more cars were bought for the elevated system until another 205 cars of similar design were purchased between 1922 and 1924. Cars 4251-4455 differed from the earlier 4000's in having wood-and-canvas roofs and loading doors only in the vestibules. These cars operated across the Chicago rapid transit system for fifty years with few modifications. Around 1948 the CTA combined all of the 4000's into semi-permanently coupled pairs and rebuilt them for multiple unit door control, but except for these and a few other minor changes the cars that closed out the 4000 era on CTA in 1973 were largely the same cars that had come from the factory fifty years earlier. There are 37 4000-series cars currently preserved, some as work motors.

Ownership History:Chicago Rapid Transit #4449 1924-1947 / Chicago Transit Authority #4449 1947-1975 / Ohio Railway Museum(Worthington, Ohio) 1975-present



Facts and Figures


Status:stored inoperableGauge:4'8.5"
Construction:steelRoof type:AREnded:DE
Length:48'6"Width:8'11"Weight:76800#
#Seats:52#Wheels/Conf.:8 (B-2)Total HP:340
Trucks:Baldwin 78-25A/72-22ABrakes:AMU (M23)Compressor:D3-F
Motors:WH 567R1 (2)Voltage (if not 600DC)


Notes

For sale
PHOTO PHOTO