Chicago Rapid Transit 4272



Facts and Figures


Current Number4272
Railway RepresentedChicago Rapid Transit
BuilderCincinnati Car Company
Built In1922
Builder's order id2660
Currently in (State)Illinois
--(Locality)Chicago
Totally out of svc daten/a
(Initial retirement date)1973
Car Typerapid transit car
-subtypeelevated car
-designation
Statusoperated occasionally
More info
Gauge4'8.5"
Constructionsteel
Roof typeAR
EndedDE
Length48'6"
Width8'11"
Height13'3"
Weight76800
#Seats52
#Wheels/Conf.8
Total HP340
TrucksBaldwin 78-25A/72-22A
BrakesAMU (M23)
CompressorWABCO D3F
ControlWH ABLFM (XM10)
MotorsWH 567R1 (2)
Voltage (if not 600DC)

Car 4272 at Skokie Shop in Chicago in 2017
Flickr
photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ctaweb/35091594581/

Car 4272 in operation in Chicago in 2019
Flickr
photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/19531332@N03/46918471885/
Car History by Frank Hicks


Chicago Rapid Transit 4272
When the Chicago elevated system was unified in 1913, design and construction of the system's first steel cars began. The result was several series of all-steel cars built with more modern trucks and electrical equipment than the older wood cars and designed with subway operation in mind. The early 4000's were built with all-steel roofs and no trolley poles and were nicknamed Baldies, but in the early 1920's more of the cars were built to a somewhat different design. Cars 4251-4455 were nicknamed Plushies due to their plush seats and had standard wood-and-canvas roofs and trolley poles. 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 late 1973 were largely the same cars that had come from the factory fifty years earlier. Car 4272 was one of two 4000's that were chosen by the CTA for historic preservation on home rails. In 1974, 4272 and 4271 were repainted in their 1940's-era livery and given modern cab signalling equipment to allow them to run on CTA lines. Since then, they have been used during occasional fan trips and publicity events, though in recent years their use has declined significantly due to deteriorating mechanical condition.

Ownership History


OwnerCar NumFromToPreservation?Loan?
Chicago Elevated Railway (Illinois, Chicago)42721922 1924 NO NO
Chicago Rapid Transit (Illinois, Chicago)42721924 1947 NO NO
Chicago Transit Authority (Illinois, Chicago)42721947 1973 NO NO
Chicago Transit Authority (Illinois, Chicago)42721947 present YES NO

Additional Media

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Car 4272 in operation in Chicago in 2023
YouTube
video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9oj-VQddqM