Celebrate The 125th Birthday Of The 'L' By Riding A Vintage Train Car Tuesday
By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 5, 2017 8:00PM
On Tuesday, it will have been 125 years since 'L' service began in Chicago. To celebrate this more-than-centennial, 'L' fans can ride the CTA's heritage fleet around the inner Loop on Tuesday afternoon.
(And who isn't an 'L' fan? Where but on the 'L' can you find Santa and bed bugs?)
We've covered the CTA's heritage fleet before. Train-wise, it consists of two orange-and-brown railcars from 1923, and an eight-car train from the 1970s, decked out in red, white and blue.
The 1920s cars will be circling the inner Loop from noon to 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, and the more modern, eight-car train will run from 1:45 to 3:15 p.m. The vintage cars will make all stops on the inner Loop's Orange & Pink Line side.
At the Clark & Lake stop's Loop platform, CTA reps will also be handing out free posters commemorating the 'L's 125th anniversary. They'll be around from noon to 3:15 p.m. (or until supplies run out).
One last fun fact: Though this whole celebration takes place in the Loop, the Loop's 'L' stops
didn't actually open until 1897. That's several years after the earliest stations opened; most of those early stops currently comprise the Green Line.
Read more about the CTA's planned celebration and the history of the 'L' here.