Built in 1908 by Pullman. The following is from a display on the car: Chicago Railways operated 575 miles of streetcar lines, primarily in the Loop and on the North and West sides. In 1914, it joined with the smaller Calumet & South Chicago Railway, the Chicago City Railway, and the Southern Street Railway to form the consolidated Chicago Surface Lines system. CSL operated all streetcars until 1947, when the CTA assumed control. This larger double-ended wooden pay-as-you-enter car was built as Chicago Railways 144. In its classic red-and-yellow paint, it is representative of 600 such Big Pullman cars operated throughout CSLs system. CSL (and later CTA) 144 continued in service until the end of streetcar operations, and was retired by the CTA in 1958. IRM purchased the car from the CTA in 1958, and restored it to operation. |