Chicago Transit Authority 6599 and 6600

When the Chicago Transit Authority took over Chicago’s rapid transit system from the Chicago Rapid Transit Co. in 1947, the CTA needed a more modern fleet of all-steel cars. So, between 1950 and 1959, St. Louis Car Co. built a large fleet of 720 cars, Nos. 6001 – 6720. These were built in semi-permanently coupled pairs with an operator’s position at just the outside ends of each pair. The “A” car of each pair seats 47 passengers and has a conductor’s position with door controls at the car’s rear, while the “B” car lacks the conductor’s position and seats 51. The “married pair” concept gave economies from fewer operator and conductor positions compared with traditional double-ended cars. The 6000 series cars enabled the CTA to retire its last wooden elevated cars. During the 1950s, the CTA retired its fleet of 600 PCC streetcars that had been built in 1947-48. St. Louis Car recycled the PCC trucks and electrical equipment for reuse in Nos. 6201 - 6720. The entire class used all-electric PCC technology – its first application beyond surface streetcars. Although the cars have steel frames, the upper part of the bodies are made of aluminum, reducing the effects of rust and salt. The 6000 series cars were sometimes called “Spam Cans” because of their rather boxy metal construction. The cars were painted in the CTA’s mercury green and cream paint scheme with an orange stripe. In 1965, The CTA adopted a mint green and white scheme. The 6000 series cars formed the backbone of Chicago’s rapid transit fleet through the 1970s. The 6000s ran on almost all of the CTA rapid transit lines and were particularly identified with the busy North-South elevated and subway line. To commemorate the formal retirement of the 6000 series cars, the CTA conducted two events. On Nov. 29, 1992, the Ravenswood line’s entire Sunday service was operated by three two-car train sets, one of which was Nos. 6599-6600. Then, the final regular service trip for the 6000s was a six-car train on Dec. 4, 1992 including Nos. 6599-6600. The last run for Nos. 6599 and 6600 was on October 24, 1993 as part of a fan trip on Chicago’s new Midway line. Nos. 6599 and 6600 came to Seashore in 1994. This gave Seashore the only collection of cars from all four of America’s traditional rapid transit systems. The cars have acquired a somewhat shabby look due to weathering and the tendency of aluminum to shed paint. No effort has been made to improve their appearance or make them operational. Other 6000 series cars are at the Fox River Trolley Museum, the Illinois Railway Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. Also, in 2017, the CTA reacquired Nos. 6711-6712 from a Missouri museum to be part of the CTA’s Heritage Fleet.