CTA 44 Home Page

CTA Elevated Car #44 was built in 1960 for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) by the St. Louis Car Company using components (trucks, motors, seats and controls) from retired Chicago PCC cars which had been originally built by the Pullman Co. in 1945 and 1946.

Built by St. Louis Car Company, order #1804

48' long by 9'4" wide, 13'2" height, 4'8.5" guage

Weights 46,000lbs, seats 46

WH XDA1G-B2A controller with four WH 1432LK motors, 220 HP total

Electric brakes, dynamic, friction drum and track

St. Louis Car B3 trucks (LINK - additional information about the trucks.)

The St. Louis Car Company built this elevated/subway car using lightweight aluminum and steel construction. Motors, trucks, controls and some body components such as window assemblies were salvaged from retired PCC type streetcars. It has a cab at each end and was built to be run by a single operator. An opening at the rear of each cab allowed for fare collection in a fare box. It was built to operate off 600 volt DC power collected from the “third rail” or from overhead wire via its trolley poles. It was used on the CTA’s Evanston line and on Evanston Express trains to the “Loop” in downtown Chicago. It is 48” long, 11’ 10” tall and weighs 46,900 lbs.

The “bulged” body design allows its floor to be 8’ 8” wide to fit station platform clearances from the 1890s, but expands to 9’ 4” at the seat cushion level for more passenger comfort. It has 46 seats. Purchased from the CTA in 1998.

CTA Car #44 ran in Chicago until 1998. It has been operable most of the time that we've had it. However, we did not have a place to load and unload passengers until the loop track was completed to the boarding platform outside of the Roberts Building.

We repainted the car in the winter of 2003.

Purchased in December 1998 from Chicago Transit Authority

2012 photos Various pictures
2014 photos Various pictures
2015 photos Various pictures
2017 photos Various pictures
2018 photos Various pictures
2019 photos MG failure and replacement
2020 photos Roof walkway replacement
2021 photos Roof walkway replacement