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2200-series - Updates (Retired)


BusHunter

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Yeah, guys your right the #2200's are gone. Eight of the final 10 cars are strung up in the center of Rosemont yard with all their roll signs removed. (so much for a final trip) Last night personnel was aboard the stored #2200's preparing them for the move to Skokie. #2345-46 was next to the shop, but it's signs are gone as well. The only cars at Rosemont yard that still have signs are #2313-14 and #2317-18. The rest appear to have them all removed.

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Really???? What do roll signs being removed (protection against souvenir hunters, perhaps) have to do with the possibility of a final commenmorative trip?

Maybe they're going to install some special ones for a final trip. So who will be wrong....me or you???

Place your bets folks.

Are you suggesting they may install classic signs in the 2200's such as The old "A" and "B" signs with route names? Or maybe even the CTA logo with the speed lines?
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Are all of the 2200s actually gone?

Yes, the 2200's are gone. They had their final trip on July 31st and will not be run on lines again. IRM paid for the special charters in the past, and the CTA is too cash strapped to do it, so unless someone who wants to place their bets wants to also pay for a charter, you can see the 2200's again when you take a trip to Union, IL at the Illinois Railway Museum.

Those without their signage at Rosemont are heading to Skokie Shops... and eventually the scrapper.

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The 1990s rehab of the 2200s ruined it for me. Before then, they were the best cars, even better than the 2600s before their rehabs. The only novelty now with the 2200s are the 'blinker doors." The ribbed stainless steel bodies are now on the 3200s and the 5000s (as well as most of Metra's fleet). So in their current state, they will not be missed by me. The CTA fleet is so homogenous now. I guess the blue interiors of the newest 5000s is supposed to change that.

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The 1990s rehab of the 2200s ruined it for me. Before then, they were the best cars, even better than the 2600s before their rehabs. The only novelty now with the 2200s are the 'blinker doors." The ribbed stainless steel bodies are now on the 3200s and the 5000s (as well as most of Metra's fleet). So in their current state, they will not be missed by me. The CTA fleet is so homogenous now. I guess the blue interiors of the newest 5000s is supposed to change that.

I have to disagree with you a bit. The 2200s were distinct not just because of the doors, but several other things as well. There is a lot of interior stainless steel and larger windows than in other cars. The tinted/covered marker lights and extruding headlights are unique as well.

One of the most notable is the sound. The electric whine and wheel friction were a direct reminder of what you're riding, in contrast to the almost silent by comparison 5000s.

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I have to disagree with you a bit. The 2200s were distinct not just because of the doors, but several other things as well. There is a lot of interior stainless steel and larger windows than in other cars. The tinted/covered marker lights and extruding headlights are unique as well.

One of the most notable is the sound. The electric whine and wheel friction were a direct reminder of what you're riding, in contrast to the almost silent by comparison 5000s.

I have already thrown in that the original leather seats were much better than what was left after the rehab.

Between you and art, the way I would (and have) put it is that I am not interested in a commemorative trip or seeing them at IRM unless it were with the original equipment, and, in that sense, CTA made the 2200s too generic.

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Rosemont shop now has #2249-50 and #2345-46 inside it, so I don't know if they are stripping stuff off the cars or what. No I'm not making predictions, for those who think I am, but the removal of the roll signs pretty much writes off the possibility of them coming back right now. Like I was telling Busjack, 30 cars to be bid on as scrap does not include all the #2200 cars in Rosemont yard, just check the L roster. So CTA does seem to be hanging onto maybe these last 10 cars for now, which is not surprising, the last #2000 left the property almost 20 years after they were retired. So there may still be a trip on a future date to be determined. Because the #2400's still need to depart, it may just be a trip with both sets of cars.

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I have to disagree with you a bit. The 2200s were distinct not just because of the doors, but several other things as well. There is a lot of interior stainless steel and larger windows than in other cars. The tinted/covered marker lights and extruding headlights are unique as well.

One of the most notable is the sound. The electric whine and wheel friction were a direct reminder of what you're riding, in contrast to the almost silent by comparison 5000s.

The original windows were the largest that CTA ever had. That disappeared with the 1990s rehab.

As for the electric motor, you do hear the whine in the 5000s as well, especially on take-off.

I can appreciate the enthusiasm for this series and it does hold some nostalgic value. But for me (and maybe Busjack) the intrinsic value was lost when the cars were rehabbed. At least the 2400s are closer to its original appearance (livery aside).

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Are the 2243-44 the only 2200s that have found a new home, or have others been preserved?

AFAIK, it's the only one preserved so far but that doesn't mean others won't be preserved, especially the last 10 that I believe are not yet under a scrap contract.

This is a bit OT, but back in '92 before the #6000's retired, CTA ran all #6000's on the Brown line for one weekend. Found a picture of it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/64666585@N03/8519599667/in/photolist-dYRbar I didn't know #6711-12 went to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. The Museum of Transportation claims that car ran with experimental AC. It didn't have functional AC in the years before it retired did it, or was this something from the 60's that was long over with?

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AFAIK, it's the only one preserved so far but that doesn't mean others won't be preserved, especially the last 10 that I believe are not yet under a scrap contract.

This is a bit OT, but back in '92 before the #6000's retired, CTA ran all #6000's on the Brown line for one weekend. Found a picture of it here http://www.flickr.com/photos/64666585@N03/8519599667/in/photolist-dYRbar I didn't know #6711-12 went to the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis. The Museum of Transportation claims that car ran with experimental AC. It didn't have functional AC in the years before it retired did it, or was this something from the 60's that was long over with?

That was something from the '60s that was long over with. Around the time that the 2000s arrived, car #6711 was fitted with an air conditioner unit using the same equipment as the 2000s' air conditioning units. No other 6000-series cars were so retrofitted, but the air conditioner remained in service in car #6711 for several years.

Car #6669 was also equipped (at the carbuilder) with an evaporative air conditioner unit, which proved ineffective in the humid climate and was removed from the car in 1961.

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Official CTA Release: In regards to the 2200-series, there will be a ceremonial last run on August 8th, 2013. The train will depart from the O'Hare Blue Line station at 11:00 AM and run to Forest Park and then back to O'Hare.

There it is

No word on whether it will be a solid 8 car train of #2200's or not. It probably will have #2249-50 and #2345-46 in the consist, that must have been the reason they were in the shop. (They did have roll signs removed though, they might have needed the signs for the #2760's that came in. I don't think the #2700's have blue line signage, at least the ones still on the red line. My thinking was that they could resurrect #2313-14 and #2317-18 as those signs were untouched) Regardless, that's a nice touch for the fans. :) The trains they will use should appear outside the shop by the night before if anyone wants a sneak preview.

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"Solid 8 car".....I believe I explained that, but maybe I did it backwards which could be confusing. Gotta stop that. I said that ADA could ride trains on either side. One could conclude that ADA can't ride the special train. Therefore the special train must be ALL 2200s.

For all our sakes, I hope so. It is a good sign that it's running between two scheduled trains though. We'll know by tomorrow what's running.

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"Solid 8 car".....I believe I explained that, but maybe I did it backwards which could be confusing. Gotta stop that. I said that ADA could ride trains on either side. One could conclude that ADA can't ride the special train. Therefore the special train must be ALL 2200s.

Did Busjack unblock you? I see that little statement didn't show up under your post that time....

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Busjack needed to see that information for Thursday, he might show up with a "Busjack" name tag secretly asking media questions LOL

If you had read my prior post, I said I was not showing up until they reinstalled the black leather seats. Other than that, my rides in the 1970s were sufficient for my memory purposes.

On the other hand, you haven't posted a public source for this so called "announcement."

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Here is the event

Take a retro ride back to 1969 when these trains were built for their final run

*Short Run from Rosemont-Jefferson Park at 10:05am at Rosemont

*Full Run from O'Hare-Forest Park at 11:05am at O'Hare


http://www.transitchicago.com/news/default.aspx?Month&Year&Category=2&ArticleId=3194


https://www.facebook.com/events/184511091723492/

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Well looks like #2327-28 will be part of the consist, (CTA has #2600's all around the #2200's so no one can see them.) It already has the green air conditioning decals above the motorman's window and what looks like a balloon text (like in the comics) on the first side window. Looks like their going with 8 of the last 10 cars for the consist. Weird though #2345-46 is still in the shop and it's number decals have been either removed or covered up. You know this has me thinking, if the last #2200's are going through this much transformation, I wonder if CTA plans to retain some of these as historic cars, like #1892-1992? Like they did with #5-50's trip, CTA most likely will be sending out some reps from 567, including a conductor in full vintage uniform. Should be a nice trip. There may even be a surprise in store at the end of the trip, if the same managers are still around from before. Since the trip is billed once again as goodbye old friends, we can expect some teardrops on the front of the train, like the last #6000 trip. Bring your cameras!! :lol:

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