Chicago Loop in the 1940s and 50s
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Webmaster
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A video showing street cars in the Chicago loop (Milwaukee Ave) in the 1940s and 50s. You can pick out a few Packards here and there. Scary how passengers where let out in live traffic lanes!
Chicago Loop Video
Posted on: 2023/5/2 13:49
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-BigKev
1954 Packard Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan -> Registry | Project Blog 1937 Packard 115-C Convertible Coupe -> Registry | Project Blog |
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Re: Chicago Loop in the 1940s and 50s
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Home away from home
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I think they died out because autos were rising in numbers post war and the tracks/stops interfered with the growing auto traffic. Also the makers of passenger rail cars were in decline economy of scale was worsened with rise of airlines. They were started as an extension of railroads to get rid of the horses in the urban realm. Later buses weren't as obtrusive but still slowed traffic and caused tailpipe emissions tradeoff which the electric trolleys didn't have. But fixed paths are subject to constraints in growth patterns with the rail determining possible pathways. Most of the urban centers were depopulated with the rise of suburbs. The interstates/loops solved some of that problem by directing more autos/trucks to them and allowed commuting. The same holds for the els, the elevating structure interfered with traffic below. (movie to watch "the French connection") Today we have light rail and they too conflict with auto traffic, necessitating stops and crossings. So it's the vertical element that gets glossed over in mass transport. Subways were one way to overcome that, but suffer the same ills of fixed path and added costs for excavating. Musk has tried the tube approach, but I haven't seen that catching on as it hasn't so far. It's a symptom of urban population density that's hard to solve.
Posted on: 2023/5/2 20:47
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Re: Chicago Loop in the 1940s and 50s
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Home away from home
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Also, the streetcar system in general decayed faster than the amortized costs could make up for, so by the time they were replaced, most commuters were not particularly enamored with them.
Unfortunately, the same is often true with the suburban infrastructure of today, with the tax dollars from discrete homes and businesses with big lawns often not being enough to cover the eventual road and utility repairs needed.
Posted on: 2023/5/3 7:04
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