On Saturday, November 1st, join the Illinois Railway Museum on the Fall Colors Express. This day of excursions on the Chicago ‘L’ system is being hosted by IRM and the Chicago Transit Authority’s Heritage Fleet Program. Three excursion trips over the course of the day will feature CTA 6000-series ‘L’ cars departing from the Dempster-Skokie station on the CTA Yellow Line.
The length of each excursion will be approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. Three departure times are available from Dempster-Skokie: 11:20 AM, 1:40 PM, and 4:30 PM. Note that the route is anticipated to be the same for each excursion. Each excursion will feature optional narration (in one car of the two-car train) provided by an expert in CTA and Chicago transit history. For those who would like to see the evening sunset from the train, the final excursion of the day (departing at 4:30 PM) has been specifically scheduled for this viewing opportunity. The excursions will take place aboard historic 6000-series ‘L’ cars 6711 and 6712, which date to 1959.
The price per ticket is $65, but if you buy before October 1st, “early bird” tickets are available at a discounted price of $60. Proceeds from the Fall Colors Express excursions will go to help fund the future acquisition of a pair of CTA 2600-series ‘L’ cars. These cars have been in service for over 40 years and are rolling their final miles on the Chicago ‘L’ system now.
Fall Colors Express – When and Where
All trips are taking place on Saturday, November 1st. All trips depart from the Dempster-Skokie Station on the CTA Yellow Line, which is located at 5001 Dempster Street in Skokie, IL. Connections are available at this station to both CTA and Pace bus services, and parking is available on-site.
Riders should plan to arrive at Dempster-Skokie at least 15 minutes prior to the ticket’s scheduled departure time. CTA personnel and IRM volunteers will guide ticketed riders onto the excursion train when it arrives. Other important information:
- Photography is welcome, but no tripods please
- Food and drinks are not permitted aboard the excursion train
- Restroom breaks are not planned for these trips; please plan accordingly
- Due to the age of the 6000-series ‘L’ cars, they predate the Americans with Disabilities Act; in order to safely board, all riders must be able to pass through a 21″-wide doorway
- If they request, riders will be permitted to exit the excursion train prior to its full round-trip completion, but later pickups are not possible
