Equipment Information

Chicago Elevated Railway 1754 is a wood-bodied ‘L’ car built for the Northwestern Elevated Railroad, a predecessor to CER and later Chicago Rapid Transit. It is the only preserved rapid transit car built by the Jewett Car Company, an Ohio firm that specialized in interurban cars, and was one of the earliest ‘L’ cars built with extra-wide doors for reducing dwell time at stations. It was retired in the 1950s and converted to a utility car, a role which it served into the 1970s.

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Builder: Jewett Car Company
Year Built: 1906
Seats: 48
Length: 47ft 2in
Width: 8ft 8in
Height: 12ft 8in
Weight: 67000 lbs
Brakes: AMU
Motors: 2 WH 302B
Control: ALFM-XM110
Compressor: D3-EG
Trucks: Bald MCB, Hedley
Description: Double End / Double Truck / Railroad Roof / Wood
Arrived: 1971
Condition: Complete / restored / operational

Read more about the history of this car in Rail & Wire #251

Photo gallery

Ownership History
1906-1913 – Northwestern Elevated Railroad #754
1913-1924 – Chicago Elevated Railway
1924-1947 – Chicago Rapid Transit
1947-1958 – Chicago Transit Authority
1958-1971 – Chicago Transit Authority #S333
1971-present – Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

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