Friday, January 21, 2011

Looking north at Oakton Street. The CTA Yellow line / Skokie Swiftroute. Skokie Illinois. August 2008.





I took this photo back in August of 2008, at the CTA Oakton Street yellow line railroad crossing, in downtown north suburban Skokie Illinois.

The Chicago Transit Authority's yellow line, wich was originally called the Skokie Swift when opened in 1964 in the wake of the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee electric interurban railroad abandonement, utilized overhead catenary wire in Skokie due to a local municipal ordinance banning third rail in the village of Skokie Illinois.

In 2004, the Chicago Transit Authority converted the entire line to 100 percent third rail operation. The steel lattice overhead catenary wire support bridges remained in place minus the wires for quiet some time afterward.

This photo view has changed recently, as a local electrical engineering contractor, has removed these overhead supports north of Oakton Street in January of 2011.

I hope that some of these old supports from the former Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad...will eventually make it to museum preservation. Hint -Hint...The Illinois Railway Museum?
www.irm.org Hopefully it isn't too late.

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