Take a Ride on Chicago's Elegant Electroliner

Writer J.J. Sedelmaier recalls riding the beautifully streamlined Electroliner trains, which ran on the same tracks as other Chicago rail transit but were a special event all to themselves.

1 minute read

August 22, 2011, 12:00 PM PDT

By Tim Halbur


Promoted as the "World's First All Electric Streamliners", the Electroliner ran between the downtown Loop and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Sedelmaier writes:

"When I was 5-6 years old my Mom and I would take the "L" to church every Sunday between suburban Evanston, Ill., and Chicago. The trains of the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) were colorful yet hardly eye-popping, but each Sunday I used to see one train that was the exception to the normal livery."

"My mom called it "The Mysterious Train." To a kid of my age, the existence of this outrageous looking train was pure magic!"

Sedelamaier collected an extensive set of images of the Electroliner for your enjoyment.

Sunday, August 21, 2011 in Salon

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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