South Side Elevated Railroad

South Side Elevated Railroad
South Side Rapid Transit railcar #1, one of the original passenger cars from the railroad, now on display at the Chicago History Museum
Overview
LocaleChicago, Illinois
Service
TypeRapid transit
ServicesJackson Park
Englewood
Normal Park
Kenwood
Union Stock Yards
Operator(s)Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company (1892–1897)
South Side Elevated Railroad (1897–1924)
History
OpenedJune 6, 1892
Closed1924 (merged into Chicago Rapid Transit Company)
Technical
Line length1903: 10.7 miles (17.2 km)[1]
Track length1903: 19.4 miles (31.2 km)[1]
CharacterElevated
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge[2]
Minimum radius90 ft (27.43 m)
ElectrificationThird rail, 600 V DC
Route map
Share of the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad Company, issued 3. February 1894

The South Side Elevated Railroad (originally Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad) was the first elevated rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Jackson Park, with branches to Englewood, Normal Park, Kenwood, and the Union Stock Yards. The first 3.6 miles (5.8 km) of the line opened on June 6, 1892.[3] Much of its route is still used today as part of the Green Line of the Chicago "L" system.

  1. ^ a b Poor, H.V.; Poor, H.W. (1903). Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States (Volume 36). p. 925.
  2. ^ Poor, H.V.; Poor, H.W. (1900). Poor's Manual of the Railroads of the United States (Volume 33). p. 881.
  3. ^ Borzo, Greg (2007). "Chapter Two: First "L"—South Side". The Chicago "L". Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 23–34. ISBN 978-0-7385-5100-5.