49 Western
see also 49B Western
This trunk line was through-routed (Through-Route 10) on Tuesday, September 5, 1911, between Roscoe Avenue (Riverview Terminal) and 71st Street. On Monday, October 28, 1912, cars were extended north to Lawrence Avenue, and on Tuesday, May 1, 1923, Western was combined with the 49B North Western route and the cars began to run through to Howard Street. On the south end, cars reached 75th Street on Monday, December 1, 1924; 79th Street on Sunday, January 11, 1931; 95th Street on Sunday, July 26, 1931; and 111th Street on Sunday, November 8, 1931.
CTA divided this line, which ran from Howard Street to 111th Street--a total of 23-3/8 miles--into three routes, 49 Western, 49A South Western, and 49B North Western Avenue, on Sunday, August 1, 1948. The new 49 Western ran from an off-street turn-around loop at 79th Street and Western to a turn-around loop via Ravenswood Avenue, Schreiber Street, Clark Street, and Devon Avenue, via Western and Devon. The north terminal was changed to an off-street turn-around loop at Western and Berwyn Avenue on Sunday, December 12, 1948. However, depot cars to and from the Devon Avenue Carbarn continued to use Western, north of Berwyn, and Devon. Buses operated the north (49B) and south (49A) extension routes.
On Monday, November 14, 1949, 49 Western cars began to use the Leland Avenue terminal for short turns, and the Roscoe (Riverview Park) loop was discontinued on Wednesday, January 24, 1951.
CTA substituted buses for two-man streetcars on weekends on Sunday, December 7, 1952. However, one-man Presidents Conference Committee (PCC) cars took over all service on the central portion between 79th and Berwyn on Sunday, June 19, 1955. On Sunday, June 17, 1956, CTA substituted buses for streetcars on the central portion, but the buses were not through-routed with the extension buses.
Streetcar Photos
RPWRHS photo C036-020 shows northbound Chicago Surface Lines 49 Western streetcar 856 traveling on Western Avenue at Devon Avenue in 1931. Note the Walgreens Drug Store on the southeast corner. Car 856 was one of a series of 350 cars (751-1100) called "New Pullmans" or "Small Pullmans" (because they were 3 ft. 2 in. shorter and 3 in. narrower than the first series. But, they were taller by 1-1/2 in.). By 1952, all the cars in this series had been scrapped by the CTA. None were saved by a museum or private collector.
RPWRHS photo C036-022 shows a streetcar safety island for the southbound Chicago Surface Lines 49 Western route at Devon Avenue. 1929.
RPWRHS photo C036-025 shows southbound Chicago Surface Lines 49 Western streetcar 752 waiting for passengers at the northern end of the line at Howard Street. The land to the right (west) will later be developed as the Howard-Western Shopping Center. 1931. Car 752 was one of a series of 350 cars (751-1100) called "New Pullmans" or "Small Pullmans" (because they were 3 ft. 2 in. shorter and 3 in. narrower than the first series. But, they were taller by 1-1/2 in.). By 1952, all the cars in this series had been scrapped by the CTA. None were saved by a museum or private collector.
RPWRHS photo C036-026 shows the northern end of the Chicago Surface Lines 49 Western line at Howard Street. The land to the right (west) will later be developed as the Howard-Western Shopping Center. 1931.