After their construction in 1969-1970 and with around 44 years in service on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' and subway lines, the Budd-built 2200-series rapid transit cars ran their final miles in revenue service on a farewell tour of the Blue Line, their usual stomping grounds. Three trips were made in total: a short-turn from O'Hare to Harlem and the Foster Middle Track, then back to O'Hare; and from there through downtown and out the Forest Park Branch to Forest Park/Desplaines Avenue. The third trip was a return from Forest Park to O'Hare via downtown again. Advertisements, destination signs and route maps from the late '60s/early '70s when the cars were new, were placed in and on the cars, complete with red "A" Congress-Milwaukee skip-stop route signs on the roller curtains.
Here is footage of the second and third trips, respectively- the first location is Damen on the Milwaukee Avenue Elevated, as the solid consist of eight 2200s heads for the Milwaukee-Dearborn-Congress Subway and Forest Park. The narrow walkway I'm standing on was built just after the Humboldt Park Branch was demolished in 1952- 16 years before the first 2200s arrived- to allow passengers to transfer to the #72 bus that effectively replaced the Humboldt Park 'L' service.
The second view is at Logan Square station in the Kimball Avenue Subway. This section of what is now the Blue Line was built in the late '60s as part of the extension of the Milwaukee 'L' route to Jefferson Park. Later of course, it was extended much further, to O'Hare. Much of the reasoning for CTA's purchase of the 2200s was to provide service on this extension, as well as on the Dan Ryan Line. Significantly, the design of the cars was intended to harmonize with that of the Dan Ryan and Kennedy extension stations.
The next scenes are on the line in the Kennedy Expressway median, and at O'Hare, as the train departs for Rosemont Yard to be laid-up, concluding the very last run of the 2200-series cars. As of now, the entire consist is stored at CTA's Skokie Shops.
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