Here are the photographs I took on this year

Here are the photographs I took on this year's historic station tour, on Sunday, November 4, 2001. The tour was sponsored by Chicago-L.org, the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA), and the Chicago Design Consortium - all, of course, with the support of the Chicago Transit Authority.

Quincy/Wells (Loop 'L')
The starting point of this tour was at the refurbished historic Quincy/Wells stop, very closely resembling the look and feel of early 'L' stations on the Union Loop.

	Inner Loop platform, looking toward the south, from the Outer Loop
	View south from the Outer Loop platform

LaSalle/Van Buren (Loop 'L')
I didn't take pictures of this stop because I've got some from another recent tour. It's basically like Quincy, but more utilitarian and un-restored, under layer after layer of thick, crusty, white paint.

(no photographs taken)

Armitage (Brown Line / Purple Line Express)
This station is on the north side main line, currently served by Brown Line and Purple Line Express service.

	The northbound platform with the tour train parked
	The station house from Armitage, looking from the southeast corner
	Turnstiles inside the station house, with the tour crowd behind it (John Craib-Cox, is describing station features (facing away).
	View of the neighborhood heading east down Armitage

Francisco (Brown Line)
This grade-level station (one of few remaining on the CTA) is located off the original Ravenswood (Brown) Line, at Francisco, just a couple blocks south of Lawrence. A gated crossing is located at both ends of the station, and is all that protects people and cars from getting in the path of a passing 'L' train. Trains travel slowly at these intersections, and stop at the busier ones.

Looking east along the platform edge, an exit-only turnstile is all that stops people from illegally entering this station, just steps away from the grade crossing.

Another view of the east end of the platform, from outside the paid area, the crossing is more clear.

Here is a Kimball-bound Brown Line train entering the street crossing at low speed. The gates are drawn and nobody is in the way of the train, so the train continues.

Here is the train on the actual street. Notice how the latter car is in the intersection and has no third rail to draw power from. The train is being pulled by the front car.

Looking west on the mostly barren platform, you can see how this section of track stretches far between people's houses.

From sidewalk level, you can see the wooden bars that deter people from entering the electrified track area. This wood is all that keeps people from getting near the third rail, which is enough power to easily kill someone making contact with it and a place for electricity to flow to, through them (such as the other rails).

Here you see how intimidating an 'L' train can be (maybe) while standing in front of it from just feet away. This one is taking regular passengers to the Loop.

Here is the exiting Loop-bound train passing the tour group just inches away at the grade crossing.

And this wasn't part of the tour, but repairs of a turnstile reveal its innards. Note that the farecard acceptor/reader is sort of ejected upward for checking, with the top cover of the turnstile's mechanics lifted.

North/Clybourn (Red Line)
n/a

State/Congress (Red Line - Abandoned)
This delightful impromptu stop revealed an abandoned subway station hidden beneath the street between the Harold Washington Library Center and the old Sears on State Street. Outside of vandalism and some equipment removal, evidence of a lively and popular station from the past exists heavily in this endangered mezzanine.

	This counter in the mezzanine is presumably some sort of bar or concession booth. Note that its core is made of wood.
	These dilapidated steps lead up to the abandoned mezzanine resting quiet and grubby between Congress and Van Buren streets underneath State street.

The bottom of a vintage "fool-proof" escalator at the south end of the super-sized State Street Subway platform in the Loop.

The top of the same escalator.

Doorway leading into the formerly public ladies' room.

View inside the formerly public mens' room.

The old agent booth at the mezzanine. The glass appears to have been busted out of these windows.

The center of the Congress/Van Buren subway platform, looking north under State.

The center of the Congress/Van Buren subway platform, looking north under State, but with a view more from the northbound side.

You can see the entrance to the old Sears store here, still with golden-colored doors, but obviously defunct.

Some anti-CTA graffiti plastered onto the tilework. Apparently someone had a grudge. Maybe they missed their train? Doubtful.

A view up the southeastern stairwell leading up to State Street. The grating at the top is all that keeps the outside world from this abandoned gem.

An awesome old sign pointing people in the direction of the Jackson pedestrian subway, connecting the State Street and Dearborn Street subways from below track level.

An old turnstile placed inside the mezzanine.