CTA Surface System History presented by the Illinois Railway Museum

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The numbering system was devised by the late Don Liberko, who worked extensively on cataloging the different styles. It has been enhanced to include new versions.

We are currently working with transfer experts to verify/correct/populate transfer style dates. Currently they are our best estimates. Once solid dates are established (and new styles discovered), the style numbers may change to reflect the correct chronology.

Click on the desired route below to see the hi-res transfer image. PLEASE USE YOUR BROWSER'S "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE. Routes in parenthesis are on the transfer, but not the main route listed.

Style 9 - 11/08/1947

First CTA form, used former CSL to CRT form on white paper with 1/2 circle added and footer reworded, replaced former white surface to surface and blue Surface to 'L' transfers.

  • Archer (38th Br.) (Ext)
  • Archer (Express) (Ext) [Express added 10/1946. 38th branch discontinued 02/1948]
  • Armitage (67th-69th)
  • Armitage (Chicago) [Changed 1947]
  • Ashland (Southport) (Downtown)

  • Ashland (Ashland-Downtown) [Southport converted to bus 08/1947, moved to Cottage Grove transfer]
  • Austin (Jeffery-100th)
  • Austin (Riverdale, Laramie, Jeffrey) [Routes changed 1947]
  • Belmont (Ext) (Grand) (Bus)
  • Belmont (Ext)

  • Blue Island (Ogden) (Ext)
  • Blue Island-26th
  • Broadway-State (Clark-Wentworth) - Image courtesy Bruce Moffat
  • Broadway-State (Bus) (Clark-Wentworth) [Devon converted to bus 12/1947]
  • Broadway-State (Lake-State) - Image courtesy Bruce Moffat

  • California, North (California, South)
  • Central (Ext)
  • Cermak (Lawndale)
  • Chicago
  • Cicero (Bus)

  • Cicero (Ext) (Narragansett) [North Cicero and Narragansett added 03/1947]
  • Clybourn (Higgins) (South Chicao-Ewing)
  • Cottage Grove (Thru Route 5)
  • Cottage Grove (TR 5) (Southport) [Southport moved from Ashland form 1947]
  • Division-Van Buren (Downtown D V) (Ext)

  • Elston (Ext)
  • Foster-Northwest Hwy (Ext) (Montrose)
  • Fullerton (Ext) (Foster-Northwest Hwy)
  • Fullerton (Ext) (43rd-Root) [Foster-Northwest Highway moved to own form, replaced by 43rd-Root 1943]
  • Grand

  • Halsted (Ext) (Halsted-Downtown)
  • Harlem (Kimball) (Kimball-Homan)
  • North Harlem (Vincennes-119th)
  • Harrison (Adams)
  • Irving Park (Ext) (43rd-Root)

  • Irving Park (Ext) (Lawrence) [43rd-Root to Fullerton form, Lawrence added 1947]
  • Kedzie (California) (Ext)
  • Kimball-Homan (Kimball)
  • Lake-State (North) (Ext)
  • Lawrence

  • Lincoln-Indiana (Rosehill) (Downtown)
  • Madison (Fifth) - Image courtesy Bruce Moffat
  • Madison (Fifth) (Harrison) (Adams) [Harrison added 1947]
  • Milwaukee (Armitage)
  • Milwaukee (Armitage) (Elston) (Ext) [Elston added 1947]

  • Montrose (Ext) (59th-61st)
  • Morgan-Racine (North Damen)
  • Morgan-Racine (North Damen) (Ext) [North Damen extension bus added 06/1947]
  • Narragansett (Laramie)
  • North (Ext)

  • Ogden (Ext)
  • Pershing (Ext) (14th-16th) (18th)
  • Pulaski (Bus)
  • Pulaski (Ext) (Central) (Ext) [Central added from own form 1947]
  • Roosevelt (Downtown)

  • Roosevelt (Downtown) (Cermak) [Cermak added from own from 1947]
  • Soldier Field
  • South Deering (Ext) (Windsor Park)
  • Stony Island (Canal-Wacker)
  • Taylor-Sedgwick-Sheffield

  • Taylor-Sedgwick-Sheffield [Taylor-Sheffield via Webster 09/1947]
  • Touhy (Peterson) (Diversey)
  • Wallace-Racine (South Damen) (Ext)
  • Western
  • 14th-16th (18th) (Pershing)

  • 26th (35th) (115th)
  • 47th (Ext)
  • 47th (Ext) (35th) [35th added 1947]
  • 51st-55th (Bus) (31st)
  • 51st-55th (Ext) (26th) (31st) [26th added 1947]

  • 59th-61st (Ext) (67th-69th)
  • 63rd (Ext)
  • 71st (Bus) (79th) (Bus)
  • 74th-75th (83rd)
  • 79th (Ext) (East 111th) (West 111th)

  • 87th (Ext) (103rd-106th)
  • 93rd-95th (Ext) (74th-75th)
  • 95th (Ext) (111th) (Ext)
  • 119th-Vincennes (71st) (83rd) (115th)



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