Chicago Transit and Gary Diner

I believe that the "Aladdin Hotel" building with the Prima Beer sign was just taken down in the last several years. Cool photos... I didn't know about the diner, and I grew up just a couple miles east of there.

Another interesting aspect of the street view is the tiny building directly under the Prima Beer sign (between the hotel and the alley), and that it looks like the female model for the sign on the tiny building is standing in the alley right next to it...similar hairstyles, anyway.

That tiny building would be easy to model.

Thanks hoghead3 this is great info. Somebody posted them on a blog I belong to about the Southwest side of Chicago.  

I did not think of the Argo connection. That line would have also served Bedford Park and all the industries there.

Can you recommend any reading material about the CSL?

Thanks again,

franktrain

"Chicago Surface Lines" (Third Edition), by Alan R. Lind (Transport History Press), is a good book. They come up on E Bay occasionally.

Great pics  Love seeing the way it was.  While searching around for more info and pics on Chicago Surface lines I happened along a Blog called Central Electric Railfan Association.  They have some good pics from  the Chicago area

http://cerablog.com/category/chicago-area/

I hated this one

Yes, I was in Chicago when it the first edition was published and quickly bought a copy (which I still have).

Here's a mystery filmstrip of early CTA and scroll down for some trains.  The results of the contest and locations are on a separate page.

Another source of Chicago traction material is First and Fastest published by the Shore Line Interurban Historical Society.