CABLE CAR POWER PLANTS

Power plants for the cable cars, which operated in Chicago between 1882 and 1906. Several of them remain standing.

Stationary steam engines powered the cable cars.

Included are certain technical specifications, available from issues of "The Street Railway Journal". Some plants were expanded.

CHICAGO CITY RAILWAY

21ST STREET
2100 S. State St. at 21st St.
In use 1882-1906 for State and Cottage Grove routes
Originally 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers/2 Wheelock engines
Added 2 Hazleton boilers/2 Wheelock engines
Total 1,000 hp/expanded to 2,000 hp
 Building sold, demolished

52ND STREET
5201 S. State St.
In use 1887-1906 for State route
3 Hazleton boilers/2 Wheelock engine
Total 1,050 hp
 Building demolished

55TH STREET
800 E. 55th St. (at Cottage Grove Ave.)
In use 1887-1906 for Cottage Grove route
Originally 3 Hazleton boilers/2 Wheelock engines
Added 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers plus 2 Hazleton boilers/2 Wheelock engines
Total 1,000 hp/expanded to 5,000 hp
 Building demolished

NORTH CHICAGO STREET RAILROAD

LA SALLE
500 N. La Salle St. (at Illinois St.)
In use 1888-1906 for routes downtown
5 boilers/2 Corliss engines
Total 600 hp
 Building remains standing, now used by a restaurant

CLARK
1139 N. Clark St. (at Elm St.)
In use 1888-1906 for Clark and Wells routes
Boilers/4 Corliss engines
Total 2,000 hp
 Building passed into CTA ownership, demolished

LINCOLN
1001 W. Wrightwood Ave. (at Lincoln Ave./Sheffield Ave.)
In use 1889-1906 for Lincoln route
6 boilers/2 Corliss engines
Total 600 hp
 Building demolished, replaced with new car house

WEST CHICAGO STREET RAILROAD

MADISON
2560 W. Madison St. (at Rockwell Ave.)
In use 1890-1906 for Madison route
8 boilers/2 Green engines
Total 2,000 hp
 Building subsequently rented out as roller rink, demolished

WASHINGTON
600 W. Washington St. (at Jefferson St.)
In use 1890-1906 for routes downtown
Originally 6 boilers/2 Wetherill Corliss-type engines
Added 6 boilers/2 Fraser & Chalmers Corliss-type engines
Total 1,000 hp/expanded to 2,000 hp
 Building remains standing, now used as a union hall

MILWAUKEE
1091 N. Milwaukee Ave. (at Cleaver Ave.)
In use 1890-1906 for Milwaukee route
8 boilers/2 Fraser & Chalmers (Corliss) engines
Total 2,000 hp
 Building adapted in 1908 into substation for electric streetcars

VAN BUREN
570 W. Van Buren St. (at Jefferson St.)
In use 1893-1906 for Blue Island and Halsted routes
Total 1,000 hp
 Building adapted in 1906 into substation for electric streetcars

BLUE ISLAND
Blue Island Ave. at 12th St./Roosevelt Rd.
In use 1893-1906 for Blue Island and Halsted routes
8 John Mohr boilers/1 Allis (Corliss) engine
Total 1,800 hp
 Building sold, demolished

Additional information on cable cars in Chicago, San Francisco, and other cities, is available at the fine Cable Car Home Page.

Go to Chicago Transit & Railfan Web Site