Product Description

Discover the worldfamous Chicago “L”—in all its grit and glory. The thundering “L” is one of Chicago’s most enduring icons. Operating 247 since 1892, it is not only an antique but a working antique. More than 10 billion people have ridden the “L,” which now carries half a million people a day over 222 miles of track. The heavy, rumbling “L” has a light side too. It is sought out by tourists, featured in major motion pictures, enjoyed by wideeyed kids, photographed by admirers, and studied by historians. Meanwhile, both the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago History Museum have recently enshrined Chicago “L” cars as the showpiece of major permanent exhibits. The Chicago “L” shows how the early “L” lines helped to build Chicago as well as how today’s “L” helps to revitalize neighborhoods and tie the city together. Over the past 100 years, the “L” has survived numerous attempts to tear it down. Today its future is secure. New services are being added and new lines planned. This educating and entertaining book brings the tenacious “L” to life.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #208972 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-04
• Released on: 2007-06-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

About the Author
Greg Borzo, whose first home was a few steps from the “L,” enjoys riding it almost every day and gives history tours of several “L” lines. Formerly the editor of Modern Railroads magazine, he is now a science writer at Chicago’s Field Museum. To tell the story of this celebrated transit system (including a look at its precursors), Borzo draws on some 240 captivating photographs, drawings, and maps. Most of the images were culled from the Chicago Transit Authority’s vast photograph archives; others were gathered from libraries, museums, schools, vendors, and individuals across the country. Ride with him through time over one of America’s greatest urban treasures, this massive 19thcentury structure of riveted steel that serves as one of Chicago’s major circulatory systems, pulsing from the heart of the Loop out into the surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs.

Customer Reviews

Review of "Chicago L"
As a Chicago transit railfan, I enjoyed this book. Many of the pictures I had not seen before. Each section begins with a brief history of the period followed by pages of pictures. It is a book to be enjoyed for the pictorial history it presents of the Chicago "L".

Great Book
Lots of photos never before published and also good comprehensive coverage. Mostly a photo book with descriptive captions. There are other good books on the Chicago EL system but his book does not duplicate them. I recommend & enjoyed the book. Worth its price.

Chicago Rapid Transit
The pictures and text were excellent. As someone who is not from Chicago the book gave me an excellent visual as well as factual portrait of the "L". As advertised, the book had many pictures which I had not seen before. Altogether, an excellent job.