2600-series (CTA)

2600 series
In service	1981–present
Manufacturer	Budd Company
Built at	Red Lion Plant, Philadelphia
Family name	High Performance
Constructed	1981–1987
Entered service	1981
Refurbished	1998–2002
Number built	600
Number in service	589
Number scrapped	3
Formation	Married pair
Fleet numbers	2601–3200 3458 (renumbered from 3032)
Capacity	45 (seated-A car) 46 (seated-B car)
Operators	Chicago Transit Authority
Depots	98th Street Yard Desplaines Yard Howard Yard Kimball Yard (3458 only) Rosemont Yard
Lines served	Red Line   Yellow Line   Blue Line   Brown Line (3458 only)
Specifications
Car body construction	Stainless steel
Car length	48 feet (15 m)
Width	9 feet 4 inches (2.84 m)
Height	12 feet (3.7 m)
Doors	4 per car
Maximum speed	55 miles per hour (89 km/h)
Weight	54,140 pounds (24,560 kg)
Prime mover(s)	4 GE1262A1 per car
Power output	110 horsepower (82 kW) each motor
Power supply	third rail
Electric system(s)	600 V DC
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The 2600 series is a series of Chicago 'L' car built between 1981 and 1987 by the Budd Company of Philadelphia. 600 cars were built, 589 of them remain in service as of 2013.

The 2600 series was the fourth series of five interoperable series of Chicago 'L' cars known as the High Performance Family.

The 2600 series cars (numbered 2601–3200) were manufactured by the Budd Company, the same company that made the 2200 series. The cars were first delivered to the CTA in 1981, in time for the upcoming O'Hare Airport extension of the Kennedy Line (now known as the northwestern end of the Blue Line). Originally, an order was made for 300 cars, but this order was later increased to 600 cars.

With 589 active cars, the series is by far the most abundant in the 'L' rolling stock. They were refurbished by Alstom of Hornell, New York, between 1998 and 2002. They are quite similar in design to the earlier 2400 series.

These cars make up the entire Yellow Line fleet and most of the Red and Blue Line fleets, and car 3458 (originally car 3032) can be found on the Brown Line.

Budd/Transit America had completed car 3200 on April 3, 1987. Car 3200 was not only the final car of the 2600 series order, but was the final railcar to be constructed by Budd/Transit America. Once the order was complete, Budd shut down its railcar business.

References

• "CTA Car Assignments". Chicago-'L'.org. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-25. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
• "2600-series Cars". Chicago-'L'.org. Archived from the original on 10 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-04-30. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)