# Chicago El mystery **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 28, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-el-mystery/11303 "2000-04-28T16:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Geenius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Geenius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geenius)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-el-mystery/11303/1 "2000-04-28T16:31:00Z")
So one day, not too long ago, I’m riding downtown on the Purple Line express, pretty early in the morning, and the train I’m on pulls up alongside another train on the Red Line track (which the Purple parallels). Only it’s not a Red Line train – all the signs on it are orange and say “Ford City.” And it’s running in express mode, bypassing the Red Line stations just like the train I’m on. And it’s full of passengers! This is strange all over. Express trains never run on the Red Line tracks. Orange Line trains never run on the Red Line tracks. And there is no Ford City line! I’ve heard rumors that the CTA is _thinking_ about expanding the Orange Line past Midway to Ford City, but AFAIK it hasn’t been done yet. It might simply have been a bunch of cars being moved from one place to another, but then why was it full of passengers? Did I just witness the Flying Dutchman of public transportation? Had I stepped into an episode of “The CTA-Files”? ---
**Author:** ![Viscera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/258eb7/32.png) [@Viscera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viscera)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2000, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-el-mystery/11303/2 "2000-04-29T05:17:00Z")
Having lived in the great city for 21 years (before moving to Omaha :(), I would guess that perhaps it was a touring train of some sort. I knew they used to do these, but usually only on Saturdays in the summer, or something. But that is all I can think about as of now. Regarding the Ford City link, I too know it was originally planned, but there wasn’t enough money to do it originally. Hell, I would’ve taken it there. 🙂 I still think they are planning it, but after having been out of town for almost a year now (and in school the four before that) I have not heard much. The orange line kicks some serious ass though. Midway to the Loop in about 30 minutes, ahhhhh. * * * **Vispair:** ™ (Inspired by [Despair, Inc.](http://www.despair.com)) **Teamwork:** When you do all the work, and your co-workers get the credit. **Irony:** The light at the end of the tunnel is actually a pair of headlights. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2000, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-el-mystery/11303/3 "2000-04-29T05:44:00Z")
In my experience things like that have been due to someone changing the signs on each train improperly. There were probably other signs that indicated what the train really was. Especially on the side facing the station. The side you were looking at couldn’t be seen by passengers waiting for that train. The CTA does weird things. I’ve frozen my backside off in January waiting for a bus for 20 minutes only to have THREE of them pull-up simultaneously! Riders are weird too…the first bus was packed, there were a few people on the second bus and the thrid bus was empty. At my stop people STILL tried to get on the first bus. This actually happened to me on more than one occasion so it was no fluke. Go figure… ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Basil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sweet\_Basil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Basil)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-el-mystery/11303/4 "2000-04-28T18:07:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Viscera: > \*\* (before moving to Omaha :()\*\* That’s because you moved to _Oma-hell_. Everyone knows **Lincoln** is way cooler! 🙂 Sweet Basil * * * [SRB](http://www.selfrighteousbrothers.com) will get you girls!! ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2000, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chicago-el-mystery/11303/5 "2000-04-28T18:58:00Z")
**Jeff\_42** > [@](#): > > In my experience things like that have been due to someone changing the signs on each train improperly. I was thinking that too. On occasion the red line will run express when the train is sufficiently crowded. The crowding can be caused by a shortage of trains, which can also cause an improperly labeled train or car to be pressed into service. Series of WAG’s, but possible. > [@](#): > > There were probably other signs that indicated what the train really was. Especially on the side facing the station. The side you were looking at couldn’t be seen by passengers waiting for that train. Depending on the station they’re at, boarding passengers see both sides of a CTA train. The signs on either side of the train are linked so their displays are usually identical to each other, if not the front-back signs. I’ve definitely been on a red line train completely labeled as a brown line train, running the red line route. If such a train was running express due to crowds, it would behave as noted in the OP. The only thing that throws me off is the orange Ford City labels, which I’ve never seen. ## Spooky, all around. Maybe it was a ghost train. stoli “There’s always a little dirt, or infinity, or something.” -Feynman