Chicago Surface Lines
Formerly a "Mystery Car", this has now been positively identified.  The three cars on the left are part of the 1429-1505 series of cars, which were nicknamed "Bowling Alleys" because of their seating arrangement.  Built for Chicago Union Traction in 1899, they were heavily rebuilt around 1912.  They are distinctive because of their tongue-and-groove siding, large single-pane windows, and unusual roof vent arrangement.  One car of this series (1467) is at the Illinois Railway Museum, but it's been largely disassembled.  The car on the right conveniently has a number, P5, showing. CSL P5 was a single-truck work car used as a wrecker.  It was built as a mail car, probably in the 1890's, and was virtually identical to mail car #6 at the Fox River Trolley Museum.
Photo identification by Frank Hicks

Bill Volkmer Collection
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