My life working With The Chicago Transit Authority

September 14, 2009

Gary remembers his days working for the Chicago Transit Authority and writes:

I started working with the CTA in 1979 as a conductor on the elevated line and the subway which are rapid transit passenger trains. I also worked as a motorman, a ticket agent, a switchman, a foot collector (witch means collecting money from the ticket agents after they collected from the passengers) riding the train getting from one part of Chicago and suburbs to another.

After the agents stopped collecting money from the passengers, CTA used the ticket agents as Customer Asssistants who now help passengers find their way around Chicago. I worked that job part time and then ended my time (28 years 9 months) as a courier. A courier collects paper work from customer assistants and take them supplies and maps of the system and other jobs as assigned.

I traveled from one end of Chicago to the other with this job. I really liked my job. At one time CTA sold replicas of their Trains and also their bus system. That was when I got interested in Model Trains and also diecast cars & buses.