David Mummery is writing a blog called "Traction Madness, modeling Insull's Empire" .
If you are feeling mad, Chicago Surface Lines may detain the answer : They rode in the 20ies a "Psychopathic Hospital Car". This were in fact ambulance cars, with separate compartments for men and women, equipped with seats, beds and toilets.
This cars have probably carried mental ill out of the town to a hospital. It is clear, if we can joke now about it, in this time it was in fact not funny, not for the patients, and not for the accompanying staff.
(Extract from Electric Railway Historical Society Bulletin 38, Car plans of Chicago Surface Lines).
CSL crew of two, stabled at the Kedzie Car Barn. Staff by hospital Doctors & Nurses. Owned & Operated by CSL. Aprox 1918 to 1938. Ran from Cook County Hospital, Harrison near Ogden.
ReplyDeletePatients usually the insane but others were infirm, special care.
Dunning State Hospital, 6400 Irving, route to: Elston N to Irving W, return: Irving E to Milwaukee S. Aprox 1-hr O/W. Ended aprox 1938.
Kankakee State Hospital, route Halsted S, Vincennes S, then used the C&IT interurban. Aprox 4-hrs O/W. Ended aprox 1930.
Elgin State Hospital, Route same as to Kankakee but went west from South Chicago using interurbans thru Joliet, to Aurora, then N to Elgin on the Fox River interurban. Aprox 6-hrs O/W. Ended aprox 1928.