| Rollsigns from Hammond, IN |
This mylar front route sign is from 1998 built
Thomas Transit bus #9809 (seen below). It is
dated January 20, 1998, likely making it the only
sign to occupy this bus. It has 25 exposures.
Its sign tag reads as follows:.
THOMAS BUILT-PROGRESSIVE TRANSP.
P.O.NO.B88408
D3107-MA FRONT
1/20/98 TRANSIGN
Thomas Transit bus #9809 (seen below). It is
dated January 20, 1998, likely making it the only
sign to occupy this bus. It has 25 exposures.
Its sign tag reads as follows:.
THOMAS BUILT-PROGRESSIVE TRANSP.
P.O.NO.B88408
D3107-MA FRONT
1/20/98 TRANSIGN
| Former Hammond Transit System Thomas Transit #9809 as discovered in a salvage yard in Westville, Indiana, February 25, 2009. |
This set of mylar route
signs are from 1998
built (imitation) trolley
#9812 (seen below).
Neither sign has a print
date. The sign on the left
fits both the bus's front
and side sign boxes. It
has 25 exposures. The
rear sign (right) also
has 25 exposures.
signs are from 1998
built (imitation) trolley
#9812 (seen below).
Neither sign has a print
date. The sign on the left
fits both the bus's front
and side sign boxes. It
has 25 exposures. The
rear sign (right) also
has 25 exposures.
| Former Hammond Transit System "trolley" #9812 as discovered in a salvage yard in Westville, Indiana, February 25, 2009. |
This mylar front route sign is
from retired Goshen Coach
#9014 (Ex University of
Chicago Shuttle Service). The
sign is dated May, 2007. It
has 19 exposures.
Its sign tag reads as follows:
from retired Goshen Coach
#9014 (Ex University of
Chicago Shuttle Service). The
sign is dated May, 2007. It
has 19 exposures.
Its sign tag reads as follows:
| Retired Hammond Transit System 1998 built Goshen Coach/International body bus #9014 (ex University of Chicago Shuttle Service), showing the rollsign seen above, as it was discovered in a salvage yard in Westville, Indiana, July 28, 2009. |
| NATIONAL BUS SALES PO# 52157 D21004 MA FRONT TRANSIGN LLC 5/07 |
| Public transit in the area of Hammond (and East Chicago) began with a two mile long streetcar line on Hohman Avenue introduced by the Hammond Electric Railway Co. in 1892. In 1893, the line was extended from Hammond into East Chicago then north into Whiting. That same year the HERCo. was acquired by the Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Electric Railway Co. In 1894, the line was extended again northwest of Whiting to the Illinois state line, to connect with streetcars operated by South Chicago City Railway Co. in 1895 a new line from Hammond to Whiting was introduced along Sheffield Avenue providing a connection with the line from East Chicago. In 1896, The Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago acquired a subsidiary of the South Chicago Railway Co. and in doing so, was able to introduce joint through streetcar service to 63rd Street in south Chicago from both Hammond (identified as Route 11) and East Chicago (identified as Route 12). In 1899, the streetcar route was extended south of Hammond on Conkey Street to serve the new Conkey Co. factory. In 1903, the Chicago & Indiana Air Line Railway between East Chicago to Indiana Harbor. The company would be renamed the Chicago Lake Shore & South Bend Railway the following year. (This was the predecessor to the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad interurban line, and the NICTD "South Shore" line that exists today.) In 1909, the Gary & Interurban Railway commenced service in Hammond on Sibley. It took about a year for the line to be completed from Gary. This line would eventually become part Gary Railways, and was operated separately from the other lines. Meanwhile in 1910, the Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Electric Railway CO. was sold to the Hammond, Whiting and East Chicago Railway Co. By 1913, the HW&ECRCo.'s streetcar line from Hammond to Indiana Harbor was completed, and identified as Route 10. This line was paralleled by the line operated by the Gary & Interurban Railroad from Gary to Indiana Harbor as joint double track. After World War 1, jitneys started competing with the line to 63rd Street, and in 1921, Midwest Motor Coach Co. started a competing bus service as well. By 1925, Midwest was the only competitor over the route, and several other bus companies introduced local service in East Chicago as well as Hammond and Whiting. In 1926, Samuel Insull's public utilities holding company Midland Utilities, forms Shore Line Motor Coach Co. providing more competing service from Gary to Chicago's 63rd Street and into Michigan. Eventually, Shore Line would also acquire all East Chicago, Hammond and Whiting bus routes, and in 1929, would also acquire Midwest Motor Coach Co. and its services. Also in 1929, the Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago Railway Co. was sold to Calumet Railways, Inc., which had minority control over Midland Utilities. In 1931, the Chicago & Calumet Transit District was formed, and acquired Calumet Railways, Shore Line Motor Coach and Midwest Motor Coach, and in 1932, acquired control of Gary Railways, but ran it separately from other operations. Also that year, streetcar service south of downtown Hammond to Conkey Street was discontinued. This started the decline of streetcar service. In 1934, Chicago & Calumet discontinues streetcar service to Indiana Harbor, followed by Gary Railways in 1939, and in 1940, the last two Chicago & Calumet District Transit streetcar routes were eliminated, however bus service to 63rd Street still remained, with express bus service to downtown Chicago introduced in 1941. In 1946, the last area streetcar route operated by Gary Railways into Hammond was discontinued, and replaced with buses. In 1956, the Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad ("South Shore Line") opens its new bypass route paralleling the newly constructed Indiana Toll Road through Hammond and East Chicago. In 1971, Chicago & Calumet District Transit discontinued local service in Hammond and East Chicago. Both cities had no transit service for a while. In 1972, the Shore Line Bus Co. tried to restore local service in Hammond and East Chicago, but it was again discontinued after only a few months. In 1975, Hammond Transit System began service operated under contract by Gary Public Transportation Corporation. In 1983, Hammond Yellow Coach Lines took over operations of the Hammond Transit System, since it was determined to be illegal for GPTC to operate transit outside of Gary city limits. In 1989, Hammond Yellow Coach ceased operations. The Hammond Transit System contract was taken over by ATC/Vancom, then later by Progressive Transit. In 2003, Progressive Transit was acquired by First Transit. In 2010, the Hammond Transit System's operations were transferred to a new Regional Bus Authority, and operated city service under the name EasyGo, but this only lasted a short while. In 2012, the Regional Bus Authority ceased operations after running out of money. To this day, Hammond still does not have its own transit system, however Gary Public Transportation Corporation once again provides a limited service to the city with one circulator bus route and a connector route linking it to Gary through East Chicago. |