CTA celebrates 40 years of O'Hare rail service with nostalgic ride for train enthusiasts

CHICAGO - The CTA is celebrating its 40th anniversary of the extension of rail service to O'Hare International Airport.

Self-described "train geeks" lined up at O'Hare for the opportunity to take a short ride to the Rosemont stop and back.

"This is wonderful. These cars don't come out often. They've been painstakingly restored by the heritage fleet. I'm so glad to see them out here. They're a really special ride," said train enthusiast Chris DeAngelis.

You may remember back in the day when the lights would flicker on the older cars as contact with the electrified third rail would momentarily detach.

And then, there's the sound.

"Steam trains go ‘chugga chugga,’ trolleys go ‘brrrr.’ So if you hear it speeding up, you'll hear the ‘brrrrr’ sound. And that's the sound of the DC motors," said DeAngelis.

Passengers paid the going rate of $2.50 for the ride.