Chicago L 5000 Series (As Built)

These are N scale 3D printable files for the Chicago Rapid Transit (CRT) / Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) 5000 Series articulated rapid transit car in its 1947 as-delivered configuration and CRT livery — representing the cars exactly as they appeared when new, before the transition to CTA operation and the later livery changes documented in the companion 5000 Series (Late) listing. Designed to fit on a Tomytec TM-TR02 at each end.

The 5000 series was the first new equipment ordered for the Chicago 'L' since the second batch of 4000 series cars in 1922, ending a remarkable 25-year gap in new car procurement that spanned the Great Depression and World War II. The cars were ordered by and delivered to the Chicago Rapid Transit Company (CRT) — the private operator of the Chicago 'L' system — in 1947, the same year the CRT was absorbed into the newly created Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), a public agency established by the State of Illinois to take over the city's surface and elevated transit operations. As a result, the 5000 series cars arrived at a pivotal moment of institutional transition, entering service under the CRT and immediately passing to the CTA — making the as-delivered CRT livery a historically significant and short-lived configuration.

The as-built configuration captures the 5000 series in the precise condition in which they were delivered: the original CRT livery and the delivery-era body details that distinguished the cars as new in 1947, before the modifications and livery updates they accumulated over their long subsequent service life with the CTA. For modelers interested in depicting the Chicago 'L' in the immediate postwar period, this is the definitive version of the 5000 series.

See also the companion Chicago L 5000 Series (Late) listing from Out of the Box Models for the same cars in their later CTA liveries including Mercury Green and Cream, Alpine White and Mint Green, Bicentennial, and Spirit of Chicago.

The Tomytec TM-TR02 motorized chassis at each end provides smooth, reliable N scale operation for the articulated configuration, suitable for the tight curves typical of urban rapid transit layouts.

After purchase, your digital files will be available for immediate direct download from your order confirmation. These files are for Personal Use Only — if you are interested in a commercial license, please contact us.

Decals are shipped separately — please allow some additional time for decal printing and shipping after ordering.