Park proceeded due west from the Logan Square branch just past Robey Street. Unlike the competing South Side and Lake Street Elevateds, the Metropolitan never used steam traction. Although it had originally intended to, and indeed had built much of its structure under the assumption that locomotives would be used, it decided in May 1894 to have electrified tracks instead. making it upon its opening the first revenue electric elevated railroad in the United States. This made it the first rapid transit in the United States to use electric motors for revenue service. In order to provide power for the line, a shop at Loomis Street was built in the middle of the Metropolitan's main line, which continued to operate until 1914. After 1914, the Metropolitan purchased electricity from Commonwealth Edison, but the Loomis shop would remain standing until the construction of the Congress street expressway. The main line opened on May 6, 1895; trains initially ran from to Marshfield. The Franklin Street Terminal opened on May 13, extending the line eastward across the Chicago River. The river crossing made the Metropolitan the only "L" to own and operate its own drawbridge, in contrast to other "L"s using street bridges to cross the river. This terminal was closed in 1897, as the line was routed to the Loop via Van Buren Street. The Loop would prove to be frequently over capacity, and the Metropolitan was forced to turn some downtown-bound trains back at Canal starting in 1900, constructing a special platform extension and track stub for the purpose. The Chicago City Council granted the Metropolitan permission to construct a terminal on Fifth Avenue in 1902, and the terminal would be completed in 1904 to carry overfill from the Loop. The Metropolitan's franchise was amended on February 23, 1905, to allow for the carrying of surface railroads on its tracks. The Aurora Elgin & Chicago Railway (AE&C) began to use the Garfield Park branch and main line to access the Fifth Avenue terminal on March 11. The AE&C had been associated with the Metropolitan since 1902, when both railroads used the Garfield Park branch's Laramie station. In 1912, Fifth Avenue was renamed back to its original Wells Street, and so was the terminal. In 1923, the AE&C reorganized as the Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad (CA&E). The Metropolitan was one of four companies operating the modern-day Chicago "L" in the late