Shore Line trains that used the streetcar tracks to reach downtown Waukegan were simultaneously cut back to allow the tracks to be abandoned. Modernization: Green Liners and Electroliners. The needed real estate purchases and financing were arranged in 1923 and 1924, and construction of the new line began in April 1924. Metra Union Pacific / North Line commuter trains serve the market between Chicago and Kenosha, Wisconsin. the passenger traffic it carried during its peak years of operations, In 1955 it was finally granted permission to abandon service over the original Shore Line route, which held only low-profit short distance commuter traffic. However, in 1937 President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Secretary of the Interior, Harold L. Ickes (a Winnetka resident), announced a Public Works Administration program to "prime the pump" of the American economy. Roger Puta photo. Today, little remains of the North Shore's once-expansive interurban network. operation to North Chicago's 10th Street. Once upon a time A North Shore Line (Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee) "Electroliner" set has train #805 on South 6th Street in Milwaukee, between West Washington Avenue and Scott Avenue, on October 21, 1962. The Great Depression put a damper on the area's growth, and Niles Center (by that time renamed Skokie) didn't really begin to experience a surge of growth until the 1950s. The Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) examiner handling the case recommended abandonment, but the Illinois regulators recommended the continued operation of the railroad. [22]:7173,87 Around this same time, a single-track spur line known as the "West Line" was constructed from the Libertyville branch at Lake Bluff into the city of North Chicago, where it terminated south of 22nd Street. the interurban northward to finally reach its other namesake city, right-of-way in its state and has had tentative plans for years to [17] South of Merchandise Mart, trains operated counter-clockwise over the Loop, with southbound trains making stops at the Randolph/Wells, Madison/Wells, Quincy/Wells, LaSalle/Van Buren and State/Van Buren stations, while northbound trains made stops at the Adams/Wasbash, Madison/Wabash, Randolph/Wabash and Clark/Lake stations. The former North Shore right-of-way from the Illinois border to Milwaukee was sold off piecemeal to numerous private interests. The original main line now designated by the railroad as the Shore Line continued to host Chicago-Waukegan service, which consisted of limited-stop Chicago-Waukegan service as well as all-stop local service, each operating at roughly 30-minute headways. The growth of the north shore communities provided good traffic levels for the railroad, but the increasing congestion of these communities' business districts impeded the railroad's desire to remain competitive with the competing steam railroads for longer-haul passenger business, in particular the Chicago-Milwaukee traffic. [6]:5 Between 1938 and 1941, 4 miles (6.4km) of the line through Glencoe and Winnetka were rebuilt as part of a Public Works Administration grade separation project which included the installation of automatic block signaling and overhead catenary along the improved section. reliance of passenger traffic could not sustain it forever and That February, the railroad requested expedited action by the ICC on its abandonment petition, citing its mounting losses. The decline did not stop and the industry eventually abandoned the service. For other uses, see, For post-1963 CTA operations over a former segment of the North Shore Line, see. 
[9]:48 The Skokie Shops were also constructed along the Skokie Valley Route, and the CTA continued to utilize the line to access these facilities from Howard Street after local rapid transit service had been discontinued. [7]:114, In 1919 the North Shore Line negotiated a trackage rights agreement which permitted its trains to operate directly into Chicago over 12 miles (19km) of the "L" from Howard Street to Roosevelt Road on the Near South Side. [9]:33 Trains made intermediate stops at 43rd Street, 61st Street, South Park Avenue, Cottage Grove Avenue and University Avenue. The Chicago Transit Authority researched the possibility of continuing truncated rail service between Waukegan and Howard Street in Chicago, with buses assuming operations between Lake Bluff and Mundelein. [30] This was prevented, however, by the sale of the trackage between Dempster Street and Lake-Cook Road to the Chicago & North Western Railway for use as a freight line. [9]:1011 Intermediate stops between Linden Avenue and Church Street included Isabella Street in Wilmette, as well as Central Street, Noyes Street and Foster Street in Evanston. [22]:126,131 Bridges between Racine and Milwaukee were upgraded and the original mainline underwent significant rehabilitation, as did the street railway in Waukegan, which had since begun operating a line on Washington Street. Each ticket includes pizza, soda, and dessert and then live music on the way back. These trains were dubbed Electroliners and were the railroad's premiere service run as fast as 90mph between Dempster Street and North Chicago Junction on the North Shore's excellent track and roadbed. In Wisconsin the line served such communities as Kenosha along with the aforementioned Racine. [7]:187 Power was supplied by overhead trolley wire. original main line. [22]:87 In addition to giving the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric access to a large gravel pit east of Libertyville, the new branch line also enabled the interchange of carload freight with both the EJ&E and the Milwaukee Road at Rondout, as well as with the Wisconsin Central Railway at Mundelein. [8]:17 The Libertyville Division was almost entirely double-tracked, aside from a short segment of single-track operation east of Green Bay Junction. These cars were regularly assigned to Skokie Valley limited-stop service. It had been anticipated that the opening of the new "L" line would help launch a real estate boom in the area as it had decades earlier in other parts of the Chicago area. All written content, photos, and videos copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted). Skokie Valley Line. its charter with a town it simply did away with rail operations and In 1998 a gentleman by the name ofAndre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. [5]:5 A freight interchange connection was made with the C&NW at Oakton Street in Skokie. [7]:187[15]:652 Connections existed with the city service of The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company (TMER&L), which utilized the tracks on Wells Street between 2nd and 5th Avenues until it was discontinued in 1958. Some 15 coaches dating from 1928 were modernized, practically from the ground up. The most significant component of the passenger equipment modernization program was the purchase of two articulated streamlined trainsets. Construction on the new route began in April, 1924 They offered one way, through fares to Milwaukee or Chicago and remained in use until 1963 when they were sold to the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company and renamedLibery Liners(painted in a red, white, and blue scheme). The North Shore also created a network of motor coach (bus) lines to feed on potential traffic from territory not directly served by the company's trains. On May 17, 1962, the request was approved under the condition that no buyer stepped forward within 35 days. In November, 1959 its approval was finally granted but the [22]:23 The Bluff City Electric line had already been extended as far south as Highland Park when it was acquired by the newly-incorporated Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railroad in May 1898, and the following March a connection was made to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) line at Wilmette. After this most of the property was sold off An additional car provided more coach seating, and the tavern/lounge car rounded out the four-car consist. [31] The Union Pacific (into which the North Western was merged in 1995) continued to operate the line until 2001, and it was dismantled in 200405.
Extensively improved under the one time ownership of Samuel Insull, the North Shore Line was notable for its high operating speeds and substantial physical plant, as well as innovative services such as its pioneering "ferry truck" operations and its streamlined Electroliner trainsets. came to an official end. Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railroad. Its electrified lines used a combination of 600 volt direct current (DC) third rail (around Chicago) and 650 volt DC overhead catenary. Insull reorganized the operation as the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad in 1916 and sought to vastly expand the company with the first interest being towards finally serving downtown Chicago. Roger Puta photo.
Roger Puta photo. Both the Briargate and Kenosha stations also survive, currently housing commercial operations. This section opened for service on August Today, Wisconsin owns the entire The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (reporting mark CNSM), also known as the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service over an 88.9-mile (143.1km) route between the Chicago Loop and downtown Milwaukee, as well as an 8.6-mile (13.8km) branch line between the villages of Lake Bluff and Mundelein, Illinois. July 24, 1955 was the final day of service on that route. in 1891 when the Waukegan & North Short Transit Company, which was a [8]:6 Power was supplied primarily by overhead trolley wire, though sections of overhead catenary were utilized along the connections with the Skokie Valley Route between Lake Bluff and South Upton. small street railway serving the Chicago suburb of Waukegan. Trains operate rain or shine Fully narrated train excursions tell the history of Duluth, the harbor, and the stories of the railroads that built northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. ", Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Bulletin 1: Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad - A Guide to Its System and Operation, "Plan for the CTA to Assume Services of the North Shore Line Interurban", "C.&N.W. ", "Rail buys CTA bonds, sells 'L' right of way. Shore Line East customers should refer to the following websites for connection information: for Amtrak Northeast Corridor schedule information. The North Shore Line's passenger traffic began to hemorrhage at the rate of 46,000 passengers per month. Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee's lower yard, located at West Clybourn Street east of the interurban's Northern Terminal (its primary passenger facility in downtown Milwaukee), is seen here on October 12, 1962. exploding at the turn of the century and lines being built all over the It double-tracked all of its lines in Illinois and at its height the North Shore only a had a short stretch of its main line in Wisconsin that was single-track. This timely program allowed the railroads and the communities of Winnetka and Glencoe to obtain federal funding for the grade separation of the two railroads through their business districts. It had tried to abandon all service as early as May, 1958 but was initially denied so by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Wartime earnings were high enough that the railroad's bankruptcy trustees were able to pay some of the company's outstanding debt and submit a reorganization plan. A year later in 1896 the line continued to run until early 1963 when finally on January 21 service In 1949, the railroad sought to curtail some of its more unprofitable services. with the Mundelein Branch before returning Amtrak's Hiawatha Service currently serves the passenger rail market between Chicago and Milwaukee. [19] North Shore Line trains made limited stops at Wilson Avenue, Belmont Avenue, Chicago Avenue, Grand Avenue and the Merchandise Mart. Unfortunately, the company found itself in financial trouble by 1908 due to its quick growth but lack of enough supporting revenue to keep it solvent. Initially after the stock market crash in 1929, business went on as usual, but as the depression deepened and as the Insull public utility empire began to crumble, the railroad entered receivership in 1932. The outbreak of World War II caused the railroads of the United States to see a sharp rise in traffic.
A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way. For additionalreading and information about the North Shore Line please click here. 2001 when it was finally ripped up. numerous suburban communities and increase running times. [5]:Table 1[9]:3233 On the quadruple-track portion of the North Side Main Line from Howard Street to Chicago Avenue, North Shore Line trains typically utilized the express tracks to avoid interference from local "L" trains, though the exact routing varied over the years. In The new route consisted of 18 miles (29km) of new double-track railroad, and the route was a mere 2.5 miles (4km) longer than the old main line. Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee steeple-cab #455 (built in December, 1927 by General Electric) works freight service on the team track between Northfield and Northbrook, Illinois on May 26, 1962. [21] Operation over the South Side Elevated provided the North Shore Line with access to the Chicago "L" yards at 61st and 63rd Streets. For the time being, ridership remained fairly stable, but the completion of the Northwest Expressway (now the Kennedy Expressway) in late 1960 provided a link between the Edens Expressway and the Chicago Loop. Alas, in 2013 the site closed. was built further to 22nd street, and two year later in 1898 reach The failure to resolve a wage dispute taken to the National Mediation Board in 1948 led to a 91-day work stoppage that spring. [22]:117,121, Though the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric had been placed under receivership in 1908, patronage and revenue continued to grow, permitting more improvements to the property. Please note that bus travel times listed onthe schedule are approximate and may vary due to traffic. [5]:8 Connections were made with the Shore Line Route at Lake Bluff, and with the Skokie Valley Route at Green Bay Junction as well as at South Upton Junction. The area was
The DR-6-4-1500 was Baldwin's six-axle version of the DR-4-4-1500. It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. Ticket Office & Railroad Museum are open daily from 10am 6pm. A North Shore Line "Electroliner" has train #805 on South 6th Street and West Scott Avenue in Milwaukee on October 21, 1962. [5]:3 The Milwaukee Division was almost entirely double-tracked, aside from 0.6 miles (0.97km) of single-track operation between Austin Avenue and Oklahoma Avenue on the south side of Milwaukee, and was located entirely on private right-of-way. Alas, in 2013 the site closed. Prior to the Depression, grade separation projects had been funded by the railroads' private capital, and neither the North Shore Line nor the paralleling steam-operated Chicago and North Western Railway were in a financial position to undertake such a venture even before the stock market crash in 1929. history of the company dated as far back as the 1890s and in terms of Most of the rails were removed in the succeeding two years. [9]:108, The Bluff City Electric Street Railway Company began operation in May 1895 as a local street railway line in the city of Waukegan, Illinois. 6th of that year. North Shore Line cars #743 and #152 work the Loop in downtown Chicago during the 1950s. or abandoned although a short stretch between Dempster Street and These national trendscoupled with the lost revenue from the three-month strike and the effects of the strike-settling wage increasecreated serious passenger revenue losses for the line. [22]:8385 Further construction proceeded at such a pace that trains began operating as far north as Kenosha, Wisconsin by December of that year, followed by Racine in September 1906. A condensed, 1940 timetable of the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee. The completion of the Northwest Expressway that connected the Chicago Loop with the Edens Expressway in 1960 proved to be final blow for the company. The grade separation was completed in late 1941 just nine weeks before the United States went to war and cost $4.3million. bankruptcy finally came after a long legal battle in the early 1960s. Unrestored North Shore Line equipment is also in storage at several other museums. The new line diverged from the Howard Street "L" station located at the boundary between Chicago and Evanston, ran west into the village of Niles Center (now Skokie), continuing to the north-northwest from that point through marshy countryside, paralleling the Skokie branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway. In 1895 [22]:46, Between 1902 and 1904, a branch line was constructed from the mainline at Lake Bluff to Libertyville. This train departs at 6pm. [5]:8 A freight interchange connection was made with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) at Racine. The Iowa Terminal Railroad, in Mason City, Iowa, also owns former North Shore Line equipment. (by completely revamping cars and applying Roger Puta photo. Both the Illinois regulators and an association of commuters opposed the action, the association offering to buy the railroad at salvage value but ultimately failing to raise sufficient funds to buy the property. The completion of the Edens Expressway through the Skokie Valley in late 1951 caused mounting ridership losses reflected on the railroad's earnings statements. This is our most popular trip, fun for all ages of the family, and now with First Class Options. During the early 1920s, the railroad instituted a number of named, limited-stop trains, some carrying deluxe dining and parlor/observation cars. This article is about the interurban railroad in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Liberty Liners were retired around 1979.[25]. [5]:Table 1[14]:62 Freight service was provided to a number of industries between North Chicago Junction and 10th Street, and deliveries of coal were transported from the Milwaukee Division to the Victory Memorial Hospital via the Glen Flora Avenue lines. [14]:71, Shore Line Route trains operated over the entire 4-mile (6.4km) Evanston Line of the Chicago "L" from Linden Avenue in Wilmette to Howard Street in Chicago. [17] Between the Loop and Roosevelt Road, trains made an intermediate stop at the Congress/Wabash station, and the North Shore Line utilized the Congress Terminal as its downtown baggage station, an arrangement which continued after the CTA vacated the terminal in 1949. Junction). [5]:910 The Skokie Valley Route was constructed between 1923 and 1926, with the purpose of enabling high-speed limited-stop trains to bypass the increasingly congested Shore Line Route. [18]:145146 Power was supplied primarily by third rail, though overhead trolley wire was utilized on the outermost southbound track between Howard Street and Granville Avenue. They became theNorth Shore Line's premier equipment and featured both coach service as well as tavern/lounge amenities. Operating examples of North Shore Line rolling stock have been preserved in railroad museums, and the former Dempster Street Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad (reporting marks, CNSM), fondly remembered as Right-of-way and trackage between Leland Avenue in Chicago and Linden Avenue in Wilmette was sold to the CTA in 1953, though the Shore Line continued to operate. That same year, the Skokie Valley Transportation Council was formed by the towns of Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield and Skokie, with the goal of reviving rail service by funding an extension of the "Skokie Swift" further north. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource). [24] The following year, a new terminal in Milwaukee was dedicated, and in succeeding years, the remaining single-track in Wisconsin was eliminated, with the exception of a one-half-mile stretch of single-track in southern Milwaukee that remained a minor bottleneck until the railroad's end.
[9]:48 The Skokie Shops were also constructed along the Skokie Valley Route, and the CTA continued to utilize the line to access these facilities from Howard Street after local rapid transit service had been discontinued. [7]:114, In 1919 the North Shore Line negotiated a trackage rights agreement which permitted its trains to operate directly into Chicago over 12 miles (19km) of the "L" from Howard Street to Roosevelt Road on the Near South Side. [9]:33 Trains made intermediate stops at 43rd Street, 61st Street, South Park Avenue, Cottage Grove Avenue and University Avenue. The Chicago Transit Authority researched the possibility of continuing truncated rail service between Waukegan and Howard Street in Chicago, with buses assuming operations between Lake Bluff and Mundelein. [30] This was prevented, however, by the sale of the trackage between Dempster Street and Lake-Cook Road to the Chicago & North Western Railway for use as a freight line. [9]:1011 Intermediate stops between Linden Avenue and Church Street included Isabella Street in Wilmette, as well as Central Street, Noyes Street and Foster Street in Evanston. [22]:126,131 Bridges between Racine and Milwaukee were upgraded and the original mainline underwent significant rehabilitation, as did the street railway in Waukegan, which had since begun operating a line on Washington Street. Each ticket includes pizza, soda, and dessert and then live music on the way back. These trains were dubbed Electroliners and were the railroad's premiere service run as fast as 90mph between Dempster Street and North Chicago Junction on the North Shore's excellent track and roadbed. In Wisconsin the line served such communities as Kenosha along with the aforementioned Racine. [7]:187 Power was supplied by overhead trolley wire. original main line. [22]:87 In addition to giving the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric access to a large gravel pit east of Libertyville, the new branch line also enabled the interchange of carload freight with both the EJ&E and the Milwaukee Road at Rondout, as well as with the Wisconsin Central Railway at Mundelein. [8]:17 The Libertyville Division was almost entirely double-tracked, aside from a short segment of single-track operation east of Green Bay Junction. These cars were regularly assigned to Skokie Valley limited-stop service. It had been anticipated that the opening of the new "L" line would help launch a real estate boom in the area as it had decades earlier in other parts of the Chicago area. All written content, photos, and videos copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted). Skokie Valley Line. its charter with a town it simply did away with rail operations and In 1998 a gentleman by the name ofAndre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. [5]:5 A freight interchange connection was made with the C&NW at Oakton Street in Skokie. [7]:187[15]:652 Connections existed with the city service of The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company (TMER&L), which utilized the tracks on Wells Street between 2nd and 5th Avenues until it was discontinued in 1958. Some 15 coaches dating from 1928 were modernized, practically from the ground up. The most significant component of the passenger equipment modernization program was the purchase of two articulated streamlined trainsets. Construction on the new route began in April, 1924 They offered one way, through fares to Milwaukee or Chicago and remained in use until 1963 when they were sold to the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Company and renamedLibery Liners(painted in a red, white, and blue scheme). The North Shore also created a network of motor coach (bus) lines to feed on potential traffic from territory not directly served by the company's trains. On May 17, 1962, the request was approved under the condition that no buyer stepped forward within 35 days. In November, 1959 its approval was finally granted but the [22]:23 The Bluff City Electric line had already been extended as far south as Highland Park when it was acquired by the newly-incorporated Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railroad in May 1898, and the following March a connection was made to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) line at Wilmette. After this most of the property was sold off An additional car provided more coach seating, and the tavern/lounge car rounded out the four-car consist. [31] The Union Pacific (into which the North Western was merged in 1995) continued to operate the line until 2001, and it was dismantled in 200405. Extensively improved under the one time ownership of Samuel Insull, the North Shore Line was notable for its high operating speeds and substantial physical plant, as well as innovative services such as its pioneering "ferry truck" operations and its streamlined Electroliner trainsets. came to an official end. Chicago & Milwaukee Electric Railroad. Its electrified lines used a combination of 600 volt direct current (DC) third rail (around Chicago) and 650 volt DC overhead catenary. Insull reorganized the operation as the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad in 1916 and sought to vastly expand the company with the first interest being towards finally serving downtown Chicago. Roger Puta photo.
Roger Puta photo. Both the Briargate and Kenosha stations also survive, currently housing commercial operations. This section opened for service on August Today, Wisconsin owns the entire The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (reporting mark CNSM), also known as the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad that operated passenger and freight service over an 88.9-mile (143.1km) route between the Chicago Loop and downtown Milwaukee, as well as an 8.6-mile (13.8km) branch line between the villages of Lake Bluff and Mundelein, Illinois. July 24, 1955 was the final day of service on that route. in 1891 when the Waukegan & North Short Transit Company, which was a [8]:6 Power was supplied primarily by overhead trolley wire, though sections of overhead catenary were utilized along the connections with the Skokie Valley Route between Lake Bluff and South Upton. small street railway serving the Chicago suburb of Waukegan. Trains operate rain or shine Fully narrated train excursions tell the history of Duluth, the harbor, and the stories of the railroads that built northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. ", Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, The Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Company, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Bulletin 1: Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad - A Guide to Its System and Operation, "Plan for the CTA to Assume Services of the North Shore Line Interurban", "C.&N.W. ", "Rail buys CTA bonds, sells 'L' right of way. Shore Line East customers should refer to the following websites for connection information: for Amtrak Northeast Corridor schedule information. The North Shore Line's passenger traffic began to hemorrhage at the rate of 46,000 passengers per month. Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee's lower yard, located at West Clybourn Street east of the interurban's Northern Terminal (its primary passenger facility in downtown Milwaukee), is seen here on October 12, 1962. exploding at the turn of the century and lines being built all over the It double-tracked all of its lines in Illinois and at its height the North Shore only a had a short stretch of its main line in Wisconsin that was single-track. This timely program allowed the railroads and the communities of Winnetka and Glencoe to obtain federal funding for the grade separation of the two railroads through their business districts. It had tried to abandon all service as early as May, 1958 but was initially denied so by the Interstate Commerce Commission. Wartime earnings were high enough that the railroad's bankruptcy trustees were able to pay some of the company's outstanding debt and submit a reorganization plan. A year later in 1896 the line continued to run until early 1963 when finally on January 21 service In 1949, the railroad sought to curtail some of its more unprofitable services. with the Mundelein Branch before returning Amtrak's Hiawatha Service currently serves the passenger rail market between Chicago and Milwaukee. [19] North Shore Line trains made limited stops at Wilson Avenue, Belmont Avenue, Chicago Avenue, Grand Avenue and the Merchandise Mart. Unfortunately, the company found itself in financial trouble by 1908 due to its quick growth but lack of enough supporting revenue to keep it solvent. Initially after the stock market crash in 1929, business went on as usual, but as the depression deepened and as the Insull public utility empire began to crumble, the railroad entered receivership in 1932. The outbreak of World War II caused the railroads of the United States to see a sharp rise in traffic.
A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way. For additionalreading and information about the North Shore Line please click here. 2001 when it was finally ripped up. numerous suburban communities and increase running times. [5]:Table 1[9]:3233 On the quadruple-track portion of the North Side Main Line from Howard Street to Chicago Avenue, North Shore Line trains typically utilized the express tracks to avoid interference from local "L" trains, though the exact routing varied over the years. In The new route consisted of 18 miles (29km) of new double-track railroad, and the route was a mere 2.5 miles (4km) longer than the old main line. Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee steeple-cab #455 (built in December, 1927 by General Electric) works freight service on the team track between Northfield and Northbrook, Illinois on May 26, 1962. [21] Operation over the South Side Elevated provided the North Shore Line with access to the Chicago "L" yards at 61st and 63rd Streets. For the time being, ridership remained fairly stable, but the completion of the Northwest Expressway (now the Kennedy Expressway) in late 1960 provided a link between the Edens Expressway and the Chicago Loop. Alas, in 2013 the site closed. was built further to 22nd street, and two year later in 1898 reach The failure to resolve a wage dispute taken to the National Mediation Board in 1948 led to a 91-day work stoppage that spring. [22]:117,121, Though the Chicago and Milwaukee Electric had been placed under receivership in 1908, patronage and revenue continued to grow, permitting more improvements to the property. Please note that bus travel times listed onthe schedule are approximate and may vary due to traffic. [5]:8 Connections were made with the Shore Line Route at Lake Bluff, and with the Skokie Valley Route at Green Bay Junction as well as at South Upton Junction. The area was
The DR-6-4-1500 was Baldwin's six-axle version of the DR-4-4-1500. It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. Ticket Office & Railroad Museum are open daily from 10am 6pm. A North Shore Line "Electroliner" has train #805 on South 6th Street and West Scott Avenue in Milwaukee on October 21, 1962. [5]:3 The Milwaukee Division was almost entirely double-tracked, aside from 0.6 miles (0.97km) of single-track operation between Austin Avenue and Oklahoma Avenue on the south side of Milwaukee, and was located entirely on private right-of-way. Alas, in 2013 the site closed. Prior to the Depression, grade separation projects had been funded by the railroads' private capital, and neither the North Shore Line nor the paralleling steam-operated Chicago and North Western Railway were in a financial position to undertake such a venture even before the stock market crash in 1929. history of the company dated as far back as the 1890s and in terms of Most of the rails were removed in the succeeding two years. [9]:108, The Bluff City Electric Street Railway Company began operation in May 1895 as a local street railway line in the city of Waukegan, Illinois. 6th of that year. North Shore Line cars #743 and #152 work the Loop in downtown Chicago during the 1950s. or abandoned although a short stretch between Dempster Street and These national trendscoupled with the lost revenue from the three-month strike and the effects of the strike-settling wage increasecreated serious passenger revenue losses for the line. [22]:8385 Further construction proceeded at such a pace that trains began operating as far north as Kenosha, Wisconsin by December of that year, followed by Racine in September 1906. A condensed, 1940 timetable of the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee. The completion of the Northwest Expressway that connected the Chicago Loop with the Edens Expressway in 1960 proved to be final blow for the company. The grade separation was completed in late 1941 just nine weeks before the United States went to war and cost $4.3million. bankruptcy finally came after a long legal battle in the early 1960s. Unrestored North Shore Line equipment is also in storage at several other museums. The new line diverged from the Howard Street "L" station located at the boundary between Chicago and Evanston, ran west into the village of Niles Center (now Skokie), continuing to the north-northwest from that point through marshy countryside, paralleling the Skokie branch of the Chicago and North Western Railway. In 1895 [22]:46, Between 1902 and 1904, a branch line was constructed from the mainline at Lake Bluff to Libertyville. This train departs at 6pm. [5]:8 A freight interchange connection was made with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) at Racine. The Iowa Terminal Railroad, in Mason City, Iowa, also owns former North Shore Line equipment. (by completely revamping cars and applying Roger Puta photo. Both the Illinois regulators and an association of commuters opposed the action, the association offering to buy the railroad at salvage value but ultimately failing to raise sufficient funds to buy the property. The completion of the Edens Expressway through the Skokie Valley in late 1951 caused mounting ridership losses reflected on the railroad's earnings statements. This is our most popular trip, fun for all ages of the family, and now with First Class Options. During the early 1920s, the railroad instituted a number of named, limited-stop trains, some carrying deluxe dining and parlor/observation cars. This article is about the interurban railroad in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Liberty Liners were retired around 1979.[25]. [5]:Table 1[14]:62 Freight service was provided to a number of industries between North Chicago Junction and 10th Street, and deliveries of coal were transported from the Milwaukee Division to the Victory Memorial Hospital via the Glen Flora Avenue lines. [14]:71, Shore Line Route trains operated over the entire 4-mile (6.4km) Evanston Line of the Chicago "L" from Linden Avenue in Wilmette to Howard Street in Chicago. [17] Between the Loop and Roosevelt Road, trains made an intermediate stop at the Congress/Wabash station, and the North Shore Line utilized the Congress Terminal as its downtown baggage station, an arrangement which continued after the CTA vacated the terminal in 1949. Junction). [5]:910 The Skokie Valley Route was constructed between 1923 and 1926, with the purpose of enabling high-speed limited-stop trains to bypass the increasingly congested Shore Line Route. [18]:145146 Power was supplied primarily by third rail, though overhead trolley wire was utilized on the outermost southbound track between Howard Street and Granville Avenue. They became theNorth Shore Line's premier equipment and featured both coach service as well as tavern/lounge amenities. Operating examples of North Shore Line rolling stock have been preserved in railroad museums, and the former Dempster Street Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad (reporting marks, CNSM), fondly remembered as Right-of-way and trackage between Leland Avenue in Chicago and Linden Avenue in Wilmette was sold to the CTA in 1953, though the Shore Line continued to operate. That same year, the Skokie Valley Transportation Council was formed by the towns of Glenview, Northbrook, Northfield and Skokie, with the goal of reviving rail service by funding an extension of the "Skokie Swift" further north. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his UtahRails.net site (another fine resource). [24] The following year, a new terminal in Milwaukee was dedicated, and in succeeding years, the remaining single-track in Wisconsin was eliminated, with the exception of a one-half-mile stretch of single-track in southern Milwaukee that remained a minor bottleneck until the railroad's end.