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 Cincinnati car 700 in Lake Bluff circa 1958. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Overview | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Headquarters | Highwood, Illinois | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reporting mark | CNSM | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Locale | Illinois and Wisconsin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dates of operation | 1895–1963
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| Technical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrification |
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| Length | In 1954:[1]
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The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (reporting mark CNSM), also known as the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad that operated between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving the North Shore suburbs and the cities of Waukegan, Kenosha and Racine. The North Shore Line provided both passenger and freight service, as well as streetcar, city bus and motor coach services.
Described by author and railroad historian William D. Middleton as a "super interurban", the North Shore Line was notable for its high standards of construction and record-setting train speeds. Among the railroad's innovations were its pioneering trailer-on-flatcar service and twin Electroliner trainsets.
The North Shore Line began operation in 1895 as a streetcar line in Waukegan, gradually expanding into an interurban line linking Evanston and Milwaukee. Under the ownership of Samuel Insull, the railroad gained access into downtown Chicago over the "L" system and undertook a series of large-scale capital improvements, including the construction of a new main line. Weathering the Great Depression, the railroad saw a peak in ridership during the Second World War, but the postwar era brought continual declines in patronage and revenue. Reductions in service followed, and despite organized efforts to prevent its abandonment, the railroad ceased all operations in 1963.
In the present day, the Yellow Line of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates over a segment of the former North Shore Line between Chicago and Skokie, while much of the right-of-way elsewhere has been converted to rail trails. Several examples of preserved rolling stock currently operate in railroad museums, and the former Dempster Street Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Route
editInterurban lines
editAt its greatest extent, the North Shore Line operated four interurban lines, three of which converged at a junction in North Chicago:
- The Shore Line Division was a 19.4-mile (31.2 km) main line between North Chicago Junction and Linden Avenue in Wilmette.
- The Skokie Valley Division was a 25-mile (40 km) main line between North Chicago Junction and Howard Street in Chicago.
- The Milwaukee Division was a 48.2-mile (77.6 km) main line between North Chicago Junction and Harrison Avenue in Milwaukee.
- The Libertyville Division was a 8.6-mile (13.8 km) branch line between Lake Bluff and Mundelein.
Chicago "L"
editSouth of Linden Avenue and Howard Street, trains operated into Chicago by way of trackage rights over the Chicago "L" system, traversing the downtown Loop before terminating at Roosevelt Road. At the greatest extent of interurban service, trains operated as far south as Dorchester Avenue.
City lines
editIn addition to interurban service, the North Shore Line also operated two local transit systems:
- The Waukegan City Lines were a network of streetcar and bus lines that served Waukegan, North Chicago and Naval Station Great Lakes.
- The Milwaukee City Line was a 3.46-mile (5.57 km) streetcar line between Harrison Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.
Interurban trains to Waukegan and Milwaukee utilized the local streetcar lines to access downtown stations.
Motor coach lines
editTo supplement rail service, the North Shore Line operated motor coach lines throughout northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, with routes extending as far as Lake Geneva. The Metropolitan Motor Coach Company was a subsidiary company created to operate the motor coach lines.
Operations
editPassenger service
editLocal trains
editExpress trains
editLimited trains
edit| Class | Destinations | Type | Route |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | Chicago–Waukegan | Express | Skokie Valley Division, Milwaukee Division |
| 300 | Lake Bluff–Mundelein | Local | Libertyville Division |
| 400 | Chicago-Milwaukee | Limited | Skokie Valley Division, Milwaukee Division |
| 500 | Chicago–Waukegan | Express | Shore Line Division |
| 700 | Chicago–Mundelein | Express | Skokie Valley Division, Libertyville Division |
| 800 | Chicago-Milwaukee | Electroliner | Skokie Valley Division, Milwaukee Division |
Freight service
editCarload freight service
editInterchange connections existed with the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW), the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road), the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E) and the Wisconsin Central Railway (Soo Line).
Merchandise dispatch service
edit_(14761203692).jpg)
Ferry truck service
edit
History
editRolling stock
editLegacy
editReferences
edit- ^ Interstate Commerce Commission (1956). Interstate Commerce Commission Reports: Reports and Decisions of the Interstate Commerce Commission of the United States. Vol. 290. Washington, D.C.: L.K. Strouse. pp. 767–768. Retrieved April 8, 2021.