Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
Cincinnati car 700 near Green Bay Junction in Lake Bluff c. 1958.
Overview
HeadquartersHighwood, Illinois
Reporting markCNSM
LocaleIllinois and Wisconsin
Dates of operationJuly 16, 1916 (1916-07-16)–January 21, 1963 (1963-01-21)
PredecessorChicago and Milwaukee Electric Railroad
SuccessorSkokie Swift
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification
LengthIn 1954:[1]
  • 88.9 route miles (143 km)
  • 285.1 track miles (459 km)
Route map
Map North Shore Line highlighted in red
Greatest extent highlighted in blue
Milwaukee
National Avenue
Greenfield Avenue
Mitchell Street
Harrison Avenue
Austin Avenue
College Avenue
South Milwaukee
Road
Oak Creek
Seven Mile Road
Six Mile Road
Five Mile Road
Four Mile Road
Racine
Berryville
Birch Road
Kenosha
South Kenosha
State Line
Mundelein
Winthrop Harbor
Saint Mary
of the Lake
Zion
Perpetual
Adoration
Beach Station
Garfield Ave.
Holdridge's
Crossing
Libertyville
Glen Flora Avenue
4th St.
Edison Court
Thornbury
Village
County Street
Rondout
North Chicago
Knollwood
North Chicago
Junction
Skokie Valley
Route
Shore Line
Route
Great Lakes
Downey
Downey
Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff
Lake Forest
Deerpath
Sacred Heart
Academy
Fort Sheridan
Sheridan
Elms
Highwood
Vine Avenue
Highmoor
Highland Park
Beech Street
Briergate
Ravinia
Ravinia Park
Woodridge
Braeside
Glencoe
Northbrook
Hubbard Woods
Winnetka
Northfield
Indian Hill
Kenilworth
Wilmette
Glenview
Linden
Harmswoods
Central
Noyes
Skokie
Foster
Church
Skokie Valley
Route
Shore Line
Route
Howard Street
Wilson Avenue
Belmont Avenue
Chicago Avenue
Grand Avenue
Merchandise Mart
 
Clark & Lake
 
 
Randolph & Wabash
 
Madison & Wabash
 
Adams & Wabash
Congress
Terminal
Congress & Wabash
Roosevelt Road
43rd
61st
South Park
Cottage Grove
University
Dorchester

Service
in 1963
abandoned
prior to 1956

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 (143.1 km) route between the Chicago Loop and downtown Milwaukee, as well as an 8.6-mile (13.8 km) branch line between the villages of Lake Bluff and Mundelein, Illinois. The North Shore Line also provided streetcar, city bus and motor coach services along its interurban route.

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. Author and railroad historian William D. Middleton described the North Shore Line as a "super interurban"[2]: 227, 402 [3]: 30–31 [4]: 56  and opined that its cessation of rail service marked the end of the "interurban era" in the United States.[3]: 37 [4]: 79 

Since 1964 the Yellow Line of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has operated over a short segment of the former main line from Chicago to Skokie, Illinois. 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.

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Middleton, William D. (1961). The Interurban Era. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing. ISBN 0890240035. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  3. ^ a b Middleton, William (1963). "North Shore in Sunset". Trains. Waukesha, Wisconsin: Kalmbach Publishing.
  4. ^ a b Middleton, William D. (1964). North Shore. San Marino, California: Golden West Books. ISBN 0915348411. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · View on Wikipedia

Developed by Nelliwinne