Gallery: The North Shore Line in pictures
The North Shore Line interubran rail system carried passengers between Chicago and Milwaukee from 1916 until Jan. 21, 1963. Longtime residents of West Racine can recall its trains running along West Boulevard; the North Shore boasted in its advertisements that it provided “38 fast trains daily.”
Local North Shore train
The final North Shore train prepared to leave the Racine station near the corner of Washington Avenue and West Boulevard. It was 2:12 a.m. and the temperature was 15 degrees below zero on Jan. 21, 1963 when motorman Francis Murray heard the final “all aboard!” and pulled out of Racine for Milwaukee. The expansion of Interstate highways since the 1950s had been eating away at the North Shore’s profits, spelling doom for the beloved railroad.
A North Shore train in West Racine, late 1950s
A North Shore train is stopped at the Racine station in the late 1950s. In the background is the Piggly Wiggly grocery store that closed in 2004. The view is to the west, looking across West Boulevard.
North Shore
A southbound Electroliner, one of the two that served the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, departs for Kenosha around 1960. This view is looking east on Washington Avenue near West Boulevard. Lovell’s Grill, which is now the location for DeRango’s Pizza, is at the left. The North Shore Line, which provided “38 fast trains daily” according to its advertisement, discontinued operations Jan. 21, 1963.
North Shore
A North Shore train car carrying members of the 1959-60 St. Catherine's boys basketball team smokes after a power line snapped. The train is crossing Washington Avenue at 5:29 p.m. on Monday, March 21, 1960.
North Shore Line
A sign, from an actual North Shore Railroad car, belonging to Franklin resident Bob Beck is shown in this Feb. 24, 2000, photo.
North Shore
St. Catherine's coach John McGuire, holding the national runner-up trophy from Washington D.C., keeps an eye on the situation after he and others disembarked from the North Shore train on March 21, 1960. Standing next to McGuire is sportswriter Ralph Trower, a member of The Journal Times' staff from 1949-86.
North Shore Railroad Substation
Crews from Macemon & Sons prepare to demolish an old North Shore Railroad power substation in the 7600 block of Foley Road in Caledonia on Aug. 28, 2001. Such substations were unattended structures and automatically supplied power as trains approached the substation and then went off-line when the current got low as the train disappeared into the distance. The North Shore power stations were located roughly four miles apart, and this one sat between stations on Ryan Road in Oak Creek and on Four Mile Road, just west of Highway 31. The North Shore went out of service Jan. 21, 1963 and not much of its infrastructure remains.
North Shore Electroliner
An Electroliner, one of two that was owned by the North Shore Line, is housed at the Illinois Railroad Museum in Union, Ill. After the demise of the North Shore Line in 1963, the two Electroliners were purchased by the Red Arrow Lines in Philadelphia. Renamed "Liberty Liners," they remained in service until 1978. Train 801-802 was purchased several years ago by the Illinois Railroad Museum, where it was restored to its original North Shore colors.
A resolution calling on the Kenosha County Board to support a feasibility study for a Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee regional rail line is headed back to committee with proposed changes including asking county voters in a binding referendum to advise their respective elected officials.
Railroad and federal transportation authorities this week are continuing an investigation into the Sept. 4 Metra train accident that killed a Union Pacific worker.
A proposed passenger line running from Kenosha through Racine to the Milwaukee area is gaining some steam.
