Railroads, Chicago-style

CNS&M 701 at Sheridan Elms, IL on January 3, 1963 by railfan 44 on Flickr.

Samual Insull built nine Mediterranean Revival Style depots on his Chicago interurbans. One is the South Shore Line Beverly Shores Depot (which still exists): https://flic.kr/p/r2iNqk

This photo shows the Sheridan Elms station along the North Shore Line Skokie Valley Route, located near the Old Elm Road grade crossing in Lake Forest, Illinois. Today this line lives on as the Skokie Valley Bike Path.

Lake Forest, Illinois

January 3, 1963

Photo by Marty Bernard

The C&NW used three Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) for commuter service from 1950 to 1957.

Lake Forest, Illinois

June 25, 1955

Photo by Joe Barth

North Shore Line trains on the Skokie Valley Line at Lake Forest, Illinois.

1957

Photos by John Devore

This right-of-way is now the Skokie Valley Bike Path, which runs parallel to US Highway 41. There are still various large pieces of concrete along the path, which were foundations for the catenary towers seen in these photos.

The freight train with seven locomotives was a long one of course, and it had its share of graffiti. CRYO-TRANS refrigerated cars (top photo) are a favorite palette for rail graffiti artists because they are large and mostly white. One thing I noticed about CRYO-TRANS cars right when they first appeared is that each one has a unique name. CRYX 5515 in the photo above is named "AUTUMN".

Lake Forest, Illinois

May 17, 2014

This northbound freight train had seven locomotives in its consist, led by a Norfolk Southern (NS) unit, followed by one Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), three Canadian Pacific (CP), and two Iowa, Chicago & Eastern (ICE) units.

Lake Forest, Illinois

May 17, 2014

Today I went out and did some of my own rail photography for the first time this year, mostly at the Lake Forest station on the Metra Milwaukee North Line.

Lake Forest, Illinois

May 17, 2014

Top photo: View looking north as a North Shore Line train moving south past Tower KO, a Chicago & North Western tower that has since been torn down. To the left of the tower are the C&NW tracks. Photo by Ed DeRouin from Lou Gerard collection. Lake Forest, Illinois. January 12, 1963.

Middle photo: View looking south along the former C&NW (now UP) tracks toward the location where KO Tower stood, to the left of the switching apparatus visible where the tracks merge. The North Shore Line tracks ran on the other side of the bushes to the left, along the power lines. July 13, 2013.

Bottom photo: View looking north along the former C&NW tracks from the same spot as the middle photo. The North Shore Line tracks ran on the other side of the bushes to the right, along the power lines. July 13, 2013.

The North Shore Line right-of-way is now the Skokie Valley Bike Path. A car driving north on parallel US Route 41 is visible to the left in the bottom photo.

The North Shore Line was known not only for distinctive passenger cars, but also for their passenger stations. This photo shows the Sheridan Elms station along the Skokie Valley Route, located near the Old Elm Road grade crossing in Lake Forest, Illinois. Today this line lives on as the Skokie Valley Bike Path.

Photo by Marty Bernard

January 3, 1963