In this Thanksgiving post, we are grateful for the North Shore Line, that fabled interurban that sped between Chicago and Milwaukee, giving faithful service right up until the early morning hours of January 21, 1963.

CNS&M 744 and 803-804 on a June 17, 1962 CERA fantrip. Can this be the Mundelein branch? (CERA Archives)

Central Electric Railfans’ Association had a long, mutually beneficial relationship with the CNS&M, going back to 1938. The North Shore Line allowed CERA to use car 300 as a “club car,” for meetings and excursions, until the wartime cutbacks made this impossible. In the final years, there were many CERA fantrips on the North Shore Line, using a variety of different consists.

Traditionally, January’s CERA program celebrates the North Shore Line, and 2015 will be no exception. Looking forward to that event, we offer a selection of rare images of the North Shore Line, plus a few additional interesting documents.

While cold winds may howl outside, there will always be a warm place in our hearts for the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee. We’ve even included a few pictures showing the Electroliners’ “reincarnation” on the Philadelphia & Western as Liberty Liners. We hope that you will enjoy them along with your turkey, stuffing, and cranberries, albeit in lieu of Electroburgers.

-Ye Olde Editor

For further reading:

Descriptive Data on Electroliners (Issued by CNS&M on July 21, 1945)

An Overview of the Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad (Issued by CNS&M on July 1, 1944)

According to this brochure, the first volume in CERA’s famed North Shore Line series appeared just a few months before abandonment.

CNS&M 158 street running. Can one of our keen-eyed readers help identify the location? (CERA Archives)

A two-car North Shore train at speed along the Skokie Valley Route. (CERA Archives)

An Electroliner berthed at the North Shore Line’s Milwaukee terminal- one of “38 fast trains daily.” (CERA Archives)

CNS&M 156 leads up an outbound six car train just north of Howard, going into the Skokie Valley Route. This came from a “superslide,” shot on size 828 Kodachrome roll film, yielding an image slightly larger than 35mm. (W. H. Higginbotham Photo – CERA Archives)

CNS&M 160 leads a six car train. This car is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. (CERA Archives)

A North Shore Line freight train, headed up by loco 456, in Lake Bluff. (CERA Archives)

North Shore combine 250 heads up this train on the Lake Street leg of the Loop “L”. We are looking north on LaSalle Street, and the cars date the picture to about 1958. According to Don’s Rail Photos, “250 was built by Jewett in 1917. It had its seating reduced from 40 to 28 on July 28, 1925.”

Electroliner 803-804 at the same location as one of our other pictures, near the Acme Hotel at 809 South State. From a 4×5 negative. (CERA Archives)

The sign on the Acme Hotel identifies this location as being just south of the Loop “L”, at about 800 South. The cars date the picture to about 1958. From a 4×5 negative. (CERA Archives)

Electroliner 801-802 on the Lake Street leg of Chicago’s Loop “L”, circa 1958, with a good view of Discount Records at right. From a 4×5 negative. (CERA Archives)

The Red Arrow logo being applied to a newly christened “Liberty Liner” on January 4, 1964. (David H. Cope Photo – CERA Archives)

Celebrating the introduction of the Liberty Liners on January 26, 1964 in front of the press. Could that man be Merritt H. Taylor Jr., president of the Philadelphia Suburban Transportation Co.? (David H. Cope Photo – CERA Archives)

A Liberty Liner on the Red Arrow Lines at 69th Street, parked next to crane R6. (CERA Archives)