North Shore Line Rarities, Part Three

September 14, 2023September 24, 2023David Sadowski 5 Comments

Silverliner 773 is northbound at Belmont. At left, you can see part of the platform the CTA added in 1953, used only by southbound NSL trains. This was to prevent such riders, upon exiting their train, from making a free transfer to the CTA. They would need to exit, re-enter the CTA station, and pay another fare. This was implemented after the Chicago Aurora and Elgin stopped running on the CTA. Riders departing CA&E trains in Forest Park also had to pay a full CTA fare to continue inbound. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo) Miles Beitler adds, “If you zoom in on the photo, there appears to be a northbound train of wood cars just north of the station. The absence of trolley poles would indicate this was a Ravenswood train. If this train was in revenue service, it dates the photo to 1957 at the latest, and more likely the mid-1950s.” Frederic Lestina: “The 4000 series cars in the southbound North-South route train did not receive overhead sealed beam light fixtures until 1953 or so. The Ravenwood train in the background consisted of open platform wood cars and such cars were retired in 1955. Also, the last of the 4000 series cars were displaced from the North – South route by the new CTA 6201 class in 1955. So I would set the timeframe in which the photo was taken to be between 1953 and 1955.”

This is our third and last post featuring black-and-white pictures of the North Shore Line, taken by the late Robert D. Heinlein. All seem to have been taken in the mid-1950s.

In the era before color photography more or less took over the railfan hobby, fans would try and document, as much as possible, an entire railroad’s fleet. They would have black-and-white prints made and would often paste them into scrapbooks of roster shots. This practice was so widespread that you could practically call some of these fans “Rosterfarians.”

Mr. Heinlein was no exception, and now, more than 65 years later, we can marvel at the dedication of these fans, in documenting what they considered was a way of life that was fast disappearing from the American scene. We, in turn, thank Kevin Heinlein for sharing these wonderful images with our readers.

We also have some recent photo finds, which include color shots by Mr. Heinlein and black-and-whites by Robert A. Selle, among other things. Both were excellent photographers.

Keep those cards and letters coming in.

Enjoy!

-David Sadowski

PS- You might also like our Trolley Dodger Facebook auxiliary, a private group that now has 1,431 members.

Our friend Kenneth Gear has a Facebook group for the Railroad Record Club. If you enjoy listening to audio recordings of classic railroad trains, whether steam, electric, or diesel, you might consider joining.

FYI, the Hoosier Traction Facebook Group celebrates electric transit in Indiana and the Midwest. It also supports the activities of the annual Hoosier Traction Meet (although not affiliated with the North American Transit Historical Society, which organizes that event).

Our Next Book Project

This is a picture of Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric car 305, signed for Elgin. FYI, we are hard at work researching our next book about the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban. Although we already have thousands of images, we start out on these book projects with some of what we need, and then have to find the rest. Some have generously shared their images with us, and some we have to pay real money for. In case you would like to help contribute to this effort, either by sharing images or making a donation, we would like to hear from you. All contributors will be mentioned in the book, which will be dedicated to the memory of the late Robert D. Heinlein. The most difficult images to find are always the earliest ones. You can contact me via messenger, at thetrolleydodger@gmail.com or via my blog. I thank you for your time and consideration.

North Shore Line Roster Shots by Robert D. Heinlein

The interior of car 721. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

The control cab of NSL 721. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

This station, and Madison/Wabash, have since been replaced by a new one at Washington and Wabash. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 724 is northbound at Randolph and Wabash, at the head of a two-car train.
This station, and Madison/Wabash, have since been replaced by a new one at Washington and Wabash. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 737. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 738 (center) is heading northbound at Howard Street. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 743. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 746 at Roosevelt Road. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 750 at the Highwood Shops. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 756 is stopped, possibly for a photo stop, while the conductor consults his watch. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 758, at the rear end of an Illini Railroad Club charter. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 759 at the Milwaukee Terminal. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 761 at Howard Street. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 762. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 766, at left, is at the head of an Illini Railroad Club fantrip train at the Mundelein Terminal. The regular service train is at right. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 766 is part of a fantrip train on Greenleaf Avenue in Wilmette, on the Shore Line Route. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 771. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliner 773. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 774 on the “L”, possibly at Roosevelt Road. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Silverliners 776 and 756 at speed. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

A two-car train of standard coaches has just left the Milwaukee Terminal. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

On the Winnetka Grade Separation portion of the Shore Line Route. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Electroliner 801-802 is at speed in Skokie.
(Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Electroliner 801-802 is on 6th Street in Milwaukee. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Electroliner 801-802, possibly departing the Kenosha station. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Electroliner 801-802 at Kenosha (most likely a photo stop on a fantrip). (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Electroliner 801-802 on the 6th Street Viaduct in Milwaukee. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Electroliner 803-804 on the Skokie Valley Route.
(Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL Electroliner 803-804, northbound at Belmont. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL Electroliner 803-804 at speed. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

NSL 803-804 on Lake Street at LaSalle Street downtown. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

The Chicago Aurora and Elgin’s Mt. Carmel Branch (also called the Cook County Branch) used overhead wire instead of thrid rail, and was an important source of freight revenue for the interurban. When I-290 was built in the late 1950s, a new bridge took the tracks over the highway. Although CA&E freight service ended in June 1959, the interurban did apparently use this bridge prior to abandonment, as I have seen a photo. Cars could also drive on this bridge, which remained in use at least until 1986. The overhead wire remained up for several years after this branch was taken over by the Indiana Harbor Belt, which used diesel engines. This slide was processed in November 1962. We are looking north. The bridge itself was removed years ago. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 315, at the Wheaton Yards in a slide processed in April 1962. Some of the windows on this car were boarded up for shipment to the Rockhill Trolley Museum in Pennsylvania, which happened shortly after this picture was taken by Robert Heinlein. 315 was built by Kuhlman Car Company in 1909.

(This and the next picture) Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “(Northwestern “L” car) 1796 was built by American Car & Foundry in 1907 as NEWRy 287, #5098, a trailer. It was renumbered 1287 in 1913 and rebuilt as motor 1796. It became CRT 1796 in 1923 and was sold to Gaylord Container in Louisiana (circa 1958), where it was scrapped in 1966.” Some other sources put the scrap date in the 1970s. This paper mill removed one side of the car to make it easier to load and unload the rolls of paper it transported. As a result, by the time it was finally retired, the body of 1796 was not structurally sound. It was scrapped for parts to help keep sister car 1797 running at the Illinois Railway Museum. Here, we see it on May 5, 1960 in Bogalusa, Louisiana. (Robert D. Heinlein Photos)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 401 at the 11th Avenue station in Maywood on June 29, 1957, just a few days before the abrupt end of passenger service. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

The interior of Chicago Aurora and Elgin 414 at the Wheaton Shops on April 17, 1957. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

While passenger service on the Chicago Aurora and Elgin did end abruptly at mid-day on July 3, 1957, there were various attempts to get service restored after that. On March 6, 1958, a charter trip, using a two-car train, toured the western suburbs as “The Mass Transit Special,” meeting local officials in various towns along the way (and at least one marching band). Here, we see cars 417 and 460 westbound in Wheaton. Although the effort to save the CA&E ultimately failed, there were at least two other charter trips, the last in December 1958. (Robert Heinlein Photo) The former CA&E right-of-way is now the Illinois Prairie Path. The old CA&E Wheaton station would have been behind the photographer. Car 460 is now at the Illinois Railway Museum.

The same location on September 9, 2023.

On May 5, 1963, this is what remained of Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 419 after it was torched during scrapping at the Wheaton Yards. The metal parts that remained would be broken apart and hauled away. 419 was built by Pullman in 1923. Sister car 409, now at the Illinois Railway Museum, is the only Pullman that survives from the fleet. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

The control cab of Chicago Aurora and Elgin 460 on an October 26, 1958 fantrip– the final time it operated on the CA&E. There was one later fantrip, but it used two of the wood cars. The 460 is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Here is a view of the back end of the Chicago and West Towns bus garage (and former streetcar barn) at North Boulevard and Cuyler Avenue in Oak Park on March 16, 1957. There are a couple of West Towns “Old Look” buses parked in the distance. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo) Mike Franklin: “Photo was taken from atop (and below) a spur feeding off of the C&NW tracks, which provided deliveries to a coal company on the NE corner of Ridgeland & North Blvd. It was removed sometime in the mid 1970’s.” After West Towns was absorbed into PACE, this garage was replaced by one further west on Lake Street. After the building was torn down in the 1980s, a Dominick’s Finer Foods went up, and this in turn has been replaced by a Pete’s Fresh Market.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 460 is at the Aurora Terminal on April 17, 1957. Chances are this wasn’t a fantrip, as that was a Wednesday. Back then, the great majority of such trips were held on Sundays. This car is now at the Illinois Railway Museum. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

The body of Roanoke Railway and Electric car 57 near Salem, VA on August 31, 1957. This is a lightweight Brill Master Unit streetcar, built in 1929. Streetcar service in Roanoke ended in 1948. Sister car 51 is at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Maine. (George Krambles Photo, Robert D. Heinlein Collection)

Aurora Elgin and Chicago city streetcar 256.

In May 1962, workers began tearing up the tracks of the abandoned Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railway. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 410 heads up a westbound two-car train at the 25th Avenue station in Bellwood on June 29, 1957. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 421 is at the rear of an eastbound two-car train at the 25th Avenue station in Bellwood on June 29, 1957. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 460 is at the front of a two-car train, heading westbound at the 25th Avenue station in Bellwood on May 18, 1957. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Chicago Aurora and Elgin 421 is westbound at 9th Avenue in Maywood on April 20, 1957. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

Some very creative fantrips were held back in the old days, using unusual equipment. Here, we see a Central Electric Railfans’ Association excursion on the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban, probably prior to World War II, using electric freight locomotives and cabooses.

After the Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban was abandoned, the railroad put their rolling stock up for sale. The ten curved-sided cars, built in 1945 by the St. Louis Car Company, were the newest and the railroad had hopes of finding buyers for them. Cleveland considered purchasing them for a rapid transit extension to an airport, but that project was delayed, and didn’t open until 1969. Finally, Gerald E. Brookins (pictured here as they were being moved off the property in 1962) purchased four of the cars for his Trolleyville USA, which provided transportation within a trailer park he owned in Ohio. Now, all four are back in Illinois– three at IRM, one at Fox River Trolley Museum. (Robert D. Heinlein Collection)

On April 17, 1957, Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 318 is on a fantrip on the Batavia branch, by the Fox River. Robert D. Heinlein took this picture from the second floor of the abandoned powerhouse nearby in Glenwood Park. It has since been demolished, but at one time, provided the electricity for the entire railroad. It was the first major electricity provider in the western suburbs.

Former Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric car 300 is seen in suburban Cleveland on the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit line. Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “300 was built by St Louis Car in 1924. #1308. In 1936 it was sold to Cleveland Interurban RR as 300. CI became Shaker Heights Rapid Transit in 1944. It was sold to Milwaukee Rapid Transit & Speedrail in May 1950 as 300. It was scrapped in 1952.” With that in mind, this picture dates to between 1936 and 1950. Sister cars 303, 304, and 306 have been preserved in various railway museums.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 459 on a siding in downtown Aurora by the Fox River on April 21, 1957. As with the end of the line in Elgin, overhead wire was used instead of third rail. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

North Shore Line electric loco 450 in Milwaukee on February 15, 1938. (T. G. Wurm Photo) Don’s Rail Photos (via Archive.org): “450 was built in 1907 by Alco, (order) #44386, and General Electric, #2696. It was sold to Commonwealth Edison Co. as 6 in February 1948.”

Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 457 at Wesley Street in Wheaton on June 30, 1957, just a few days before the interurban suspended passenger service. This bridge carried the Elgin branch over the Chicago and North Western (now the Union Pacific). (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

This picture, taken by Robert D. Heinlein on June 30, 1957 in Wheaton, shows the differences between Chicago Aurora and Elgin wood car 309, at left, and steel car 454 at right.

Chicago Aurora and Elgin cars 455, 452, and 459, as they were being scrapped in Wheaton on June 16, 1963. Out of a ten-car order, built in 1945 by the St. Louis Car Company, only four were saved– all bought by Gerald E. Brookins for his Trolleyville USA operation at a trailer park in Ohio. Now all four are back in Illinois. These cars only saw 12 years of regular service. (Robert D. Heinlein Photo)

On August 8, 1954, photographer Robert A. Selle took this picture of Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 459 during a fantrip photo stop on the Elgin branch. The event was a Central Electric Railfans’ Association excursion. When the time comes to submit potential cover images for my next book, this could be among them. When we worked on my last book, I had to submit six different images, and then we chose the one that worked best. Although the sign says “St. Charles – Geneva,” that branch of the CA&E had last run in 1937, but as Bob Bresse-Rodenkirk notes, “Elgin branch trains connected at Lakewood after 1937 for CA&E buses to St. Charles and Geneva.” Michael Crist thinks we are “sitting on the Milwaukee Road interchange track just east of Raymond Street, Elgin.”

Here are the bodies of Chicago and West Towns streetcars 164 and 165 on March 22, 1959. After trolley service ended on the line to LaGrange in 1948, they were apparently dumped in the woods along First Avenue, just north of North Avenue in Melrose Park. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

Five Chicago and West Towns streetcar bodies, in the woods along First Avenue just north of North Avenue on March 22, 1959. Car 141, the only survivor of the fleet, was sold as a chicken coop and was retrieved around this time by the ERHS (Electric Railway Historical Society) group. who tried to get a museum going on a farm in Downers Grove, IL. When that effort failed in 1973, the collection went to the Illinois Railway Museum. After a long, international search for parts, IRM eventually got 141 running again about 10 years ago. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

On Saturday, September 26, 1953, CTA “L” car 2899 is looping at the western end of the Garfield Park line at DesPlaines Avenue in Forest Park, while Chicago Aurora and Elgin car 413 rolls out of the terminal on its way west. This was the new arrangement, starting on September 20th, where the two railroads were no longer connected to each other. Therefore, two loops were necessary that did not directly intersect. There had previously been a loop here for turning CTA trains at ground level, and it was located just behind where the new loop is seen here. This new system remained in place until the CA&E suspended passenger service in 1957, and the CTA reconfigured the entire area in 1959 as work continued nearby on the new expressway. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

On Sunday afternoon, March 21, 1954, a westbound CTA Douglas Park “L” train is at the Racine station on the Metropolitan Main Line. This was shortly before the station closed and was demolished as part of the construction project that built the Congress (now Eisenhower) expressway. This was a four-track “L”, but by this time, Garfield Park trains had been rerouted onto temporary ground-level trackage on Van Buren Street. Logan Square trains had stopped using this part of the “L” in 1951. Starting in April 1954, Douglas Park trains went downtown via a new connection to the Lake Street “L”– the same routing that the Pink Line uses today. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

On December 9, 1951, the CTA, as part of their efforts to speed things up on the “L”, brought A/B “skip stop” service to the Douglas Park branch. Several lightly used stations were closed, but Wood Street (1800 W, 2100 S) was one of three that were given “partial” service. There was no agent on duty, and riders had to put a token into a turnstyle to enter. Soon the other two such stations were closed, but Wood continued as a partial service station from May 3, 1952 until May 19, 1957, when it was closed. Certain “B” trains that stopped at Wood had a special sign, which you see here, in this photo taken by Robert A. Selle on March 21, 1954. (Station info from http://www.chicago-l.org)

This is the interior of CTA wooden “L” car 3141, taken on December 12, 1953 at the Indiana Avenue station. It was operating on the Stock Yards branch and was laying over on a stub end track. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

A CTA 1700-series “L” car leaves the pocket track at Indiana Avenue on Saturday afternoon, November 28, 1953, for its trip east to 42nd and Oakenwald. Between 1949 and 1957, Kenwood operated as a shuttle, after which it was discontinued. (Robert A. Selle Photo)

This is apparently the only Birney car that ran on the Aurora streetcar system. Here’s what the Hicks Car Works blog has to say about it: “In 1920, in order to improve service, the company (Aurora Plainfield and Joliet Railway) ordered a new four-wheel Birney streetcar to operate the local line in Joliet… On July 21, 1924, the company was authorized to abandon its line. All service was stopped on August 31, 1924, being one of the first interurban systems in Illinois to be abandoned… The Birney streetcar was shipped to the Aurora streetcar system, with delivery being made via the Chicago & Illinois Valley Railway to Morris, the Fox & Illinois Union Railway to Yorkville, and then over the abandoned (but not yet dismantled) Yorkville division of the Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric Company to Aurora. (Aurora Plainfield and Joliet) 101 – AR (arch roof) ST (single truck) DE (double end) Birney streetcar – St. Louis (Car Company)1920 (ord#1249) – K63 control, St Louis 7 truck – sold in 1924 to Aurora Elgin & Fox River Electric as number 48.”

Another view of Aurora Elgin and Fox River Electric Birney car 48. Birney cars were briefly popular in the 1920s for use on smaller streetcar systems, since they could be operated by one person. Because they are single truck cars, riding qualities weren’t the best, but they are certainly popular among the fans. “Downer” is a street in Aurora.

Our Latest Book, Now Available:

The North Shore Line

FYI, my new Arcadia Publishing book The North Shore Line is now available for immediate shipment. My publisher decided to expand it to 160 pages, instead of the usual 128. That’s a 25% increase, without any change to the $23.99 price. I am quite pleased with how this turned out.

From the back cover:

As late as 1963, it was possible to board high-speed electric trains on Chicago’s famous Loop “L” that ran 90 miles north to Milwaukee. This was the Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee Railroad, commonly known as the North Shore Line. It rose from humble origins in the 1890s as a local streetcar line in Waukegan to eventually become America’s fastest interurban under the visionary management of Midwest utilities tycoon Samuel Insull. The North Shore Line, under Insull, became a worthy competitor to the established steam railroads. Hobbled by the Great Depression, the road fought back in 1941 with two streamlined, air-conditioned, articulated trains called Electroliners, which included dining service. It regained its popularity during World War II, when gasoline and tires were rationed, but eventually, it fell victim to highways and the automobile. The North Shore Line had intercity rail, commuter rail, electric freight, city streetcars, and even buses. It has been gone for nearly 60 years, but it will always remain the Road of Service.

Each copy purchased here will be signed by the author, and you will also receive a bonus North Shore Line map. Books will ship by USPS Media Mail.

Chapters:
01. Beginnings
02. The Milwaukee Division
03. The Shore Line Route
04. The Skokie Valley Route
05. The Mundelein Branch
06. On the “L”
07. City Streetcars
08. Trolley Freight
09. The Long Goodbye
10. The Legacy

Title The North Shore Line
Images of America
Author David Sadowski
Edition illustrated
Publisher Arcadia Publishing (SC), 2023
ISBN 1467108960, 978-1467108966
Length 160 pages

The price of $23.99 includes shipping within the United States.

For Shipping to US Addresses:

New Compact Disc, Now Available:

CTA-1
The Last Chicago Streetcars 1958
# of Discs – 1
Price: $15.99

Until now, it seemed as though audio recordings of Chicago streetcars were practically non-existent. For whatever reason, the late William A. Steventon does not appear to have made any for his Railroad Record Club, even though he did make other recordings in the Chicago area in 1956.

Now, audio recordings of the last runs of Chicago streetcars have been found, in the collections of the late Jeffrey L. Wien (who was one of the riders on that last car). We do not know who made these recordings, but this must have been done using a portable reel-to-reel machine.

These important recordings will finally fill a gap in transit history. The last Chicago Transit Authority streetcar finished its run in the early hours of June 21, 1958. Now you can experience these events just as Chicagoans did.

As a bonus, we have included Keeping Pace, a 1939 Chicago Surface Lines employee training program. This was digitally transferred from an original 16” transcription disc. These recordings were unheard for 80 years.

Total time – 74:38

Help Support The Trolley Dodger

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The Great Chicago Interurbans – Part One (CA&E and AE&FRE)

January 28, 2017February 5, 2017David Sadowski 12 Comments

Here is a very rare photo taken at Laramie Yards in 1936. At left we see North Shore Line car 722, heading up a four-car train and signed for Wheaton. CNS&M cars did, of course, operate on parts of the Chicago “L” system, of course, but this is the first picture I have seen showing them at this location, posed next to CA&E cars 421 and 401. 722 was buit by Cincinnati Car Co. in 1926. I wonder what the occasion was that brought four North Shore Line cars to Wheaton? (Edward Frank, Jr. Photo)

The last Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee interurban train ran in the early hours of a very cold January 21, 1963. George Hilton and John Due, in their classic book The Electric Interurban Railways in America called this the end of the Interurban Era in the United States. The 54th anniversary was just a few days ago.

Since this was also the second anniversary of this blog, we thought this an excellent opportunity to showcase the three great Chicago-area interurbans- the North Shore Line, South Shore Line, and Chicago, Aurora & Elgin.

We have been saving up images of these lines, and now find ourselves with enough for two posts. So today, we will begin with the “Roarin’ Elgin” and its one-time subsidiary, the Aurora, Elgin & Fox River Electric. The great majority of these images were scanned from the original medium-format negatives.

While we do lament the passing of the Interurban Era and two of the three major Chicago systems, we can celebrate them with these classic pictures. Some of these were made possible thanks to your recent generous donations.

We will round out January in a few days with our second installment of great Chicago interurbans, featuring the North Shore Line and South Shore Line. Watch this space!

-David Sadowski

A Bird’s Eye View

While visiting a friend at Rush hospital earlier this month, I took a few pictures from out the window. It just so happened his room had a spectacular view of where the Chicago Transit Authority’s Pink Line crosses over the Blue Line. There is a ramp at this location, which is also where the old Marshfied Junction was on the Met “L”. In previous posts, we have run pictures showing how this looked like before expressway construction in the early 1950s.

An inbound Blue Line train passes the point where part of an access ramp at the Damen-Ogden-Paulina station was damaged during a lightning storm. With the addition of chain-link fencing, it has since been reopened.

A southbound Pink Line train about to cross over the Blue Line.

An inbound Blue Line train.

A northbound Pink Line train has just passed the location of the old Marshfield Junction on the Met “L”.

The CA&E and AE&FRE

This is a rare photo, as it shows AE&FRE car 304 sometime prior to the abandonment of passenger service in 1935. Don’s Rail Photos: “304 was built by St Louis Car in 1924. #1306. In 1936 it was sold CI/SHRT (aka Shaker Heights Rapid Transit) as 304 and in 1954 it was sold to CP&SW (Trolleyville USA) as 304. It was sold to Fox River Trolley Museum in 2009.” I have had the pleasure of riding on this fine car at the Fox River Trolley Museum, as it has returned to its home rais after a 75-year absence. You can see pictures I took of it there on the previous blog that I worked on here. Long may it run.

Here is an excellent model that shows AE&FRE 300’s colors. (Bruce Moffat Photo)

CA&E wood car 138 at the Wheaton Yard on July 3, 1949. Don’s Rail Photos says, “138 was built by American Car Co in March 1910, #844, as C&ME 138. It was rebuilt in 1914 and no retired date.” This was one of several cars leased from the North Shore Line in 1936 and purchased from them a decade later. Ironically, this made them the last passenger cars bought by CA&E. They were considered surplus after service was cut back to Forest Park in 1953 and were scrapped shortly thereafter.

Don’s Rail Photos: “301 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906. It was modernized in December 1940.”

Don’s Rail Photos: “105 was built by Stephenson in 1903. It was modernized in August 1940 and retired in 1955. “

CA&E 302 at the Wheaton Yard in July 1948. Don’s Rail Photos: “302 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906. It was modernized in May 1940.”

Express car 15 at Wheaton on June 18, 1947. Don’s Rail Photos says, “15 was built by McGuire-Cummings in 1910. It was scrapped in 1953.”

CA&E 458 at Wheaton on June 18, 1947. This was part of an order of 10 curved-sided cars built in 1945 by St. Louis Car Company. Some consider these the last standard interurban cars built.

Don’s Rail Photos: “11 was built by Brill in 1910, #16483. It was rebuilt to a line car in 1947 and replaced 45. It was acquired by Railway Equipment Leasing & Invenstment Co in 1962 and became Fox River Trolley Museum in 1984. It was lettered as Fox River & Eastern.” Here we see it at Wheaton in July 1948.

In the days before scanners, fans tried to document things as best they could. Here is a not-so-successful attempt to photograph the blueprint for car 451 in August 1949.

Don’s Rai Photos: “9 was built by Niles Car in 1907. It was scrapped in 1959.” This picture was taken at Wheaton in April 1952.

Here is 425 at the Aurora terminal in October 1949. While the CA&E used third rail extensively, the Aurora and Elgin terminals had overhead wire. This terminal replaced street running in downtown Aurora in the late 1930s. The 425 was built by Cincinnati Car Co. in 1927.

Here, we see freight motor 9 at Wheaton in 1947. (Walter Broschart Photo)

CA&E 38 at the CTA Laramie Avenue Yards on May 17, 1948. Trackage west of here was owned by CA&E. Don’s Rail Photos: “38 was built by Stephenson in 1903. It was modernized in September 1939 and retired in 1959.”

CA&E 139 heads up a five-car train of woods in the maroon and cream paint scheme. I don’t know where this was taken. There is a siding with overhead wire, so perhaps that is a clue towards figuring it out. The water tower in the background may indicate that we are somewhere west of Laramie. Randall Hicks: “I believe the picture of 139 and train was taken facing north at Childs St. crossover. The train is pulling south off the west ladder. There was a short team track there under wire. And that is indeed somewhere west of Laramie. 🙂” Yes, Wheaton is indeed west of Laramie, thanks.

CA&E 300 and 453 in Wheaton. Don’s Rail Photos: “300 was built by Niles Car & Mfg Co in 1906. It was modernized in May 1942.” (Anderson Photo)

CA&E 311 at the CTA aramie Avenue Yards on May 17, 1948. This shows a small area in the yards where CA&E could store a few trains in mid-day for use in the afternoon rush hour. I am pretty sure those 1920s Chicago bungalows at left are still there. Don’s Rail Photos adds, “311 was built by Kuhlman Car Co in 1909, #404. It was modernized at an unknown date.”

The approximate location of the previous photo is 5413 W. Flournoy, on Chicago’s west side. The area once occupied by the CA&E’s storage tracks is now part of the Eisenhower expressway footprint.

A two-car train of 300-series woods on a July 8, 1949 fantrip. From the “side of the road” location under wire, I would guess this is the Mt. Carmel branch along Mannheim Road.

Sunset Lines indeed! (Or sunrise, depending on the angle.) Here we see wood car 38 at an unknown location. (Walter Broschart Photo)

CA&E 407, built by Pullman in 1923, at Wheaton Yard. (Walter Broschart Photo)

CA&E 5 at Wheaton Yards in July 1948.

CA&E 141 on single-track private right-of-way at Batavia Junction on August 13, 1952. This was one of several woods that CA&E bought from the North Shore Line in 1946, after the latter decided it no longer wanted to run wood cars in passenger service. CA&E ran wood cars right up until the end of service.

CA&E 34 at the Wheaton Yards in June 1947. Don’s Rail Photos: “34 was built by Stephenson in 1903. It was modernized in February 1940 and retired in 1959.” (Walter Hulseweder Photo)

Here, part of the caption information I received with this negative must be wrong. This is CA&E 431 at the Illinois (Electric) Railway Museum. The date is given as November 17, 1962 but the location is said to be Union. Since the date is so specific, I would venture this is actually North Chicago instead. Cars were not moved to Union until 1964. (Richard S. Short Photo)

CA&E wood car 26 in Aurora. Don’s Rail Photos notes: “26 was built by Niles Car in 1902. It was modernized in June 1943 and retired in 1959.”

CA&E 142 at Wheaton in July 1948. Some of these cars were used on the North Shore Line as late as 1946. We wrote about that on the previous blog we worked on. Check out the post A Mystery Solved (August 6, 2013) for more details.

AE&FRE loco 23. The caption gives the location as Aurora, but this may be in error. After passenger service ended in 1935, this line was reduced to three miles of track in the South Elgin area– the current site of the Fox River Trolley Museum. Electric locos ran unti 1947, and the last freight move took place in 1972. Around 1940, there were a couple of fantrips.

AE&FRE electric freight loco 49 in Elgin in November 1939. This was one of two that the railroad had in it latter days.

AE&FRE loco 49. The neg envelope says this is Aurora, but it is much more likely to be Elgin.

You may have seen this picture before, but here we now have it from the original medium format negative. It shows a two-car train of Chicago Rapid Transit Company 4000s on an early CERA fantrip (#6) that took place on February 12, 1939. The CA&E connection is that here we see the cars on the Mt. Carmel branch. These rapid transit cars did get around– during World War II, some were operated on the North Shore Line to move service personnel around. (Anderson Photo)

This is a well-known photo showing the Wells Street Terminal, where CA&E cars ended up in downtown Chicago starting in 1905. CA&E trains did not go around the Loop, although this terminal was adjacent to it. There is some question as to whether all CA&E cars could actually make the Loop’s tight clearances. To the best of my knowledge, some could and perhaps others could not.

CA&E 428 at the Laramie Avenue Yards on November 3, 1940. This was built by the Cincinnati Car Co. in 1927. (Frank Krejcik Photo)

CA&E 426 at the Elgin terminal. Although this was the “Great Third Rail,” overhead wire was used here.

The CA&E’s Aurora terminal, after it was moved here in the late 1930s.

A 6-car train of CA&E woods near Laramie Avenue on May 7, 1937.

A two-car train of CA&E woods at the Bellwood station. (Edward Frank, Jr. Photo)

CA&E 134 and 137 under wire at State Road crossing on the Batavia branch, August 30, 1942. The flags would seem to indicate this was CERA fantrip #39. Wire was used here for a short distance instead of third rail, due to the width of the crossing.

A four-car train of the woods that were (at that time) being leased to CA&E by the North Shore Line. We see them at York Road in 1937. (Edward Frank, Jr. Photo)

Recent Correspondence

Jade C. Huguenot writes:

I’d like to ask you a question about some historical research I’ve been doing about my hometown, Mystic, CT. I’ve got a very old postcard (1907) that features two trolleys and a utility pole with several black and white diagonal stripes at its base on our main street, just a few hundred feet away from our bascule drawbridge (it can be seen here on the left utility pole http://www.groton-ct.gov/history/detail.asp?bibid=1079).

At first, I wondered if this signaled a trolley stop, but I know from researching other postcards from my area in that time period that a trolley stop was designated by a thick band of white (several feet thick) painted onto the utility pole, usually several feet up from the ground.

Then I wondered if it could be some sort of safety alert with “black and white stripes” placed several hundred feet before a drawbridge, like the one Boston instituted after a trolley of theirs crashed into the river while the drawbridge was open, killing 47 people (https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/10/29/trolleydisaster/c451CX1qx9SpPo5tJAupFP/story.html). However, the original report from Boston’s Public Safety Commission in 1917 said that the black and white striped alert should be on a mechanized gate.

Do you have any clue if this is related to trolleys at all? I would greatly appreciate your help with this!!

I will put it in my next post, thanks. Got any pictures I can use?

Yes! Here is the picture of the trolleys on our main street. The striped utility pole is shown to the left. Trolleys first began running in Mystic in 1905, and this postcard is dated 1907. I have also included a picture of a woman waiting by a trolley stop- which looks very different from the striped pole seen in the postcard. If you need any more pictures, let me know!

Perhaps one of our readers may know, thanks. A few years ago, I had the pleasure of spending an evening in Mystic, CT and even ate at Mystic Pizza, which was made famous by a film of the same name.

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks. But better yet, why not write us at:

thetrolleydodger@gmail.com

Thanks.

-David Sadowski

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Trolley Dodger Mailbag, 10-18-2015

October 18, 2015December 6, 2015David Sadowski 9 Comments

Here’s a real mystery photo for you. This very worn looking city streetcar is definitely lettered for the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin and appears to be at Wheaton Shops. Where did it come from and how did CA&E use it on the interurban? (See answers below.)

Mystery Photo Answers

Opus1100 writes:

Interesting mystery photo. It is CA&E #500 acquired in 1927 to replace standard cars on the Batavia Branch. As you can see from the photo does not appear to have been a success. It was loaned to the North Shore to help alleviate equipment needs during the war. It operated in city service as CN # 361…a brief history of this car can be found in Don Ross rail pictures of North Shore Line city cars. Due to the differences in mechanical equipment it was not popular during use on the North Shore. Another mystery surrounding this car is how it was moved from the CA&E to the North Shore…since it was 3rd rail equipped it could have traveled on the L but as far as I know this has never been confirmed.

As Ed Halstead has noted (see comment below):

The August 2013 issue of “First & Fastest” had a great article “A Secornd Hand Rose” regarding the CA&E 500/NSL 361. Included in the article is a photo of the CA&E 500 loaded on a flat car on its way to the NSL.

The article answers any questions you may have regarding the CA&E 500.

According to Don’s Rail Photos:

There was one additional car which almost fits into this series. Car 361 was built by St. Louis Car in 1927, just like the 350s, but it had different motors, control, and braking equipment. It was built as 500 for the Chicago Aurora & Elgin. It was used to replace standard interurban cars on the Batavia branch, but it quickly proved to be unsatisfactory. It was retired and placed in storage until June 1942, when it was leased to the North Shore. It was repainted and renumbered and put into Waukegan service. After the war, it was purchased by the North Shore in March 1947. It was quickly retired and scrapped in 1948.

So, the photo showing the car out in Wheaton lettered for CA&E must date to around 1941, probably just prior to it being leased to the North Shore Line. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

If you use the above link to Don Ross’ web site you can see a couple other pictures of car 500/561.

Recent Correspondence

Mike Murray writes:

First off, I want to thank you for your continuing efforts to bring transit history to the web on your blog. I love seeing every new posting.

I hate to be the guy that suggests things but doesn’t do them himself, but I’d love to see a post about the 3rd rail-powered Com Ed line that ran on the city’s north side. John Smatlak has a website dedicated to it, but I’ve never seen much in the way of photos of the line in operation:

http://www.railwaypreservation.com/northwest_station.htm

I asked George Kanary and Bruce Moffat, but neither had knowledge of any such photos. You seem to have a knack for finding things, or perhaps have a wider circle of friends that are railfans, and thought you might be able to track down more photos than those on the website.

John’s website is pretty thorough, so maybe there isn’t much more to be known about this line, but if there is, I’d love to see more about it.

Thanks again for all that you’re doing.

While I don’t have any such photos myself, perhaps some of our readers might have more information, thanks.

In our post Railfan Ephemera (August 26th), we show a flyer from the early days of the Illinois Railway Museum circa 1959, seeking funds to purchase Chicago, Aurora & Elgin car 309, referred to as the “jewel of the fleet.” We asked Frank Hicks, of the excellent Hicks Car Works blog, why this car in particular was so highly regarded out of all the ones that could have been saved (and it was eventually purchased by IRM, where it remains today).

Here is his reply:

By 1957 the 309 was one of the least-modernized cars in the CA&E fleet. Right up until the end of service it retained its stained-and-varnished mahogany trim, long after most of the cars had seen the entirety of their interiors painted over with some shade of green or tan. Remember too that only cars 309-321 had interior stained glass windows at this time (earlier cars didn’t have double-sash stained glass windows), and most of the Kuhlmans and Jewetts (as well as the 310) had their stained glass windows painted over on the inside.

There were a couple of other Kuhlmans and Jewetts that still had unpainted stained glass windows and trim (318 comes to mind) but the 309 was an older car that hewed more closely to the lines of the original fleet. It was also from a local, and unusual, builder and it had the same electrical equipment as the 1902 fleet, unlike the Kuhlmans and Jewetts which were built with newer equipment. The CA&E didn’t have anything particularly more opulent – no office cars or parlor cars by that time – so why not refer to the 309 as the jewel of the fleet?

More Railfan Ephemera

We recently acquired some items from the early days of Central Electric Railfans’ Association. The seller indicated that some of these were once part of the CERA office files, which were apparently sold off in three different batches during the 1940s and 50s. This story is probably true since one item is a voided out sample fantrip ticket, numbered 0000, and previously unknown. The envelope mailed to a soldier came from a different source. (Please note that Trolley Dodger Press is not affiliated with Central Electric Railfans’ Association.)

These documents shed additional light on the history of that venerable organization and its members. We hope that you will enjoy them. Chances are there are still more additional early documents out there remaining to be discovered.

-David Sadowski

This brochure is for CERA fantrip #9, which included not only the South Shore Line but the Northern Indiana Railway.

You can see a CERA fantrip picture on the Northern Indiana Railway, possibly taken on this same excursion or a similar one from a year later, here: http://cera-chicago.org/Blog/3319067

You can see a CERA fantrip picture from the Northern Indiana Railway, possibly taken on this same excursion or a similar one from a year later, here:
http://cera-chicago.org/Blog/3319067

The itinerary for CERA fantrip #6, which included a trip over the CA&E Mt. Carmel branch using Chicago Rapid Transit cars. You can see a picture taken on that trip here:
http://cera-chicago.org/Blog/3318973
The same photo is also reproduced on page 42 of Trolley Sparks Special #1, published by CERA in 2013 to commemorate their 75th anniversary.

A sample ticket for CERA fantrip #6.

CERA mailed out a copy of Trolley Sparks issue #12 to a soldier in this envelope in June 1945. The first 11 issues were put out by Barney Neuberger independently of CERA.

Help Support The Trolley Dodger

This is our 87th post, and we are gradually creating a body of work and an online resource for the benefit of all railfans, everywhere. To date, we received more than 80,000 page views from nearly 24,000 individuals.

You can help us continue our original transit research by checking out the fine products in our Online Store. You can make a donation there as well.

As we have said before, “If you buy here, we will be here.”

We thank you for your support.