The North Shore Line

by David Sadowski

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.

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 20, 2023

Reviews

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own several books from Arcadia Publishing, but I'd never actually read any of them until today. And the one I started with, about Chicago's North Shore Line, was a really great pick! Of course, I waited until the end of the month to even begin a book, so in full disclosure, I chose this one because it was a quick read. But I love learning about the North Shore Line, primarily because the Skokie Valley Route actually ran adjacent to my elementary school, and several abandoned tracks still exist there today. This particular book told the North Shore Line's story through photos and captions, which I think was the best way to tell that story. I loved seeing the old photos, and while I would have enjoyed seeing more photos of the Skokie Valley Route in Glenview, Wilmette, Northfield, and Glencoe, it was still great to see visual history. My biggest complaint about the book is actually with the very beginning. There's a short section on the history of the North Shore Line to provide context to what you're about to read, but it felt really rushed to me. I feel like the chapters could have done a better job of explaining the history, and then elaborating on that through the photos and captions. But that's really just a minor complaint, because I truly did enjoy reading this book, although you may not think so because of my rating. I can't wait to check out more Arcadia Publishing books, and I hopefully will enjoy those as well!

[M.J. Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful photo documentary of the North Shore Line! It contains the distinctive Shoreliners and Electroliners!