The North Shore Line Collection
What is the North Shore Line?Pages from Central Electric Railfans' Bulletins 
Selected pages including the complete detailed maps of the line as well as equipment drawings and dimensions have been reproduced from books from this organization, with permission.
Equipment drawings (Bulletin 68, April, 1947)
Maps of the Routes of the Electroliners (Bulletin 107)
Current North Shore Line Pictures
Recent photographs taken of traces that still remain along former North Shore right of way.
Skokie Valley Route Pictures (West Line, Chicago → Lake Bluff)
The Skokie Valley was the high speed bypass to replace the shore line route. At Howard Street in Chicago, North Shore and El trains diverged for Dempster Street, along what is now the yellow line, or skokie swift. At Dempster street North Shore trains continued on private right of way to Green Bay Junction in Lake Bluff where they crossed the Mundelein Branch. At North Chicago Junction, they re-joined the former mainline north to Milwaukee. This line was constructed to steam road standards, and utilized catenary overhead as opposed to the simple span on the rest of the line. Trains could reach speeds of up to 90 mph on this route. The track was removed after 1963 abandonment of the entire line.
Lake-Cook RoadClavey Road
Briargate station
Hwy. 22 Bridge (former Highmoor)
Sheridan Elms
Bridge over Hwy. 41
Between 41 and Deerpath
Deerpath pictures
North of Deerpath (Tower KO)
Lake Bluff station site
Shore Line Route (East Line, Chicago → Lake Bluff)
The Shore Line route was the original mainline of the Chicago and Milwaukee Electic Railway. It paralleled the C&NW mainline from North Chicago to Evanston on private right of way, and then ran in the street to the Rapid transit terminal. Once permission was secured to operate over the "EL", North Shore trains could enter Chicago directly. The line was also grade seperated through Winetka with the CNW. The line south of Highwood was abandoned in 1955. The section of the line from Highwood to North Chicago remained with one track until final abandonment in 1963 so trains could reach the main shop facilities at Highwood, currently the site of the Hotel Morraine.
Sacred heart (Westleigh)Lake Bluff Crossunder
Mundelein Branch (Lake Bluff → Mundelein)
The Mundelein branch paralelled Highway 176 from Lake Bluff to Mundelein. It crossed over the EJ&E and Milwaukee road at Roundout on a high embankment. These railroads at Roundout as well as the Soo Line in Mundelein provided valuable freight interchange service making this line important. It survived until final abandonment in 1963. Many remaining interurban cars that could not be sold to other railroads or museums were destroyed at Roundout during abandonment. They were pushed onto interchange tracks, gutted for parts, and burned.
Line polesGreen Bay Junction
Edison substation
Other traces
Photos and videos of North Shore EquipmentDetailed photos and videos of remaining North Shore equipment at various museums. This section includes photographs and descriptions of rolling stock.
Permission for images from Central Electric Railfans Association
(CERA) publications was granted by CERA.
Inquiries regarding this collection
or these images should be directed to the Archivist and Librarian for Special
Collections Arthur Miller.
The North Shore Line web material was initially developed by Joseph Stupar
’03.