These photos might interest CMStPnP in particular.
I remember reading the Highlights for Children article about that last run and asking my mom about that. She then said a few things about seeing electric interurbans when she was growing up, specificall the Lake Shore Electric. I suspect she may have rode that line a few times between Lakewood and Bellevue to visit relatives.
If I read correctly, there were some proposals (beyond the Skokie Swift) to continue some local service by the CTA. As was the case with CA&E, financial support was not part of the package and political issues (city vs. suburbs) killed any serious proposals.
I never had a reason to ride it but I saw them go by in the Chicago area when I was a college student in the very early 1960’s. I wish I had a camera with me but it never happened. At least I can visualize a few of the memories. They were the only times I saw a long distance express interburban operate.
You should have checked out the South Shore. The Morning and Evening Hot Shots remained in the timetable at least until NICTD took over.
From 1959 to 1962 I would make trips to Chicago, primarly to go to the All Nation Hobby Shop. Would take the Capitol Limited into and out of town, wander around amongst the various passenger stations including traversing areas of the Loop. Recall seeing some of the North Shore trains overhead in addition to the CTA trains.
Recall seeing the South Shore’s Insull era cars, both inroute as well as at the IC Station on the Lakefront.
One of the delights that I enjoyed as I grew up and learned more as a rail enthusiast was discovering that the South Shore that I watched very day and rode regularly was a very big deal to everyone else in the hobby.
I attended my first railfan club meeting in late 1964, and all anyone could talk about that evening was the North Shore, their final rides, and their photographs. To them, that line was a very big deal.
On my first trip to Chicago in 1966, I spent all my time riding the El (including to a really dangerous neighborhood I was ignorant of), the Skokie Swift, and the piece de resistance, the South Shore. Finally, this Clevelander could brag about riding “the last interurban,” though I know some think that moniker inaccurate. I really enjoyed my ride, so much so that I wrote to the president of the South Shore and told him; I still have his happy reply.
Growing up next door to frequent Berkshires and Bluebirds, I had no way of knowing how revered they would become to others. If I had, I would have taken photographs!
The PCC’s and earlier center-entrance 1914 streetcars made the Shaker Heights Rapid Transit Lines absolutely fascinating to me and, I learned, many other railfans. The new 1980-era Breda cars changed all of that. Now, thankfully, they’re falling apart, but someday, someone’s going to brag about having ridden them, and call that a big deal.
Now why didn’t I think of this sooner? (I guess I can’t think of everything.)
Enjoy the ride North Shore fans!
Glad to have ridden:
Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee, inclkudung Shore Line and Munndelein branch
Chicago Aurora and Elgine, including Batavia branch.
Chicago South Shore & South bend, downtown South Bend, biut not to Airport, “Little Joe” (as afriend of Bolb Kionsbrook who got us the entry) as well passenger trsins.
Lehigh Valley Transdit, Libedrty Bell, EDaston Limited, introduced by John Stern at age 15, at age 18 on a freight, numerous other trips on the Liberty Bell.
Baltimore and Annapolis
West Penn, all post-WWII routes
Pittsburgh Railways, both Charleroi-Rosco and Washington, PA
Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley (Laurel Line)
WAterloo Ceder Falls and Northern
Charles City Western (in freight moter, after end of paqssenger service, Ray deGroot credit for permission)
Quebec - St. Joachim iknterurtban owned by CN.
plus several in Europe
Most USA ones have my photos on thie Classic Trains Forum.
plus several in Europe
Switzerland has lots of interurban lines, nostly meter-gauge. A new one opened between Zurich and Killwangen, paralleling (and having six interchange stations out of 25 stations of its own) Swiss Federal Railways non-stop-to-Basel, lkocal, and S-Bahn services.