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This page is about the interurban railroad in Illinois and Wisconsin. For other uses, see North Shore Line.

Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad

Cincinnati car 700 in Lake Bluff circa 1958.
Overview
Headquarters	Highwood, Illinois
Reporting mark	CNSM
Locale	Illinois and Wisconsin
Dates of operation	1895–1963 Bluff City Electric Street Railway: 1895–1898 Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railway: 1898–1902 Chicago and Milwaukee Electric Railroad: 1902–1916 Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad: 1916–1946 Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway: 1946–1963
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line, 650 V DC Third rail, 600 V DC (Chicago "L")
Length	In 1954: 88.9 route miles (143 km) 285.1 track miles (459 km)
Route map North Shore Line highlighted in red Greatest extent highlighted in blue Milwaukee Menomonee River National Avenue Greenfield Avenue Mitchell Street Harrison Avenue Austin Avenue College Avenue South Milwaukee Road Oak Creek Seven Mile Road Six Mile Road Five Mile Road Four Mile Road Racine Berryville Birch Road Kenosha South Kenosha State Line Wisconsin Illinois Winthrop Harbor Zion Beach Station Mundelein Holdridge's Crossing Saint Mary's of the Lake Glen Flora Avenue Libertyville Edison Court Thornbury Village County Street Rondout North Chicago Knollwood North Chicago Junction Skokie Valley Route Shore Line Route Great Lakes Downey Downey Lake Bluff Lake Bluff Lake Forest Deerpath Sacred Heart Academy Fort Sheridan Sheridan Elms Highwood Vine Avenue Highmoor Highland Park Beech Street Briargate Ravinia Ravinia Park Woodridge Braeside Glencoe Northbrook Hubbard Woods Winnetka Northfield Indian Hill Kenilworth Skokie River Wilmette Glenview Linden North Shore Channel Harmswoods Central Noyes Skokie Foster Church Skokie Valley Route Shore Line Route Howard Street Wilson Avenue Belmont Avenue Chicago Avenue Grand Avenue Merchandise Mart Chicago River   Randolph & Wells Clark & Lake   Madison & Wells   Quincy & Wells Randolph & Wabash   LaSalle & Van Buren Madison & Wabash   State & Van Buren Adams & Wabash Congress Terminal Congress & Wabash Roosevelt Road 43rd 61st South Park Cottage Grove University Dorchester Service in 1963 abandoned prior to 1956

The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (reporting mark CNSM), also known as the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad that operated between Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, serving the North Shore suburbs and the cities of Waukegan, Kenosha and Racine. The North Shore Line provided both passenger and freight service, as well as streetcar, city bus and motor coach services.

Described by author and railroad historian William D. Middleton as a "super interurban", the North Shore Line was notable for the high standards to which it was constructed and the record-setting speeds at which its trains operated. Among the railroad's innovations were its pioneering piggyback freight service and its twin Electroliner trainsets.

The North Shore Line began operation in 1895 as a streetcar line in Waukegan, gradually expanding into an interurban line linking Evanston and Milwaukee. Under the ownership of Samuel Insull, the railroad gained access into downtown Chicago over the "L" system and undertook a series of large-scale capital improvements, including the construction of a new main line. Weathering the Great Depression, the railroad saw a peak in ridership during the Second World War, but the postwar era brought continual declines in patronage and revenue. Reductions in service followed, and despite organized efforts to prevent its abandonment, the railroad ceased all operations in 1963.

In the present day, the Yellow Line of the Chicago Transit Authority operates over a former segment of the North Shore Line between Chicago and Skokie, while much of the right-of-way elsewhere has been converted to rail trails. Several examples of preserved rolling stock currently operate in railroad museums, and the former Dempster Street Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Route

Interurban lines

At its greatest extent, the North Shore Line operated four interurban lines, three of which converged at a junction in North Chicago:

• The Shore Line Division was a 19.4-mile (31.2 km) main line between North Chicago Junction and Linden Avenue in Wilmette.
• The Skokie Valley Division was a 25-mile (40 km) main line between North Chicago Junction and Howard Street in Chicago.
• The Milwaukee Division was a 48.2-mile (77.6 km) main line between North Chicago Junction and Harrison Avenue in Milwaukee.
• The Libertyville Division was a 8.6-mile (13.8 km) branch line between Lake Bluff and Mundelein.

Chicago "L"

Main article: Interurban service on the Chicago "L" § North Shore Line

South of Linden Avenue and Howard Street, trains operated into Chicago by way of trackage rights over the Chicago "L" system, traversing the downtown Loop before terminating at Roosevelt Road. At the greatest extent of interurban service, trains operated as far south as Dorchester Avenue.

City lines

In addition to interurban service, the North Shore Line also operated two local transit systems:

• The Waukegan City Lines were a network of streetcar and bus lines that served Waukegan, North Chicago and Naval Station Great Lakes.
• The Milwaukee City Line was a 3.46-mile (5.57 km) streetcar line between Harrison Avenue and Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee.

Interurban trains to Waukegan and Milwaukee utilized the local streetcar lines to access downtown stations.

Motor coach lines

To supplement rail service, the North Shore Line operated motor coach lines throughout northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin, with routes extending as far as Lake Geneva. The Metropolitan Motor Coach Company was a subsidiary company created to operate the motor coach lines.

Operations

Freight service

Carload freight service

Carload freight was interchanged at connections with the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW), the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road), the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway (EJ&E) and the Wisconsin Central Railway (Soo Line).

Merchandise Dispatch service

Merchandise Dispatch box motors on the Chicago "L" in 1920.

Ferry truck service

Flatcars loaded with ferry truck trailers near Montrose Avenue in 1927.