While the South Shore got its start just after the turn of the 20th century moving passengers between northwest Indiana towns such as Michigan City, Gary, East Chicago and Hammond, it wasn’t long before the booming industrial region found a need for freight service on the line as well. As the local steel industry grew, so too did related industries, by providing raw materials such as coal, coke, scrap iron, lime, and iron ore. The steel mills’ customers also set-up shop in the region, building railcars and components, automobiles, trucks, skyscrapers, bridge girders, stamping plants, appliances, etc. All of this heavy industry was ideally suited to moving products and materials via rail, and the South Shore has played an integral role, meeting the regions logistical needs for nearly 100 years.
The Chicago South Shore Railroad survived several bankruptcies, the latest in the late 1980’s, when its present ownership bought the freight franchise and separated it from the commuter service. Without the passenger service as a drag on earnings, the freight operation immediately became profitable. Commuter service is still provided by Northern Indiana Commuter Trans portation District (www.NICTD.com) on track shared by the freight operation and dispatched jointly.
#802 - Electric Engine
#802 - Electric Engine Pulling Freight Through Northwest Indiana
Circa 1950's
#802 - Electric Engine
#802 - Electric Freight Engine
Seen Here at the B & O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, Maryland
#803 - Electric Freight Engine
Now Housed at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois
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