# Chicago-South Shore and Southbend RR



## Steve4031 (Sep 19, 2004)

I woke up early enough to get breakfast and assorted chores done by 10 a.m. After a long week at work, I started thinking about railroading options. After a quick look at Metra's online schedules, I determined that a ride on the CSS&SB was in order. I had ridden the line in the past to the Bendix station, but not to the new station in the airport at Southbend.

I put on my headphones, cranked up my M3 player, and left the house about 12:20 p.m. I walked to blocks to the Thorndale stop on the redline to ride downtown. About 45 minutes later, I was at the Lake street stop in downton Chicago. After a quick lunch (nachos) at a sports bar in the basement of Marshall Fields, I walked over to Randolph street to get my ticket. The station is still under construction, and will probably always be under construction.

I boarded the 2 pm departure at about 1:50 p.m. Made two quick cell phone calls to let my dad and girlfriend know that I was going railroading, and would be back in the evening.

The equipment was in immaculate condition. The windows were clean, and the bathrooms were usable. The cars were newer than the ones tha had been bought in the eighties, and I believe that they are an improvement.

We left on time, and made steady progress down the IC mentra tracks through Hyde Park and the Southside of Chicago. I was hoping to watch the tracks from the last car, and I plotted the movements of the conductor to see how closely he watched the platform. Ultimately, I decided to stay in the coach part of the car and look out through two windows rather than risk agravating the conductor.

The view was excellent. At 115th street, we crossed the IC freight and passenger tracks, and accellerated to 75 mph effortlessly. It was possible to see the speedometer in the operating compartment from my vantage point. The tracks were rock solid smooth. Several bridges had been improved since my earlier trips on this route. The fast running was interuppted by winding, twisting visits to older, decrepit neighborhoods on the south east side of Chicago and on into Indiana. At Gary, the train speeds along an elevated right ofway next to the Indiana Skyway. Several stations have also been upgraded. After Gary, there is additional slow running for several miles. Then the train accelerates back up to top speed. The fast running is interrupted by stops at small rural looking stations that are in the shadows of the industrial steel mills. For several miles, the South Shore tracks parallel the ex NYC line used by the Lake Shore Limited and Capiol Limited. Eventually, we take a roller-coaster ride up and over the NYC line before continuing on into Michigan City.

Michigan city is famous to rail fans for the South Shore's trip down the middle of the street. In the middle of town, we rattle across the single track main line of Amtrak's Michigan corridor. After a brief stop, the train continues on to the Carroll ave. stop where the south shore's yard and shops are located. Here, several cars are detatched from the end of the train. I am asked to move up to the front two cars.

After Michigan City, the train makes a brisk 30 mile run to Southbend. In years past, these tracks had been bumpy. Now, they were as smooth as the tracks west of Michigan City. A lot of work has been put into this railroad.

At Southbend, the train creeps along a branch line that twists and turns until it reaches the modern airport of Southbend. It is a five minute walk from the station to the ticketing gates at the airport. So this is a conveniet way to get to the airport. Also, the airport does have shops and a restaurnat and bar. Though on Saturday most of them were closed. I bought snacks from a vending machine before returning back to the train for the ride back to Chicago. I only spent about 20 minutes in South Bend.

I do not know about getting to downtown from this location, but I am sure that there is cab and bus service.

The trip back to Chicago was equally enjoyable in a coach seat. The seats were clean, and somewhat more comfortable than a tradtional surburban train seat. Though there is no leg room. The window was immaculately clean on this car too.

So . . . if you are in Chicago, and want to railraod, and have a day to do it, the CSS & SB is the answer.


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## EmpireBuilderFan (Sep 19, 2004)

It definitely sounds like you had a great trip. I'll have to add this route to my list of Chicago area rail trips.


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## AlanB (Sep 19, 2004)

EmpireBuilderFan said:


> It definitely sounds like you had a great trip. I'll have to add this route to my list of Chicago area rail trips.


I can highly recommend the South Shore Line. 

It's one of the last, if not the last, surviving interurban trains in the US. You get highspeed running, street running, and gauntlet track running (something that's very rare in the US).

It's a great ride and one of the longest available out of Chicago, that doesn't require Amtrak.


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## engine999 (Sep 20, 2004)

Actrually I think it is the last interurban.


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