A little bit of my own history with the South Shore:I think the first time I had ever really seen the South Shore was in the form of an HO scale model of mine, that being CSS 2004, which is an Atlas model. I still actually have that model, and I even have the second generation of it aswell!![]() (the one with the silver pilot is the newer one!) But, I'm getting a little ahead of myself... At the time I had gotten my original 2004, I had NO idea what the South Shore even was! In fact... In a rather regrettable move, I even had the shell swapped with a BNSF shell at some point. Obviously though, I've fixed that since then! My next encounter with the South Shore (and the first time I had actually begun to recognize what the South Shore was) was one time while my mom was getting something from somewhere along Bendix (i don't remember the full story sorry), and while I was waiting in the car, a 6-ish car train passed by us. I think this was in... probably around 2014? I honestly don't really remember what year it was.
Nowdays, I get to see the South Shore every other Wednesday (or... to be more specific, whenever we go to therapy, which doesn't seem to happen often anymore, which really makes me upset.), and every time we go through Michigan City I get photos of just about everything I can. Some of those photos can be found in the photography corner! The ones that aren't there are either because I simply didn't think they were good enough to post, or were before the "cutoff" point. If I could, I'd love to be able to design a better West Lake Corridor livery for NICTD, as their current one is kinda... empty. But, I doubt I'd ever get to be able to do that. Some noteworthy South Shore things I've seen are as follows (in no particular order):
But uh, personal stuff aside, here's the South Shore written up as if it were a part of the traindex/railroadex, because I thought it'd be neat to try! |
and also NICTD
(last updated May 25th, 2023)
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"Brief" History:
Facts I find particularly interesting: 2 - The CSS&SB had ex-NYC boxcabs that started operating in the 50s and were scrapped in the 70s. 3 - The South Shore Line is the only remaining Interurban railroad in the entirety of North America. 4 - For a brief period of time, CSS owned 11 ex-BN F45s. Only two ever ran, and all 11 were scrapped. 5 - CSS owned an ex-Indiana Railroad (interurban, not current one) interurban car that was rebuilt into a linecar in 1947. This car was operating on the South Shore until 2005, when it was moved to the Illinois Railway Museum. 6 - NICTD has had multiple proposals for branchlines/extensions to the mainline, such as a branchline from Michigan City to La Porte, Gary to Valparaiso, or South Bend to Elkhart. Unfortunately, none of these have happened quite yet, and seem to be very unlikely to ever happen. 7 - CSS for a brief period of time had two coaches that were meant for a diner train. Hiram, and Duneland. Hiram still exists, although in poor condition, and no longer as its CSS look. Duneland is (allegedly) now Great Lakes Central 1342. 8 - The CSS&SB at some point was debating on purchasing the Streamliners from the Illinois Terminal Railroad, unfortunately this didn't happen though. 9 - Multiple times (maybe regularly during certain years? not sure tbh, idk much about this) the Illinois Central would charter special trains on the South Shore. Such as the Illinois Central RR Service Booster Club Chicago, or the Picnic Train (seen on this page, third row, second image) 10 - Between the years of 1985 and until 1995-ish, the south shore would lease a Metra consist to help deal with a shortage of rolling stock. This train was leased for only $1 dollar a year, and was nicknamed "The Diesel". Apparently, in 1985, the consist was an entirely CNW fleet of cars, but this didn't last long as CNW requested the set back from Metra right after its first year of operating. As far as I know, METX 126 "Kane County" was the power designated to The Diesel service. (also little fun fact: i, personally, refer to this set as One Dollar) 11 - The EF-4 locomotives were never referred to as "Little Joes" on the South Shore, and were only referred to as "The 800 Class", or simply "The 800s". |
CSS's Current Locomotives | ||
Model | Number | Notes |
EMD GP38-2 | 2000 | Built 1981
one of the first two geeps to be repainted into CSS livery
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2001 | Built 1981
one of the first two geeps to be repainted into CSS livery used to be equipped with a K5LA, sometime between 2020 and 2022 it was replaced with an RS3L, visible in this photo. also visible in the above link, is the fact that 2001 is still not equipped with PTC, and is thus a yard goat/booster unit |
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2002 | Built 1981
temporarily equipped with a nose headlight and numberboard gyralight, added at some point between 1984 and 1986, removed between 1992 and 1993. |
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2003 | Built 1981
temporarily equipped with a nose headlight and numberboard single lense gyralight, added at some point between 1984 and 1986, removed between 1991 and 1993. |
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2004 | Built 1981
still has original battery box numbers as of sometime in 2023, 2004 has been fitted with an antenna of some sorts on the numberboards. RC control, maybe? |
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2005 | Built 1981 | |
2006 | Built 1981 | |
2007 | Built 1981
in the past, this unit had a maroon strip which was used to determine what shade of maroon CSS's livery should use |
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2008 | Built 1981 | |
2009 | Built 1981 | |
EMD SD38-2 | 804 | Built as RSMX 1239 in 1978
went to GATX during/before 1988 then went to LLPX at some point during/before 2005 then became IAIS 154 in/before 2005 was repainted into Iowa Interstate livery between 2008 and 2009 went to LIRC in/before 2015 during 2015, went to CSS and became CSS 154 and FINALLY, in 2016, was patched into CSS 804. |
805 | Built as RSMX 1240 in 1978
went to GATX during/before 1989 then went to LLPX at some point during/before 1997 then became IAIS 154 in/before 2005 was repainted into Iowa Interstate livery in 2008 went to LIRC at some point, probably the same time as 154. Went to CSS whilst still patched as LIRC in/before 2015 during 2015, got patched into CSS 155 and FINALLY, in 2016, was patched into CSS 805. |
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EMD GP38-2 | 2010 | Built as DVR 220 in 1981
went to LIRC sometime either during or before 2000, and went to CSS in 2019 patched into CSS 2010 to avoid overlap with CSS 2005 in 2020 |
NICTD's Current Locomotives | ||
Model | Number | Notes |
GP38-2 | 1000 | Built as DT&I 405 in 1968
went to GTW in 1984-ish, renumbered 6405 gong bell removed :( and repainted into GTW livery between 1985 and 1987 went to NICTD sometime during/before 2001, rebuilt into GP40-2 spec, regeared for high speed despite the fact that the highest speed limit NICTD runs through is 79 mph, renumbered 1000, presumably to complement 1100. recieved a pantograph in 2019 for ice breaking purposes repainted into NICTD's new diesel livery in 2020, sidegraded to a GP38-2, and regeared back to normal |
GP38-3 | 1001 | Built as IC 9503, a GP38AC, in 1970.
in 1975, was repainted and renumbered 1775 to be a replacement bicentennial unit after the first one got damaged in a collision. at some point, was repainted back into its original livery and numbering. in 1985, went to MKT and renumbered 328 pretty quickly after though, MKT 328 became UP 1985 even quicker, became a parts unit for NREX around 2005-ish or sooner. then aroud 2015 or 16, was rebuilt to an actual NREX unit, new designation of GP38-3 and then in 2019, became NICTD 1001, sporting a test livery for NICTD's geeps and finally, in 2020, was repainted into the finalized NICTD diesel livery |
NICTD's Current EMUs | ||
Model | Number | Notes |
Nippon Sharyo Single Level EMU (Dual Cab) aka NSSL DC | 1 | Built 1982 |
2 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
3 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
4 | Built 1982 | |
5 | Built 1982 | |
6 | Built 1982 | |
7 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
8 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
9 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
10 | Built 1982 | |
11 | Built 2001 (wreck replacement), West Lake Corridor Livery | |
12 | Built 1982 | |
13 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery, Operation Lifesaver advert | |
14 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
15 | Built 1982 | |
16 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
17 | Built 1992 (wreck replacement) | |
18 | Built 1982 | |
19 | Built 1982 | |
20 | Built 1982 | |
21 | Built 1982 | |
22 | Built 1982 | |
23 | Built 1982 | |
24 | Built 1982 | |
25 | Built 1982, West Lake Corridor Livery | |
26 | Built 1992 (wreck replacement) | |
27 | Built 2001 (wreck replacement) | |
28 | Built 1982 | |
29 | Built 1982 | |
30 | Built 1982 | |
31 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
32 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
33 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
34 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
35 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
36 | Built 2001 (wreck replacement), METX owned, Metra logo on the end doors | |
37 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
38 | Built 1982, METX owned | |
39 | Built 1982 | |
40 | Built 1982 | |
41 | Built 1992 (wreck replacement) The original #41 was (temporarily?) equipped with a Wabco AA2 airhorn. |
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42 | Built 1982 | |
43 | Built 1982 | |
44 | Built 1983 | |
45 | Built 1992 | |
46 | Built 1992 | |
47 | Built 1992 | |
48 | Built 1992 | |
incase you're wondering, this is the West Lake Corridor livery. my evidence for the claim that this livery is only for WLC specific cars is because of this document (page 51) listing the rehabilitation which includes this new paint scheme under West Lake Corridor. my other evidence is the fact that thus far, #25 is the highest numbered NSSL to receive this paint scheme, and i'm pretty sure NICTD is leasing those 26 METX Highliner I's specifically to fill in the gap for what's running on the South Shore Line. |
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Nippon Sharyo Single Level EMU (Single Cab) aka NSSL SC | 101 | Built 2001, faces South Bend |
102 | Built 2001, faces Chicago | |
103 | Built 2001, faces South Bend | |
104 | Built 2001, faces Chicago | |
105 | Built 2001, faces South Bend | |
106 | Built 2001, faces Chicago | |
107 | Built 2001, faces South Bend | |
108 | Built 2001, faces Chicago | |
109 | Built 2001, faces South Bend | |
110 | Built 2001, faces Chicago | |
note: despite which end has a cab, the F end will always be the Chicago facing end. | ||
Nippon Sharyo Single Level EMU (Trailer Car) aka NSSL TC | 201 | Built 1992 |
202 | Built 1992 | |
203 | Built 1992 | |
204 | Built 1992 | |
205 | Built 1992 | |
206 | Built 1992 | |
207 | Built 1992 | |
208 | Built 1992 | |
209 | Built 1992 | |
210 | Built 1992 | |
Nippon Sharyo Highliner II | 301 | Built 2008, faces South Bend |
302 | Built 2008, faces Chicago | |
303 | Built 2008, faces South Bend | |
304 | Built 2008, faces Chicago | |
305 | Built 2008, faces South Bend | |
306 | Built 2008, faces Chicago | |
307 | Built 2008, faces South Bend | |
308 | Built 2009, faces Chicago | |
309 | Built 2009, faces South Bend | |
310 | Built 2009, faces Chicago | |
311 | Built 2009, faces South Bend | |
312 | Built 2009, faces Chicago | |
313 | Built 2009, faces South Bend | |
314 | Built 2009, faces Chicago | |
note: despite which end has a cab, the F end will always be the Chicago facing end.
fun fact! NICTD's order of only 14 cars means that they are incapable of running two full 8 car sets, meaning that they normally run as 7 car trains, which leads to some cars facing the same direction as the one directly behind them! And, during Double Track construction, NICTD still keeps the tradition of running them at odd car lengths, as the South Bend Shuttle (as i've nicknamed it) is regularly a three car consist. In fact, even when they aren't in an odd number of cars, they still have some strange cases where three cars in a row will be facing the same direction! |
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Nippon Sharyo Highliner I | 1201 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, operating |
1202 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, operating | |
1203 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, operating | |
1204 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, not yet operating, but confirmed (page 40) | |
1205 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1206 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1207 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1208 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1209 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1210 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1211 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1212 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, operating | |
1213 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1214 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1215 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, not yet operating, but confirmed (page 40) | |
1216 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1217 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1218 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1219 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1220 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1221 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1222 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1223 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1224 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1225 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, unable to confirm | |
1226 | Built 2005, Ex-METX, operating | |
note: this addition to the roster has yet to be completed, as Metra is still refurbishing these cars for NICTD. |