Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee #228
Type: Interurban Box Motor
Built - 1922, Cincinnati Car Co. Seats - n/a Length – 50’ 0” Width – 9’ 0” Height – 12’ 4” Weight –78,000 lbs. |
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During the early 20th century, fast electric interurban railroads provided cheap, reliable service between cities and towns across America, predominantly in the upper midwest. The Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, also commonly known as the “North Shore Line,” was one of these interurban railroads, one which operated between the cities of Milwaukee and Chicago during this time.
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The North Shore Line ran frequent high-speed passenger trains between downtown Chicago and downtown Milwaukee from 1916 through early 1963. Railroad historian and photographer William Middleton described the North Shore Line as a “super interurban.” There are still many people today who remember the North Shore Line fondly and remember riding on the line.
North Shore Line interurban trains would ride on the elevated rail system in downtown Chicago, squeezing between skyscrapers on tracks owned by the Chicago “L” until reaching the outskirts of the Windy City, where they joined their own tracks, speeding along at over 90 mph through North Chicago, Racine, and Kenosha until reaching Milwaukee. |
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The North Shore Line was famous for operating fast, shiny interurban passenger trains and their articulated "Electroliners" between Chicago and Milwaukee, but less well-known is that the North Shore Line also operated a thriving cargo business. The delivery of freight interchanged with nearby steam railroads and made up nearly 40% of sales in 1905.
Powerful electric locomotives were used to haul carload freight and Merchandise Despatch (yes, the North Shore Line used this spelling!) cars to haul less-than-carload (“LCL”) freight to any station along the line or for transfer to other railroads or steamship lines. The MD cars were essentially self-propelled boxcars (called "box motors") that carried packages, newspapers, milk cans, furniture, beer, and many other items. Small packages could be brought to any North Shore Line station for shipment, and larger items were processed through freight houses, where transfers could be made from trucks. In Chicago alone, there were eight freight houses served by the North Shore Line, and the North Shore also had a contract with the Chicago Tunnel Company (CTC), which operated a vast narrow-gauge railway under downtown Chicago. The CTC would bring small packages and shipments to one of the North Shore freight houses, where MD cars would haul the freight north out of the Montrose Freight House in the early morning hours.
Powerful electric locomotives were used to haul carload freight and Merchandise Despatch (yes, the North Shore Line used this spelling!) cars to haul less-than-carload (“LCL”) freight to any station along the line or for transfer to other railroads or steamship lines. The MD cars were essentially self-propelled boxcars (called "box motors") that carried packages, newspapers, milk cans, furniture, beer, and many other items. Small packages could be brought to any North Shore Line station for shipment, and larger items were processed through freight houses, where transfers could be made from trucks. In Chicago alone, there were eight freight houses served by the North Shore Line, and the North Shore also had a contract with the Chicago Tunnel Company (CTC), which operated a vast narrow-gauge railway under downtown Chicago. The CTC would bring small packages and shipments to one of the North Shore freight houses, where MD cars would haul the freight north out of the Montrose Freight House in the early morning hours.
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A total of 37 merchandise cars, and five similar refrigerated cars, were built by the Cincinnati Car Company for the North Shore Line between 1920 and 1926 and were numbered 203-244. The first 12 cars were built with cargo doors at the ends of each side, while the remaining cars, including car 228, featured wide center cargo doors on each side.
In 1917, Samuel Insull had acquired control and begun a freight service for packages, milk cans, and other less-than-a-car loads. Known as the popular “Merchandise Despatch” (British spelling) service, the railroad charged one-third higher prices but guaranteed overnight shipping. Other competing railroads often took 2-8 days to ship packages between Chicago and Milwaukee, and so the service quickly became highly profitable. With the steamship companies, third-morning service between Milwaukee and Chicago and Michigan was guaranteed when steam railroads took as long as two weeks to complete the same task. |
In 1926, the North Shore Line began the first "piggyback" service in the country. North Shore trucks were backed onto special flatcars in Chicago, Milwaukee, Racine, or Kenosha, to be unloaded at one of the three other terminals, allowing the NSL to serve even more businesses than it could before. As there were not many good roads between the four cities, this also became highly profitable. The North Shore Line soon began shipping the whole truck to the customer's destination. The "Ferry Truck" (as the North Shore called it) service was the world's first, and many piggyback trains operate daily across the world today.
As the North Shore Line began handling truck trailers in piggyback service, the LCL business decreased and was finally eliminated in 1947, and the Ferry Truck service was also soon eliminated due to faster shipping and new competition brought on by inter-city highways. At that time, the MD cars, which were already being used as locomotives for the piggyback trains, were given a variety of new assignments. These included service as locomotives for shorter freight trains, cabooses, yard switchers, snowplows, tool cars, and sleet cutters. Car 228 became a sleet cutter, which scrapes ice from the overhead trolley line.
Due to new interstate highways and a postwar car-centric society, the North Shore Line and almost all of the other interurbans were forced to shut down after losing revenue. The last North Shore train pulled into Milwaukee just before 3:00 am on January 21, 1963.
When the North Shore Line shut down in 1963, nine merchandise cars were initially saved. Sadly, only five survive today. Car 228 was sold to the Indiana Railway Museum. In connection with that museum’s move from Westport to Greensburg, IN in 1971, the car was sold to The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society (TWERHS), which opened a trolley museum in East Troy the following year. In 1988, possession passed to the East Troy Railroad Museum, which had assumed operations at East Troy a few years earlier.
The restoration of car 228 was completed in 2024. The car operated under its power for the first time since 1963 on Friday April 19, 2024 at 3:30 pm. Final touches were put on the car the month following.
As the North Shore Line began handling truck trailers in piggyback service, the LCL business decreased and was finally eliminated in 1947, and the Ferry Truck service was also soon eliminated due to faster shipping and new competition brought on by inter-city highways. At that time, the MD cars, which were already being used as locomotives for the piggyback trains, were given a variety of new assignments. These included service as locomotives for shorter freight trains, cabooses, yard switchers, snowplows, tool cars, and sleet cutters. Car 228 became a sleet cutter, which scrapes ice from the overhead trolley line.
Due to new interstate highways and a postwar car-centric society, the North Shore Line and almost all of the other interurbans were forced to shut down after losing revenue. The last North Shore train pulled into Milwaukee just before 3:00 am on January 21, 1963.
When the North Shore Line shut down in 1963, nine merchandise cars were initially saved. Sadly, only five survive today. Car 228 was sold to the Indiana Railway Museum. In connection with that museum’s move from Westport to Greensburg, IN in 1971, the car was sold to The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society (TWERHS), which opened a trolley museum in East Troy the following year. In 1988, possession passed to the East Troy Railroad Museum, which had assumed operations at East Troy a few years earlier.
The restoration of car 228 was completed in 2024. The car operated under its power for the first time since 1963 on Friday April 19, 2024 at 3:30 pm. Final touches were put on the car the month following.
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Vital Statistics:
Construction – Steel frame, wood body Gauge – Standard (4’ 8.5”) Roof Type – AR Ended – Double-Ended #Wheels/Conf. – 8 (1A-A1) Trucks – Baldwin 78-35AA Brakes – AMU (M23) Compressor – DH-25 Motors – WH 557R5 (2) Control – WH HLF-28A3 Voltage – 600 VDC |
Ownership History:
Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee #228 – 1922-1963 Indiana Railway Museum – 1963-1971 The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society – 1971-1988 East Troy Railroad Museum – 1988-present |
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