Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee #761
Type: Steel Interurban Car
Built - 1930, Standard Steel Car Co. Modernized in 1949 and 1957 Seats - 52 Length – 55’ 3” Width – 8’ 8” Height – 12’ 7” Weight – 103,800 lbs. |
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Eric Zabelny photo
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From 1890 to 1910, America was hit by a massive craving for fast, reliable electric trains, dubbed “interurbans” that ran between cities all over the country. In 1920, there were over 15,000 miles of interurban tracks, and one could ride all the way from Elkhart Lake, WI, to the Catskill Mountains of New York on interurbans. One of these interurban railroads one could ride on was the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad.
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The “North Shore Line” ran fast interurban service between the Loop in Chicago and downtown Milwaukee. 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. Trains would then run on the streets of Milwaukee, stopping at traffic lights and dodging cars until reaching their final terminal.
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. Car 761 was one of the final cars to operate on that frigid last day. Car 761 was built in 1930, and in 1957, received the special “Silverliner” paint scheme it now adorns. The bottom half of the car is painted a silver-gray color with a darker gray paint applied in a way to mimic the fluted stainless steel on passenger cars appearing on steam railroads at the time. The car was one of the few North Shore cars preserved. It traveled between several transit museums. It eventually ended up at the Michigan Transit Museum in 1977, and was eventually traded to the East Troy Railroad Museum for unrestored South Shore car #11 in 2001. A restoration effort began shortly thereafter and continued off and on for several years. A new roof, interior heat, new doors and rewiring had been completed in 2014. When volunteers discovered significant structural damage on the east end of the car, the project ground to a halt. After a qualified welder/ironworker joined the volunteer team in 2019, the Museum’s board agreed that the project could resume. That same year, several volunteers who had previously worked on the car returned to the museum. Following a more-than 18-month restoration effort by more than 20 volunteers, car 761 returned to operation in 2021, 58 years after it last ran under its own power. It took more than 1,000 volunteer hours and $42,700 to complete the project.
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Roger Puta photos
Car 761 Ownership History: Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee #761 - 1930-1963 Cadillac and Lake City Railroad - 1963-1970 Private Owner - 1970-1977 Michigan Transit Museum - 1977-2001 East Troy Electric Railroad - 2001-Present |
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