Railroad Forums 

Discussion related to commuter rail and rapid transit operations in the Chicago area including the South Shore Line, Metra Rail, and Chicago Transit Authority.

Moderators: metraRI, JamesT4

 #233283  by MikeF
 
Looks completely correct to me.

 #233301  by benltrain
 
the NICTD used the current amtrak stationat one time? and where does it spilt off from the amtrak line going towards chicago?

 #233362  by JamesT4
 
benltrain wrote:the NICTD used the current amtrak stationat one time? and where does it spilt off from the amtrak line going towards chicago?
If i am correct the South Shore ended at the SB Amtrak Station from 1970(Before NICTD Take over) untill 1992 when they moved to Michiana Regional Airport on the northwest side of South Bend.

To my point on the second question(really don't know alot), the SS used it's own tracks to from the SB amtrak station to Chicago.

 #233384  by MikeF
 
The South Shore terminated at the Amtrak station (the South Shore called it Bendix Drive) between 1970 and 1993. Before 1970, the South Shore continued east from Bendix into Orange Street and ran down the street to its terminal in front of the La Salle Hotel and the coach yard on the east side of the river. In 1993, the new terminal at the Michiana Regional Airport was opened and the South Shore stopped using the Bendix terminal.

The South Shore and NS/Amtrak tracks parallel each other west of Grandview Street, where the South Shore makes a sharp curve northeast toward the airport. Prior to 1993, the South Shore tracks continued to parallel the Conrail/Amtrak tracks east to Bendix Drive, just as the map shows. The old South Shore track is still in place, but is abandoned and the catenary wire has been removed.

 #233447  by JLJ061
 
The station used to belong to the South Shore from 1970 until Amtrak also moved in during the mid 70's until NICTD moved out in 1992.

 #234100  by Tadman
 
Anybody recall the circumstances that led to Amtrak leaving Union Station? We have a nice one here, and it still stands in good repair as a banquet hall or something like that.

 #234219  by CSS&SB702
 
I don't recall Amtrak ever using the SB Union Station. I know GTW and NYC used it but Amtrak came into existance after the Bendix station was built. The Union Station has only been restored recently, it was boarded up for several years. I think the Bendix station is the only stop Amtrak ever made in SB. I could be wrong though.

 #234262  by JLJ061
 
I think you are correct. Don't see why Amtrak couldn't use Union Station again, especially considering the neighborhood the Bendix station is in now.

 #234418  by dinwitty
 
The club I was in used the Union station to have its hobby shows, by they wanted to up the price of the use, so we hadda move on.

rumor has it the former SS line at bendix will be connected to Notre Dame University and have a cummuter run to the airport using the old cars.
great gesture if it all turns out.

 #234452  by Tadman
 
That would be quite easy to do, if someone were to cough up the dough. It would require extending the old CSS down to the MC branch that then crosses the river and heads to the campus power stations before turning north to Niles, MI. Also, there is a stub line going from the campus area south to the bar district of downtown, on Niles Avenue. This is around the corner from the one-time CSS yard on the river. Activating both the airport-campus line and downtown-campus line would be a transport boon for the city during home football games - it's just not meant for that heavy of traffic.

See conceptual map at:
http://community.webshots.com/photo/177 ... 6305Qagawo

 #234646  by PRRGuy
 
Rumor at work has it that Nictd will be building a new terminal ,and the line to it, on the other side of the airport. Maybe that group will get the old trackage and terminal.

 #235491  by dinwitty
 
sounds like a great benefit if it can be done, they may want to alter the switch connection to the airport so they dont have to change ends, unless they dont mind that.

I recall the SS proposed a new connection to the airport
but I believe local residents shot it down so they went the existing trackage in.

 #235820  by PRRGuy
 
I'm not sure if they'd want to build it as a loop. I remember something about them trying that before..wye-ing the cars, I think it was the bathroom tank drains are only on one side and the washhouse was set up for that.
About that new connection. I keep hearing something about it going in near Mayflower Rd.

 #236203  by Tadman
 
I'd love to see this new connection, because it would rid us of that pokey pseudo-street-running in South Bend, where the limit is 20mph (even though the line is in private right of way).

However, I've been hearing about this for four years now, so I estimate it will take place in about 15 years. Keep in mind the railroad must somehow cross under the US31 bypass, which means two new bridges. This also means about five new miles of railroad, which probably means $75-100 million. I heard about five years ago that a new mile of light-rail costs $15m.