Favorite memories on the CSS&SB

I was thinking. If the track realighnment is a sure thing way not post some of you favorite memories on the South Shore. It dosen't have to be of the the street running, really. Just fond memories in light of recent events.

Mine was being a part of the last ride of the old coaches. My Grandfather took me. If memory serves, they had a couple of new ones hooked to some old ones. I remember going out to Gary and coming back. Heck, I still have the cardboard model of the stainless coaches, bumper sticker and an orange booklet handed out on the train.

So the torch was passed, and the rest is history. Now we stand before another passing of the torch. This time with new bi-levels and a sure thing track realignment.

So what are yours. Lets sound off and share. I look forward to hearing the stories.

I was at the old Gary depot, the ole 8mm camera was on hand and captured this.
Perhaps I will get my stuff together and put them up for sale... anyways..

One of the 700 loco's was there, actually 2 for a train, and noticed the lead engine front windows were clouded. There was a fire in the cabin, the reason for it I know not, but they did a manuver and put the front engine to the rear, that put the smoked cab in the middle where you wouldnt use it and you got a good cab to operate with from the 2nd unit with a clear cab on the rear, till you got back to shops for the fix.

just one tidbit.

dinwitty,
I would love to see a pic. Sounds like it could have been real bad. When was this, the 70's? I think I saw a pic on Railpictures with a geep on the front by Georgia Pacific. I could be wrong, though. I have been a lot lately

jlaroccoii wrote:dinwitty,
I would love to see a pic. Sounds like it could have been real bad. When was this, the 70's? I think I saw a pic on Railpictures with a geep on the front by Georgia Pacific. I could be wrong, though. I have been a lot lately

musta been about the late 70's, no exact date. Perhaps the 8mm film might have a date hidden on it, dunno.
I would have to set up the film projector and snap an image, I have all the stuff to do this, but little beat up from work, so later on this.

I think I have some film of 700's working the switching east of the Amtrak station in that little industrial park, I think they had a minor derailment.

I'm working on a projector conversion to do seriously accurate film transfer so maybe all of what I have will be available sometime to buy or whatever.

I grew up in South Bend just off of Bendix Dr. Back then (1960s-70s), there was nothing between our house and the siding that served Weyerhauser, General Liquors, and Simon Bros. except a park. I could sit in our yard and watch the 700s switch cars there, but instead, I walked out to the tracks and sat against a fire hydrant that was next to the tracks. The crews must have recognized me, for they began to offer me rides in the cab while they did their work. Of course, I took them up on their offers. I must have gotten a ride in every 700, but I seem to recall #702 the most. I also got a few rides in their GP-7s, but it just wasn't the same. In June 1975, #707 and #703 (I think), derailed along Bendix Dr., it happened on Friday evening, both engines sat there until monday. In April 1976, all 7 of the 700s were sent to Hyman Michaels for scrap. The GP7s took over for awhile, then the 800s took over the run, then the GP38-2s. Since then, I have moved 700 miles away from there, buildings now block the view between the old home and the sidings, and a couple years ago, the sidings were pulled up. (sigh.) Everything now is gone except the memories. Last year though an item came up on Ebay that I just had to have. There was NO WAY I was going to get out bid. I did win it, and now the lighted number board/box that was mounted on the east end of #702 resides on top of my book case.

I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago and I do remember riding on the old "Orange cars" at least once when I was a little boy.
After we left Chicago in 1971 and moved to Arkansas, I have been back to Chicago twice.
The first return visit was on Labor Day weekend in 1982. I had the opportunity to ride on the old Orange cars from the 1920's shortly before they were retired. I got on the train about mid-morning at the Randolph Street station in downtown Chicago and rode the train to Michigan City and back to Chicago. According to the conductor, the train wouldn't run all of the way to South Bend that day because they were working on the tracks between Michigan City and South Bend so I had to get off the train at Michigan City and wait for the return train to Chicago.
I thought the ride was comfortable and enjoyed it despite the fact that the outside of the train obviously hadn't been washed recently. The inside of the car was nice and clean, though. When I went into the men's bathroom, I wondered why there was a sign warning passengers not to flush the toilet while the train was stopped at a station. I figured out the warning when I flushed the toilet. Yes, the train was between stations at the time.
In October 1999, while I was on vacation from work, I drove to South Bend because I wanted to try to follow the Chicago, South Shore, & South Bend route across northern Indiana starting in South Bend. Since I didn't know that the trains started at the airport on the west side of South Bend, I spent some time wandering around and blundering around South Bend before I accidentally found the CSS&SB tracks running alongside Bendix Drive. From there, it was a fairly easy matter to follow the tracks westward across Indiana.
While I was driving west and following the tracks along Eleventh Street in Michigan City, I saw a train coming towards me and quickly pulled over to the curb to park to get out of the way of the train. I sat there in my car and got a close-up view of the train as it rolled by me. Then I continued following the tracks west almost to either Gary or East Chicago.
No, I didn't ride on the train during this trip but maybe I will get to return someday and take ride all of the way from Chicago to South Bend and back to Chicago.
I posted part of this message under the "Orange Cars" discussion thread also.

I've been thinking about this thread ... picking A favorite is not easy.

I keep coming back to the first time that I saw a South Shore train. I was following the line out of South Bend expecting the first eastbound train of the day. It was dark and slightly foggy. I had just turned off Edison Rd south on Pear Rd when the crossing lights activated. A single 1982 South Shore passed by being pushed by an orange CSS&SB diesel locomotive. (I imagine that they had problems that morning.)

I had been reading about the South Shore in the South Bend Tribune and decided to take a look. I have followed the line on and off since then and always seem to be learning something new about the line. "Modern technology" has made some things easier (finding old alignments and planning trips) plus sharing information is much easier. Gas prices were certainly a lot better back then.

The line itself is a big part of the history of the area. The power plant in Michigan City and two main substations from the original AC operation still exist. We have lost a couple of segments of street running ... East Chicago in 1956 was replaced by a nice run along the side of the toll road. South Bend's nasty cut back was eventually replaced by a nice airport terminal and (bad for operations but fun to watch) street side operation along Westmoor and Bendix.

The South Shore Line has reinvented itself so many times. There always seems to be something new. South Bend's new Airport alignment and station, station improvements continue, CTC signalling (although I do miss the "always on" ABS signals that gave more clues of train location). It is probably my favorite part of following the line ... keeping up with the changes.

justalurker66 wrote:I've been thinking about this thread ... picking A favorite is not easy.

South Bend's nasty cut back was eventually replaced by a nice airport terminal and (bad for operations but fun to watch) street side operation along Westmoor and Bendix.

In case you didn't know, up until about 1975, the tracks ran in the middle of Westmoor, and Bendix Dr. The tracks veered off Bendix Dr just before they crossed LWW. You can still see some remnants---You can see where the track joggles towards the side of Westmoor just west of Sheridan. Also, there's still some track visible at the turn from Westmoor to Bendix Dr. (At least a couple years ago it was still there.)

See bottom of this page for photos of Bendix street running:
http://www.yackalot.net/SLsouthshore.html

I remember the first time I rode South Shore. I was probrably about 4 or 5 so about '96-'97. I rode from Hyde Park to 11th st. I remember at Gary they still dropped the last car or 2 at Gary. I scored my first cab ride at this point. Fun times

Back in the middle 1960's, my girlfriend at the time and I rode the South Shore to Chicago to celebrate New Year's Eve. At that time, crowds gathered at State and Randolph to celebrate. Heading back to Hammond, the train was so crowded we had to ride in the baggage section of one of the combines. Now that was quite a ride.

Memories... with the South shore there are just too many... same could be said about my experiences on Metra and Amtrak but the SS has a certain status quote that is unmatched by other. Who, or what other passenger railroad in the US can say there were around in the early 1900s and still are around and operating under the same name today (I dont consider NICTD a name, I consider it governmental red tape !)

Growing up on the South side of Chicago Electric trains were my life, My only regret was I never got to ride on the Orange Cars, as a kid. The orange cars were still around but I was Chauffeur driven everywhere by my grandfather and only got to rail fan from a distance. I only got to ride trains with my mother and at best that was the CTA ( green Limo at the time). I remember Sunday brunch and fishing at wolf lake and directly afterword every weekend My grandfather would pack it up early to get me over to the SS line for a bit of rail fanning (hegewish was my spot ). I remember a few time being in the back of the Chevy Caprice wagon while my Grandfather drove down Brainard ave keeping pace with the orange cars so I could feel as if I was in a chase scene! GOOD TIMES, lord rest his soul ! I also remember a few time while fishing at Wolf lake a few freights running down not to reliable looking track in the middle of the lake and thinking to myself, THATS SO WICKED! I wish I was on a SS train going down the middle of that lake ( I was 5 or so). Ive tried to reenact that chase scene a number of time ( most recent june 09) with the new stainless steel equipment but it just does not feel the same. However my 3 year old son loves it ! another train man in the making.

There's an old story out there about an IHB train on the causeway, and the track was shot. The train rocked and rolled pretty badly, and a hopper full of grain derailed and went over. Grain spilled out the top and into the lake, and all the fish came up to feast.

Tadman,
Other than how it happened, its pretty funny. Wonder if the steelheads got bigger that year.

Thanks for the story Tadman, I never knew about that. However it doesn't surprise me, as A kid I use to watch trains rock and roll on the causeway every time they came through at a creep of maybe 10-20 mph max. It was a site to see. I wonder if there were any pics of the accident, I' ll surf the net looking for some now. That definitely would not be a place I'd want to see the new SS bi-levels have to travel on, but it would be so WICKED!