30 at Beulah
South Shore 30
Date:
Working westbound down Beulah Hill near Stahl's Crossing as it enters the tunnel of trees in the Beulah cut. Evident in this 1994 photo is the condition of the track prior to the 1996-7 reconstruction.
Car 30 is possibly the best example of an interurban coach currently at the Museum. Since it was never modernized by the South Shore Line, the style of the interior is a good snapshot of electric carbuilding at the height of the interurban era.
The high arching steel-panel ceiling and frosted-glass pendant light fixtures give the grand feeling of a spacious car, while the leatherette semi-bucket seats, mounted on swivel pedestals to allow forward-facing seating, were the last word in electric line luxury. Also still intact is the walk-around smoking compartment, wherein the aisle offsets to the side of the car to permit the closed, six-seat smoker. The original coal stove of the car heating system remains in place as well in a closet behind the #1 cab.
In the process of making the car operable on the East Troy line, the roofline was also brought back to its original shape by removing the pantagraph humps and horn fairings added as a modernizing makeover in the 1950's.
Car 30 is possibly the best example of an interurban coach currently at the Museum. Since it was never modernized by the South Shore Line, the style of the interior is a good snapshot of electric carbuilding at the height of the interurban era.
The high arching steel-panel ceiling and frosted-glass pendant light fixtures give the grand feeling of a spacious car, while the leatherette semi-bucket seats, mounted on swivel pedestals to allow forward-facing seating, were the last word in electric line luxury. Also still intact is the walk-around smoking compartment, wherein the aisle offsets to the side of the car to permit the closed, six-seat smoker. The original coal stove of the car heating system remains in place as well in a closet behind the #1 cab.
In the process of making the car operable on the East Troy line, the roofline was also brought back to its original shape by removing the pantagraph humps and horn fairings added as a modernizing makeover in the 1950's.
11 at Byrnes
South Shore 11
Date:
Chicago, South Shore, & South Bend interurban coach 11 rounding the curve eastbound east of Byrnes Street during a regular passenger run.
Coach 11 was at East Troy for 11 years, from 1987 until September, 2001, when it was traded to the Michigan Transportation Museum near Detroit for Chicago, North Shore, & Milwaukee RR coach 761. 11 departed on a very special lowboy truck, and part of it's trip was aboard the S.S. Badger, the former Chesapeake & Ohio Lake Michigan carferry.
Built 65 feet long, as were 9, 13, 21, 24, 25, 30, and combine 111, 11 and many of its sisters were sectioned and lengthened to 80 feet by the Michigan City Shops forces in the '40's and '50's, creating an 80-passenger coach well-suited to commuter duty between Gary and Chicago. Despite getting a dropped ceiling and more modern seats, 11 never received the fixed-sash picture windows and air conditioning many of the other CSS&SB coaches did, such as 24 and 25. It also features experimental trucks intended to reduce sway at higher speeds, the only one of the fleet to get them.
Coach 11 was at East Troy for 11 years, from 1987 until September, 2001, when it was traded to the Michigan Transportation Museum near Detroit for Chicago, North Shore, & Milwaukee RR coach 761. 11 departed on a very special lowboy truck, and part of it's trip was aboard the S.S. Badger, the former Chesapeake & Ohio Lake Michigan carferry.
Built 65 feet long, as were 9, 13, 21, 24, 25, 30, and combine 111, 11 and many of its sisters were sectioned and lengthened to 80 feet by the Michigan City Shops forces in the '40's and '50's, creating an 80-passenger coach well-suited to commuter duty between Gary and Chicago. Despite getting a dropped ceiling and more modern seats, 11 never received the fixed-sash picture windows and air conditioning many of the other CSS&SB coaches did, such as 24 and 25. It also features experimental trucks intended to reduce sway at higher speeds, the only one of the fleet to get them.