North Shore Line 420

The Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee (commonly called the “North Shore Line”) operated between Chicago, IL and Milwaukee, WI. Between Chicago’s downtown Loop and the city’s northern boundary, North Shore trains ran over the Chicago Rapid Transit’s elevated line. Utilities magnate, Samuel Insull, acquired control of the North Shore in 1916 and made substantial improvements to the interurban’s track and rolling stock. Insull’s key improvement was construction of the high speed “Skokie Valley” line in 1926 which by-passed the slow route through suburbs close to Lake Michigan. In addition to operating dining cars, the North Shore Line also operated parlor car service. In 1928, the North Shore purchased 15 coaches, two dining cars (numbers 418 and 419) and parlor-observation No. 420 from Pullman. No. 420 was unpowered, with 16 pivoting arm chairs, 8 seats in a smoking compartment, washrooms, a kitchenette and an open observation platform. The car carried an orange and maroon livery, later replaced with a dark green paint scheme. In 1932, just four years after No. 420 entered service, the North Shore discontinued parlor service and stored No. 420. During World War II, vastly increased traffic from the Great Lakes Naval Station made additional capacity necessary. The North Shore removed car 420 from storage and remodeled it into a coach. The railroad removed the kitchenette, smoking compartment and bathrooms to give maximum seating capacity. A full vestibule replaced the observation platform, and controls were provided on both ends. Two motors and a switch group were installed, and 420 returned to service in 1943 as a very plain coach. Only its wide picture windows gave away its former life. No. 420 operated in suburban service until the North Shore’s abandonment in 1963. After the North Shore ended service in 1963, former North Shore employee John Horachek acquired coaches 420 and 755 as agent for Seashore. The two North Shore cars arrived at Seashore in 1966. Seashore has repainted No. 420 in green with red and gold trim, and the museum has done some other restoration work over the years. It is presently out of service with a motor problem. In 2015, the museum received a $10,000 matching grant from the Emery Rail Heritage Trust for restoration of No. 420