A happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Thought I'd post some videos I've found over the years on YouTube of the North Shore and South Shore Lines. Enjoy the videos and turkey leftovers.

Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee:

Charles Whitcomb has posted several videos of the North Shore in color.

Charles Whitcomb's YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/charleyw1946

1. Edison Court Station, Part One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp6LpS4OBKw

2. Edison Court Station, Part Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROyzp57cwEU

3. Stored Equipment (Trailers) at Highwood: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBhCsDOXdT0

Additional Footage:

4. Charles E. Keevil's B&W footage of the North Shore from 1945: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27GwxWis-2g

5. Jeff Latz's B&W footage of the North Shore at Waukegan in 1961: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrC3jzix6mo

Chicago, South Shore & South Bend:

6. Charles E. Keevil's B&W footage of the South Shore from 1927: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_scPl8CNNM

7. Bill Warrick's South Shore Story, Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dad4i_lh0YU

8. Bill Warrick's South Shore Story, Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtc01mFjyoo

9. Bill Warrick's South Shore Story, Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LO-yDW8Otw

10. Introduction to "The Shore Shore Volume I" by Green Frog Videos, compiled from 8 MM & Super 8 taken by Roger M. Koenig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeFTGqF_pX8

11. Last Run of the Insull Era Cars 9-25-1983: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO0Cw-6hHJI

On the topic of Chicago interurbans:

The thread about the available Elgin, Joliet & Eastern SW-1 locomotive (here) made me look up some info on the EJ&E.
One photo I ran across was this one of the EJ&E crossing over the Chicago, Aurora & Elgin (note the energized third rail).
This crossing was at a location called, "Electric Junction". Neat station name, by the way.
Look at the cut stone blocks of the bridge abutments. Industrial construction has never been more attractive.
Anyway, the photo made me wonder if the CA&E had any at-grade crossings with other railroads,
and if so, how was the third rail dealt with?

http://www.ejearchive.com/page_photos_co_bridges1.html

The CA&E crossed the Illinois Central at grade in Elmhurst and I believe crossed the Burlington line to West Chicago at grade in Aurora; I can't think of other at-grade railroad crossings offhand but there may be one or two I'm forgetting. I don't have any photos handy but I believe that there was simply a gap in the third rail like at any road crossing.

Thanks. A simple gap makes sense.

Below, another CA&E crossing I just ran across. Some CGW spur apparently.

"Industrial spur from old CGW main crossing abandoned "CA&E" main just east of Mannheim Rd."

July 1972 by railsr4me, on Flickr

The crossing shown above was at Bellwood, for the Cook Country branch. The busiest at-grade crossing was with the CGW-B&OCT near Des Plaines. Both the CA&E and the rapid transit crossed the railroad at an angle.

And the gap in the third rail was handled with an extension cord. Each motor car had a long cable which could be connected by hand if a car became stalled in the gap for some reason. That must have been nerve-wracking.

The former location of the CGW-CA&E crossing in Bellwood is at coordinates 41°52'46.80" North by 87°52'56.02" West. Immediately adjacent to the east of Mannheim Road (US 20-US 45) between St. Paul Ave. and Warren Ave.