The Earliest South Shore Line out of Chicago

Shame Gary Union Station is abandoned. At one point in time, you could take a direct train from there all the way to Jersey City. Funnily enough, the eastern end of this service (when it was B&O) is also not used for trains anymore, the Communipaw Terminal. As it was incorporated into Liberty State Park. Though unlike Gary Union Station, the Communipaw Terminal was renovated, though the shed with all the tracks is abandoned. Liberty State Park is my personal favorite urban park. Besides the terminal, it has a science museum with a cool planetarium, perfect bird-watching place, and you get great views of the harbor (especially a close-up of both Ellis Island and Liberty Island; shame the public can't access the Ellis Island bridge). Historically it was the site of one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history in 1916 where the Germans sabotaged supplies being sent to the Allies. This was one of the reasons for the US entering WWI. It also means something for my family because when the park opened on July 4th, 1976, they got the boy and girl scouts of the city to raise 50 US flags. My uncle raised the one in front of the Interpretive Center and the flagpole is still there today! It's incredible how all of that was once industrial land.

When Dunkin' is closed....sounds like a nightmare in the making for Bostonians! Pigeons being train fans doesn't surprise me as the bird is the word! It's a shame that people treat them like pests, as pigeons are war heroes! Pigeons are the ones that received the most Dickin Medals, with 32 of them being awarded for helping the Allies. One even saved a RAF bomber crew in 1942! The South Shore Line is very interesting, and it's great that they upgraded the machines! Appreciate the dedication of waking up this early for us! Millennium Station reminds me of NY Penn, specifically pre-Moynihan Penn since you just feel like you're in a basement. Now NY Penn is more of a mix between Union and Millennium.

That's an ungodly hour!I sometimes had to be at work at 0530 and you knew how early it was when people were still going home after a night out on the town!

Gonna be taking this route from Michigan city and back this Tuesday.

I kinda love the bell that rings when the doors close

More videos like this please.... I love the commute from Michigan City to Chicago and back.❤ Every time is like the first and always enjoyable.... Thanks for posting!!!

The South Shore Line was a "must do" for me during my time in Chicago back in October 1995. Went all the way to South Bend Airport and spent a couple of hours in Michigan City photographing the 11th Street on-street running and checking out the discount markets.🙂

I still remember when South Shore trains went all the way to downtown South Bend. My late aunt remembered that when my mother's family arrived in South Bend in 1949, trains ran every hour to Chicago. You didn't even need a timetable; if you missed a train, there would be another one.

Super cool 😎 Greetings from South Florida

6:46 looked like a train was about to crash in the other train 😂

For anybody trying to transfer between the red line and either SSL or Metra Electric, you actually can get between the Lake red line and Millenium Station via the pedway, and there's a section along the way with a bunch of really cool stained glass. I think it's a fun little Easter egg for anybody making the transfer.

This is the last train of its type in the country! (Electric interurban) Its wonderful its still operating and even expanding

I have a flight from O’hare to South Bend to reschedule because I’m planning to do it in early June when I’m in town and then I plan to take the south shore line back with a stop in Dune Park to go to Chesterton because I want to spend some of the day there. And when I say reschedule, I mean that I was actually supposed to go on that short flight back in December but this coming June is when I can do it at the earliest according to my schedule.

Glad I found this video. Now I know what to do. Have not been on a train since the IC back in the 70's. I drive for Uber and Lyft on the south side and always taking people to and from the South Shore in Hegewisch, Hammond, Gary. Thought I would take a ride on the South Shore soon just to get out and be on a train again and see things from a different perspective and do something different. Thanks for the video ! I was kind of looking to see how to buy the tickets and stuff so I don't look all crazy trying to figure it out. Simple and easy. Thanks !

Very nice! I would never be lost in Chicago with you around.

Looks quite the improvement from what I remember from my early childhood there in the late 1950's and early 1960's

I do a very similar trip from Phoenix Az to East Chicago Indiana. I take the Red Eye from Phoenix to ORD. I get 3 hours sleep. It arrives in Chicago at 6 AM. Then I take the Blue CTA to downtown. I then use the walk to Van Buren to help wake up, then the South Shore Line to East Chicago. During winter months I can do the trip from Phoenix to East Chicago for $50 each way.

'I am right where I need to be, here in Gary' Thom, Trains are Awesome - 27/4/23 Another great video mate, the things you do for our entertainment 🙂

This line needs 24 hr food and snack cafes and coffee😊

Great job man