The 'Liner

On a brisk afternoon in the mid-1950's, the silence of the day in Southern Wisconsin is broken by a blur of Salmon and Turquoise.

That blur is the Electroliner, one of 2 built for the North Shore in 1941 by the St. Louis Car Company. The pair of trains made 5 round trips a day between Chicago and Milwaukee at the blistering time of 1 hour and 50 minutes. They ran from 1941 until abandonment of the North Shore on January 21, 1963. Both trainsets are preserved today.

As a side note, this is the first artwork I've done where I've purposely left off the lineart. I may or may not do more like this in the future.

Until next time,
Zach

New Stuff

Some new stuff has cropped up in my art folder in the past few weeks.

First is a CA&E Pullman. Why? Because Pullmans are awesome.

Second is this, which I have rediscovered, (Again). It's another pullman car, except this one's a CSL streetcar. This was about the second drawing I started on the tablet and I never got around to finishing it. Someday, I WILL finish it, I promise!

Train time at 6th and Clybourn

On a summer afternoon in the late 1950's, CNS&M car 749 leads a Chicago Limited out of the railroad's Milwaukee Terminal. Car 749 is of course preserved at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL.

Go By Road They Say...

It's safer that way!




















A little homage to the Film "Titfield Thunderbolt", a 1953 Ealing Studios comedy which features this Great Western 14xx, number 1401. The GWR 14xx's have to be up there as one of my favorite engines.

In other news, I've broken this art block! Expect regular (if it can be considered regular) programming soon.

Until next time,
Zach

Batavia Junction 1949

On a fine summer night, a proud crew poses with their late night CA&E local from Aurora at Batavia Junction. Car 308 leads an unidentified second car.

Full size image can be found here: http://nsl714.deviantart.com/art/Late-Night-Train-at-Batavia-Junction-305619263

Until next time,
Zach
 

Oh Look! Some New Art!

Apologies for a lack of presence lately, but school has been heck. I hope to have more stuff to show soon. As a consolation, have something I finished a little while ago, CSS&SB 1100, their (in)famous Line Car.

Until next time,

Zach

A Correction

A few weeks ago, I was contacted about my drawing of 768 at Sheridan Elms. As it turns out, 768 was not the stripless car, but it was 763, the next to last Silverliner. The Story goes that 763 was trialled without the stripes as a cost-cutting measure when it was first outshopped on March 20th, 1958. The general opinion was that the car looked unfinished, so it went back into the paintshop in early May, and on May 13th, it rolled out of Highwood a full Silverliner.

Sorry for any confusion.
Zach

The Oddball

In the name of historical accuracy, CNS&M 768 has lost its stripes.

Earlier this week, when I first posted this drawing, a discussion arose on the Yahoo group for the CNS&M. The question was posed, "What else did the Lake Forest Man notice about the rear car?" Well it turns out that When the North Shore redid 768 as a Silverliner, they decided to cut the shadow striping from the side in an effort to save money. The result is above. It just doesn't look right, and needless to say, it was taken back to Highwood for finishing soon after.

Until next time,
Zach

A Saturday Morning Drive

On Saturday, June 28^th 1958, a local Lake Forest man is out for a morning drive in his 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air. As he drives west on Old Elm Road, he approaches the right of way of the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad. Suddenly, the wig wag signal guarding Old Elm Road swings into action and an air horn can be heard in the distance. As the man stops a blur of silver and red bursts out from behind the Sheridan Elms station, and charges past. The man takes note of a particularly clean car on the end of the train as it disappears into a trail of dust. The wig wag stops swinging, and the man continues on his drive into the quietness of Saturday morning.

The man saw car 768, built by Standard Car Company in 1930. It was rebuilt as a Silverliner by  the CNS&M’s Highwood Shops and released into traffic the previous Tuesday, June 24^th 1958. It would be the final of 31 cars rebuilt as Silverliners by the North Shore in the 1950’s. Also in the train is car 750, rebuilt as a Silverliner in December 1952 and looking a little worse for wear. It would be repainted in 1959.

Until Next Time,

Zach