Equipment Information

North Shore Line 218 is an electric freight motor that was built to carry small freight shipments (known as LCL, or Less-than-Car-Load, freight) between Chicago and Milwaukee. During the 1950s and early 1960s it was used by the North Shore Line as a “sleet cutter” to chip ice from the trolley wire during winter storms.

Builder: Cincinnati Car Company
Year Built: 1922
Length: 50ft
Width: 9ft
Height: 12ft 4in
Weight: 74000 lbs
Brakes: AMU
Motors: 2 WH 557R5
Control: HLF-28A3
Compressor: DH-25
Trucks: Baldwin 78-35AA
Description: Double End / Double Truck / Wood Box
Arrived: 1963
Condition: Complete / cosmetically restored / not operational

Photo gallery

Ownership History
1922-1963 – Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee
1963-present – Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL

Click to return to Electric Freight Equipment list
Click to return to main roster page