The South Shore was a traditional "Interurban" railroad - operating between cities like a steam powered railroad, but using electrically powered locomotives instead. This photo, taken forty years ago, shows the type of locomotive they used to pull freight trains. You'll notice that their rack ran down the middle of this street in the industrial part of town.

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Today the South Shore is operated as two separate companies. A Regional Transit Authority continues to operate electrically-powered passenger service to Chicago. A private company uses diesel locomotives to carry freight. The tracks on my photo have been replaced by tracks on the side of the road so that trains are no longer in the way.