Chicago Short Line

Company History: Formally known as the Chicago & Indiana Harbor Railway, this 28 mile line runs from the Calumet District in south Chicago, Illinois to Indiana Harbor, Indiana. For many years the line was owned by LTV Steel and its predecessors and in fact most of the switching operations are inside the steel mill complexes. For Chicago railfans, coming across a CSL train out in the open is a real find.

The diesel fleet is a quartet of EMD switchers. You’ll notice that these switchers is very clean, especially considering the steel mill environs. That’s no accident. CSL locomotives are washed routinely and hand waxed!

In 2002, the CSL became the South Chicago & Indiana Harbor Railway but the equipment is still painted in Chicago Short Line colors, sometimes with a small change to the little logos. It is currently owned by International Steel Group.

Successor/Parent History: The South Chicago and Indiana Harbor Railway (reporting mark SCIH), owned by Mittal Steel Company (originally the International Steel Group), is the former Chicago Short Line Railway which operates 27 miles (43 km) of track between Chicago, Illinois and East Chicago, Indiana.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.