SSL Overview

View looking south toward crossing gates and a gas station

This view looks south across the former South Shore Line spur into South Bend Sand & Gravel. In the distance is busy Lincolnway Way West. The track on the right or west belongs to NICTD and it will continue onto the South Bend airport station. This track now used by NICTD at one time was also used by freight trains of the South Shore to reach an industrial park alongside Bendix Drive.

Close-up view of spur and crossing gate.

Another view of the former spur into South Bend Gravel.

Picture of industrial switcher.

Industrial locomotive once used by South Bend Sand & Gravel on display alongside Bendix Drive and the NICTD line to the South Bend airport.

Picture of industrial switcher.

Ripped out grade crossing.

Remains of grade crossing of the South Shore where it crossed North Kenmore Street in an industrial park west of Bendix Drive and southeast of the airport. The South Shore serviced the Hedwin Corporation in this area which received plastic pellets.

Ties without rails.

Another remnant of the South Shore track that serviced the industrial park near the airport. This view looks west from North Kenmore.

Curved track under wires.

South Shore and later NICTD track. Originally built by the South Shore to reach freight customers and later used by NICTD to access the South Bend airport terminal. The former Bendix factory-a South Shore customer at one time-is in the background.

Old brick building.

Art deco front of former Bendix headquarters, now part of Bosch. It’s future is uncertain as of 2014 as parts of this historic auto parts manufacturing facility are demolished.

Diverging tracks with white ballast and orange backhoe in the distance.

The track on the left or south was the former South Shore lead to its original downtown South Bend station and coach yard as well as multiple freight customers. The track on the right was used to service Bendix. In later years the South Shore successor freight operator used it to store coal hoppers. When passenger service was cut back to a new building shared with Amtrak in 1971 on the outskirts of west South Bend the track on the left became the track to reach the new station at Meade and Washington. After NICTD relocated to the South Bend airport terminal in the 1990s Amtrak continues to use this station.

Criss-crossing tracks.

Former Conrail/NYC track that crossed the South Shore to reach Bendix. Bendix (now Bosch) is no longer rail served.

Track with white ballast and orange backhoe in background.

Former South Shore track that serviced Bendix.

Train station by track.

This train station served both the South Shore Line after it abandoned its trackage into downtown South Bend in 1971 as well as Amtrak. The track that goes alongside the station at one time continued on into downtown South Bend along street trackage for much of its route. The station today continues to serve as Amtrak’s South Bend station. Amtrak runs on the former NYC tracks to the right or south on today’s NS.