South Bend Electric Railway

The last remaining streetcar route in South Bend, Indiana was converted to bus nearly 80 years ago, but few are aware that an obscure rural streetcar line has been clattering through the outskirts of South Bend since 1987. Today, the privately owned SBER is one of only two electric railways carrying passengers in the State of Indiana, the other one being, of course, the South Shore Line. Bob Olson’s 18-inch gauge trolley line is ¼ mile long and its ‘substation’ is comprised of onboard 12 volt automotive batteries. He built nearly everything from scratch using salvaged materials and surplus mechanical and electrical parts. Rolling stock was inspired by NYC’s Third Avenue Railway. This video traces the history of the line, from construction of the first single-truck open car to present-day operations. Please forgive the rough spots; the early videos are copied from old camcorder tapes.