South Bend, IN
Studebaker's facilities in the town were saved by AMC when the company was bought out in 1959. As part of a plan to try and expand their business scope by using the plants.
What also helped around the same time, New York Central had finally gone through with giving up its own passenger service for co-operation with Amtrak and various regional operations. Among the first examples of this was the use of DMUs from Chicago to Detroit via Toledo which directly went though the city. These services were fast and able to quickly let people get to South Bend from Chicago. Especially those who moved from Chicago during the urban rehabilitation of the 1970s but wanted to remain close to the Windy City.
The Catholic Church and its numerous institutions in the area have also been major since the 1950s. Many clergy were sent to support the desegregation movement in the south. Which in turns led to many Catholic converts, such as boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, who as a result of his conversion to Catholicism took up the name Peter Benedict. Even today, South Bend is almost a Catholic paradise. Social conservatism is very much the norm, though there are nonetheless strong unions, strong affordable safety nets, and everyone is equal.
The old Studebaker facilities there are an integral part of AMC's facilities. The primary Studebaker plant was rebuilt into an engineering center for AMC in the 1980s, and its engine factory, body assembly plant and administration rebuilding all being rebuilt as part of the complex. Today the new South Bend Power Assembly makes engines for AMC and Renault.
The former factory location in the 21st Century became hot property after the creation of the Koveleski Baseball Park for the city's Silverhawk minor league team. but even more so when the Amtrak Midwest HSR line from Chicago eastward was completed in 2013. There are fewer auto industry jobs there than there once was, but the ones that remain are excellent choices, and in recent times the presence of the HSR and the Lake Shore commuter trains has allowed the South Bend-Mishawaka-Notre Dame-Elkhart area to be more connected to Chicago than before. As the HSR between South Bend and Chicago takes just over 45 minutes on a good day.
In addition to the aforementioned auto building and Catholicism, the area is also a popular place for rail enthusiasts. Here, the New York Central, Amtrak Midwest, and Lake Shore commuter line all share a "Steel Interstate" all the way to Chicago. A fully electrified series of lines that allows trains to travel at lows of 70 mph. In addition, the NYC Museum in Elkhart has one of the most famous preserved rail collections in the Midwest. With them also operating NYC steamers like 4-8-4 #6012, 4-8-2 #3113 and 4-6-4 #5405, all three of which often operate from Elkhart to Chicago via South Bend on weekend excursions.
Special thanks to @TheMann for being generous with ideas I could use.
Studebaker's facilities in the town were saved by AMC when the company was bought out in 1959. As part of a plan to try and expand their business scope by using the plants.
What also helped around the same time, New York Central had finally gone through with giving up its own passenger service for co-operation with Amtrak and various regional operations. Among the first examples of this was the use of DMUs from Chicago to Detroit via Toledo which directly went though the city. These services were fast and able to quickly let people get to South Bend from Chicago. Especially those who moved from Chicago during the urban rehabilitation of the 1970s but wanted to remain close to the Windy City.
The Catholic Church and its numerous institutions in the area have also been major since the 1950s. Many clergy were sent to support the desegregation movement in the south. Which in turns led to many Catholic converts, such as boxer Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, who as a result of his conversion to Catholicism took up the name Peter Benedict. Even today, South Bend is almost a Catholic paradise. Social conservatism is very much the norm, though there are nonetheless strong unions, strong affordable safety nets, and everyone is equal.
The old Studebaker facilities there are an integral part of AMC's facilities. The primary Studebaker plant was rebuilt into an engineering center for AMC in the 1980s, and its engine factory, body assembly plant and administration rebuilding all being rebuilt as part of the complex. Today the new South Bend Power Assembly makes engines for AMC and Renault.
The former factory location in the 21st Century became hot property after the creation of the Koveleski Baseball Park for the city's Silverhawk minor league team. but even more so when the Amtrak Midwest HSR line from Chicago eastward was completed in 2013. There are fewer auto industry jobs there than there once was, but the ones that remain are excellent choices, and in recent times the presence of the HSR and the Lake Shore commuter trains has allowed the South Bend-Mishawaka-Notre Dame-Elkhart area to be more connected to Chicago than before. As the HSR between South Bend and Chicago takes just over 45 minutes on a good day.
In addition to the aforementioned auto building and Catholicism, the area is also a popular place for rail enthusiasts. Here, the New York Central, Amtrak Midwest, and Lake Shore commuter line all share a "Steel Interstate" all the way to Chicago. A fully electrified series of lines that allows trains to travel at lows of 70 mph. In addition, the NYC Museum in Elkhart has one of the most famous preserved rail collections in the Midwest. With them also operating NYC steamers like 4-8-4 #6012, 4-8-2 #3113 and 4-6-4 #5405, all three of which often operate from Elkhart to Chicago via South Bend on weekend excursions.
Special thanks to @TheMann for being generous with ideas I could use.
Last edited: