Broadway Limited

This article is about the train. For the 1941 film, seeBroadway Limited (film).For the episode of Boardwalk Empire, seeBroadway Limited (Boardwalk Empire).

TheBroadway Limitedwas apassenger trainoperated by thePennsylvania Railroad(PRR) betweenNew York CityandChicago.It operated from 1912 to 1995. It was the Pennsylvania's premier train, competing directly with theNew York Central Railroad's20th Century Limited.TheBroadway Limitedcontinued operating after the formation ofPenn Central(PC) in February 1968, one of the few long-distance trains to do so. PC conveyed the train toAmtrakin 1971, who operated it until 1995. The train's name referred not toBroadwayinManhattan,but rather to the "broad way" of PRR'sfour-track right-of-wayalong the majority of its route.

Broadway Limited

The AmtrakBroadway LimitedatLewistownin 1991
Overview
Predecessor	Pennsylvania Special
First service	November 14, 1912
Last service	September 9, 1995
Successor	Three Rivers
Former operator(s)	Pennsylvania Railroad(1912–1968) Penn Central(1968–1971) Amtrak(1971–1995)
Route
Termini	New York, New York Chicago, Illinois
Distance travelled	907.7 miles (1,460.8 km)
Service frequency	Daily
Line(s) used	Main Line (Pennsylvania Railroad)
On-board services
Seating arrangements	no coach; allPullman car
Sleeping arrangements	roomettes,double bedrooms, compartments
Catering facilities	dining car
Baggage facilities	none (1954, 1964)
Technical
Timetable number(s)	28: eastbound, 29: westbound

History

Pennsylvania Railroad

TheBroadway Limitedin the early 1920s.

Broadway Limited
0 mi 0 km New York New York New Jersey 10.0 mi 16.1 km Newark New Jersey Pennsylvania 85.9 mi 138.2 km North Philadelphia 111.4 mi 179.3 km Paoli 194.6 mi 313.2 km Harrisburg 325.4 mi 523.7 km Altoona 439.3 mi 707 km Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Ohio 628.1 mi 1010.8 km Crestline Ohio Indiana 759.7 mi 1222.6 km Fort Wayne Indiana Illinois 900.7 mi 1449.5 km Englewood 907.7 mi 1460.8 km Chicago Union Station

ThePennsylvania Specialwas one of nine express trains thePennsylvania Railroad(PRR) operated between New York City and Chicago. On November 14, 1912, PRR renamed it theBroadway Limited,to avoid confusion with the similarly-namedPennsylvania Limited.The name, though spelled as "Broadway", honored PRR's four-track "broad way" main line.In the heavyweight era theBroadway Limitedwas an extra-fare, all sleeper (no coach service) train with an open-platform observation car at the end, such asContinental HallandWashington Hall.The scheduled running time was 20 hours until it was reduced to 18 hours in 1932. Further reductions took place between 1932 and 1935, with the final heavyweight running time at 16 hours, 30 minutes.

On June 15, 1938, theBroadway Limitedreceived lightweightstreamlined carsto replace its heavyweight steel cars; on the same day rivalNew York Central Railroad's (NYC)20th Century Limitedwas streamlined.Raymond Loewystyled the new cars and thePRR GG1electric locomotive as well as some streamlined steam locomotives for PRR, notably theS1andT1 Duplexdrive engines. TheBroadway Limitedwas one of four pre-World War IIPRR trains to receive such equipment; the others being theGeneral(New York–Chicago),Spirit of St. Louis(New York–St. Louis), andLiberty Limited(Washington–Chicago). Other PRR trains continued to use heavyweight cars until after the end of World War II. Most of the 1938 cars were built new byPullman-Standardbetween March and May of that year, but thediners,RPOandbaggage carswere rebuilt from heavyweight cars by the railroad'sAltoona shops.TheBroadway Limitedwas the only PRR train to be completely re-equipped with lightweight sleeping cars before World War II.The train's running time was further reduced to 16 hours.

Equipment and services on theBroadway Limitedin the 1920s.

In 1949, PRR re-equipped theBroadway Limitedagain with new streamlined equipment. The all-sleeper train carried compartments, bedrooms, duplex rooms, roomettes for a single occupant and drawing rooms for three persons. The buffet-lounge-observation cars built by Pullman Standard were namedMountain ViewandTower View.They had squared-off observation ends, instead of the tapered or rounded ends in the 1938 version, and contained two master rooms with radio and showers.

The Broadway Limited1928

Also introduced was a twin-unit dining car and a mid-train lounge car, such asHarbor Rest,described by a PRR brochure as "cheerful, spacious... richly appointed for leisure with deep, soft carpets... latest periodicals are in the libraries."The February 1956Official Guidelisted the westboundBroadway Limited(Train 29) consist as having fourteen cars normally assigned: nine sleeping cars between New York and Chicago, one additional sleeping car from New York continuing through to Los Angeles on theSanta Fe'sSuper Chief,the twin-unit dining car, lounge car, and observation car. The train departed New York at 6:00 p.m.Eastern Timeand arrived at Chicago the following morning at 9:00 a.m.Central Time.

TheBroadway Limitedwas not immune to the decline in passenger rail transport, though it resisted longer than most. The competitor20th Century Limitedbegan carrying coaches in 1957.The PRR in October 1957 eliminated the train's transcontinental sleeping cars connecting with the originalCalifornia Zephyrand the Santa Fe'sSuper Chief.Factors in the termination were declining ridership, and in the case of theSuper Chiefthe time-consuming transfer of a sleeping car between Union Station, which the PRR used, and Dearborn Station, which the Santa Fe used.In late 1967, when theIllinois Central Railroad'sPanama Limitedalso began carrying coaches, theBroadway Limitedbecame the last "all-Pullman" train in the United States, a distinction that did not last long.PRR merged theBroadway Limitedwith theGeneralon December 13, 1967. The train was one of the few long-distance trains to survive the merger of PRR and NYC into thePenn Central(PC).Also, the train began stopping at some smaller cities it had bypassed until then.

Amtrak

AmtrakBroadway Limited
0 mi 0 km New York NY NJ 10 mi 16 km Newark Penn 58 mi 93 km Trenton NJ PA North Philadelphia Bypassed 1980 91 mi 146 km Philadelphia 110 mi 177 km Paoli 158 mi 254 km Lancaster 195 mi 314 km Harrisburg 256 mi 412 km Lewistown 293 mi 472 km Huntingdon 327 mi 526 km Altoona 366 mi 589 km Johnstown 413 mi 665 km Greensburg 444 mi 715 km Pittsburgh PA OH pre-1990 route 518 mi 834 km Youngstown 571 mi 919 km Akron Canton–Akron Crestline Lima 682 mi 1098 km Fostoria OH IN 772 mi 1242 km Garrett Fort Wayne Warsaw 817 mi 1315 km Nappanee Valparaiso Gary Bypassed 1979 900 mi 1448 km Hammond–Whiting IN IL 915 mi 1473 km Chicago

Amtrak's incorporators selected theBroadway Limitedas the new company's sole New York–Chicago route. Amtrak'sBroadway Limitedhad aWashington, D.C.section east of Harrisburg that used thePort Road Branch.Amtrak refurbished the train in 1972, but the improvements did not persist. Author George H. Drury was critical in a 1974Trainsarticle: "In May 1972... [t]he train was as fresh and new as a spring bride. In December 1973 theBroadwaylooked as though Amtrak had found a mistress elsewhere. "In the 1970s, theBroadway Limitedexperienced chronic lateness due to poor track conditions in the Midwest. The route changed in 1979 when PC successorConrailabandoned trackage west ofYoungstown, Ohio.These changes included:

• A minor re-route over the ex-New York Central inGary, Indianain 1979.
• A major re-route over the ex-Baltimore and Ohio Railroad(B&O) in Indiana and Ohio, due to Conrail's desire to abandon part of the formerPittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway.This change took effect on November 10, 1990. This resulted inFort Wayne, Indianalosing service; a new station was built 25 miles (40 km) to the north inWaterloo,and was used by Amtrak'sCapitol Limited.The newBroadway Limitedroute also resulted in the restoration of service toAkron, OhioandYoungstown, Ohio.

Amtrak ultimately discontinued theBroadway Limitedon September 10, 1995, in the face of significant funding problems. TheBroadway Limitedthen earned $6.6 million against costs of $24 million. Amtrak replaced it with the all-coachThree Rivers,which would in turn be discontinued in 2005.

TheBroadway LimitedatFort Wayne, Indianain 1974.

Equipment

Sample consist #1

1938 equipment
City-series sleeping car (18 roomettes) Harbor-series sleeper-bar-lounge (2 double bedrooms) Heavyweightdining car Imperial-series sleeping car (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double bedrooms) County-series sleeping car (13 double bedrooms) View-series sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation (2 master rooms, 1 double bedroom)

TheMountain Viewsleeper-buffet-lounge-observation car atChicago'sUnion Stationin 1963

Pullman-Standardbuilt the entirety of the equipment pool for the 1938 lightweight re-equipping, with the exception of two dining cars which were rebuilt in PRR'sAltoona shops.The equipment delivered included eight 18-roomette sleeping cars; two sleeper-bar-lounges; four 4-compartment, 2-drawing room, 4-double bedroom sleeping cars; two 13-double bedroom sleeping cars; and twoView seriessleeper-buffet-lounge-observation cars. The dining car seated 24 at tables (in both 1x1 and 2x2 configurations) and featured a small bar at one end with seating for two. The sleeper-bar-lounge included a secretary's room, barber shop, shower-bath, and a bar/lounge with both booth and chair seating.

TheBroadway Limitedreceived additional Pullman equipment in 1949. This includedHarbor CoveandHarbor Rest,sleeper-bar-lounges with three double bedrooms, andMountain ViewandTower View,sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation cars with two master rooms and a double bedroom.TheBroadway Limitedreceived coaches for the first time in 1967, when it merged with theGeneral.Under PC the train carried "two or more coaches, two lounges, twin-unit diner, and four sleepers." This was better than most remaining passenger trains, which often had only two-three cars.

Sample consist #2

1949 equipment
Inn-series sleeping car (21 roomettes) Creek Series sleeping car (12 duplex bedrooms, 4 double bedrooms Imperial-series sleeping car (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double bedrooms) Harbor-series sleeper-bar-lounge (2 double bedrooms) Twin-unitdining car Rapids-series sleeping car (10 roomettes, 6 double bedrooms) View-series sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation (2 master rooms, 1 double bedroom)

Amtrak singled out theBroadway Limitedfor special treatment and in 1972 completely refurbished its equipment, most of which was ex-PC, although formerUnion Pacific Railroadsleeping cars were also used. Amtrak also added aSlumbercoachto the consist. In 1974 Amtrak tried out rebuilt 6-bedroom, 8-roomette ex-Rock Islandsleeping cars, but their limited capacity reduced revenue. TheBroadway Limitedbegan receiving rebuiltHeritage Fleetcars in 1980, andAmfleetcoaches thereafter.68 cars were rebuilt at a total cost of $9.8 million.

References

• Ball, Don Jr. (1986).The Pennsylvania Railroad 1940s–1950s.New York: W. W. Norton.ISBN0-393-02357-5.
• Johnston, Bob; Welsh, Joe; Schafer, Mike (2001).The Art of the Streamliner.New York: Metro Books.ISBN978-1-58663-146-8.
• Kratville, William W. (1962).Steam Steel and Limiteds. A Saga of the Great Varnish Era.Omaha, NE: Barnhart Press.OCLC1301983.
• Sanders, Craig (2006).Amtrak in the Heartland.Bloomington, Indiana:Indiana University Press.ISBN978-0-253-34705-3.
• Sanders, Craig (2003).Limiteds, Locals, and Expresses in Indiana, 1838–1971.Bloomington, Indiana:Indiana University Press.ISBN978-0-253-34216-4.
• Schafer, Mike;Welsh, Joe (1997).Classic American Streamliners.Osceola, Wisconsin:MotorBooks International.ISBN978-0-7603-0377-1.
• Wayner, Robert J., ed. (1972).Car Names, Numbers and Consists.New York: Wayner Publications.OCLC8848690.
• Welsh, Joe (2006).Pennsylvania Railroad's Broadway Limited.Saint Paul, MN:Voyageur Press.ISBN978-0-7603-2302-1.

External links

• Inside the Broadway Limitedpromotional booklet published by the Pennsylvania Railroad
• Amtrak route guide, 1977