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Broadway Limited




" logos such as these often adorned the ends of observation cars on the ''Broadway Limited''.]]

The ''Broadway Limited'' was the Pennsylvania Railroad 's (PRR) premier named passenger train, operating one train daily in either direction between New York (or Washington, D.C. ) and Chicago . The ''Broadway'' ran from 1912 (although its train Nos. 28 and 29 operated from 1902 as the ''Pennsylvania Special'') and outlasted the Pennsylvania Railroad, operating under Amtrak until 1995 . The name referred not to Broadway in Manhattan , but rather to the "broad way" of the Pennsylvania Railroad's four-track right of way along a large portion of the route.


PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD'S ''BROADWAY LIMITED''


Equipment used

On June 15,1938, the ''Broadway Limited'' was completely re-equipped with lightweight steel cars to replace its heavyweight steel cars. This was the same date that new, streamlined equipment made its debut on rival New York Central's "Twentieth Century Limited." The new equipment's industrial design was a product of Raymond Loewy , who also designed the PRR GG1 electric locomotive as well as some streamlined steam locomotives for the PRR . This train was only one of several pre- World War II trains to receive such an equipment investment; other PRR trains used heavyweight cars until after the War. Most of the equipment in the 1938 upgrade was built new by Pullman-Standard between March and May of that year, but the diners, RPO and baggage cars were rebuilt from heavyweight cars by the railroad's Altoona shops. The 1938 consist included the following equipment:

  • sleeper (18 roomettes), one of 8 cars named ''City of Baltimore'', ''City of Cincinnati'', ''City of Columbus'', ''City of New York'', ''City of Philadelphia'', ''City of Pittsburgh'', ''City of St. Louis'' or ''City of Washington''.

  • sleeper-lounge (2 double bedrooms, secretary's room, barber shop, shower-bath, bar/lounge), either ''Harbor Point'' or ''Harbor Springs''.

  • diner, a heavyweight car rebuilt at the Altoona shops.

  • sleeper (4 compartments, 2 drawing rooms, 4 double bedrooms), one of four cars named ''Imperial Park'', ''Imperial Pass'', ''Imperial Plateau'' or ''Imperial Point''.

  • sleeper (13 double bedrooms), either ''Allegheny County'' or ''New York County''.

  • sleeper-buffet-lounge-observation (2 master rooms, 1 double bedroom), '' Metropolitan View '', ''Skyline View''.


The new, streamlined equipment traversed the 900.7 miles between New York and Chicago in 16 hours: the same timing as the New York Central's "Twentieth Century Limited." Though the Pennsylvania's route
was 60 miles shorter, slower speeds across the Allegheny Mountains
between Altoona and Pittsburgh, PA equalized the two trains' times.


Sample Consist


Westbound train #29 - Broadway Limited; sampled at Alliance, Ohio on 1941-11-13 Wayner Publications; Robert J. Wayner; ''Passenger Train Consists; 1923 - 1973 ''. P.21.

  • Locomotive: Class K4s ( 4-6-2 PACIFIC) Locomotive PRR 5147.

  • Class MB Baggage-Mail Car: PRR 5247

  • Class BE Baggage-Express Car: PRR 6051.


  • Class CS Baggage-Club Car: NYC '''VAN TWILLER'''.


  • Class PS Sleeper (18 Roomettes) '''CITY OF FORT WAYNE'''.

  • Class PSL Sleepers (2 Double Bedrooms; Buffet Lounge) '''HARBOR POINT'''.

  • Class DA Diners; PRR 4512.

  • Class PS Sleeper (4 Double Bedrooms; 4 Compartments; 2 Drawing Rooms); '''IMPERIAL CREST'''.

  • Class PS Sleepers (13 Double Bedrooms); '''HAMILTON COUNTY'''.

  • Class PSO Sleeper-Buffet-Lounge-Observation (2 Master Rooms; 1 Double Bedroom); '''METROPOLITAN VIEW'''.


Westbound train #29 - Broadway Limited; sampled at Newark, New Jersey on 1924-07-02 Wayner Publications; Robert J. Wayner; ''Passenger Train Consists; 1923 - 1973 ''. P.4.

  • Locomotive: Class K4s ( 4-6-2 PACIFIC) Locomotive PRR 5375.

  • Class MA Railway Post Office Car: PRR 9760

  • Class CS Baggage-Club Car: PRR '''TOMS RIVER'''.

  • Class PS Sleeper: (12 Sections; 1 Drawing Room) '''FREDERICKTOWN'''.

  • Class PS Sleepers: (12 Sections; 1 Drawing Room; 1 Compartment) '''ZENO'''; '''DEMOSTHENES'''.

  • Class DA Diners; PRR 4486.

  • Class PS Sleeper (12 Sections; 1 Drawing Room; 1 Compartment); '''STRABO'''.

  • Class PS Sleepers (7 Compartments; 2 Drawing Rooms); '''GLEN FINLAS'''.

  • Class PO Sleeper-Lounge-Observation (6 Compartments); '''PITCAIRN'''.



Station stops



Station Stops, 1958


In much earlier days, cars from PRR's Exchange Place terminal in Jersey City were added at Newark. Passengers from the Hudson And Manhattan Railroad 's Hudson Terminal could transfer to these cars, and connections from Hudson Terminal were listed in PRR timetables.


AMTRAK'S ''BROADWAY LIMITED''

When into Chicago . In 1995 the ''Broadway Limited'' ended service, though it was briefly brought back as the '' Three Rivers ''. In 1999 the ''Three Rivers'' service was discontinued by Amtrak west of Pittsburgh, and later renamed the ''Pennsylvanian'', which operates as a daylight coach and snack-car service subsidized by the State of Pennsylvania.


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