A one-of-a-kind paint job on Amtrak 4316 (ex-PC nee-PRR) captured by Roger Puta in Harrisburg, PA in August 1971. The story goes that Amtrak needed something
for publicity with its newly refurbished Broadway Limited so they cleaned up this black PC engine and added Amtrak graphics. Click to enlarge.
(Photo by Roger Puta, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
BROADWAY LIMITED (Amtrak)
Amtrak's incorporators selected the Broadway Limited as the new company's sole New York–Chicago route. Amtrak's Broadway Limited had a Washington, D.C. section east of Harrisburg that used the Port Road Branch. In the 1970s, the Broadway Limited experienced chronic lateness due to poor track conditions in the Midwest. The route changed in 1979 when PC successor Conrail abandoned trackage west of Youngstown, Ohio. These changes included:
A minor re-route over the ex-New York Central in Gary, Indiana in 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 former Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne and Chicago Railway. This change took effect on November 10, 1990. This resulted in Fort Wayne, Indiana losing service; a new station was built 25 miles (40 km) to the north in Waterloo, and was used by Amtrak's Capitol Limited. The new Broadway Limited route also resulted in the restoration of service to Akron, Ohio and Youngstown, Ohio.
Amtrak ultimately discontinued the Broadway Limited on September 10, 1995, in the face of significant funding problems. The Broadway Limited then earned $6.6 million against costs of $24 million. Amtrak replaced it with the all-coach Three Rivers, which would in turn be discontinued in 2005.
The eastbound Broadway Limited passes through Middletown station in April 1980. Click to enlarge. (Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The Broadway Limited switching between electric and diesel power at Harrisburg station in July 1978. (Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
The eastbound Broadway Limited at Lewistown station in September 1991. Click to enlarge. (Hikki Nagasaki, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Equipment
Amtrak singled out the Broadway Limited for special treatment and in 1972 completely refurbished its equipment, most of which was ex-PC, although former Union Pacific Railroad sleeping cars were also used. Amtrak also added a Slumbercoach to the consist. In 1974 Amtrak tried out rebuilt 6-bedroom, 8-roomette ex-Rock Island sleeping cars, but their limited capacity reduced revenue. The Broadway Limited began receiving rebuilt Heritage Fleet cars in 1980, and Amfleet coaches thereafter. 68 cars were rebuilt at a total cost of $9.8 million.
The eastbound Broadway Limited passes the former station at Plymouth, Indiana in July 1990. Click to enlarge
(Tim_kd5urs, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
The first Broadway Limited with Head-End Power (HEP) rather than steam heat departs Washington on March 19, 1980.
(Photo: William Kratville, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Route
0 mi / 0 km - New York
10 mi / 16 km - Newark Penn
58 mi / 93 km - Trenton
North Philadelphia (Bypasssed 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 (pre-1990 route)
518 mi / 834 km - Youngstown
571 mi / 919 km - Akron-Canton
682 mi / 1098 km - Fostoria
772 mi / 1242 km - Garrett-Fort Wayne-Warsaw
817 mi / 1315 km - Nappanee -Valparaiso; (Gary - Bypasssed 1979)
900 mi / 1448 km - Hammond–Whiting
915 mi / 1473 km - Chicago
Amtrak GP40TC No. 198 leads the westbound Broadway Limited across the diamond at Walkerton, Indiana in July 1991. Click image to enlarge. (Tim_kd5urs, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Amtrak's Broadway Limited in the wye at Perryville, Maryland for a crew change. It's about to leave the Port Road Branch and enter the Northeast Corridor. The locomotive is an ex-Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 in Amtrak livery. Click image to enlarge. (National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)