Broadway Limited vs. 20th Century

[K4sPRR]

wjstix

I have heard that part of the difference in patronage came from the New York Central being more connected with New York City - it's headquarters were there, and it's advertising stressed the ease of travel for businessmen leaving the city for Chicago (or points in between). The Broadway was apparently seen by many in the traveling public as a Philadelphia train, and of course the Pennsy was headquartered there. Both great trains, but sometimes people's perceptions are more important than the reality.

 

True and somewhat the intention of the PRR to associate it with Philly.

After WWI and the reinstatement of the Broadway it did, as mentioned, lose some of its momentum.  In 1925 the PRR instituted a program that targeted westbound travelers for the Broadway, particularly those from Philadelphia (and to some degree Washington D.C.). The campaign advertising stressed the "broad way" of the four track main from Philly. Westbound trains were also equipped with complimentary items that stressed this theme, such as postcards, notepaper, etc., that had the two word spelling of Broad Way, unlike the the eastbound that still used the traditional one word version.

Travel from Chicago recovered faster and the railroad felt there was no need for any targeted advertising.  The Philly based campaign would last into the early 1930's where once again the ridership was falling off due to the depression.  It was this campaign that years later started the rumor that the Broadway's name was due to the four track mainline.  

The "Broad Way" theme was also used in advertising for the PRR's train/plane experiment during this same time period.

    

[wanswheel]

[Redwards]

The Broadway picked up some patronage in its last decade after the NYC moved to add coaches to the 20th Century Limited in 1958.  From Karl Zimmerman's article "The end of the all-Pullman Limiteds" in Summer 2008 Classic Trains:

"Ironically, the Broadway enjoyed perhaps its finest hour in the decade before being stripped of its all Pullman cachet.  Prior to that, it had sailed in the shadow of its direct rival, NYC's 20th Century Limited.  After April 1958, however, when NYC combined the Commodore Vanderbilt (already with coaches) and the Century, PRR's all Pullman Broadway finally had its day in the sun...Marketing became more aggressive, capitalizing on the train now being the only all-Pullman New York to Chicago service.  In the first year, Broadway ridership jumped 14%, reversing a downward trend."

--Reed

[wjstix]

wanswheel

 

Note that it is the "Broad Way Limited", referring to PRR's broad four-track mainline. The train name had nothing to do with New York City's Broadway theater district.

[RME]

wjstix

Note that it is the "Broad Way Limited", referring to PRR's broad four-track mainline. The train name had nothing to do with New York City's Broadway theater district.

It didn't ... by then.  Go back and re-read the quote from the PRR passenger agent that Mike (wanswheel) found.

It's pretty clear that the "Broadway" was originally given that name to identify it with New York City, and that it was differentiated later ... for some reason.  I can think of several potential ones, but don't know the "right" ones.  This certainly shows the importance of reading and understanding the primary sources in understanding the history of situations like this...

[wanswheel]

Pennsylvania Special was still the train's name in MCMX, but PRR was already giving regards to Broadway.

[Miningman]

Fabulous wanswheel! That would appear to settle things...have never seen this one before. Thanks 

[wanswheel]

Of course the word (or words) Broadway goes back to the Dutch. This picture is in the book about the artist Grif Teller.

https://books.google.com/books?id=6sZVp41FVOsC&pg=PA84&dq=%22one+afternoon+in+the+summer+of+1927+grif+teller%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjMpqiN9dnMAhWMWz4KHW3rDEYQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=%22one%20afternoon%20in%20the%20summer%20of%201927%20grif%20teller%22&f=true

[henry6]

Unless one was riding all the way between NY and Chicago or Chicago and NY, it didn't matter as all intermediate stops were different.  But note, too, "cooperation" was not a word to be used but rather in the spirit (and business of) "competition" would be more applicable.   Both trains served their respective railroads and respective clientle well. 

[daveklepper]

By the time I first rode both trains, on a round-trip to Chicago in connection with work on McCormick Place in 1959, the two railroads were cooperating to the extent that you could get a round-trip rate going one way on one and returning on the other, which indeed I did.