Manhattan Limited
Encyclopedia
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
which served the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
—New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
route.
History
The Manhattan Limited was originally the Seashore Limited, an eastbound-only train which was renamed in 1903. The Manhattan Limited became a westbound train as well in 1913 with the renaming of the Chicago LimitedChicago Limited
The Chicago Limited was the name of several named passenger trains in the United States:*the Chicago Limited , operated by the Chicago and North Western Transportation Company between Chicago and Duluth, Minnesota...
. Both trains then ran with all-Pullman
Pullman (car or coach)
In the United States, Pullman was used to refer to railroad sleeping cars which were built and operated on most U.S. railroads by the Pullman Company from 1867 to December 31, 1968....
consists.
The Manhattan Limited served as an alternative to the Broadway Limited
Broadway Limited
The Broadway Limited was the Pennsylvania Railroad's premier named passenger train, operating daily in each direction between New York City and Chicago, via North Philadelphia. It replaced its predecessors, the Pennsylvania Limited and the Pennsylvania Special...
. The Broadway Limited was a sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
passenger train, although there was dining accommodations on the train. As with the Broadway, the Manhattan Limited departed New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
en route for Union Station
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
in Chicago, Illinois. The train also carried more second and third class passengers while first class passengers took the Broadway Limited. The Manhattan Limited was late to receive streamlined equipment; as late as 1941 it carried just one lightweight 10-5 sleeper.
The train was powered by a GG1 locomotive between New York and Harrisburg. As with the Broadway Limited, it changed locomotives at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
. The famous class K4s took the train the rest of the way. After 1957, when the Pennsylvania Railroad replaced steam locomotives in favor of the new and less costly diesels, the Manhattan Limited was no exception to dieselization, the Pennsylvania Railroad placed in charge of the train, tuscan red EMD E8
EMD E8
The EMD E8 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E8A, was manufactured from August, 1949 to December, 1953, and 449 were produced – 446 for U.S., and 3 for Canada...
passenger diesels.
The eastbound Manhattan Limited received the Pittsburgher's sleepers after the latter's demise on September 13, 1964. The Manhattan Limited lost sleeper service west of Pittsburgh in both directions on March 3, 1968. The Manhattan Limited was retained after the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
into the ill-fated Penn Central, but in 1970 the Penn Central petitioned the Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
(ICC) to abandon the train. By then the Manhattan Limiteds consist was down to two coaches and a snack bar. The ICC granted the Penn Central's request, but the passage of the Rail Passenger Service Act kept the Manhattan Limited running while Amtrak formed. Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
did not retain the Manhattan Limited, choosing the Broadway Limited instead. The Manhattan Limited made its final run on April 30, 1971.
Motive Power
Here is a list of motive power used on the Manhattan.- PRR E6PRR E6Class E6 on the Pennsylvania Railroad was the final type of 4-4-2 "Atlantic" locomotive built by the railroad, and second only to the Milwaukee Road's streamlined class A in size, speed and power. Although quickly ceding the crack trains to the larger K4s Pacifics, the E6 remained a popular...
4-4-24-4-2 (locomotive)Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-4-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...
type steam locomotive - PRR K4sPRR K4sThe Pennsylvania Railroad's K4s 4-6-2 "Pacific" was their premier passenger-hauling steam locomotive from 1914 through the end of steam on the PRR in 1957....
4-6-24-6-24-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...
type steam locomotive - PRR S1PRR S1The PRR S1 class steam locomotive was an experimental locomotive that was the largest rigid frame passenger locomotive ever built. The streamlined Art Deco styled shell of the locomotive was designed by Raymond Loewy....
6-4-4-66-4-4-6A 6-4-4-6 steam locomotive, in the Whyte notation for describing locomotive wheel arrangements, is one with six leading wheels, two sets of four driving wheels, and six trailing wheels.Other equivalent classifications are:...
type steam locomotive - PRR T1PRR T1The Pennsylvania Railroad's 52 T1 class duplex-drive 4-4-4-4 steam locomotives, introduced in 1942 and 1946 , were their last-built steam locomotives and their most controversial. They were ambitious, technologically sophisticated, powerful, fast, and uniquely streamlined by Raymond Loewy...
4-4-4-44-4-4-4A 4-4-4-4 steam locomotive, in the Whyte notation for describing locomotive wheel arrangements, has a four-wheel leading truck, two sets of four driving wheels, and a four-wheel trailing truck.Other equivalent classifications are:...
type steam locomotive - EMD E8EMD E8The EMD E8 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train locomotive manufactured by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The cab version, or E8A, was manufactured from August, 1949 to December, 1953, and 449 were produced – 446 for U.S., and 3 for Canada...
passenger diesel electric locomotive - PRR GG1PRR GG1The PRR GG1 is a class of electric locomotives that was built for the Pennsylvania Railroad for use in the northeastern United States. A total of 140 GG1s were constructed by its designer General Electric and the Pennsylvania's Altoona Works from 1934 to 1943....
4-6-0+0-6-4 electric locomotive