The 20th Century Limited's Last Run (December 3, 1967)

[NH2060]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the last run of the 20th Century Limited (as well as the beginning of the "Empire Service" brand that would continue under Penn Central and of course Amtrak).

The last westbound train to Chicago apparently took 9 hours longer than scheduled due to a derailment that resulted in the train making a detour over some Norfolk & Western trackage. This actually made the last run 6 hours longer than the first run took in June 1902.

[Otto Vondrak]

nyc-empire-service-1967.jpg

The first Empire Service timetable, issued Dec. 3, 1967.

-otto-

[urr304]

I knew a now departed NKP/N&W engineman who ran that detour on the Nickel Plate [before you rant some road names will forever be].

He also ran the Broadway on a detour in the 1940s. Some distinction, eh?