Bob Pence has photos of the first Amtrak Broadway Limited’s arrival in Fort Wayne on May 1, 1971.
Amtrak came on-line with it’s operations on this date. Â The Broadway Limited had run through Fort Wayne for many years behind Pennsylvania Railroad steam locomotives and diesel engines. Â In fact, the train cars and engines were still carrying Penn Central markings as they’d not had time to repaint the equipment. Â For several years after Amtrak began operations, you would see a hodge-podge of colors and heralds as passenger trains travelled the rails.
Some interesting things to look for in his photo spread, is a photo of the old Wabash Railroad station, a cracked window on one of the passenger cars, the fashions and the refueling equipment that was located behind the Baker Street Station. Â As exciting as this time might have been, the time of the steam locomotives was even better and more vibrant.
Enjoy the photos – and thanks to Bob for sharing his wonderful collection with us!
Related Images:
Wow, those are great photos!
Hey Stephen! Just think that 30 years from now people are going to be saying WOW those are really great pictures!! Time is the one thing that won’t wait!!
I’ve been doing this seriously for 5 years now and will surpass the 100,000th photo in a few weeks. Bob has been at it far longer and done a better job. I can’t help but think of the legacy that is contained in Bob’s photos. This is important stuff and Bob deserves a hand.
What amazes me even more is when you look at photos from yesterday, the changes our downtown and Fort Wayne has seen. Yes, we all think about it and are cognizant of the changes, but a photo really emphasizes those changes and reminds us of even more that’s long gone and forgotten.
On a separate note, I approached, a year ago, the Allen County Public Library and History Center about arrangements for my collection if something should happen to me. I know that early on, the photos I have aren’t professional grade, however, there is intrinsic value in them because of the documentation contained therein. Neither organization would respond. I suppose I could have pursued the issue, but frankly, if I have to work that hard at it, forget it. It concerns me at times because there is some value to what I have. There should be some sort of repository set up for historical/documentary photos to preserved for posterity.
Any ideas, anyone?