Philadephia Market - Frankford Lines -- Behind the Scenes

[@nathanielwaters6730]

I lived in West Philadelphia back in the '70's and '80's, those Budd M-3 Almond Joys were like a familiar trademark of Market St. Those damn train cars would rock you sumthin' fierce!!! If you get on drunk, you'll get off sober, but those were the days!!!

[@MikeRambo]

Noticed in the beginning of the video that one of the Budd cars had the PTC logo. This would put the video before 9/30/1968 when SEPTA officially acquired PTC

[@judyfreed4555]

Did not put SEPTA logo on everything in a few hours.{Zhev}

[@josephheston9238]

When I was a kid, I remember seeing the PTC logo on PCCs up until 1972.

[@zazaranger5]

The M3’s are greatly missed, just like their recently retired MTA R32 cousins

[@MMendelG]

Looking at the pics from about 4:08 to 4:30: I'd love to hear (at least) the old (from the 50's and 60's) M-F trains and BSL trains' sound as they left a station...It was a humming sound with a low vibration as they accelerated...

[@lynnebraun4845]

Are these the ones that ran by Sears at 69th St??I was a little girl then,but I remember silver train cars like those.Lived in Secane,and rode the regular train with my mom too. (1960s)

[@RRansomSmith]

Yes

[@nysubwaydude5634]

0:20 The old cars almost reminded me of the nyc subway cars

[@luislaplume8261]

They resembled the R38s of 1966 for the B division ex IND, BMT lines .But the NYC trains had destination and route signs on them. I am a New Yorker.

[@furious3383]

And Chicago’s old wood cars. Predating the current Cta.

[@JohnnyNW]

Loved the Almond Joys.....tight, little cars! Too bad there was no A/C.

[@1711and14]

Agreed! Especially regarding A/C. The cars were A/C capable, but PTC didn't have the money for that AND at the time air conditioning in transit vehicles was not the priority that it is today. Thank you for leaving a comment!

[@josephheston9238]

+JohnnyNW Too bad that SEPTA didn't go the PATCO route and not send the Almond Joys to Alsthom and had them rebuilt and modernized but got the crappy M-4s instead.

[@RRansomSmith]

Only one car got AC as a test, 614. It was good, but costly to retrofit the entire fleet so it was decided to get newer cars instead. And now those cars are crap on wheels.

[@judyfreed4555]

@@josephheston9238 Vested interests and judgement by those who knew much less than they thought they knew.

[@RRansomSmith]

And it would cost way too much to rebuild these

[@the_cortelyou_boi]

The MFL train back in day looked more like the BSL trains

[@josephheston9238]

Well the design of the B-IV Kawasaki was based on the Almond Joy. Plus, I think the B-IV is the only fleet of subway cars that still uses the Cineston controller.

[@inluvwith7of9]

retired 2012 from 69 th and bridge st yards

[@emoryflicklife6633]

even though they are gone and they all scrap I wish they would have kept a few to run on holidays that they did in New York

[@slimjoker2339]

Emory flicklife I agree and If you ask me than they still should had let them running just do some restoration like they did with the 15 trolley

[@RRansomSmith]

@@slimjoker2339 funny since those trolleys just got retired again

[@emperorpalpatine2531]

At least we have the PCC II trolleys. I wish they kept the Norristown bullets

[@blue9multimediagroup]

@@emperorpalpatine2531 PCCs are in the shop at Woodland or in the yard at Elmwood until next year per SEPTA. But we'll see. You know how they don't like meeting old equipment. And the bullets were getting hammered by lack of good maintenance. Really wish I could've ridden one in service. I started riding when the Budds went to the line. [SF]

[@judyfreed4555]

Z'ev: Wish that there were more M-3 interior pictures- especially after recovered. Padding was better tan M-4. P.s. The fans were installed as they were with plans to add a-c. The A-C that was considered later was of a different system. Why? Just to be different & contrary.? There was that air leak at the front that would rise & fall with speed change like a jet engine.

[@josephheston9238]

Well there's an exploitation movie called _Trick Baby_ in which there's a chase scene that leads to the 52nd Street El station, and the guy being chased escapes by getting on the train, and you can see the interior including the original upholstery.

[@elirosen1391]

Where did the MFL ever underpass the Norristown High Speed Line?

[@1711and14]

Between the terminal and east of the P&W shops. The yard tracks ARE east of and adjacent to Victory Ave.

[@RRansomSmith]

NHSL main line passes over the MFL shop leads just west of the MFL station and just north of the NHSL station.

[@paulculler3800]

The only thing that I'll miss on these subway trains is the sound of the door opening and the whistle that signicates that the door are closing

[@josephheston9238]

@@RRansomSmith Funny that some of the Almond Joys would end up on the Norristown line.

[@hothits98wcaufm]

at 2:52 any ideas of what happened to that car and why?

[@ReginaldBostic360]

I BELIEVE IT WAS THAT AND ONE OF THE EL CARS DERAILED WHEN THE SWITCH CAUGHT THE MOTOR MARCH 7TH 1990. ALSO TRY TO SEARCH MARKET FRANKFORD LINE 1990

[@hothits98wcaufm]

+Reginald Bostic I was under the impression that this were much older than that. I have the horrible tunnel crash on video and remember that cold winter day like it was yesterday :(

[@Poisson4147]

+hothits98wcaufm I commuted to Philly at the time and missed the crash by ONE train. It still gives me the shudders to think about that awful morning.

[@josephheston9238]

+hothits98wcaufm I think it was going too fast going around the curve @ York-Dauphin.

[@RRansomSmith]

That's the lead car that derailed after taking the WB curve too fast at York-Dauphin in 1961. The damages were from hitting and riding up on the platform. The March 1990 derailment saw the 4th car get split in the middle from the columns it was pulled into.

[@JeffFrmJoisey]

Neat!!

[@CoasterQ]

Does anyone know anything about the cars at 3:52?

[@RRansomSmith]

CoasterQ those were part of the 1922 order built for the Frankford extension. They were retained as work cars, but later scrapped when they made some of the Budds into work cars.