SEPTA Market-Frankford El Flashback Series 1997-1999: Part 3

This is Part 3 of 7 in a series of videos shot on SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line between 1997 and 1999. Featuring the Budd "Almond Joy" M3 cars, these videos take place from a few months before the first revenue run of the prototype Adtranz M4 set in 1997 and runs through to 1999 when both types of equipment were still mixed on the line a few months before enough M4's were on hand to permit withdrawal of the last Budd set.
Part 3 features runby scenes at Millbourne, 13th Street, 5th Street, and Girard.

[@RedArrow73]

For New York Railfans:
The Market-Frankford ran 55' x 9'1" cars on 5' 2-1/2" Gauge track powered by Metro-North style Third Rail.
This explains why no exchange is possible with BSS or any Standard-Gauge System.
SEPTA actually PURCHASED retired PATH trucks to utilize these car bodies on the Norristown Trolley.

[@thor-elfalcon3057]

13:32 nice catch of conductor working from the 3rd car.

[@trainman1971]

Instead of the 5th car, yep! That caught my eye right away.

[@tee_pierce6]

Miss the 90s

[@charlesheier277]

Love the almond joys !

[@havenas1020yt]

Man i wish I was around back then!!! Those trains stopped on a dime and took off!!! Keep the videos coming man, these are awesome

[@scottgrimmie5645]

I was alive I was born in 1997

[@haziedabnuuy]

reminds me of the b4s

[@shawnmauricejohnson4393]

i like the old one the ( almond joy) because of the market-frank ford el train horn.

[@legomta-munipalssubways2762]

I've never been on those subway cars, but they look soo dope and remind me of the R42s, R40Ms, R38s, & R32s due to the similar look. This type is my favorite!

[@1stwonder788]

Evidently these cars were produced by the same manufacturer as those nyc cars : Budd transport I think they were called

[@skydiamond8705]

Yea they were built four years apart 1960 Class 3 M and in 1964/5 The R32/8 came along

[@jayskicksnfits9372]

@@skydiamond8705 *were* , not where.

[@blue9multimediagroup]

@@skydiamond8705 M3

[@GeneralHawk505]

They were prototypes for the R39s that Budd was supposed to build before NYCTA cancelled out the 3rd Avenue and Myrtle ELs.

[@jonathanrosario865]

I like both SEPTA Old Market-Frankford Line & New Market-Frankford Line. the M3 has Whining Door Chime and the M4 has the Automatic Announcements staying Doors are Opening and Doors are closing.

[@blue9multimediagroup]

M3 didn't have a door chime. that was the conductor's whistle

[@tameek24]

I can't wait to see part 4 of the septa market frankford El

[@gregodessite]

11:39 did those trains have pneumatic doors?

[@trainman1971]

Air operated, yes.

[@thor-elfalcon3057]

4:34 the only time I've ever seen a full train of Blue Line painted cars. Most I've seen was 5 in a train of 6. Not sure why, but they never finished putting all the M3s in this scheme.

[@trainman1971]

They only did the first 50 cars that were overhauled in that manner, and when it became apparent that SEPTA was never going to change the name to the Blue Line permanently, they simply stopped applying the striping as more cars got overhauled.

[@1stwonder788]

So weird that septa complicated things just a little, they did a similar thing with the Regional Rail when they took out the R-er 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 8 and changed it to the Norristown line or the Elwyn-Media line, for ppl from out the city it can be confusing

[@RedArrow73]

@@trainman1971 It was the people; Philadelphians doggedly continued to call this line, "The El" (the entire length).

[@ClaireHarper072]

I've never really seen the inside of these M3 cars. I cannot find any images on it ither. This is the most I've seen of the inside 6:15 - 6:22
9:34 - 11:39

[@josephheston9238]

If you see the old 1970s exploitation movie _Trick Baby_ , you would see the interior and the original seat upholstery.

[@nysubwaydude5634]

6:52 Wow I can't believe that the station in the underground portion of the line are nearly close by and you can hear the whistle sound when the door closes from the next station

[@josephcjoejoelast7882]

The whistle you're hearing are hand whistles blown by crew members to signal the "all clear".

[@Razorgeist]

Yeah thats between 13th st and 11th st stations. Somerset and Huntingdon on the elevated part in Kensington (near Rocky's house by the way) are fairly close together too.

[@legomta-munipalssubways2762]

Um, do I hear a R46 motor or an R32 motor?

[@GeneralHawk505]

Westinghouse 1454J Traction motors

[@legomta-munipalssubways2762]

@@GeneralHawk505 oooooooh!

[@ClaireHarper072]

@@GeneralHawk505 so do you also k ow which moter the M4 cars have?. Its such a weird sound. Never knew which moter it was though.

[@RedArrow73]

@@ClaireHarper072 No one cares.We want our Almond joys back!

[@christianluyando883]

Doesn’t it sound familiar to the R44 SIR?

[@legomta-munipalssubways2762]

I heard a clear motor, it does sound like it.

[@shawnmauricejohnson4393]

but way back the almond joy train always does look ugly though.