Great video showing how the electric service progressed. I love the old red rattlers with the open (most of the time) doors. Always plenty of fresh air. I do recall the early introduction pf powered doors and how in winter and the wet how the windows would fog up. Such a perfect incubation area for the coughs and colds. I never heard of anybody falling out the doors but somebody must have. I used to "Leg Off" at my station just as the carriage past the station stairs so that I was first there and half way up the steps before the train actually stopped. The power doors were so slow to open. Your section on seating was interesting and the introduction of having 2 doors at the vestibule. Did the two doors shorten the loading times at each station. I look at the new Metro trains with their seating only along the sides. I see this as comfort going backwards and simply copying designs from overseas where people have never experienced siting facing the direction of travel. I see them as cattle cars. I often wonder how people will see them in 40 years time. Let's face it .... Generally workers in the red rattlers would leave the middle sections for the women whilst the men would squeeze into the ends and stand. Hey just like the metro where women are treated the same as the men.

Im a Lonborn lad but lived in Aus since 1972. Onthe tube in London I hace seen during peak hour a train leave the station ans as it entered the tunnel another train would be only a few secons away. Sydney heavy rail is hopeless and worse than it was in 1972. Trains ran faster then. The Sydney Metro is. Bloody brilliant and it has changed Sydney and will continue to do so as new lines happen. Its a bout 100 kph running anf fast acceleration and stopping, this is what metro is about.. The trains by Alstom czn be configured to be third rail 1500DC and 25kv. I think the metro being electrified at 1500 DC was wrong as 25kv is cheaper, ie less copper and fewer substations. I note that the new aieport metro is use 25kv. I feel sad that electric locos are not used in Sydeney any more and i think one of the reasons is the limitations to deliver power at 1500 DC, where as 25kv can deliever way more power . Also the double deck Tulloch cars are the brain child of my late father in law Roy Leembruggen.

The double deck Tulloch trailer cars were designed by jy late father in law Roy Leembruggen. When you consider what a state of the art system Sydney was in 1926 and Bradfields vision, it is sad that successive governments dropped the ball and didnt maintain the drive to make the network bigger and better..

Maybe now is the time to finally complete building Woollahra Railway station. It’s pretty well all there anyway.

Thanks for sharing this interesting video. I remember this opening very well. When we first saw the new stations, we thought we were in a future world. I also had the chance of riding a test train through underground Redfern, before the line officially opened. Going back earlier, I also remember when Circular Quay Station first opened. I was only a very young child back in those days. Not long after Kings Cross Station opened, one of the Kings Cross Station signs was actually stolen. I didn't know about the planned extension to Bondi in the 1990s. Maybe they could eventually use light rail from Bondi Junction to Bondi with an interchange to the trains at Bondi Junction. That would certainly be an improvement to the current bus service. Love the bloopers!!!

NO SHE WAS COMPLETELY WRONG totally ignoring over 100years of successfull passenger train manufacturing in Newcastle at Goninan's Broadmeadow (UGL Limited). With her "wise" descision came the loss of over 1000 jobs basically overnight that was just to start with

1:08 As a Pennsylvanian, it's pronounced Skookul. It also varies in different regions of the state, so dont worry we cant agree on how to say it either. Its a Native American derived name like a lot of things in the state.

Please don't call them "Red Rattlers". That is a MELBOURNE expression that seems to have crept into Sydny after the event. They were never called that in Sydney when they were active. I'm old enough (76) to remember.

Geez! I thought that these were hitachi units. Being from Philly, this is a surprise. (If you did not know these are being replaced in 4 years) I will miss them. (Edit:I call Philly bogies “hogies” do to septa being heavily intertwined with Wawa and even having a station named after them.)

It's always really amusing to hear out of towners try and pronounce Schuylkill, and yours was far from the worst I've heard. The correct pronunciation is "Skoo-kill" though I bet someone will say I'm wrong

It’s pronounced “Skoo-kill” 😁

LIRR conductor here. I wasn’t expecting to see a connection between the M4s and the C1s here, let alone one as far away as Australia. The more you know!

For future reference: Schuylkill is pronounced SKOO-kull

I was living at Bondi Beach when the proposal to extend the ESR was made. The opposition actually had very little local support,, as most of us dreamt of having direct access to the City via the train, rather than having to crawl up Bondi Road in a bus. I moved up Bellevue Hill to get out of Bondi, because the place was coming to rowdy. It seems that the nimbys weren’t successful in keeping out the riff raff, or maybe just wanted to be the riff raff themselves.

Very interesting.

I think luggage racks should be implemented on some trains and then run those trains specifically on the t8 route that goes via the airport.

For platform screen doors you would need professional driver training to line up or ATO, the thing is sydney metro uses the same rolling stock for all of it's lines except for sydney metro western sydney airport

Good video. A bobby pin or hair spay may be in order.

well said

G'day, I'm enjoying the video so far. You mentioned that Comeng Vol. 5 by John Dunn was a major source for this video. Just wanted to ask where you got access to the Comeng book? Did you get access to any other volumes? I've been looking for them everywhere, but can't get them because they're out of print. :(

To add on to the history of the MFL: The El no longer dives underground at 23rd Street, it now does so via a portal at 44th Street in the Spruce Hill neighborhood, you can see where it dives underground just above where "South 46th Street" is labelled on the map at 1:05! Originally there was a bridge that carried the line across the Schuylkill River, however, as part of a program of railroad improvements undertaken by Philadelphia and the PRR, a new section of tunnel from 22nd Street to 46th Street was started in 1930, and so while a new bridge was built for automobile traffic, the line now goes under the Schuylkill. Funding ran out before it was completed, so construction wasn't resumed until 1947 and the current configuration opened in 1955, with the old elevated structure removed by 1956. In addition to extending the Market Street subway tunnel west to 46th Street, with new stations at 30th, 34th and 40th streets, a new trolley tunnel was built under Market, Ludlow and 36th streets and the former Woodland Avenue, leading to a new western portal at 40th Street. And between 1998 and 2003, they spent nearly 500 million to reconstruct the Frankford side between Frankford and the 2nd St portal, which also replaced the stations with higher boarding platforms and elevators

Those weren't the only trains that Budd built that were called "M3s", they also built a type of railcar called the M1s and M3s aka Metropolitans for the LIRR and MNR, though they're of course very different from the M-3s built for the MFL. There's a preserved pair of M1s at the Railroad Museum of LI in Riverhead! The M1/3s were designed for 100 mph, but they only achieved 80 mph in service due to track and signaling limitations. The M1/3s even included support for ATO like PATCO, however, ATO was never used on those trains on the LIRR. The M1/3s were the catalyst of change for the LIRR and MNR systems as it required all stations in the electrified zone to be rebuilt for high-level boarding between 1966 and 1968 (stations in the LIRR's diesel zone wouldn't have high-level boarding until the 1990s for the C1s and C3s), and the increased power demand forced the LIRR to update its third rail power supply from 650 V DC to 750 V DC to take advantage of the car's performance. The M1s and the PATCO Speedline have a lot in common, besides ATO, they were both designed for commuter rail speeds (PATCO can reach a top speed of 105 km/h), both Budd rolling stock were built in 1968 (M3s on the other hand entered service in 1984), they both have commuter rail-style seating, and they both have similar motors built by General Electric. The PATCO ATO is an analog system that makes use of pulse code cab signaling supplied by Union Switch & Signal. The cab signals supply one of five different speeds (20 mph, 30 mph, 40 mph, 65 mph or full stop) and the on-board ATO gear supplies maximum acceleration or maximum braking force to reach that target speed. GE wasn't prepared for the constant rapid acceleration and deceleration of PATCO, this caused the motors to easily break down during its early days, with GE having to repeatedly work with PATCO's shops to overhaul motors. As mentioned, Comeng designed cars for the LIRR, the C1s! Basically, service into Manhattan is electric-only, and the LIRR wanted to both replace their aging diesel rolling stock and try to offer a one-seat ride for those on the non-electrified portions of the network to Penn Station, specifically testing it on the busy but partially electrified Port Jefferson Branch (not electrified between Huntington and Port Jefferson) due to political interest. The LIRR relied on Budd for its electric M1s and M3s, but by the 1980s, they were part of Thyssen and leaving the rail business, so LIRR looked for alternatives. Three groups approached them, Comeng/Mitsui, Alsthom, and Sumitomo/Nippon Sharyo. The LIRR favored Comeng's design. Originally, the LIRR wanted single-levels due to the troubled experience they had with the "double-decker" EMUs called the PRR MP70s that entered service in 1932 and featured a single-level with two levels of seats with a prototype seating 120 passengers in one car while the rest could sit 132 (which there's only one left that's preserved; the prototype at the Railroad Museum of LI in Riverhead), but Comeng convinced them to do bi-levels. Comeng's ability to fulfill the contract was of course jeopardized by the instability of Australian National Industries. In the end, Comeng sold the design of the C1 to Mitsui, who then engaged Tokyu Car Corporation to build the cars. They entered service in 1991 and after it was a success, based on feedback from passengers, the LIRR created an updated design called the C3 thanks to help from former Comeng engineers, with these built by Kawasaki. The C3s entered service in 1999 and when they did, the C1s retired as they were mechanically incompatible with the C3s. Ever since, the Cape Cod Central Railroad got their hands on C1s for their heritage railroad!

The old M-3 series, due to those Air Conditioner units (it gets hot and humid in Philly), are nicknamed "Almond Joys" after a popular candy previously made by the Peter Paul company, and currently by Hershey. Great Video.

Wow, your video was spot on!! I am a retired Septa employee. I was the last person to be trained on the Budd M3 cars. I worked on the Market-Frankford El from 1996 to 1999. I was one of the first 3 employees to be transferred back to the bus in February 1999. We operators knew that the M4 cars were junk when they bought them. We warned Septa at the time, and they promptly ignored us. What would train crews know about train operations.

Served my Apprenticeship at Comeng in Mittagong during the mid 80's. We did some repair work on the old girls bogies as well as building the bogies for the Interurban and XPT. If memory serves, the seats for the Tangara were made in the Mittagong workshop as well. Fond memories of School trips to Sydney on the Diesel powered Red Rattlers. Being able to open the windows on a hot Summer day, and the seperate compartments was something we all missed when the XPT's started to replace the old girls.

Actually, the M3 fleet was (and is-as you can see from the preserved units) structurally sound when it was retired. Their retirement had nothing to do with worn-out bodies. It was more that everything ELSE was worn out. The electrical and mechanical systems were modern but not cutting edge when they debuted, which meant that they were fully antiquated by the time they retired, and sourcing spare parts going forwards promised to be challenging. But even that wasn't the final determining factor in their retirement. Your image from 12:10 depicting car 606 preserved at the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum says it all: AIR CONDITIONING!!!! As a young child obsessed with trains, my dad took my brother and myself on a trip to 69th Street in the mid-1990s to see the sights. We rode the Market-Frankford out to the end of the line, and so I can speak from personal experience when I say that it was HOT. The fans in the roof meant for ventilation were not really effective at all. When the M4s arrived, there was a big celebration in the newspapers about the arrival of air-conditioning on the busiest transit line on SEPTA. Public pressure for air-conditioned equipment was growing. While you show the M3 cars preserved in museums, I seem to recall that there are at least a few more retained in work service and the like. I know that some M1 and M2 cars were kept for this purpose at least through the end of the 1970s. So, yes. The M3 was doing well structurally when it was retired. Budd Don't Break! Interestingly, I interned for a couple weeks in the summer of 2006. I was told that the Kawasaki BIV cars on the Broad Street line were due for replacement next after the trolleys. Obviously, that has changed, and the BIVs will remain for the foreseeable future. They are in better condition, and receive less wear and tear anyways.

A collection of NIMBY's talking to each other is called a RAID (Residents Against Inappropriate Developments). RAIDS are annoying.

wait i live in philly i never knew this

As someone who grew up next to the El I would love to see a video about the M3s. Kind of interesting to hear that the M4s were Australian.

What a strange thing for Gladys to say. Australia absolutely does build trains, and has been doing so for a long time. There are trains being built right now in Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria.

Hi, I'm thinking the whole 'Western Sydney Airport Metro is wider than other metros" thing might just be people getting muddled. Let me explain: In Feb 2021, the (WSA Metro) Project Business Case Evaluation from Infrastructure Australia said that "The rolling stock presented in the business case is wider than those in service on other metro lines to give more room for passengers and their baggage". They then seem to assume that means it is not interoperable with other Sydney Metro lines. This aspect of the trains being wider is picked up in a SMH article on March 13, 2021. But the same article also says, "A Metro spokesman said that the airport line trains would "technically be capable of running on the other lines" , although it was never intended they would. Huh!!! That virtually a contradiction. Given that one version is coming from a 'generalist' infrastructure evaluation organisation that looks at all sorts of projects, and that the other is coming from the organisation responsible for that project's development, makes me more inclined to believe the latter. So, the big question is when somebody says the trains are 'wider', what exactly do they mean??. Note the exact words used by the infrastructure organisation were "wider than other metro lines'. Worldwide metro lines differ a lot in width, but common sizes are 2.6 to 2.7 metres (at step level). That's in the same ball park as, say, Brisbane's 2.74 metre (four abreast seating) suburban stock. But the current Sydney metros are 'wider' at 3.03 metres; the same as Sydney Trains suburban rolling stock. Note that the latter were deliberately made wider when first developed way back when, to enable comfortable 5 abreast seating. However, NSW country trains were always a bit narrower, (e.g. even today's V-sets are 2.93, XPLs are 2.92 and XPTs are 2.89.), which is probably why they can fit through in a few places where suburban stock usually cannot. Could it be that 'wider' actually just meant 'wider than most metros' but 'the same width as Sydney Metro and Trains'. That would make WSA Metro trains "technically capable to run on other (i.e Sydney) metro lines. Perhaps the whole issue is due to two different organisations making different assumptions about what the other meant + the media thinking they were on to something? Or perhaps it's something more cunning and diabolical, like 'The WSA Metro will be a bit chubbier at waist level, but still the same width at step level". Now I will admit to a bias on this matter. I worked for state government for around 30 years, and I've seen far stranger things happen. However, if anyone has other documentary references about the issue I'm happy to stand corrected. (For example, I can't locate the original business cases sent to Infrastructure Australia) Meanwhile, Parklife Metro and Siemens remain seraphically silent about the width of WSA metro trains. So if, on the inaugural WSA Metro service, you see some creepy guy using a tape measure, you'll know who it is.

@4:09 Surprised it was only between those two... I would have thought Kawasaki, Breda, or Bombardier might have considered bidding, but I guess they couldn't meet the specs... @8:56 It just might be a good way into the 2030's by the time enough of the new cars are delivered and the teething issues worked out such that the M-4's will be able to be retired... @12:10 Both of the preserved cars are the single units, of course! I do hope a pair of M-4's get preserved, but it's hard to say if one will...

I have a good feeling that a lot of Philadelphians would not mind at all if the m4s got shipped back to Australia

SEPTA is a chronically under funded agency with a weird structure that gives most its board seats to the surrounding suburban counties. I will give them a lot of credit though as it seems they are really trying to improve the system right now. They are also upgrading the trolly network use modern tram style cars which will greatly improve accessibility, but remove the fun of watching a new rider not know to step down to open the back doors. Some of the underground stations will need elevators installed to make the system fully assessable though, 19th St comes to mind. I'm not a super frequent rider of the Market Frankfort El (currently being rebranded as route L), but am looking forward to seeing the new cars in service and will find an excuse to ride it when they roll out. The Market Frankfort El is a vital backbone of the city's transit network, and I am hoping the new rolling stock (and fare gates) aren't the only thing the city and SEPTA are doing to fix the many issues with the route.

Yes Australia built all it's steam locomotives except for the first ones as they didn't have the facilities but they built all the 35,36,37,38

Walkers/EDI/Downer have been building trains (locomotives, and multiple units) in Maryborough Qld for over a century. Brisbane and Perth use them, and the government is building a new production facility, with our new trains built by Downer

It's a great and interesting story on how the M4 cars came on, the Market-Frankfort El. I would never have guessed it was designed in Australia!

An interesting side note,the Budd cars,had the nickname of,"Almond Joys",due to the four domes,which mirrored the candy bars! Actually rode on them,sweet equipment! Pity,that the NYC MTA killed off Budd,St.Louis Car,and Pullman,and that lose of knowledge and capabilities,is as important to building to native conditions,as the Australian builders have to! Thanks for the insights,as it proves internationalism doesn't always deliver on its promises! Thank you 😇 😊!

Between this and the last Taitset video, John Dunn’s been having a good week on here

Philly area resident who rides and yells about SEPTA here, and this is honestly a fantastic video on the M4s, which is certainly the most disliked subway cars in service in the city at the moment. I have high hope for the Hitachi M5 sets, which according to one full-side render I saw suggests that they are going to be built as full six-car sets with full walk-through gangways, rather than married pairs. Honestly that's great for both higher capacity and hopefully for noise (since the current M4s are by far the noisiest cars on SEPTA's roster, especially in the tunneled section of the line), as well as removing the safety risk of walking from car to car (which people do all the time, even though there are announcements saying the end doors are for emergencies only). I do know that SEPTA is often constrained by the need to select the lowest cost bidder (which is what led to problems with the Silverliner V cars for the Regional Rail network due to contract disputes with Hyundai Rotem (who built them) and Bombardier (who were originally supposed to build them) as well as cracks found in the bogies of all of the cars, definitely akin to what happened with the M4s), but considering Hitachi has proven to know what they're doing with regard to subway cars, I'm reasonably confident that these will be the replacement this line needs. Please don't screw this one up SEPTA...

Here’s my thoughts: Although open gangways would be useful, the current tracks are too curvy for a safe open gangway. Also i personally would love charging ports but it’s extremely unnecessary. The short trips into the city don’t need charging ports! Lastly, external screens are extremely useful. Just i think the metro has some time. The metro’s line/s are not big enough to invest in exterior screens.

Gladys left us a legacy of miss matched Metro voltages and rolling stock of different widths. Great video. Do more like this. 👍

unbelievable Comeng slander from Gladys... smh

I enjoyed it

Australia makes better quality trains. True they are more expensive but they are built to last for our rough australian conditions, and they create jobs. In fact look at both the new intercity D sets in NSW and the NGR trains in QLD. What do they have in common? They are both foreign built to low quality and do not comply with Australian standards and in the end, cost us more because we basically had to mostly pull them apart and completely rebuild the train and rewire stuff to make them compliant or in otherwords, effectively building a whole new train. Meanwhile, look at the nsw V sets or the Melbourne Comengs or QLD earlier electric EMU. All are Australian made, been in service for over 4 decades and still going strong and reliable. These old Australian made beater trains just keep going no problem. Why? Because those workhorses were built to last in our extreme conditions

kuala lumper also had australian made trains on metro line 3 and 4 but those were retired years ago

I havent even watched this yet, and this is already gonna be the best video in a good while.

another city connections BANGER ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

1:09 it's pronounced "SKOO-kil"

What brilliant content.Loved it!Thank you.Bought back many memories of my trips to Sydney as a child from the country.Lots of information that I was not aware of.Well done!