Septa Brill Bullets

Regular service scenes of Septa's Brill "Bullets" on the former Philadelphia & Western line from 69th Street to Norristown. Video shot from 1998 to 1990.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Septa
• Brill
• Bullet
• trolley

[Tubes12AX7k]

Is it an advantage or a disadvantage to be 3rd rail powered as these were? I can see how they'd be faster vehicles with a 3rd rail, and there's no overhead line to maintain, but how does it compare maintenance-wise, flexibility-wise, and weather-wise with an overhead line?

[fmnut]

@Tubes12AX7k No real advantage to either, at the low voltage DC on which these trains run. The type of power feed does not affect the speed one way or the other. You couldn't use third rail for 15-25-50 KV AC. As to maintenance, the third rail must be maintained just like overhead wires. Not sure what the cost comparison is.

[tkandme3]

aww theyre so cute. What bridge is this on? What route?

[fmnut]

@tkandme3 If you are asking about the long viaduct at the beginning, it is the bridge over the Schuylkill River between Norristown and Bridgeport. It is still extant today, being used by the new cars. At one time the viaduct extended all the way into Norristown terminating on the second floor of a drug store (shown in the video) but was cut back when the new transportation center was built in the early 1990's.

[RDG484]

THE P&W BULLETS WERE THE WORLD'S **FIRST** SUPERTRAINS. According to "Pig & Whistle" by Ron Degraw, they were the very first RAILROAD equipment ever tested in a wind tunnel and are therefore the world's first streamlined high-speed trains and the granddaddy of todays supertrains like the Acela Express, TGV, ICE, Shinkansen, Eurostar, and others. The City of Salina and the Pioneer Zephyr came out two years AFTER the P&W Bullets and yet they got all the credit. THE P&W BULLETS STARTED IT ALL.

[RDG484]

Okay. As far as "High-speed" itself no dispute there at all, I couldn't agree with you more. But the P&W Bullets were the first STREAMLINED high-speed trains ever built. Because it was right after the Bullets hit the high iron was when the streamlining craze really hit, eg. the Pioneer Zephyr and the M-10000 as well as many streamlined steam locomotives.

[eswillie]

i made a special trip to ride these cars back in the mid-1970's, when they were still in orange garb despite septa, and hung out the "baggage????" door with just a strap across the opening for most of the trip. could be one of the reasons my first wife divorced me, but i thought she enjoyed it......she DID freak out on the Cyclone in coney island, but that's what life's all about.

[jlhilden]

Great video! Wonder who hit the dislike button? I always loved the sound of the traction motors accelerating. I have ridden many trains and nothing beats riding in a bullet at speed in the summer with all the windows open and watching everyone in the car bounce around. I also remember the stops that were on the super-elevated curves and sliding into the person sitting next to you.

[nyshortline]

@fmnut I have a few photos of MFSE cars running on the line. In fact there was once a charter trip on the P&W using a two-car train of "Almond Joys."

[fmnut]

@nyshortline I was unaware of that. Of course, had there not been compatible standard gauge trucks available, my original argument would apply.

[nyshortline]

@fmnut Actually 5 MFSE Budd single cars (a.k.a., "Almond Joys") were used on this line for a short time. They were standard-gauged using trucks from scrapped PATH K-cars.

[fmnut]

@RNecaca I don't think so. MFSE cars were built to trolley gauge 5' 2 1/4". P&W was built to standard gauge, so in order to use MFSE cars on the P&W they would have had to be regauged at a substantial cost per unit. The CTA cars superficially resembled MFSE cars, which I think is where you are making your mistake.