Ep 1. Philly Mega Transit

Philly Mega Transit is the first episode of the third season of World's Toughest Fixes, a show that features host Sean Riley as he travels around the world to explore the challenges and dangers faced by engineers and technicians tasked with repairing and maintaining complex and massive machines. In this episode, Sean travels to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to join a team of experts who are responsible for keeping one of the busiest and most complicated transit systems in the United States running smoothly.

The episode begins with an overview of the Philadelphia transit system, which includes buses, trolleys, and subway trains that cover more than 3,000 miles of track and transport millions of passengers every year. Sean meets with Joe Casey, the general manager of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), and learns about the challenges that the agency faces in ensuring that the system is safe, efficient, and reliable.

Sean's first stop is at the Market-Frankford Line, a subway route that runs from downtown Philadelphia to the suburbs. He meets with the crew responsible for the line's overhead power system, which uses a complex network of wires and electrical components to provide electricity to the trains. Sean learns that the system is prone to damage from weather, debris, and even birds that can cause short circuits and power outages. He goes up on a cherry picker to get a close-up view of the wires and observse the team in action as they replace damaged components and repair faults in the system.

Next, Sean visits the Fern Rock Transportation Center, the largest bus and subway station in the region. He meets with the team responsible for maintaining and repairing the massive escalators that transport passengers between the street level and the subway platform. Sean observes as the team performs routine maintenance on the escalators, including replacing worn parts and lubricating moving components. He also gets a chance to go inside the escalator's massive machinery room, where he sees the gears and motors that power the movement of the stairs.

Afterward, Sean heads to the Callowhill Depot, SEPTA's central maintenance facility, where he meets with the team responsible for repairing and maintaining the buses that transport passengers throughout the city. He learns that the buses undergo routine inspections and maintenance to ensure that they are safe and reliable, and he gets a chance to see firsthand how the technicians diagnose and fix common issues like faulty brakes and transmission problems.

At the end of the episode, Sean returns to the Market-Frankford Line to witness a unique piece of equipment that is used to maintain the track. Known as the "rail-grinding train," this massive machine grinds down the rail's surface to prevent wear and tear that can lead to derailment or other safety issues. Sean rides along on the train as it moves slowly down the track, watching as the grinding wheels spark and spray metal shavings onto the ground.

Overall, Philly Mega Transit is a fascinating look into the world of public transportation and the challenges faced by the people who keep the systems running. It's a great episode for anyone interested in engineering, mechanics, or transportation and is sure to leave viewers with a newfound appreciation for the often-overlooked work that goes into keeping our cities moving.