Crabman:
Good interior comparison pictures of the M1 and M3 cars...
The first picture is of a M1 car interior with their final blue and burgundy seating.
Noting that ad for the 2007 LIRR calendar posted - was this from the 2006 Farewell to the M1 fantrip?
The second picture shows a carpeted non-smoking car...The carpets were removed during the first half
of the 1980s (1980-84) and replaced with rubber based flooring. Note the cigarette ad in a nonsmoker...
The seat variations in this one are turquoise, beige and black...Originally odd number M1 cars in which
smoking was allowed had tiled floors similar to what older MU cars had...
The third picture shows a M1 with black, red and beige seats. The car number will itself note if it is a smoking
car (odd number car w/lavatory allow smoking, even number cars are NO SMOKING) and unfortunately for me
this car number visible on the cab door is not clearly readable...Smoking cars had a small flip sign in which
the word NO could be used to designate a smoker or non-smoker in a given train...
The fourth picture shows a (current) M3 car interior with the blue and burgundy seats.
In case anyone does not recall MNCR's M3 cars are slightly older then the LIRR's M3 cars are -
MNCR M3s date from 1984-85 and the LIRR M3s date from 1985-86. The LIRR M3s were delivered with
mix/match colored seats similar to what the M1s had - but the MNCR M3s were delivered with the blue
and burgundy seat colors - which I feel were the best seat colors these MU cars use(d) in service.
Most of the LIRR's M3s have the "new date" stenciled on the handbrake housing in between the married pairs
and even today - after thirty years - most of them are still readable. This can be found by simply walking from
car to car between the B ends of M3 cars. These read "New Budd" or "New TA" ("Transit America") and have a
1985 or 1986 date. Transit America was a final carbuilding title used by the Budd Company during the 80s.
MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS