Everyone: As a regular visitor to Philadelphia and a SEPTA user I will add that SEPTA's two Kawasaki car types date from back around 1981 and both have always been kept well...
The rebuilt PCCs on the 15 route are Brookville rebuilds from the late 1990s - with added amenities like air conditioning...
The Subway-Surface route to City Hall of the 10,11,13,34 and 36 lines is a interesting routing - the Market-Frankford Line uses the center two tracks and at 18th and 22nd Street
Stations there are ways to cross the MFSE tracks - BUT - those tracks are on wood block ties bolted to the floor that would need to be climbed over along with both third rails..
Those MFSE trains move fast at those points and crossing tracks would be too dangerous...and illegal
The Norristown High Speed Line was as mentioned - for busy stops the car will always stop regardless of signal which is used more for smaller stations and at off hours to speed service...
As for fares - Transfers are $1 as JBG says but there are day passes available: A 8-ride (transit) Convenience Pass ($8) or a Unlimited Independence Pass ($12) also good on Regional Rail...
JBG: Which SEPTA pass did you have?
For more SEPTA information see:
www.septa.org
LI MIKE