Muni Heritage Weekend: Sept. 23-24

Rick Laubscher

Mark your calendars! We’ll be celebrating Muni Heritage Weekend on September 23 and 24 this year, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m or so each day. We’re back to a two-day event for the first time since 2019.

Muni Heritage Weekend: Sept. 23-24
1914 original Muni Car 162 has just been placed atop its newly-fabricated trucks, identical to the Baldwin L-plate originals. Another great job by the Heavy Overhaul and Special Machine Shop and Heavy Overhaul Shop at the Curtis E. Green Light Rail Facility at Balboa Park. Muni expects to have the car tested and back in service by Heritage Weekend. Photo from Robert Parks, Facebook Market Street Railway Group

For our faraway friends (and those closer by), this will be definitely worth a special trip to the City. One big reason: we’re told by Muni there’s an excellent chance that 1914 Muni Car 162 (above) will return to service by then, for the first time in almost 10 years following a bad accident, and the full replacement of its original 109-year old trucks (bogies) with faithful replicas created from scratch by Muni’s excellent Heavy Overhaul Shop and Special Machine Shop.

Muni Heritage Weekend: Sept. 23-24
Car 162 being pushed into Cameron Beach Yard for wiring work, March 4, 2023. Robert Parks photo

We also expect 1934 Blackpool Boat Tram 233 to be back in service with completely rebuilt trucks. And quite possibly sister Boat Tram 228, which master painter Dick Lui and his team at Cameron Beach Yard are gracing with the red and cream livery that Blackpool has one of its own boats today (photo below.) Plus, the passenger-carrying debut of fully restored 1947 Faegol-Twin Coach gasoline bus 0163, originally purchased by Muni to replace the Powell cable cars (which of course it didn’t) and brought home from a museum by us. 

Muni Heritage Weekend: Sept. 23-24
Over the past 20 years, the transit agency in Blackpool, England, which built ten Boat Trams in 1934, has painted the three it has left in different colors. One remains in the original green and cream (as does Muni’s 233, which we brought over and donated in 2013); and this one, 227, now sports a handsome red and cream, which Muni’s paint shop will match on its 228, brought here by us in 1984 Muni may start mechanical and electrical upgrades on 228 soon, but if it’s available for service on Heritage Weekend, we expect it to be out.

If that’s not enough, we’re also celebrating 150 Years of Cable Cars from May through October. “Ghost” cable cars Sacramento-Clay “Big 19” and O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde 42 ( which ran on lines that disappeared 81 and 68 years ago, respectively) will both carry passengers on both days of Heritage Weekend, and we expect some special moves with them before and after as well. By the way, here’s the special website we’ve developed for 150 years of cable cars. We’ll be posting lots of special events soon, including some on the week before Heritage Weekend.

Operating vehicles will also include other trolley coaches, motor coaches, and vintage streetcars; the popular 1896 “Dinky” streetcar; and more. We’ll have new exhibits and new merchandise at our museum, along with a big sidewalk sale of memorabilia and books, and a reception and charter ride for members of our President’s Club ($250 or more in annual support) on Friday evening, September 22 (Might be time to upgrade your membership, or join for the first time.)

It’s going to be great. More info for our members in the next Inside Track, out in mid-March

Thanks to Jeanne Brophy and Leslie Bienenfeld of SFMTA for the perseverance in nailing down the dates. We’ll have lots of other folks to recognize for their help as we get closer.

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Comments: 3

  1. I’d be much more likely to come across the country if Melbourne 916 was going to run, but it seems like I’ll never get to see that happen.

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