Amid the crowds of the Sunday Streets San Francisco event on The Embarcadero this Sunday, August 31st, a red streetcar slipped quietly back into service. F-line PCC No. 1061 — the ‘Los Angeles Pacific Electric’ car — was on the road again after being rear-ended on August 4th by Milan tram No. 1807. The Muni body shop jumped right on the job and straightened out the damage to No. 1061, which included slight underframe damage, now fully repaired.
Milan tram No. 1807, on the other hand, is not as lucky. It’s out in Muni’s Geneva Yard covered by a tarp with significant front end damage, and it will be a while before the shop forces can get to working on it, given current staffing levels.
As for the operator of No. 1087, we don’t have any new information concerning any possible disciplinary action against her. What we do know, however, is that — according to newspaper reports — Muni COO Ken McDonald saw her driving too close to another streetcar at Van Ness & Market just an hour before the accident, and called Central Control about it.
It’s good to see my favorite PCC back in service–This was the first car I rode when the Wharf extension was opened in 2000. Even though it never traveled on PE tracks, and would have had a problem because most PE lines required double-ended cars, it’s still a happy sight for Southern Californians visiting MuniLand.
The operators of these historic PCC cars, and especially the 80 year old Milan trams, need to be told the history of these cars and how important it is to operate these historic cars safely at all times. Not only for their safty but for the safty of their passengers. There are only a few of these cars left operational and San Francisco has most of them. The F line is one of the most popular lines in SF and needs to stay that way. After an accident, the car has to be put out of service for repairs, making a larger storage of operational cars. This is NOT good!! It should be an honor for operators to operate these historic cars, and trams, on the F line!!