So begins a story in this morning’s Wall Street Journal, accompanied by a picture of tourists riding a St. Charles line streetcar. Small irony here: New Orleans was one of the last privately owned big-city transit systems in the U.S., a subsidiary of an electric utility until the 1980s.
Author: Rick Laubscher
A Wish Come True
Henry onboard New Orleans streetcar no. 952
New Cable Car Rolls Out Today
The latest addition to the Powell Street “vintage livery” fleet hits the streets for the first time today (Monday, June 22), with a public ceremony at 10:45 a.m. at the Cable Car Barn, Washington and Mason Streets to unveil newly built car No. 15. The Chronicle touts it this morning with lots of detail on its construction. Click on the thumbnail below by Carmen Magana of the SFMTA for a big, glorious view.
Sponsored Streetcars?
Should Muni’s vintage streetcars and iconic cable cars be open for sponsorship by corporations or other groups willing to pay for the privilege? One of the agency’s Board members has asked Executive Director Nat Ford to look into it, and he’s in the process of doing that now. Initial press coverage seemed skeptical, but Director Malcolm Heinicke says he’s just talking about discreet identification of a sponsor’s name on the vehicles.
Behind the scenes with ‘Barack’
Did you see the coverage of “President Obama’s” ride on the F-line? Besides the big Chronicle story, the TV coverage got replayed all over the country; really great tourism promotion for the city, just when we need it. The back story here is that it all sprung from the imaginative mind of our newest board member, David Perry, one of the best publicists in the city.
Streetcar No. 1’s Last Run (…for awhile)
Muni’s flagship streetcar, No. 1, made its last F-line run for awhile today, operating under its own power from Geneva Car House to Metro East at Illinois and Cesar Chavez Sts., where it is being stored under cover until vendor Brookville Equipment Company picks it up in a few weeks for transport to its shops in Pennsylvania for a complete rebuilding.
Nice Topper New Orleans!
Recently repaired streetcar no. 952 at the Noe Street F-line stop. Jamison Wieser photo.
E-Embarcadero “On the Waterfront” this Sunday
STELLLLLAHHH! Marlon Brando made his name in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and cemented it in “On the Waterfront.” The two come together on Sunday, April 26 (not Brando, he’s still dead) when the Streetcar Named Desire (New Orleans No. 952) operates on the waterfront as part of this year’s first “Sunday Streets,” the wildly successful program inaugurated last year by Mayor Newsom.
Never Let the Facts…
Rust and rot damage on streetcar no. 1
Car No. 1 Renovation Contract Awarded
Muni’s governing body, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency Board of Directors, has awarded a contract to Brookville Equipment Company of Pennsylvania to completely renovate Muni’s flagship streetcar No. 1. The contract is for $1.88 million including a possible $100,000 in spare parts.
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