April 6, 2009October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Muni Budget Trauma

April 6, 2009October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher Muni News, News

Our friends at Muni called the other day and asked if we would post the following announcement on our blog, as part of their effort to get the word out to the public on their budget problems and give people a chance to comment in various public forums. We’re happy to help; it’s printed unedited below. One note: it looks like Muni has pulled from consideration any possible separate fare increase for the vintage streetcars. (They had put a possible $1 surcharge for the F-line on a laundry list of potential revenue raising measures, but it appears to be gone now).

2 Comments

March 22, 2009October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Nolte Nails It

March 22, 2009October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher SFMSR

Carl Nolte, whom I’ve long considered the best pure writer on the Chronicle staff, puts his finger on it in his Sunday column, “Native Son.” Streetcars in San Francisco are cool again. I’d actually go further (and will, in the cover story of our next member newsletter, Inside Track)–to the general public (as opposed to railfans), streetcars are cooler than ever! By the way, Carl’s a reader of this blog — he told me he got his lead, the Monsters-on-a-Milan, from our posting. His article’s worth the read.

3 Comments

March 20, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Take Me Out…

March 20, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

…is not just the name of our nostalgic exhibit at the San Francisco Railway Museum, celebrating the days when the family car was a streetcar in San Francisco. It’s also a reminder that baseball season is about to start. No, not major league, but something more important: the “F-liners.” They’re a softball team in the SF Gay Softball League, founded in 2001 and named, yes, for the F-line. They play their first game (games, actually, a doubleheader) Sunday, March 22 at Moscone Field.

Comments Off

March 13, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

$2.50 for an F-line ride?

March 13, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

Maybe. For the first time, Muni staff is officially raising the prospect of a different F‑line fare with its governing board.

16 Comments

March 11, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Who Needs to Fly?

March 11, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

Knowing that fans of San Francisco’s vintage streetcars have lots of related interests, we’ve been venturing a bit afield on this blog … last post was vintage amphibious vehicles. This time it’s toy trains in an airplane palace. That would be the International Terminal at SFO, where through early April there’s a great exhibit of toy trains spanning the 20th century, mostly Lionel, but with plenty of variety thrown in.

1 Comment

March 2, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Just DUCK-y

March 2, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News, Posts with Photos

At Market Street Railway, we focus on historic rail vehicles, but there are plenty of other historic vehicles in San Francisco as well, and we celebrate all of them. One group of interest are the DUKW vehicles run by Bay Quackers. Universally referred to as Ducks instead of their military acronym, these are the World War II-era amphibious vehicles you see carrying tourists along The Embarcadero from Fisherman’s Wharf to Mission Bay, where they plunge into the water for a cruise.

2 Comments

February 26, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Clearing a Path on Market Street?

February 26, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

The Chronicle’s story the other day about a study to restrict automobiles on Market Street downtown contains an important nugget of information that got buried in the story.

14 Comments

February 6, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

MSR Annual Meeting March 10

February 6, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

MSR Members are welcomed to our annual meeting on Tuesday, March 10. We’ll meet as usual at the IBEW Local 6 Hall, 55 Fillmore Street, one block north of Duboce (N-line Duboce and Church stop, F-line Church Street stop, 22-line bus).

Comments Off

February 5, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Monsters vs. Milan Tram

February 5, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher SFMSR

Did you see it during the Super Bowl? No, not the great plays on the field, the commercial for the upcoming animated film “Monsters Vs. Aliens”? We know the premise — scientists unleash monsters to battle an alien invasion — but what’s fascinating is a, uh, plot vehicle. Specifically, Milan tram No. 1811. Its another example of the growing visibility of the Milan trams as a San Francisco institution. We’ll have a story on that in the next issue of our member newsletter, Inside Track, which will go out to Market Street Railway members in early April. For now, enjoy the movie trailer, and feel free to speculate about what part No. 1811 might play in saving the world.

2 Comments

January 27, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Meet Me in St. Louis

January 27, 2009August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher Features

Judy Garland’s great singing made the 1944 movie “Meet Me in St. Louis,” about the 1904 World’s Fair. The film debuted two original songs with enduring popularity. “The Trolley Song,” as in “Clang, clang, clang went the trolley…” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” now a part of the holiday music canon. The film also produced … Liza Minnelli, because Garland met her future husband, Vincente Minnelli, on the set (he was the director).

5 Comments

Archive: All Posts