Scenes such as this will be common this weekend. Taken during Muni’s centennial celebration last weekend, this lineup at Market and California Streets shows (left to right) trolley coach No. 776 (1950), Muni’s Car No. 1 (1912), PCC No. 1006 (1948), and behind the trees to the right, O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde Streets cable car No. 42 (1906). Rick Laubscher photo
It’s going to be a great weekend for vintage transit! Muni and Market Street Railway are teaming up to showcase the full extent of Muni’s heritage fleet: motor buses, trolley buses, streetcars, and cable cars.
The center of action will be our San Francisco Railway Museum at 77 Steuart Street between Market and Mission, across from the Ferry Building. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, November 2-3, you can board vintage Muni buses for rides to Union Square and back, at regular Muni fares, looping from the museum up Sutter, down Mason, and back on Market, circling Union Square. You can also board on Market, eastbound at Powell, but there will be no other stops.
Operating buses include 1938 White motor coach No. 042, which served Coit Tower for decades, now restored to its original orange and black livery (no, it’s not for Halloween, nor for the Giants — Muni tried these colors on buses briefly in that era). There’ll also be General Motors “new look” No. 3287 representing the 1960s. Marmon-Herrington trolley coach No. 776 represents the 1950s, and Flyer trolley coach No. 5300 symbolizes the 1970s. The 1940s will be represented by St. Louis Car Company trolley coach No. 506, one of the first ten Muni ever owned. Under restoration, it will be displayed near the museum.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can also ride the one-of-a-kind O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde cable car No. 42, restored by Muni and our volunteers, just by walking a block to California and Market for a graceful swoop through the Financial District, Chinatown, and over Nob Hill.
And, of course, a wide array of Muni’s vintage streetcars will be out, including No. 578, built in 1896, which only runs on special occasions, and famed Car No. 1, Muni’s very first streetcar. Other vintage original streetcars, such as Nos. 130 and 162, are slated to appear as well.
Finally, Muni’s newest vintage vehicle, boat tram No. 233, which just arrived in San Francisco, will be on display on The Embarcadero.
We’ll also have a special sale of books and memorabilia while they last. And if you come Saturday, remember the fabulous Ferry Building public market. Spend some time there too…and take public transit to get to us. BART/Metro Embarcadero station just steps away, and of course the F-line, which stops right in front of the museum.
See you there.
