More F-line Service. But More Streetcars?
Pilot PCC No. 1071 on a test run at the L-Taraval Zoo terminal, September 29
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Ahoy! Sail the F-line in Style on October 23
UPDATE: WE’RE SOLD OUT FOR THE TOUR! THANKS.
How Cool Is This? Live F-line Map Shows Cars
Postcards from the Edge (of the F-line)
Great Photo Archive Starts Coming Online
One of San Francisco’s great photographic treasures belongs to Muni! Or more specifically, its parent agency, the SFMTA. It includes wonderful images that actually extend back before Muni opened in 1912: glass plates and negatives from erstwhile competitors United Railroads (URR) and our namesake, Market Street Railway, acquired in the 1944 merger of transit systems in the city.
America’s Cup Plan Includes E-line Service, Mentions Fort Mason Extension
This Week: Evening Buses on the F-line
Photo of the (Past) Moment: 70-line to the Ball Park?
Pier 70: Even More Reason to Take the E-line There
The Port of San Francisco has gotten a lot more developer interest in historic Pier 70 than they expected, according to the Chronicle’s City Insider. Last fall, we outlined the value of historic streetcar service to Pier 70. We noted that Muni has already invested significant money in a partially-completed streetcar loop off the T-line that could allow the future E-line historic streetcar service to terminate near front door of Pier 70, just north of the landmark Bethlehem Steel headquarters building, pictured below, at 20th and Illinois Streets.Market Street Railway strongly believes this loop should be completed expeditiously and used as the southern E-line terminal. The current proposed terminal, which would be shared with the N-line at the Caltrain Depot, can only be used by double-end historic streetcars, of which Muni has relatively few, while the Pier 70 terminal can be used by every historic streetcar in the fleet. Adequate low-level boarding platforms already exist along the stretch of the T-line that would be shared, and the existing high-level T-line platforms can be used to board wheelchairs on E-line streetcars.The E-line streetcars would provide an attractive public transit connection between Pier 70, the fast-developing Mission Bay/UCSF neighborhood, the Giants’ ballpark, South Beach, the Ferry Building, the Barbary Coast/Golden Gateway neighborhood, the Cruise Ship terminal, Fisherman’s Wharf, and, later, Aquatic Park and Fort Mason. It would connect more National Landmark Districts than any other transit line in America. We call on Muni and the Port to work together to bring the E-line to Pier 70, increasing the value of this priceless historic district.
Chicago’s “Green Hornet” Livery Coming to the F-line
When Muni created its F-line PCC streetcar fleet in the early 1990s, they decided to paint the streamliner streetcars in the liveries (paint schemes) of some of the 30 North American cities that once operated this great streetcar design. Storage limitations at the time restricted the “palette” of colors they could use to eight. That meant choices had to be made. Everyone wanted a streetcar to pay homage to Chicago, because the Windy City had one of the largest PCC fleets ever. But the best-remembered paint scheme used by the Chicago Transit Authority, nicknamed the “Green Hornet” livery, required an unusual shade called Mercury Green. So it was decided to use the later darker green scheme, which was pretty close to Muni’s old livery and was not distinctive.But five years ago, No. 1058 went out of service after a bad accident, when a trolley bus swerved directly in front of it. With short-staffed maintenance crews, it has taken a long time to get the extensive body repairs done. Since it needed an entire new paint job anyway, the paint shop, led by Carole Gilbert, agreed to add the Mercury Green color to their palette (which has expanded significantly). The exact shade was determined through a check with the Illinois Railway Museum, which has an original Chicago PCC in that livery. The trim colors, which come from Muni’s existing palette, are very close matches to the original Chicago colors of “Croydon Cream” and “Swamp Holly Orange.” The Muni painters who did this great job are Willie Alexander, Leon Bernal, Arthur Leary, and Carlos Montes. Thanks to all of them!No. 1058 is still a few months from returning to the streets, with electrical work still to be repaired in the operator’s cab, but we got a sneak peak recently during our streetcar decorating party at the Geneva Yard and share it here. (The car number, which will be in the original Chicago Railroad Roman font, and the orange CTA logo, are on hand and will be applied when No. 1058 is ready to return to service.)
