For 149 years, San Francisco’s cable cars have been exemplars of craft, sculptures in wood and metal reflecting the talents of carpenters, metal workers, painters, electricians, and others. They absorb the jolts and lurches inherent in their daily operation, carrying millions of passengers over decades of daily service before their joints finally loosen and rot and rust take a big enough toll to require rebuilding.
By Bruce L. Battles, Market Street Railway Member
March 18 is Transit Driver Appreciation Day. Operating transit vehicles is a challenging job, in any environment. The past two years, it has been more challenging than ever in San Francisco, given justified concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus along with all the other issues they encounter every day. In our member magazine, Inside Track, we gave a shout out in 2020 to three vintage streetcar operators, emblematic of the many who show love for San Francisco’s historic transit vehicles and offer their riders great service.
Visitors to San Francisco today frequently comment on the multi-colored fleet of streetcars on Market Street. But it’s not the first time that’s happened.
This magnet represents the newest of Muni’s clean, green electric rail vehicles, replacing the Breda LRVs after 20+ years of service. Provides service on the J, K, L, M, N & T rail lines. Measures 7″ long. Someday, it’ll be historic. But you can enjoy it as a magnet now! Read More……
This magnet represents a favorite of the vintage bus fleet. Sometimes referred to as a “Baby White”, this small gasoline bus spent a good part of its working life going up and down Telegraph Hill on the 39-Coit line. Magnet measures 4″ long. Learn more about it here. Read More……
Final installment of our six part series on Muni’s birth and first century.
This pin bears our signature Logo and Motto – Market Street Railway: Preserving Historic Transit in San Francisco, and is fashioned after that of our namesake, the private Market Street Railway Company, which merged with the San Francisco Municipal Railway in 1944. Measures 1.125″h x 1″w, butterfly clasp on back.
The mission of today’s non-profit Market Street Railway is to work in partnership with SFMTA to keep our transit history alive by supporting full historic streetcar service on the F-line, improving our one-of-a-kind Cable Car system, and “keeping the Past Present in the Future” with our San Francisco Railway Museum, our publications and our events. Read More……
Fifth of six installments in our history of Muni’s birth and first century
Fourth of six installments in our history of Muni’s birth and first century
