By Railfan & Railroad Staff
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and its non-profit partner, the Market Street Railway, will mark the 150th anniversary of the city’s iconic cable car system with a six-month-long celebration that will kick off on Tuesday.
Throughout the summer and fall, SFMTA and MSR will host a number of events to mark the anniversary, including special runs with historic cable cars and rare behind-the-scene tours of the restoration shop. Starting July 1, until the end of 2023, riders will also be able to purchase a special $5 all-day pass to rise the iconic cars (Normally a single ride cost $8).
On Tuesday, SFMTA and MSR officials were going to be joined by city officials for a ride on one of the city’s oldest cable cars, “Big 19,” originally built for service on Market Street in 1883 and one of the largest cable cars ever built.
“For the last 150 years, residents and visitors have enjoyed the incredible experience of riding our cable cars through our neighborhoods to experience stunning bay views that are famous all over the world,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “You cannot imagine San Francisco without our iconic cable cars. In celebration of the 150th anniversary, we invite everyone to ride our wonderful cable cars to experience the magic of San Francisco.”
Later in the summer, Muni hopes to have ‘Big 19’ in regular service every Saturday on the California Street line through the fall as part of the celebration. Likewise, if work can be completed, Muni plans monthly operation of cable car 42 on its original Hyde Street trackage. Cable car 42 ran the O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde line until 1954 when the southern half of the line was abandoned and the tracks on Hyde were connected to part of a Powell Street line. Car 42 retains its original 1907 paint scheme and details. Decades after being sold as surplus to a cattle rancher in Santa Barbara County when the O’Farrell line closed, Market Street Railway brought it back to San Francisco and worked with Muni to restore it for service.
Other special events to celebrate 150 years of cable cars include the first-ever public tours of MUNI’s carpentry shop in the Dogpatch, where cable cars are built and rebuilt and a free phone app combining a ride on the California Street line with walking tours of historic spots along the line. Details about all events can be found on sfcablecars.org.
“No other city in the world has cable cars. San Francisco was the first city with cable cars, and since 1957, we’ve been the only city to run them,” said Rick Laubscher, President of Market Street Railway. “Our special 150th-anniversary website, sfcablecars.org, is filled with cable car history and little-known stories. It also makes it easy to combine cable car rides with walking tours of Chinatown, the Barbary Coast, Fisherman’s Wharf, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Union Square, Polk Gulch and the Financial District. It’s a great year to rediscover San Francisco and the cable cars.”
