Month: October 2008
Streetcar to be Dedicated to Harvey Milk on Tuesday
Streetcar No. 1051 turning at the corner of Noe & Market, one block from Castro.
On Tuesday, October 28, at 11 a.m. at Castro and Market Streets, PCC streetcar No. 1051, painted in Muni’s 1970s green and cream “simplified” livery, will be dedicated to Harvey Milk for his advocacy of public transit during his all-too-brief tenure as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978. At that time, Milk was the only member of the Board who rode Muni every day, and he was the first Board Member to use the then-new Fast Pass regularly. The dedication is co-sponsored by Muni and Market Street Railway and will complement the many other tributes paid to Harvey Milk as a human rights pioneer. The public is invited to attend.
Loss of a Young Friend
In one of those tragedies that just leaves you feeling so hollow, a young man — and friend of the vintage streetcars — has been taken from us. His name was Pippin Seales. He was playing with two friends in a cave at Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz on October 11 when it collapsed on them. One friend got out, one was injured, and Pippin was killed. He had just turned 11.
Muni Derailed by Wall Street?
The Los Angeles Times ran a troubling story saying that many large transit agencies, Muni among them, could face big-time financial problems because of rail car lease deals gone sour in the current economic meltdown. The Times noted that between 1980 and 2003, many transit properties sold their rail cars and leased them back, reaping a one-time cash infusion. But in the case of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, at least, the leases — with the troubled financial services giant AIG — may have to be paid back suddenly, which would require drastic service cuts.
The End of the Innocence: Market Street, 1957
Few felt it, but a seismic shift in American culture had begun. Grandfatherly Ike was President, friendly dairyman George Christopher was Mayor, stalwart Republicans both. Most white, middle-class San Franciscans (the majority then) saw these as comfortable times, and change as not terribly threatening.
Cable Car to Castro
As part of our mission, Market Street Railway creates displays on-board the historic streetcars to educate San Franciscans and visitors on interesting aspects of the city’s transit history. We call it the Museums in Motion project. This is an online version of one of those displays.
See the ‘Dinky’ Streetcar at Castro Street Fair
Market Street Railway will be operating a booth at the Castro Street Fair this Sunday, October 5, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, and we’re happy to announce that we will be showing off one of the seldom-seen members of Muni’s historic streetcar fleet: Market Street Railway Co. streetcar No. 578.
Cable Cars Get Their Due
San Francisco history podcast Sparkletack returned a few weeks ago from a long hiatus with a weekly time capsule. Each episode normally tells just one story from local history, but host Richard Miller is using these time capsules to cover nuggets from San Francisco’s past that don’t quite warrant an entire program of their own.
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