Phil Hoffman volunteering for MSR in February. Tammy Pollard photo.
Philip Hoffman: An Historic Loss
Month: April 2011
Muni Honors Cam Beach
Cam Beach with Muni Executive Director Nat Ford and Cam’s favorite vintage streetcar, 1914 car No. 162, part of Muni’s original fleet. SFMTA photo.
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.
Market Street Movie, Shot 105 Years Ago Today
It was on (or very close to) April 14, 1906 that the Miles Brothers, early San Francisco commercial filmmakers, bolted a hand-cranked camera to the front of a United Railroads cable car and created one of the longest “dolly shots” in film history, a 12-minute nonstop ride down Market Street between Eighth Street and the Ferry Building.
Photo of the Moment: The Streak
Cargo Streetcar
Muni’s hunting for more revenue almost everywhere these days. Check out this video at about the two minute mark for an idea: cargo streetcars. Volkswagen moves parts to its Dresden factory on special cargo-carrying streetcars (trams to them). Maybe Muni could do the same…oh, wait, that’s right, we don’t have industry in San Francisco anymore. Never mind. 🙂
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