December 28, 1912, Muni’s first 10 streetcars paraded out Geary Street from Kearny to the Richmond District, launching America’s first publicly owned big city transit system.

Today, Muni turned 101 by turning in another regular day of service, carrying hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans and visitors around town safely. In other words, a quiet birthday, a far cry from the centennial activities last year. The closest thing to a celebration today was 1914 streetcar No. 130, acquired by Muni as part of its first major expansion, to serve the Panama-Pacfic International Exposition in the Marina. No. 130 is decked out for the holidays, courtesy of Market Street Railway’s great volunteers, but what the heck, let’s say it’s a birthday decoration too.
Happy Birthday, Muni.

Christmas is coming, which for many railfans means time to break out the train set and set it up under the tree. This shot looks a bit like that, but it’s actually the back of Cameron Beach Yard, where the ladder track (a series of switches connecting the various tracks in the shop building) is being replaced, part of Muni’s ongoing re-railing activities. The vintage streetcars aren’t much affected; they just back into the shop tracks from the other side. The switches serving the storage tracks under the canopy, at the other end of the yard, haven’t yet been replaced.