Because of unforeseen events, Muni Heritage Weekend events will start later and finish later on September 8-9 this year. But there are still going to be very special happenings for transportation fans of all ages.
A climate change protest will close Market Street late morning of Saturday, September 8 and a footrace sponsored by the Giants will close traffic lanes on The Embarcadero Sunday morning. Both these events were scheduled after our dates were locked down and there’s really nothing we can do about it.
At the epicenter of Muni Heritage Weekend, our San Francisco Railway Museum, events will get underway Saturday at 12 Noon with a cable car bell-ringing demonstration by all-time champ Carl Payne. Carl will also offer instruction to kids of all ages, who can take a turn on the bell of motorized cable car 62 (the first motorized cable car ever created, by the way), which will be on display in the plaza across the F-line tracks from our museum.
At 1 pm, or possibly slightly earlier, vintage streetcars and buses will begin carrying passengers.
The following streetcars will offer free rides all afternoon between our Museum and Pier 39, along The Embarcadero (last runs of the day leave the museum at 5 pm):
- 1896 “Dinky” 578, the oldest streetcar operated by a transit agency in America today
- 1912 Muni Car 1, the first publicly owned streetcar in America
- 1934 Blackpool, England open-top “boat tram” 228, perfect for a waterfront “cruise”
Additionally, the following vintage streetcars will be in regular service on either the E or F lines, at regular Muni fares.
- 1952 “EuroPCC” 737, on the F-line
- 1928 Melbourne W2 tram 496on the E-line
- 1946 Melbourne SW6 tram 916on the E-line (pending resolution of a bearing problem)
- 1952 Muni Car 1040, the last PCC built in North America, on the F-line
- 1948 Muni double-end PCC 1006, 1008(or both), on the E-line
- A variety of other PCCs and 1928 Milan tramson the F-line
The following vintage buses will offer FREE rides all afternoon (last runs of the day leave the museum at 5 pm):
Trolley coaches – operating on the old 20-line via Columbus Ave. to Washington Square:
- 1950 Marmon-Herrington Coach 776
- 1975 Flyer Coach 5300
Motor coaches – operating to Levi’s Plaza via part of the 82x-line:
- 1938 White Motor Co. Coach 042
- 1956 Mack Coach 2230 (debuting this year, if a water pump issue can be resolved)
- 1970 GMC “Fishbowl” Coach 3287
- 1975 AM General Coach 4154
- One or two newer vintage coaches to be finalized
There will be kids’ activities both afternoons on the plaza across from the museum and a special sale of memorabilia at our San Francisco Railway Museum. It’s a great time to pick up your 2019 Museums in Motion calendar and other great items. Remember, MSR Members get 10% off all merchandise. Also, Heritage weekend only, SFMTA employees get 10% off all merchandise if they show their badge.
On the cable car front, we are finalizing some very special plans for O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde cable car 42, which we reacquired for Muni and cosmetically restored. We’ll announce those plans separately on our website, www.streetcar.org, but beyond those, Car 42 will be offering regular service on the California Street cable car line in the afternoons, both Saturday and Sunday.
Also, both days at 5 pm, I will be giving my talk, “Coming to Town” about the ways across the Bay from 1875 to today, at our museum. This accompanies the new exhibit of that name that has just opened, and features some rare historic photos.
We hope you can join us for Heritage Weekend this year.
