October 25, 2008October 18, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Streetcar to be Dedicated to Harvey Milk on Tuesday

October 25, 2008October 18, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

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.

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October 22, 2008October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Loss of a Young Friend

October 22, 2008October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

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.

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October 22, 2008August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Muni Derailed by Wall Street?

October 22, 2008August 9, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

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.

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October 22, 2008August 9, 2014 David Dugan

The End of the Innocence: Market Street, 1957

October 22, 2008August 9, 2014 David Dugan History Spotlight

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.

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October 7, 2008August 9, 2014 David Dugan

Cable Car to Castro

October 7, 2008August 9, 2014 David Dugan History Spotlight

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.

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October 3, 2008August 9, 2014 David Dugan

See the ‘Dinky’ Streetcar at Castro Street Fair

October 3, 2008August 9, 2014 David Dugan News

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.

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October 1, 2008October 11, 2014 Jamison Wieser

Cable Cars Get Their Due

October 1, 2008October 11, 2014 Jamison Wieser History Spotlight

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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September 25, 2008May 10, 2020 Rick Laubscher

What Might Have Been

September 25, 2008May 10, 2020 Rick Laubscher History Spotlight, Route Histories

In our last post, we looked back on the last days of streetcar service on the B-Geary line. In this post — an updated version of a story that appeared in the Summer 2002 issue of our member newsletter, Inside Track — we take a broader look back at the demise of streetcars in San Francisco in general, including the original F-line.

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September 22, 2008May 10, 2020 Rick Laubscher

What Might Have Been: Geary

September 22, 2008May 10, 2020 Rick Laubscher History Spotlight, Route Histories

A recent post over at the Transbay Blog on the old B-Geary streetcar line inspired us to republish and update the following story from our Fall 2002 member newsletter, Inside Track. In a previous issue, we had looked at the decisions made — and not made — that doomed streetcar service on the original F-line (today’s 30-Stockton bus) and the old H-line (on Van Ness and Potrero Avenues). Their demise at the beginning of the 1950s left San Francisco with just seven streetcar lines, down from a high of around 50. And the clock was ticking for two of them…

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September 17, 2008October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher

Streetcar Rebuilding Proposals Delayed

September 17, 2008October 11, 2014 Rick Laubscher News

Muni has two major requests for proposals to rebuild vintage streetcars out on the street. One proposal would renovate sixteen streamlined PCC streetcars to double the existing fleet of that type of car. The other would restore Muni’s flagship streetcar, vintage-1912 car No. 1, to its original glory in preparation for Muni’s centennial in 2012.

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