When the oldest streetcar was new

How old is the oldest electric streetcar in Muni’s historic fleet? So old that it regularly crossed paths with cable cars on Market Street. When “dinkies” (small, single truck streetcars) like preserved Car 578 were new, they were also novel, in that cable cars dominated San Francisco transit and had the exclusive rights to Market Street. The electric cars only saw Market when they crossed it. While they looked like cable cars, they were twice as fast and very high tech for the time, 120 years ago.

Read More…

Our 2021 Calendar is Here!

We’d advise ordering this beauty quickly, including any gifts you want to give; we produced fewer than last year because of the uncertainty of when our San Francisco Railway Museum will reopen, so for now it’s only available online. Here’s the link to our store, if you don’t need any convincing (and why would you, with 13 eye-popping color photos of Muni’s historic streetcars and cable cars in action on the streets of San Francisco!) (Tip: you can get it free as a membership benefit. Read on!)

Read More…

Pedal to the metal: “Finding room to run”

We all know that old saying, “They don’t make them like THAT anymore”. With the late Art Curtis, that’s the truth. In his 37-year career with Muni, Art solved all kinds of operational problems as Chief Inspector, but as a “young buck” (his term) operator, he created his share of mischief, too. We’ll be sharing a couple of stories here told by Art himself. This one comes from a 2009 issue of our member magazine, Inside Track. (Join us to get this quarterly magazine with its stories of San Francisco transit history as an exclusive member benefit.)

Read More…

San Francisco’s Magnificent Streetcars by Kenneth Springirth

San Francisco’s Magnificent Streetcars by Kenneth Springirth captures the color and fun of the modern day F-line with this pictorial of the vintage fleet operating on rail lines in San Francisco from the 1960s to today. Featured lines include the F, J, K/T, L, M & N. Photos also include cable cars and trolley coaches, and are supplemented with early postcards of old San Francisco transit. Vibrant color photos in a wide variety of locations showcase the wonderful vintage fleet that runs in regular service today. 128 pages. Author Kenneth Springirth has been photographing San Francisco transit since 1963. Read More…

San Francisco Giants Ballpark 100-piece Puzzle

Go Giants! Support our team and our neighbor, the San Francisco Giants, with this 100 piece puzzle of their beautiful waterfront ballpark located within walking distance of our museum and accessible by the E-line. Fun for all ages and fans of San Francisco baseball. This full color puzzle is 100 pieces and measures 11.5″x15″ when complete. Ages 6+up. Read More…

SF Municipal Railway Transit & Bike Map (2023)

The Official San Francisco Transit & Bike Map dated Summer 2019. A must-have to get around the city by transit, bicycle or foot. Map is 4.25″ x 7.25″ folded, fits easily in pocket or purse, and opens to 21.5″ x 33″. Please note: During the Covid-19 pandemic, schedules and routes for various lines have been modified or temporarily discontinued. Read More…