DISCOVER
SAN FRANCISCO CABLE CARS

Another well-known San Francisco attraction is its cable cars - even Jerry Rice would agree, I'm sure: they're truly "The San Francisco Treat®." (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

But seriously, could anything be more romantic and nostalgic than
the cable cars of San Franciso? I don't think so!

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San Francisco Cable Cars' view
of Alcatraz in the Background

It's a pretty simple concept, but it sure solved the problem of horses trying to pull heavy wagons up those San Francisco hills with their hooves slipping on the rain and fog soaked cobblestone streets in the 1800s!

Turning a San Francisco Cable Car

• The Powell-Hyde Line starts at the Powell and Market turntable, travels north along Powell over Nob Hill to the Hyde and Beach turntable in Fisherman's Wharf - The views from the tops of the hills are amazing!
• The Powell-Mason Line also starts at the Powell and Market turntable and travels north along Powell, but switches to Mason, and ends at the Aquatic Park turntable near Ghirardelli Square
• The California Line travels east and west from the Financial Disctrict (California and Market), through Chinatown and over Nob Hill, to Van Ness Avenue. This is the oldest cable car line still in operation. It differs from the other lines in that it uses double-ended cars, so - no turntables.

The interesting thing about the turntables is that they're still
operated by manpower. Here's how it works: the car coasts onto the turntable; the conductor, the gripman, and a helper push the car to get the turntable turning; then - when the car is facing the right direction - they push the car off the turntable, onto the tracks, so it can head back along the way it just came.

In the days of long ago, riders and standers-by would help to turn
the car, but alas - the dangers of lawsuits and insurance rules put a stop to the practice long before my days in The City!

To learn more about San Francisco cable cars, be sure to visit the Cable Car Museum. It's located in the historic Cable Car Barn and Powerhouse at 1201 Mason Street. You'll actually see the cable winding machinery in action! Best of all - it's free!

If you've ever enjoyed the thrill of riding a cable car in The City, hanging on to one of the special poles with the wind blowing your hair and the gripman's bell chiming in your ear...

Or if you still hope to get that chance - you can thank Friedel
Klussman and her Citizens' Committee to Save the Cable Cars for the opportunity. It was 1947 and The City was going to retire the system for good when Mrs. Klussman stepped in and organized the effort to preserve what was left.

Just be sure to heed the Gripman when he says, "Step up! Step up!" Otherwise you might be sideswiped by another cable car or one of the many other obstacles along the way!

Follow one of the links below to explore more of San Francisco's famous attractions:

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