San Francisco Municipal Railway Cable Cars
[up one page]

Despite being a huge tourist draw, and limited to three remaining lines, the cable cars of San Francisco are still a fully functioning part of the transit system. City residents still use them to get to their homes in Chinatown, North Beach and Russian Hill, as well as to get to and from the shopping districts around Market St.

The system operates (with the sole exception of the substitution of electrical for steam power) exactly as it did when built during the late 19th century. A "grip" clamps onto a constantly moving loop of braided steel cable under the street, and this is what provides the motive force for the car. Of course, on the hills of San Francisco, brakes are equally, if not more important.

The conductor and gripman communicate with each other by way of bell signals. One bell means "next stop", two bells means "go", and three bells is an "emergency stop".

The most dramatic ride is the Powell/Hyde line, which takes you up, and then down Russian Hill towards the Wharf. This line offers the steepest grades of the system, and the view across the bay from the top of Russian Hill is stunning.

Additional information about the cable car system, as well as the complete instructions for cable car operation, are available at the Cable Car Museum site.

On descents, the "gripman" (the person working the controls) controls the track brake and front wheel brakes. The conductor in the rear of the car works the rear wheel brake.

Whether the interior of the car is full, or you just prefer to take the air, hanging on to the poles along the running boards is always an option.

Another Powell/Hyde car climbs up Nob Hill.

Here, a Powell/Mason car descends Nob Hill. Cars frequently stop in the center of intersections, as they're the only flat surface available. Surprisingly, drivers are fairly courteous and will yield to passengers boarding and leaving cable cars. The MUNI employees that operate the cars are not above offering some "helpful" advice to rude drivers. On steep grades, there are "cable car only" lanes.

This is the machinery that drives the cables for each of the lines. Huge GE electric motors turn the sheaves (pronounced "shiv") that pull the miles of cable through the system.

This is the grip mechanism that pulls the cars along. It's basically a ratcheted clamp through which the steel cable passes.

Cables do wear over time. Since the cables slip through the grips, the outer surface is worn down. In addition, the cables stretch over their lifespan and individual strands may break and require repair. Several times a year, the cables will be replaced in their entirety.

Yes, you're seeing this right. The track brakes are, in fact, yellow pine blocks. They're replaced about twice a week.

A night-time photo of one of the cablecar gripmen. There's no such thing as a slight-of-build gripman. The job requires upper body strength and... er... a certain amount of mass. These guys are of surprisingly good humor considering their occupation amounts to a day-long upper-body workout.

[back to top]