The Cable Car Home Page Archive - Ten and Twenty Years Ago
by Joe Thompson

• Counter History
• News
• Anniversaries
• What's New
• Pictures of the Month/Quarter 1997-2006
• Pictures of the Month 2007-

Ten and Twenty Years Ago

• 01-January-2014
  • Picture of the Month: A postcard view of the steep Johnstown Inclined Plane.
  • On the Pennsylvania page: A new article about the Johnstown Inclined Plane
  • On the Who page: Added an obituary for incline engineer Samuel Diescher. Also added a profile from the Street Railway Journal about Winthrop Bartlett, who worked on several of the cable car lines in Saint Louis
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page, a photo of Cal Cable 52 decorated for Christmas 2013.
  • Archived October 2013 What's New, 2013 Anniversaries, and July-December 2012 News items.

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• 01-December-2013
  • Picture of the Month: Pittsburgh's Monongahela inclines.
  • On the Pennsylvania page: The Pittsburgh Inclines, Pittsburgh's still-functioning funiculars, including The Inclined Planes, an 1891 article from the Street Railway Journal
  • Thanks to Keith Anderson, on the Cable Car Lines in the UK page, new photos of the Glasgow District Subway's Scotland Street powerhouse and a new exhibit at the Glasgow Riverside Museum. Keith is writing a book and is looking for photos of stations taken before 1950. Thanks to John Dabrowski for some memories of the subway.
  • On the Who page: Added a profile from the Street Railway Journal about James W Harris, who worked for the California Street Cable Railroad for more than 60 years
  • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page. Thanks to Val Lupiz, we have photos of car 25 decorated for Christmas 2013.
  • Added News item about a visit by President Obama to the Chinatown Rec Center and its affect on the cable cars
  • Archived September 2013 What's New
• 01-November-2013
  • Picture of the Month: Two cars of Pittsburgh's Central Traction Company ran into a political parade. (Source: "Marching Men Cut to Pieces by Cable Cars," The Pittsburg Dispatch, 16-October-1892.)
  • On the Pennsylvania page: The Central Traction Company, Pittsburgh's third Hallidie-type cable car line, including newspaper articles about a terrible accident in 1892
  • On the Who page: Added a profile from the Street Railway Journal about cable traction pioneer Andrew S Hallidie.
  • Also on the Who page: Added a photo of a marker on the Ferry building to the article on Howard C Holmes.
  • On the More California Street Pictures page: Several photos I took in May and June, 2007
  • Added News items about the Cable Car Chorus and a mysterious package in Union Square that caused a Powell Street cable car shutdown
  • Archived August 2013 What's New
• 01-October-2013
  • Picture of the Month: The interior of the Citizens Traction Company's new carhouse at Penn and Franklin Avenues. (Source: The Street Railway Journal, April, 1894. Volume XI, Number 4.)
  • On the Pennsylvania page: The Citizens Traction Company, Pittsburgh's second Hallidie-type cable car line, including a nice Street Railway Journal article about "A Modern Car House"
  • Added News item about the a derailment on Angels Flight in Los Angeles
  • Archived July 2013 What's New
• 01-September-2013
  • Picture of the Month: A cartoon from the 01-January-1889 Pittsburg Dispatch shows the new and the old of Pittsburg. "Cable cars to all parts of the city" is part of the new. Pittsburgh tried to drop the "h" for a time in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
  • On the Pennsylvania page: The Pittsburgh Traction Company, Pittsburgh's first Hallidie-type cable car line
  • On the Who page: Added a profile from the Street Railway Journal about prolific cable traction engineer Andrew D Whitton. Also Henry Casebolt's profile
  • On the Horse Car Home Page: A 1927 Photoplay photo from Harold Lloyd's movie Speedy
  • Added News item about Cal Cable tracks and conduit dug up near Scott Street
  • Archived June 2013 What's New
• 01-August-2013
  • Picture of the Month: A diagram giving details of J. P. F. Kuhlmann's counterbalance system, used to move electric streetcars up and down hills in Seattle and Portland. (Source: "Kuhlmann's Counterbalance System of Operating Electric Cars on Steep Grades", Electrical Engineer, July 19, 1893.).
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page: More about Seattle and Portland Counterbalances, including selected articles from The Street Railway Journal.
  • On the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest page, added more about the 50th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Added screen captures from Buster Keaton's "Daydreams", with Powell/Mason cable cars and one electric streetcar.
  • Archived May 2013 What's New
• 01-July-2013
  • Picture of the Month: A neon cable car shines in the window of Joe's Cable Car Restaurant, near Mission and Silver
  • On the Cable Car Businesses page, a visit to Joe's Cable Car Restaurant (no relation)
  • On the Horse Car Home Page: Screen captures from "The Bell Boy", a 1917 short comedy with Roscoe Arbuckle, Buster Keaton, Al St John and a horse car
  • Also on the Horse Car Home Page: A new book about horse cars at Walt Disney World
  • On the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest page, added potential date for the 50th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest and the name of the winner of the 1971 Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • Archived April 2013 What's New and January-June 2012 news items
• 01-June-2013
  • Picture of the Month: In an editorial cartoon from the 04-June-1913 San Francisco Call, Mr Public apparently operates a Sutter Street electric car to the Ferry and bids G-o-o-d Night to the horse car as it makes its way to the junk pile
  • On the Horse Car Home Page: 03-June-2013 is the 100th anniversary of the last schedule horse car to run in San Francisco. Includes a contemporary newspaper article, with illustrations, on the event
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page: More about the Butte City Street Railroad, including selected articles from The Street Railway Journal.
  • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Tony Turrittin, added I Remember Mama. Also added a poster and a photo of Paulette Goddard and Sonny Tufts on a cable car to I Love a Soldier
  • Added News items about Secret San Francisco, a film show that included many cable car views, an article about cable cars being dangerous, and the revised SFMTA website, which includes a page on How to Ride Cable Cars
  • Archived March 2013 What's New
• 01-May-2013
  • Picture of the Month: Cable car crewmen hold trays with the rings as a motorized cable car rolls down the third base line
  • On the Motorized Cable Cars page: The San Francisco Giants' 2012 World Series Ring Ceremony.
  • On the Cal Cable page: Transit historian Ray Long shares his memories of more than 60 years of Cal Cable
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page: More about the Spokane Cable Railway, including selected articles from The Street Railway Journal.
  • Added News and Bibliography items abo ut cable cars taking funding away from other transporation
  • Archived February 2013 What's New
• 01-April-2013
  • Picture of the Month: A pin which commemorates the San Francisco Giants' defeat of the Detroit Tigers in the 2012 World Series.
  • On the Kitsch page: A Powell Street centennial commemorative coin; a 2012 World Series commemorative pin; a pin for the Giants 1987 National League West championship; a tin cable car with its original box; a 1957 cachet with a State Street Chicago cable car; a 2011 stamp from Malaysia showing the Penang Hills Funicular Railway a program from the 1967 Cable Car Classic basketball tournament; a Christmas ornament with Woodstock sitting on a cable car; a 2009 Hard Rock Cafe pin; a new section for San Francisco Giants Cable Car Items
  • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to Number 514.
  • Added News item about water main break that affected cable service
  • Added News item about the third annual San Francisco History Expo
  • Archived January 2013 What's New
• 01-March-2013
  • Picture of the Month: Looking up the Eleventh Street hill in Tacoma as a cable car climbs the hill. (Source: "Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Astoria," The Street Railway Journal, May, 1893. Volume IX, Number 5.
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page: More pictures and information about the Tacoma Railway and Motor Company, including selected articles from The Street Railway Journal.
  • Added The Sprague Electric Railway System to Selected Articles from Manufacturer and Builder
  • Added News item about an accident on Powell Street and updated news item about the work at California and Drumm
  • Archived December 2012 What's New
• 01-February-2013
  • Picture of the Month: Looking up Portland's great trestle from the powerhouse. (Source: "Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Astoria," The Street Railway Journal, May, 1893. Volume IX, Number 5.
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page: More pictures and information about the Portland Cable Railway, including selected articles from The Street Railway Journal.
  • More about the 100th birthday of the San Francisco Municipal Railway
  • On the Cable Car Models page, a paper model of a California Street cable car by Wurlington Bros. Also a News item
  • On the San Francisco page: Added a photo I took of Greenwich Street, the route of the Telegraph Hill Railroad
  • Added News item about the cable-driven automated people mover being built to connect BART and the Oakland Airport and work going on around the inner terminal of the California Street cable line
  • Added San Francisco and California History Sites link to ThinkWalks
  • Archived November 2012 What's New
• 01-January-2013
  • Picture of the Month: Looking up Seattle's Madison Street Hill. A Front Street Cable Railway car crosses on First Street. (Source: "Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, Everett, Astoria," The Street Railway Journal, May, 1893. Volume IX, Number 5.
  • More about the 100th birthday of the San Francisco Municipal Railway
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page: More pictures and information about Seattle cable cars, including selected articles from The Street Railway Journal.
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: More cable cars decorated for Christmas 2012.
  • Added News item about a new book from the Friends of the Cable Car Museum
  • Archived October 2012 What's New, 2012 Anniversaries, and July-December 2011 News items.

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• 01-December-2012
  • Picture of the Month: The opening day of the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Source: San Francisco Call, 29-December-1912).
  • Rolled out a new article on the 100th birthday of the San Francisco Municipal Railway
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: A new article about the Orange Mountain Cable Railway, a funicular with a unique style of car
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Cable cars decorated for Christmas 2012, and a photo of a sign from the The 2012 Giants Victory Parade.
  • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
  • Added News item about the dedication of refurbished Powell Street car 26
  • Archived September 2012 What's New
• 01-November-2012
  • Picture of the Month: A John Stephenson Company cable car built for Manhattan's Metropolitan Street Railroad (Source: "Notes on the Broadway, New York, Cable Railway", The Street Railway Journal, July, 1893).
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the Metropolitan Street Railway, including selected articles from the Street Railway Journal
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: The 2012 Giants Victory Parade.
  • On the Other California Cities page: A new article about animated cable car murals at Disney California Adventure. See California Street cars on North Point and Haight Street. Psychedelic.
  • Added News item about the upcoming dedication of refurbished Powell Street car 26
  • Archived August 2012 What's New
• 01-October-2012
  • Picture of the Month: The first cable car to run on Manhattan's Third Avenue Railway. (Source: "Starting the Cable Cars on Third Avenue, New York", The Street Railway Journal, January, 1894).
  • Added results and videos of the 49th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the Third Avenue Railway, including selected articles from the Street Railway Journal
  • On the How Do Cable Cars Work page: An ask.com billboard that asks "How Do Cable Cars Work?" Try that query on ask.com and you'll find this site on the first page of results
  • Archived July 2012 What's New
• 01-September-2012
  • Picture of the Month: A view of the Brooklyn Terminal of the Brooklyn Bridge Railway from the February, 1897 Street Railway Journal: "The Bridge Transportation System Between New York and Brooklyn".
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the New York and Brooklyn Bridge Railway, a cable-driven rapid transit line, including a detailed article in the February, 1897 Street Railway Journal: "The Bridge Transportation System Between New York and Brooklyn".
  • On the Cable Car Businesses page and the News, an item and photo about Cable Car Clothiers moving back to Sutter Street
  • On the More Muni Photos page: screencaps from a webcam back in 2002. Powell/Mason cable cars, motorized cable cars, Milan cars, Melbourne 496 and a glimpse of PCC 1054 (Philly Cream Cheese) before it was wrecked in 2003
  • Archived June 2012 What's New
• 01-August-2012
  • Picture of the Month: Great Orme Tramway cars 4 and 5 in the passing loop on the lower section of the line. (Source: "The Great Orme Tramway: The Cable Car of Wales" by Walter Rice Ph.D. Photo by Walter Rice. All rights reserved.)
  • On the UK page: More about the Great Orme Tramway, a unique street-running funicular in Llandudno Wales
  • Archived May 2012 What's New
• 01-July-2012
  • Picture of the Month: Proposal for a cable-driven elevated railway. (Source: Exposé of the Facts Concerning the Proposed Elevated Patent Railway. 1866.).
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, including an image from an 1867 proposal and an 1869 newspaper article with technical details and lists of investors and company officers:
    - The Elevated Railway; Successful Trial Trips of the West Side Railroad in Greenwich-Street (New York Times, Tuesday, September 7, 1869)
  • Added date for the 2012 Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • Archived April 2012 What's New and January-June 2011 news items
• 01-June-2012
  • Picture of the Month: Brooklyn Heights Railroad Montague Street cable cars at the Wall Street Ferry terminal, from the 18-July-1897 New York Tribune
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the Brooklyn Heights Railroad, including items from the Street Railway Journal
  • On the Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: Added two Street Railway Journal items about Cleveland's Brooklyn Street Railroad/South Side Railway, both owned by Tom L Johnson, one of which had an experimental cable installation using the Johnson Ladder Cable System
  • On the Who page: Added a profile from the Street Railway Journal and an obituary from Railway Age and Northwestern Railroader about cable traction engineer Robert Gillham
  • Archived March 2012 What's New
• 01-May-2012
  • Picture of the Month: Milton Wheaton's patent for his ladder cable system
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the experimental cable car installation of the Brooklyn Cable Company, including items from the Street Railway Journal
  • On the Miscellany page: More updates to my article about Non-Grip and Shallow Conduit Systems, with more about the Tom L Johnson ladder cable system, including Milton Wheaton's patent 192314 and images from Tom L Johson's patent 317,139
  • Archived February 2012 What's New
• 01-April-2012
  • Picture of the Month: Charles B Fairchild's patent for his twin-cable system.
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the experimental cable car installation on Binghamton's Washington Street & State Asylum Railroad, including items from the Street Railway Journal and Popular Mechanics.
  • On the Miscellany page: More updates to my article about Non-Grip and Shallow Conduit Systems, with more about the Fairchild non-grip system, including Fairchild's Patent 300,236
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: Added a photo of a former Newark PCC now running in San Francisco
  • On the Kitsch page: A pin commemorating the Giants' 2010 World Series victory; a Disney Vinylmation figure; a program from the 1972 Cable Car Classic basketball tournament; a 1984 trade ad for San Francisco's KRON-TV, Channel 4; a cable car centennial coin; a medal issued by the Western Pacific Railroad to mark Powell Street car 524's visit to the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair; a set of non-postal stamps issued for the Pacific 97 World Stamp Exposition
  • On the Horse Car Home Page, added an active horse car line in a park in Japan and a set of stamps with horse cars
  • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to detail view of Number 512.
  • Added News item and photo about an exhibit featuring a replica of a California Street cable car
  • Archived January 2012 What's New
• 01-March-2012
  • Picture of the Month: A Rasmussen-equipped car with the endless belt or "chain pump" (Source: "New System of Cable Propulsion for Street Railways" From The American Engineer / Volume 7, Number 4, January 25, 1884).
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about the experimental cable car installation on Newark's Essex Passenger Railway and Newark and Irvington Street Railway, including articles from the Street Railway Journal.
  • More about the Chicago West Divsion's, short-lived experimental implementation, on the Chicago page including items from the Street Railway Journal, Western Electrician and Engineering News
  • On the Miscellany page: Updates to my article about Non-Grip and Shallow Conduit Systems, with more about the Rasmussen non-grip system, including Rasmusen's Patent re10,602 and magazine items from The American Railroad Journal, the Engineering News-Record, "New System of Cable Propulsion for Street Railways" from The American Engineer and the Street Railway Journal.
  • Added News item about car 21 being decorated with New York Giants paraphernalia
  • Archived December 2011 What's New
• 01-February-2012
  • Picture of the Month: Birmingham cable tram 104. Thank you to John Perkin
  • On the UK page: More about the Birmingham Central Tramways Company, thanks to John Perkin. Also an 1887 Street Railway Journal article and an item from an 1890 Baedeker guide
  • Added News item about newly rebuilt car 26
  • Archived November 2011 What's New
• 01-January-2012
  • Picture of the Month: A stereo view of a car on the cable-operated Hoboken elevated
  • On the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page: More about Hoboken's North Hudson County Railway, including articles from the Street Railway Journal. Also some contemporary newspaper articles about the elevated and the company's Weehawken Viaduct:
    • Hoboken Elevated Trial Trips (New York Sun, Sunday, December 20, 1885)
    • Hoboken Elevated Testing (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Tuesday, January 26, 1886)
    • Hoboken Elevated Suspended (Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Monday, February 8, 1886)
    • Hoboken Elevated Runaway (New-York Tribune, Thursday, February 10, 1887)
    • Weehawken Viaduct Removed (New York Tribune, Monday, March 5, 1900)
  • Also on the Decorated Cable Cars page: A list of cars decorated for Christmas 2011. No photos yet.
  • Archived October 2011 What's New, 2011 Anniversaries, and July-December 2010 News items.

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• 13-December-2011
  • A special installment of Val Lupiz's column Tales From the Grip: "Maybelle the Cable Car", about car 26's new classic Muni paint job.
• 01-December-2011
  • Picture of the Month: A fly-wheel for Sydney's Ocean Street cable tramway, at the Hudson Brothers' Works in Clyde. I like the dude in the bowler. Source: "Sydney's New Tramway. The Ocean-Street Cable Line.", Australian Town and Country Journal, 11-August-1894.
  • On the Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand page, more about Sydney's New South Wales Government Tramways. Includes two illustrated newspaper articles about the Ocean Street cable tramway's powerhouse and one about the Ultimo electric powerhouse. Two newspaper articles about the beginning of Sydney's two cable tram lines:
    • North Sydney Line Opens (Melbourne Argus, Monday May 24, 1886)
    • Sydney/King Street Line Opens (Adelaide Advertiser, Thursday, September 20, 1894)
  • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
  • Archived September 2011 What's New
• 01-November-2011
  • Picture of the Month: Powell/Hyde car 15
  • Fifteenth Anniversary - November, 1996 - November, 2011
  • Thanks to Bob Murphy, added photos from the Bylands Tram Museum to the Melbourne Tramways & Omnibus Company article. These include grips and trailers, and a unique wagon used to haul reels of cable from the ship to the cable tramway powerhouse. A 1925 ad for the Hoffman Tramway Estate, Brunswick. Also some contemporary newspaper articles about the end of the Melbourne cable trams:
    • First Cable Tram for Museum (Launceston, Tasmania Examiner, February 15, 1939)
    • Melbourne's Last Cable Tram Makes Last Trip (Adelaide, South Australia Mail, October 26, 1940)
    • Last Cable Tram/Final Appearance (Townsville Daily Bulletin, October 29, 1940, 1940)
    • Cable Tram for Museum (Melbourne, Victoria Argus, November 29, 1940)
  • Also thanks to Bob Murphy, added photos of a Sutter Street Railway trailer and a California Street Cable Railroad from Knott's Berry Farm which are now preserved at the Orange Empire Railway Museum
  • Added Bibliography items about a collision at Powell and Grant, a "communications glitch" that stopped service on all three lines, Clipper working on cable cars
  • Added "Fifteen Years and What Do You Get?" to the Why page
  • Archived August 2011 What's New
• 01-October-2011
  • Picture of the Month: A station of the cable-operated Glasgow District Subway. (Source: "Glasgow District Subway", Cassier's Magazine, October, 1898).
  • On the Cable Car Lines in the UK page, updated article on the Glasgow District Subway, including an 1898 Cassier's Magazine article, The Glasgow District Subway
  • On the Cable Car Models page, a Garden Scale California Street cable car at the 2011 Ardenwood Rail Fair
  • Added News item about talking to schoolkids
  • Archived July 2011 What's New
• 01-September-2011
  • Picture of the Month: Electric streetcars ride up and down Cincinnati's Mount Adams Incline.
  • On the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: A new article about Cincinnati's Cincinnati Inclines.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about the Powell Street Promenade.
  • Archived June 2011 What's New
• 01-August-2011
  • Picture of the Month: A photo that I took during a visit to Angels Flight
  • On the Los Angeles Area funiculars page: A new article about a July, 2011 visit to Angels Flight.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about the return of Angels Flight and a wonderful graphic from citypass.com.
  • Archived May 2011 What's New
• 01-July-2011
  • Picture of the Month: Upper Douglas Cable Tramway car descending Prospect Hill on the Isle of Man. (Source: Railway World, October 1896).
  • On the Cable Car Lines in the UK page, updated article on the Isle of Man's Upper Douglas Cable Tramway, including an 1896 Railway World article, Cable Traction in the Isle of Man
  • On Walter Rice's page about Glen Hurlburt's "Cable Car Concerto," a 1947 composition that represents a ride on the Mason Street line, added an image of the label
  • Added information about Muni fare changes.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about more shutdowns, the return of the California Street line, a fare increase and labor issues
  • Archived April 2011 What's New and January-June 2010 news items
• 01-June-2011
  • Picture of the Month: Grip car 21 of Cincinnati's Mount Auburn Cable Railway
  • On the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: A new article about Cincinnati's Mount Auburn Cable Railway. Including magazine articles and contemporary newspaper articles:
    • "Articles of incorporation of the Mt. Auburn Cable Railway Company, of Cincinnati have been left with the Secretary of State." (Springfield Daily Republic. (Springfield, Ohio), Saturday, January 31, 1885)
    • "One hundred thousand dollars of stock for the Mt. Auburn cable road has been subscribed and paid up." (Daily Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Kentucky), Monday, March 16, 1885)
    • "The board of public works of Cincinnati refused to grant privileges to the Mount Auburn Cable Railroad company to construct a cable road on Sycamore street to the Zoological garden." (Daily Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Kentucky), Wednesday, June 10, 1885)
    • "The Mt. Auburn cable is expected to be ready for operation from Fourth street, Cincinnati, to Mt. Auburn within a month." (Springfield Daily Republic. (Springfield, Ohio), Saturday, August 27, 1887)
    • "TEN PERSONS HURT IN A CABLE CAR" (The New-York Tribune, Sunday, March 10, 1889)
  • Also on the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: contemporary newspaper articles about Cincinnati's cable cars and the Vine Street Cable Railway:
    • "...there are now in successful operation in Cincinnati three well-equipped cable railways..." (Perrysburg Journal. (Perrysburg, Ohio)), Friday, April 13, 1888). The three Hallidie-type cable car lines in Cincinnati.
    • "Some Funny Bets" (The Hocking Sentinel, (Logan, Ohio)), Thursday, November 15, 1888). Two Vine Street conductors make an unusual bet on the presidential election.
    • "KILLED ON A CABLE CAR/A Peculiar Accident Results From Carelessness." (St. Paul Daily Globe), Monday, July 15, 1889)
    • "Her Pretty Teeth" (Wichita Eagle, Tuesday, October 29, 1889). Reprinted in many newspapers, this joke was set on a Vine Street cable car.
    • Powerhouse Destroyed (Daily Evening Bulletin (Maysville, Kentucky), Monday, March 21, 1892)
    • "Yakey in Cincinnati." (The National Tribune), Thursday, August 10, 1893). A Vine Street employee keeps in touch with a conversation club in Washington, DC.
  • On the Australia/New Zealand page: Thanks to Ric Fisher, updated the Penang Hills Railway article to reflect the reopening of the rebuilt line and include his latest photographs
  • Archived March 2011 What's New
• 01-May-2011
  • Picture of the Month: Vine Street Cable Railway car 258 is shown at Vine and Molitor Streets in Cincinnati, with a grip on display
  • On the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: A new article about Cincinnati's Vine Street Cable Railway.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about a Powell/Hyde shutdown and the passing of gripman Floyd Moore
  • Archived February 2011 What's New
• 01-April-2011
  • Picture of the Month: A menu cover from the San Francisco Cable Car Room on Western Pacific's California Zephyr.
  • On the Kitsch page: A photo of shelves of toy cable cars; a Hard Rock Cafe pin; an Avon after shave bottle; a Starbucks gift card, a 1947 membership card from the Citizens' Cable Car Committee; a menu cover from the Western Pacific's California Zephyr Cable Car Room; more pictures of toy cable car 28; and a mysterious silver ingot
  • On the Cable Car Models page, a model of a California Street cable car by OcCre; another view of a Lefton model of a Cleveland grip car
  • On the Cal Cable page: Thank you to Mike Coppack of the Poway-Midland Railroad, I made a correction of some dates on that page and added information about their Car 17, which is under restoration
  • Added News and Bibliography items about Powell Street outages
  • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to front view of Number 28.
  • Archived January 2011 What's New
• 01-March-2011
  • Picture of the Month: A Cincinnati cable train lays over on the Blair Avenue loop at the outer end of the Mount Adams and Eden Park Railway.
  • On the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: A new article about Cincinnati's Mount Adams and Eden Park Railway. Also a newspaper article about an 1887 accident: CABLE CAR ACCIDENTS.
  • On the Who page: A new article about Henry M Lane, engineer on the Mount Adams and Eden Park and other cable lines
  • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added Chinatown Squad
  • Added Bibliography item about filmmaker and former cable car gripman Melvin Van Peebles
  • Archived December 2010 What's New
• 01-February-2011
  • Picture of the Month: "Cable Car Belle": A clipping from the 03-June-1973 Palo Alto Times, shows Miss Cable Car, Barbara Jean Davies, posing on a cable car and holding a model of a Powell Street cable car.
  • On the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest page: Barbara Davies Walsh, Miss Cable Car 1973, shares memories and clippings from her exciting reign. Also added information about Kathy Cooper, Miss Cable Car 1971
  • On the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: A new article about Cleveland's Brooklyn Street Railroad/South Side Railway, both owned by Tom L Johnson, one of which had an experimental cable installation using the Johnson Ladder Cable System
  • Archived November 2010 What's New
• 01-January-2011
  • Picture of the Month: A Lefton model of a Cleveland City Cable Railway Payne Avenue grip car.
  • On the new Cable Car Lines in Ohio page: A new article about the Cleveland City Cable Railway
  • On the Who page: A new article about Colonel William H Paine, engineer on the Cleveland City Cable Railway and many other cable traction lines
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: More images of car 60 decorated for Christmas 2010, along with photos of other decorated cars including 9, 13, 14, and 25, mostly taken on a day of playing tourist.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about the early shutdown of the California Street line
  • Added News items about plans to make Powell into a pedestrian mall all the way to Geary Street and about the Angels Flight 109th birthday celebration
  • Add links to new site for Peter Ehrlich's photography business and the San Francisco Trains site
  • Archived October 2010 What's New, 2010 Anniversaries, and July-December 2009 News items.

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• 01-December-2010
  • Picture of the Month: Pitcher Madison Bumgarner rides a motorized cable in the Giants Victory Parade on 03-November-2010.
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: The 2010 Giants Victory Parade.
  • On the UK page: A new article about the London's Euston to Camden Incline, an endless cable incline which took trains from Euston Station to Camden Town
  • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about an attack on a cable car conductor
  • Added Bibliography item: an obituary for William Frost, retired Cable Car Division Electrical Shop Foreman
  • Archived September 2010 What's New
• 01-November-2010
  • Picture of the Month: Fear the Beard -- A decorated window on Powell/Mason Car 28
  • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Cable car 28 decorated for the Baseball Postseason.
  • On the UK page: A new article about the City and South London Railway, the first successful tube railway, which planned to use cable traction. I found some nice illustrations of the system as it was built
  • Added more about J M Thompson (no relation), who was involved in promoting and building cable car lines in Los Angeles, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon to the Who page: His full name, a photo, and a brief biographical sketch from the Street Railway Journal
  • On the How page: A photo of a Washburn and Moen wagon used to deliver cables in San Francisco
  • Added News item about a 60 Minutes report about the 1906 movie A Trip Down Market Street. I updated my own page about the film with a 29-March-1906 newspaper article about the Miles Brothers requesting permission to make the movie.
  • Archived August 2010 What's New
• 01-October-2010
  • Picture of the Month: An 1840 view of Marsh Station on the London and Blackwall Railway.
  • On the UK page: A new article about the London and Blackwall Railway, a pre-Hallidie cable-operated line
  • Added News and Bibliography items about the 48th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest. The gripmen and conductors chose to boycott the contest because of union/management issues
  • Add links to two sites: FunCheapSF and Railroad Parts: History for Kids
  • Archived July 2010 What's New
• 01-September-2010
  • Picture of the Month: Kennington Changing-Place, where Brixton Road horse trams received cable grips for the trip up Brixton Hill.
  • On the UK page: A new article about London's Brixton Cable Tramway, including "A Chat on a Cable Car", a magazine article describing a ride over the line
  • Also on the UK page: Chapter Six from Tramways: Their Construction and Working, Embracing a Comprehensive History, an 1894 book by Daniel Kinnear Clark
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page, more photos from our July, 2010 visit to Seattle, including the Waterfront Streetcar Line (which is now a bus route), the monorail, and light rail at SeaTac airport
  • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Dexter Wong, I added Petulia
  • Added News and Bibliography items about cable car 62 at the State Fair and the introduction of Clipper
  • Archived June 2010 What's New
• 01-August-2010
  • Picture of the Month: The intersection of Twelfth and Market Streets in Philadelphia, where the Market Street cable line crossed a horse car line.
  • On the new Pennsylvania page: More about the Philadelphia Traction Company, including a lithograph of Twelfth and Market Streets and an 1892 newspaper article about how Philadelphia gripmen were developing asymmetically
  • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page, photos from our July, 2010 visit to Seattle
  • On the Los Angeles Area funiculars page: Roll out a new article about the funicular at the Victoria Station Restaurant at Universal City. Thank you to John Heller for telling me about the funicular. Also thanks to John for permission to use the only known photo of the Playa Del Rey Incline Railway
  • Archived May 2010 What's New
• 01-July-2010
  • Picture of the Month: Birmingham Central Tramways Company's single-jaw side grip.
  • On the UK page: The Birmingham Central Tramways Company, which operated cable trams until 1911
  • Also on the UK page: an 1897 article by William Newby Colam on the Conversion of Edinburgh, Leith and Portobello Horse Tramways Systems Into Cable Traction
  • On the Who page: Thanks to John Colam, a cousin, a photo and biographical information about engineer William Newby Colam, who was involved with several UK cable tramways. Also engineers Edward Pritchard and Joseph Kincaid, who designed and built the Birmingham Central Tramways Company's cable tram line.
  • Added News item about an effort to revive the Mount Beacon Incline Railway
  • Archived April 2010 What's New and January-June 2009 news items
• 01-June-2010
  • Picture of the Month: Edinburgh Cable Tram 209.
  • On the UK page: The Edinburgh Northern Cable Tramways/Edinburgh and District Tramways Company, Ltd, which operated until 1923 and an 1890 article by William Newby Colam on the Edinburgh Northern Cable Tramways
  • On the Who page: A new article about engineer William Newby Colam, who was involved with several UK cable tramways
  • On the Cable Car Video page: Two videos of cars rounding the corner at Powell and Jackson. One of a car backing into the barn at Washington and Jackson. One of a car running from Jackson and Mason to Washington
  • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Dexter Wong, I added The Sniper
  • Add link to new cable car page, Coming to Grips
  • Archived March 2010 What's New
• 01-May-2010
  • Picture of the Month: Matlock cable tram 3 carries a good crowd up Bank Road
  • On the UK page: The Matlock Tramways Company, Ltd, which operated until 1927
  • On the More Muni Photos page: photos of Powell and Market in the early morning
  • Added News item about Willa Johnson, the second gripwoman
  • Added date for the 2010 Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • Archived February 2010 What's New
• 01-April-2010
  • Picture of the Month: A souvenir piece of California Street Cable Railroad cable
  • The Tenth Anniversary of the Kitsch page: A display of kitsch at the Cable Car Museum; a sheet music cover for "The Cable Car Song"; three large views of toy Car 514; three views of plastic toy cable car 501; a pin and a magnet from Michael Jordan's Chicago restaurant, which was in a cable car powerhouse
  • On the Sutter Street Railway page and the Miscellany page, in the Cable Railway Trust article, a stock certificate for the Cable Railway Company, which has been in the Schmitt family since 1881. Thank you to Carl P Schmitt for sharing this family treasure
  • On the Who page: A photo of Henry Casebolt's home, which still stands on Pierce Street.
  • Added News and Bibliography items about the return of Angels Flight
  • Added News and Bibliography items about plans to refurbish the California Street and Powell Street lines
  • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added What's Up, Doc?
  • Add link to the website of the South Western Electricity Historical Society, from the UK
  • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to Number 501 on its box.
  • Archived January 2010 What's New
• 01-March-2010
  • Picture of the Month: West Chicago Street Railroad trains on Randolph Street
  • On the Chicago page, more about the West Chicago Street Railroad, including a selection from the 1898 Report of Special Committee of the City Council of Chicago on the Street Railway Franchises & Operations, an ad for a default settlement, and a contemporary newspaper article:
    • Chicago -- Halsted Street Runaway (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Monday, February 25, 1895)
  • Also on the Chicago page, two magazine articles about the Chicago Tunnel Railway
  • On the San Francisco page: A link to a blog about Cubbie the Cable Car
  • On the Cable Car Video page:
    • Two F Line views of Muni 162 this year.
  • Thanks to Ric Francis, added News and Bibliography items about the shutdown of the Penang Hills Railway, a funicular
  • Added News and Bibliography items about Eric Neubauer's book about early Pullman car production
  • Add link to the website of an Italian colonel who commands a military railroad engineering unit
  • Archived December 2009 What's New
• 01-February-2010
  • Picture of the Month: A stereo view of "State Street north from Madison" in Chicago.
  • On the Chicago page, more about the widely hated North Chicago Street Railroad, including a selection from the 1898 Report of Special Committee of the City Council of Chicago on the Street Railway Franchises & Operations, an advertisement for investors, a cartoon and some contemporary newspaper articles:
    • Chicago -- Patent Lawsuit (Sacramento Daily Record-Union, Wednesday, December 21, 1887)
    • Chicago -- Runaway Horse Car (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, October 03, 1890)
    • Chicago -- Cable Cars to Carry Bicycles (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Sunday, May 30, 1897)
    • Chicago -- Making Money From Cable Cars (Omaha Daily Bee, Saturday, July 1, 1899)
  • On the Cable Car Models page, photos and a video of Garden Scale Cable Cars
  • On the Horse Car Home Page, a John Stephenson ad and a Chicago newspaper article
  • Archived November 2009 What's New
• 01-January-2010
  • Picture of the Month: A stereo view of "State Street north from Madison" in Chicago.
  • On the Chicago page, more about the Chicago City Railway, including a selection from the 1898 Report of Special Committee of the City Council of Chicago on the Street Railway Franchises & Operations and contemporary newspaper article:
    • Chicago -- Gripman Killed (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Friday, February 03, 1882)
    • THE CABLE-CAR LINE/Progress of the Work -- Eleven Trains and the Horse-Cars Still Running (Omaha Daily Bee, Wednesday, February 15, 1882)
    • Chicago -- Third Fatality (Sacramento Daily Record-Union, Saturday, March 25, 1882)
    • Chicago -- Fifteenth Victim (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Monday, September 04, 1882)
    • Killed by a Cable Car. (New-York Tribune, Wednesday, November 6, 1893)
    • STOPS CHICAGO CABLE LINES./The City Begins Active War on Street Car Company. (New-York Tribune, Thursday, January 18, 1906)
    • CABLES MAKE LAST RUN ON STREET IN CHICAGO (San Francisco Call, Sunday, July 23, 1906)
  • Added Bibliography item about Mayor Newsome's proposal to fill in part of Hallidie Plaza and install a reservoir or cistern below it
  • Added News and Bibliography items about the discovery of a relic of Saint Paul Minnesota's Selby Avenue cable car line
  • Archived October 2009 What's New, 2009 Anniversaries, and July-December 2008 News items.

  ---

  • 01-December-2009
    • Picture of the Month: The proposed incline and improvements in Griffith Park, Los Angeles. From the Los Angeles Herald, 27-August-1905.
    • On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Roll out a new article about the proposed Griffith Park Incline Railway, including newspaper articles:
      • Griffth Park Incline Proposed (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, August 27, 1905)
      • Griffth Park Incline Needs More Time (Los Angeles Herald, Thursday, November 28, 1907)
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Industry Hills Incline including its current status
    • On the Cable Trams in the UK, more about London's Highgate Hill Cable Tramway, including an entry from Baedeker's guidebook for 1889. Also an illustrated paper, Cable Tramways, concentrating on Highgate Hill, that engineer William Newby Colam presented to the Society of Engineers in 1885
    • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
    • Added a new photo of Janelle Wang of Channel 7 performing with the 49er Cheerleaders at the 47th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
    • Added News and Bibliography items about Woody Labounty's Carville book
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a sudden stop on Powell Street and the last Carville house
    • Archived September 2009 What's New
  • 01-November-2009
    • Picture of the Month: An advertisement for the Playa Del Rey development which mentions the "unique incline railway which will extend to the summit of Del Rey Heights..." From the Los Angeles Herald, 21-July-1905.
    • On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Roll out a new article about the obscure Playa Del Rey Incline Railway, including newspaper ads and contemporary articles:
      • "The present week also marks the beginning of work upon the inclined railway..." (Los Angeles Herald, Monday, July 17, 1905)
      • "Rails and lumber are already on the ground for the inclined railway..." (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, July 22, 1905)
      • "Work began today upon the new inclined railway..." (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, July 29, 1905)
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway including a contemporary newspaper article:
      • Mount Washington Auto Climb (Salt Lake Herald, Sunday, July 11, 1909)
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Three advertisements for Court Flight and an entry from a 1907 Los Angeles guide book.
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Angels Flight, an entry from a 1907 Los Angeles guide book.
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Newspaper ads for the Mount Lowe incline and an entry from a 1907 Los Angeles guide book.
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Contemporary newspaper articles about the Santa Catalina Island Incline Railway:
      • Catalina Inclines Under Construction (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, July 22, 1905)
      • Catalina Inclines Near Completion (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, July 29, 1905)
    • Added News and Bibliography items about big rainfalls and the city working out a deal to buy historic cable cars and other artifacts
    • Archived August 2009 What's New
  • 01-October-2009
    • Picture of the Month: A circa-1930 view of Court Flight, showing the sandwich shop which provided additional revenue to the line.
    • On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Court Flight including a photo of Court Flight, an entry from a WPA guide, and some contemporary newspaper articles:
      • Court Flight Delayed by Rain (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, January 1, 1905)
      • Court Flight Real Estate Ad (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, January 8, 1905)
      • Court Flight Fights A Competitor (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, January 14, 1905)
      • Court Flight Approved (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, August 13, 1905)
      • Court Flight In Progress (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, August 27, 1905)
      • Court Flight to Open Monday (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, September 24, 1905)
      • Court Flight a Success (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, October 15, 1905)
      • Court Flight Tax Plea (Los Angeles Herald, Tuesday, June 26, 1906)
      • Court Flight Inspires Hotel (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, October 21, 1906)
      • Court Flight Losing Money (Los Angeles Herald, Friday, February 8, 1907)
    • Also on the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Another postcard of the Santa Catalina Island Incline Railway
    • Added News item about two new cable car videos, one for kids and one about the bell ringing contest. Created a new section on these and other Cable Car Videos on the San Francisco detail page.
    • Also News and Bibliography items about a collision at Washington and Mason
    • Archived July 2009 What's New
  • 01-September-2009
    • Picture of the Month: An early Angels Flight advertising flier, including a photo of Colonel JW Eddy, who built the line and operated it
    • On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Angels Flight, including photos from Joe Lacey, tickets, and an old flier, and several contemporary newspaper articles:
      • Angels Flight Sued (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, January 28, 1905)
      • Angels Flight Real Estate Effect (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, January 29, 1905)
      • Angels Flight Burgled (Los Angeles Herald, Wednesday, June 7, 1905)
      • Angels Flight Burglars (Los Angeles Herald, Thursday, June 8, 1905)
      • "carried more people per mile of track than any railway In the United States" (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, September 9, 1905)
      • Angels Flight: Unfair Competition (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, October 15, 1905)
      • Elks Building (Los Angeles Herald, Thursday, July 19, 1906)
      • "the shortest railway In the world" (Los Angeles Herald, Sunday, July 29, 1906)
      • Violence on the Flight (Los Angeles Herald, Saturday, September 15, 1906)
      • Crime Near the Flight (Los Angeles Herald, Wednesday, November 14, 1906)
      • UP ANGEL'S FLIGHT (Los Angeles Herald, Monday, March 4, 1907)
      • Making Money From the Flight (Los Angeles Herald, Thursday, June 20, 1907)
      • Injured By the Flight (Los Angeles Herald, Thursday, July 18, 1907)
      • Colonel Eddy Gets Burned (Los Angeles Herald, Wednesday, August 7, 1907)
    • On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: Two contemporary newspaper articles about the Mount Lowe incline:
      • Mount Lowe Trolley Accident (Los Angeles Herald, Thursday, April 27, 1905)
      • Mount Lowe Recovers From Fire (Los Angeles Herald, Tuesday, January 2, 1906)
    • On the Motorized Cable Cars page: A strange-looking double decker
    • Added News item about a new animated video, "Cubbie the Cable Car"
    • Added link for MunsonWorks, a manufacturer of inclined elevators
    • Archived June 2009 What's New
  • 01-August-2009
    • Picture of the Month: "Coming Down From Echo Mountain In One of the White Chariots." A photograph from "A Mountain Paradise" by Ronald L Pearse, in Cassel's Magazine, June, 1901, showing one of the cars on the Mount Lowe incline
    • On the Los Angeles area funiculars page: More about the Mount Lowe incline, including photos of the control room and the driving mechanism and newspaper articles about two of the many fires that plagued the line
    • On the Cable Car Video page:
      • New Powell Street car 15 outbound at Ellis. Also some videos from December: Cars 9, 13 and 25 decorated for Christmas.
      • F Line views of Muni 130 and 1010 and New Orleans 952 in June this year. Also two videos of 952 decorated for Christmas.
    • Archived May 2009 What's New
  • 01-July-2009
    • Picture of the Month: Henry Casebolt's patent drawing for his overhead cable car line
    • On the Other California Cities page: More about the Henry Casebolt's experimental overhead cable car line, including his patent and some contemporary newspaper articles, and the earlier patent issued to General Beauregard
    • On the Who page: Henry Casebolt's obituary from the Daily Alta California. Also added a woodcut of Casebolt from his obituary.
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, photos of new Powell Street car 15 on its first test run. Also photos and a video I took two days after it went into service
    • On the Roster page: New car 15
    • Added video of grand master Carol Payne giving an exhibition at the 47th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest. Also added photos
    • On the Cable Car Video page:
      • Powell Street car 15 at Powell and Market, two days after it made its debut
      • F Line views of Melbourne W-2 tram 496 in February and May this year
    • Added News and Bibliography items about the 47th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest. Also about an accident and an explosion.
    • Added information about new Muni fare changes.
    • Archived April 2009 What's New and January-June 2008 news items
  • 09-June-2009
    • Added results and videos of the 47th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • 01-June-2009
    • Picture of the Month: An engraving showing a San Diego Cable Railway combination car, Las Penasquitas. From Charles B Fairchild's book Street Railways: Their Construction, Operation and Maintenance/A Practical Handbook for Street Railway Men
    • On the Other California Cities page: More about the San Diego Cable Railway, including new images and Light Cable Road Construction, a paper written by Frank Van Vleck, who designed and built the line
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, photos of new Powell Street car 15 with a fresh coat of yellow paint.
    • June, 2009 marks the 25th anniversary of the return of the cable cars after the 1982-1984 reconstruction. Added a new banner pointing to San Francisco: Cable Cars Are Here to Stay by Val Lupiz and Walter Rice
    • On the Cable Car Video page:
      • Powell Street car 3 signed as a training car
      • Powell Street car 5 inbound on Powell from Pine to Bush
      • Powell Street car 25, in its bright red paint, passes the Saint Francis Hotel
      • An F Line view of 1007 in the livery of Philadelphia's Red Arrow Lines
      • An F Line view of 1818, the green Milan car
    • Added News and Bibliography items about the upcoming 47th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest. Also about the 25th anniversary of the return and an obituary for Levit Chavez, who worked in the Cable Car Division.
    • Archived March 2009 What's New
  • 01-May-2009
    • Picture of the Month: An engraving showing a Consolidated Piedmont cable car as it pauses on the gravity loop at the entrance to Blair Park.
    • On the Other California Cities page: More about the Consolidated Piedmont Cable Company, including advertisements and contemporary newspaper articles
      • The Gravity Loop -- a series of articles about a unique feature of the Consolidated Piedmont.
      • First Cable Arrives (San Francisco Morning Call, Friday, May 09, 1890). "The two flat-cars that arrived with the wire cable for the Piedmont cable road are ... low set heavy structures, weighing nineteen tons each, supported by two double trucks, a total of eight pairs of wheels on each, which is twice the number on an ordinary flat..."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Nearly Ready for Testing (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, May 25, 1890). "The experimental car for trial on the Consolidated Oakland and Piedmont Cable Company's line ... will shortly be tried on the section between Piedmont and the cable-house before the contract for the rolling stock is let."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Real Estate News (San Francisco Morning Call, Monday, January 05, 1891). "The cable system has greatly increased the value of suburban property, bringing land on the outskirts nearer to the center of the city, and opening up tracts which formerly seemed inaccessible."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Real Estate News/2 (San Francisco Morning Call, Thursday, January 29, 1891). "E. A. Heron is offering many inducements in the way of pretty home sites in Linda Vista, on the Piedmont cable road."
      • New Transit Lines in Oakland (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, March 29, 1891). "It will do as much for its section as the Piedmont cable has done for Piedmont."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Receivership (San Francisco Morning Call, Thursday, November 02, 1893). "Oaklanders were treated to a genuine surprise yesterday when the rumor was spread about the streets that the big concern known as the Piedmont Cable Company was in the hands of a receiver."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Hard Feelings (San Francisco Morning Call, Tuesday, December 11, 1894). "Mr. Bishop scowled at Mr. Garthwaite and Mr. Garthwaite scowled at Mr. Bishop, and the matter was ended."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Hard Feelings/2 (San Francisco Morning Call, Saturday, January 05, 1895). "... Ira Bishop will be compelled to appease the wrath of Mrs. Phoebe Blair, who is after him with a sharp stick."
      • Baseball Field Unprofitable (San Francisco Morning Call, Saturday, January 05, 1895). "Yesterday the Piedmont Railway Company began demolishing this fence and taking down the grand stand ... the grounds do not pay."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Foreclosed (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, January 13, 1895). "... a considerable barrier of prior liens is piling up between the bondholders and their security ..."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Sold at Auction (San Francisco Morning Call, Wednesday, March 20, 1895). "Ever since the road began going down hill..." (lol - JT)
      • Consolidated Piedmont Assessment (San Francisco Morning Call, Thursday, May 16, 1895). "Mr. Dalton says he will not accept these figures and will place a valuation of his own on the road."
      • Consolidated Piedmont Sale Contested (San Francisco Morning Call, Wednesday, July 10, 1895). "... holders of ten bonds of the Consolidated Piedmont Cable Company, have sued the stockholders of that company ... They allege that when the sale of the road was made on the 19th day of March, 1895, all of the proceeds went for the payment of the receiver's indebtedness, leaving no part for the payment of the bonds."
      • Consolidated Piedmont -- Bitter Feelings (San Francisco Morning Call, Wednesday, August 14, 1895). "Mr. Garthwaite accused Mr. Bishop of peculiar tricks with reference to a franchise which had been obtained from the Council for a few blocks down Washington street."
      • Consolidated Piedmont -- Revenge of Mrs Blair (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, May 17, 1903). "It is said C. R. Bishop and J. R. Spring have made good their proportion of the amount, which aggregated $2268 20."
      • Consolidated Piedmont -- Attempted Suicide of Receiver Bishop (New-York Tribune, Sunday, November 06, 1904). "..while suffering from depression, due to ill health."
      • Consolidated Piedmont -- Death of Receiver Bishop (San Francisco Morning Call, Thursday, February 23, 1905). "He was at one time proprietor of the Piedmont Baths in Oakland, and was manager of the Oakland street railway system at the time of its sale to the Oakland Transit Company."
      • I have some more articles that I will add in future months.
    • Also on the Other California Cities page: Two more contemporary newspaper articles about the Oakland Cable Railway:
      • Cable Car Nearly Struck by Steam Train -- The 1894 collision was not the first time a train came too close to a cable car.
      • New Cable (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, April 12, 1891). "The putting in of the new cable of tbe Oakland Cable Company was not completed until about noon yesterday."
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a threatened boycott of the bell ringing contest
    • Archived February 2009 What's New
  • 01-April-2009
    • Picture of the Month: Former O'Farrel/Jones/Hyde cable car 59 at Knott's Berry Farm. Fitted with electric motors on its trucks, it served as a parking lot tram from about 1955 to about 1979.
    • On the Other California Cities page: More about former San Francisco cable cars at Knott's Berry Farm, including a map of the two routes
    • Also on the Other California Cities page: More about the Oakland Cable Railway, including contemporary newspaper articles
      • The Lorings to Resign (San Francisco Morning Call, Tuesday, May 29, 1894). "They have been connected with the roads (cable and electric - JT) since the cable was built and are perfectly conversant with every detail of the business. It is rumored that their resignations were requested."
      • Martin Succeeds Lorings (San Francisco Morning Call, Friday, June 1, 1894). "Mr. Martin of San Francisco, an experienced railroad man, will succeed the Lorings..."
      • Cable Car Struck by Steam Train -- a series of articles about a fatal accident in December, 1894.
      • Battle Over Assessments (San Francisco Morning Call, Thursday, July 15, 1897). Southern Pacific's attorney battled to get assessments reduced: "2.35 miles of cable on San Pablo avenue, from $83,225 to $47,000; franchise on the same, from $71,000 to $10,000; .35 of a mile of cable-road near Park avenue, from 11,750 to $3500..."
      • Only Broad Tracks Now/The Unpopular Narrow Gauge Torn Up (San Francisco Morning Call, Sunday, September 4, 1898). An article about the beginning of the process to convert the former South Pacific Coast line to standard gauge mentions that "The railroad company has also contracted for the material for changing the San Pablo cable road into an electric system, the contract being contingent on the permission of the City Council to make the change."
    • On the Kitsch page: A matchbook from Cable Car Steaks; a centennial coin issued by the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society; a Knott's Berry Farm paper plate; a Cable Car Clothiers button; a Hard Rock Cafe 2008 pin; plastic toy cable car 504; a Christmas ornament
    • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added Starlift
    • Added News and Bibliography items about problems with the Powell Street cable
    • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to a front-end view of Number 512.
    • Archived January 2009 What's New
  • 01-March-2009
    • Picture of the Month: A train at the end of the Boyle Heights line of the Los Angeles Cable Railway/Pacific Cable Railway
    • On the Other California Cities page: "A Year's Progress of Cable Motive Power", a paper about cable traction developments by James Clifton Robinson, the General Manager. Robinson visited almost every cable traction line in the US and Europe. This paper was written at a time when electric traction was not considered a viable alternative, so cable was the latest big thing. of the Los Angeles Cable Railway/Pacific Cable Railway
    • On the Who page: A new article about James Clifton Robinson, a famous traction engineer who was the General Manager of the Los Angeles Cable Railway/Pacific Cable Railway
    • Archived December 2008 What's New
  • 01-February-2009
    • Picture of the Month: A photo of a Melbourne cable winding house and tram shed, taken by Bob Murphy
    • On the Australia/New Zealand page: Thanks to Bob Murphy, photographs of the North Carlton winding house and tram shed in Melbourne
    • On the Other California Cities page: A contemporary newspaper article about the Temple Street Cable Railway in Los Angeles:
      • AT LAST/The Temple Street Cable Road Completed (Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, July 14, 1886)
    • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added Mr Billion
    • Added News and Chronology items about a collision between a California Street car and a Powell Street car
    • Archived November 2008 What's New
  • 01-January-2009
    • Picture of the Month: A train of the Second Street Cable Railway in Los Angeles passes through the line's deep cut in Bunker Hill
    • On the Other California Cities page: Newspaper articles about the Second Street Cable Railway in Los Angeles:
      • Second Street Cable Railway Seeks Subscriptions/1 (Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, February 3, 1885)
      • Second Street Cable Railway Seeks Subscriptions/2 (Los Angeles Times, Saturday, February 7, 1885)
      • Second Street Cable Railway Tested (Los Angeles Times, Friday, October 9, 1885)
      • Second Street Cable Railway -- Unpaid Cable Bill (Los Angeles Times, Saturday, October 26, 1889)
      • Second Street Cable Railway -- Conduit Blocked (Los Angeles Times, Thursday, December 5, 1889)
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Cable cars decorated for Christmas, 2008.
    • Added News item about the annual senior luncheon. Also News and Bibliography items about an SUV running into a Powell Street car
    • Archived October 2008 What's New, 2008 Anniversaries, and July-December 2007 News items.

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  • 01-December-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A Val Lupiz night view of car 60, which he had decorated for the holidays, at California and Drumm on 04-December-2007.
    • On the San Francisco page: Articles about the 1886-1887 strike against the Sutter and Geary Street lines, which include reports about the Sutter Street superintendent's plug uglies shooting at people in the street and at least two grip cars, one from each company, getting blown up with dynamite
    • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables (10th anniversary this year), and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
    • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page, Peter Ehrlich took a photo of a sign telling the history of the Yesler Way line. Thanks to Peter for the photo
    • Archived September 2008 What's New
  • 01-November-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A postcard shows two Fillmore Hill counterbalance cars during the White Front era
    • On the San Francisco page: Updates to the article about the Fillmore Hill Counterbalance, including two newspaper articles about accidents:
      • Car Crashes Down Fillmore Hill/Fastenings Give Way and Passengers Narrowly Escape Serious Harm (San Francisco Call, Wednesday, August 8, 1906)
      • Cars Crash Together On The Fillmore Hill/Rod Gives Away, but Cable Holds and Serious Mishap Is Averted (San Francisco Call, Monday, July 8, 1907)
    • On the Cable Car Models page, photos of a large wooden model of Powell Street car 16 recently unveiled at the Cable Car Museum
    • Also on the Cable Car Models page, more information about Norm Pythian's cable car simulation
    • Added a Chronology item about a plaque placed at the powerhouse of the Consolidated Piedmont Cable Company by the The Friends of the Cable Car Museum
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a loose strand stopping Powell Street service
    • Archived August 2008 What's New
  • 01-October-2008
    • Picture of the Month: After spending 30 years in San Quentin, Agglestein (Agustín) Castro sees cable cars for the first time and asks "Are those the automobiles?"
    • A new installment of Val Lupiz's column Tales From the Grip: "Rookie Bites"
    • On the San Francisco page: "Lost To The World For Thirty Years", a 1901 newspaper article about Agglestein (Agustín) Castro, who returned to San Francisco after spending 30 years in San Quentin
    • Also on the San Francisco page: Added a description of the Telegraph Hill Railroad from a travel book
    • Added a News item about a newly developed cable car simulation
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a fatal accident on Powell Street
    • Archived July 2008 What's New
  • 01-September-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A Clay Street Hill Railroad train climbs the hill in this woodcut from "The Cable Railway Company's System of Traction Railways for Cities and Towns"
    • New item: "The Cable Railway Company's System of Traction Railways for Cities and Towns": A promotional booklet published by the cable railway trust
    • On the Omnibus Railroad page: An 1890 advertisement for the company that made the elevator in the Tenth and Howard powerhouse.
    • On the Miscellany page: Cable-Driven Transit in Alaska, photos from a cruise we took in July. A funicular in Ketchikan and an aerial tramway in Juneau
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a California Street collision
    • Archived June 2008 What's New
  • 01-August-2008
    • Picture of the Month: "Ninth Street, Kansas City, Looking West from Walnut Street -- Drawn by Charles Graham." From the 07-Jun-1890 issue of Harpers Weekly.
    • On the Kansas City page: An 1889 magazine article by cable railway engineer Robert Gillham, who designed and built many of Kansas City's cable car lines, along with a brief biographical sketch
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a runaway Powell Street car
    • Archived May 2008 What's New
  • 01-July-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A diagram showing the screw-operated grip used on Rhode Island's Providence Cable Tramway.
    • On the Other Cities page: The Cable Tramway Company of Omaha, including a series of 1909 newspaper ads giving the history of public transit in Omaha
    • Added a new Chronology page: 2008-Today
    • Thanks to Harry Marnell and Ray Long: On the Los Angles Area Funiculars page, information about the ultimate fate of the cars from the Court Flight, which had been rumored to still exist
    • Added a photo of the 46th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
    • Added News and Bibliography items about an explosion at California and Drumm
    • Archived April 2008 What's New and January-June 2007 news items
  • 03-June-2008
    • Added results and videos of the 46th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • 01-June-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A Val Lupiz photo of recently rebuilt Powell Street Car 25.
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, more photos of the rebuilt car 25 and the brand new Powell Street car 15. Reports about car 25 going into revenue service.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about an car 25's return to service
    • On the Who page: A new article about Henry Root, the engineer who designed and built the California Street Cable Railroad, along with a new page of excerpts from his memoirs, Henry Root, Personal History and Reminiscences with Personal Opinions on Contemporary Events 1845-1921
    • On the Miscellany page: More excerpts from Poor's Directory of Railway Officials, 1887.
    • 08-June is the 100th anniversary of the return to service of the Sacramento/Clay line. I found 1908 article from the San Francisco Call: SACRAMENTO AND CLAY CABLE SERVICE RENEWED
    • Archived March 2008 What's New
  • 01-May-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A Val Lupiz photo of new Powell Street Car 15, taken from a unique angle.
    • On the Miscellany page: A new article: Excerpts from Poor's Directory of Railway Officials, 1887. Also put items about particular transit companies on their pages.
    • On the More California Street Pictures page: Thanks to gripman Gordon Miller, photos of O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde Car 38 being moved in Lakeport, California
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, more photos of the rebuilt car 25 and the brand new Powell Street car 15
    • Added a News item about the date of the bell ringing contest
    • Added an article about Howard C Holmes, who designed and built the Ferries & Cliff House Railway, to the Who Was Important in the History of the Cable Car page
    • Added a banner and a review plugging Nick Tomizawa's excellent video The Feel of the Rope
    • Added a favicon.ico to the site
    • Archived February 2008 What's New
  • 01-April-2008
    • Picture of the Month: Val Lupiz made a model of URR cable car 455 for Walter Rice.
    • On the Miscellany page: A new page about Cable Car Models
    • On the Kitsch page: A menu from the Buena Vista Cafe. Another Italian charm and a zipper pull charm. A Planet Hollywood pin. An ashtray made in occupied Japan. A cable car-shaped telephone.
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, more photos of the rebuilt car 25 and the brand new Powell Street car
    • Added a News item about a car appearing in a currently-shooting movie
    • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added Walk a Crooked Mile
    • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to a detail view of Number 504 with standing figures.
    • Added new item on the Why page about this site moving from AOL to GeoCities
    • Added new Ten Years Ago section
    • Archived January 2008 What's New
  • 01-March-2008
    • Picture of the Month: A Chicago gentleman, taken in wine, has gone to sleep on the safety fender of a Madison Street cable car
    • On the Chicago page: Two 1901 newspaper stories about Chicago cable cars. One is about love and the other is about drunkenness and safety fenders
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, a new section on the homecoming of Powell Street Car 25 and the delivery a brand new car
    • On the new Cable Car Video page:
      • California Street car 58 decorated for Christmas. Also on the Decorated Cable Cars page
      • Powell Street car 12 takes the pull curve inbound from Washington to Powell
      • Blue and Gold Powell Street cable car 16 runs inbound past the Saint Francis Hotel
      • California Street car 49, stuck on an upgrade, getting a push from an inspector
      • F Line views of San Francisco B-Type streetcar 130 and Melbourne W-2 class tram 496
      • A shot of the only jitney bus left in San Francisco
    • Archived December 2007 What's New
  • 01-February-2008
    • Picture of the Month: Val Lupiz took a photo of car 9, decorated for the holidays by the Buena Vista Cafe, at the car barn
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Photos of cable cars decorated for the 2007 holidays
    • Archived November 2007 What's New
  • 01-January-2008
    • Picture of the Month: An image from the 31-May-1903 "San Francisco Call" reconstructs the a collision between a Fillmore Street electric car and a Haight Street cable car
    • On the Market Street Railway page: "SCORES OF LIVES ARE ENDANGERED AND DEATH AVERTED BY A MIRACLE IN ACCIDENT ON TRACTION LINES", a 1903 San Francisco Call article about a collision between a Fillmore Street electric car and a Haight Street cable car
    • Added an article about the 2007 Cable Car Division Senior Luncheon to the San Francisco Miscellany page. I got to meet Barbara Davies Walsh, Miss Cable Car 1973
    • Added an article about Walter Rice to the Who Was Important in the History of the Cable Car page
    • Added a News and Bibliography item about an effort to rebuild the Mornington cable tram line, which had been abandoned in 1957, in Dunedin, New Zealand
    • Added Bibliography items about security guards looking for fare collection problems, a stoppage on the California Street line, and new the people who build new cable cars
    • Archived October 2007 What's New, 2007 Anniversaries, and July-December 2006 News items.

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  • 01-Dec-2007
    • Picture of the Month: A 1946 Charles L Reed Christmas cartoon from the December 1946 issue of "Trolley Topics", Muni's employees' newlsetter. Provided by Walter Rice, from the Tom Matoff collection.
    • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
    • On the Market Street Railway page: "MARKET STREET VIEWS STIR ORPHEUM PATRONS", a 1907 San Francisco Call article about what may have been the world premiere of the movie "A Trip Down Market Street"
    • Archived September 2007 What's New
  • 01-Nov-2007
    • Picture of the Month: An 1886 advertisement for the John Stephenson Company shows their first horse car, the John Mason of 1832, and their latest model.
    • On the Miscellany page: 26-November-2007 marks the 175th birthday of the Horse Car. Read a new article on its history
      • An 11-March-1906 newspaper article about Michael Houlihan, who drove the URR's franchise-protecting horse car line on California Street
      • A 29-July-1917 New York Times article about New York's last horse car
    • Archived August 2007 What's New
  • 01-Oct-2007
    • Picture of the Month: "In the Club Room" shows California Street Cable Railroad carmen in 1902, in the powerhouse at California and Hyde
    • On the Cal Cable page: "How The 'Grip' Arm is Trained", a 1902 San Francisco Call article about physical training and recreation for carmen
    • On the More Muni Photos page: A new section on Wreckers and Service Trucks, with photos of a California Street car having its grip changed and photos and videos two Powell Street cars being towed
    • Added News items about a cable unstranding on California Street and a new children's book
    • On the new Cable Car Video page:
      • Powell Street cars getting towed by the wrecker. Also on the More Muni Photos page
      • F Line views of New Orleans 952 and the Blackpool Boat
    • Archived July 2007 What's New
  • 01-Sep-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Powell Street car 2, with its front dash removed because of dry rot
    • On the More Muni Photos page: A new section on a visit I paid to the car barn with Val Lupiz. I took lots of photos and videos
    • On the UK page: London's Tower Subway, a cable-driven line which ran for a few months in 1870
    • On the new Cable Car Video page:
      • Cars pulling out from the car barn and other images from a visit I made. Also on the More Muni Photos page
      • Two more Powell/Market turntable shots
      • Melbourne W-2 tram 496 on the F Line
    • Archived June 2007 What's New
  • 01-Aug-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Looking up the 9th Street incline in Kansas City
    • On the new Kansas City page: An 1885 magazine article about the Kansas City Cable Railway, with an interesting description of the duplicate cable system
    • On the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest page: The 2007 results, reported by Val Lupiz. Also added News and Bibliography items
    • On the new Cable Car Video page:
      • Powell Street car 28 crossing California. Also on the How page
      • "A Trip Down Powell Street": taken from the back platform of Powell Street car 21
      • PCC 1052 and 1053 make the turn at Market and Steuart
      • PCC 1077, a recent arrival from Newark, runs along Market Street
    • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added Foul Play
    • Archived May 2007 What's New
  • 01-Jul-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Jennifer De Grassi, Miss Cable Car, 1968.
    • On the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest page: Jennifer Williams, Miss Cable Car 1968, shares memories and clippings from her exciting summer
    • On the new Kansas City page: The Union Cable Railway, which used the experimental Terry grip and operated for one day
    • On the new Cable Car Video page:
      • Cal cable car 56 going through the crossover at California and Drumm. Also on the How page
      • Cal cable car 52 leaving California and Drumm
      • Cal cable car 50 arriving at California and Van Ness (also on the How page)
      • Cal cable car 50 leaving California and Van Ness (also on the How page)
      • Two videos of a Breda car crossing the Fourth Street Bridge on the T-Third Street line
      • F-Line car 1075, a recent arrival from Newark, passes in front of the Ferry Building
      • Breda 1523 pops out of the portal at Folsom and the Embarcadero on the J-Line
    • Added a News and Bibliography item about an elderly lady struck by a Powell/Mason car
    • Split the Site Map into four pages to follow Google recommendations
    • Added "Picture of the Month -- Ten Years" to the Why page -- some interesting statistics and stories about the Picture of the Month, which started in July, 1997
    • Archived April 2007 What's New and January-June 2006 news items
  • 01-Jun-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Patent drawing of the design for the original California car
    • On the California Street page: John Hammond's patent D21,042, for the design of the California car.
    • Added a News and Bibliography item about a surprise encounter with relics of the Melbourne cable tram system. Thanks to Bill Bolton for p ointing it out, and Mal Rowe for the use of two of his photos. Also added photos and information to the Melbourne cable tramways article.
    • On the new Kansas City page: The Peoples' Cable Railway, including an interesting selection from the 1900 book American Street Railway Investments about the Brooklyn Avenue Railway, successor to the Peoples' Cable Railway
    • Rolled out a new Cable Car Video page with two new cable car videos: Car 28 at the switch on Powell between Washington and Jackson (also on the More Muni Pictures page, with a still photo of old car 28 at the same location in 2001. Car 18 inbound on Powell Street from California to Post. A long video with lots of interesting traffic, and a glimpse of Mister Smiley. Also two videos of new F Line cars from Newark.
    • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added "Daydreams", a Buster Keaton short, and three features, In Love and War, No Escape, and Man's Favorite Sport
    • Archived March 2007 What's New
  • 01-May-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Looking across the West Bottoms at the Kansas City Cable Railway's 9th Street trestle and the Inter-State Consolidated Rapid Transit Company's 8th Street trestle and tunnel portal
    • On the new Kansas City page: The Inter-State Consolidated Rapid Transit Company. Also added an interesting selection from the 1900 book American Street Railway Investments about the Metropolitan Street Railway, which includes information about the many companies which it consumed
    • Two videos: On the Ferries and Cliff House page: Car 17 passing the Saint Francis Hotel. On the California Street page: Car 58 climbing towards Kearney from Montgomery Street.
    • On the Motorized Cable Cars page: Photos of imitation cable cars, mostly used for sightseeing.
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: A nighttime photo of car 28 decorated for Christmas, 2006.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a fare audit in San Francisco and a surprise encounter with relics of the Edinburgh cable tram system
    • Thanks to Walter Rice and Val Lupiz. A new Chronology item about an additional Powell Street run
    • Archived February 2007 What's New
  • 01-Apr-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Val Lupiz created a special image to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Powell/Hyde Line.
    • On the Kitsch page: A video of my Bachman ho cable car under the Christmas tree. Magazine ads for Old Crow, San Francisco tourism, and the Saint Francis Hotel. A 1972 top 30 survey from KFRC. Three images of a Department 57 model of a Powell Street car. A 1984 All Star Game program. A 2007 SF Giants promotional poster with pitcher Matt Cain
    • On the Muni page: The 50th anniversary of the Powell/Hyde Line
    • On the How page: A video clip of car 21 on the turntable at Powell and Market
    • On the Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added After the Thin Man, with a photo, Moran of the Lady Letty and the number of the Powell Street car that Humphrey Bogart rode in Dark Passage.
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Two photos of car 17. More Christmas 2006 photos coming next month.
    • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to Number 504 with standing figures.
    • Archived January 2007 What's New
  • 01-Mar-2007
    • Picture of the Month: A combination car of Kansas City's Grand Avenue Railway.
    • On the new Kansas City page: The Grand Avenue Railway
    • On the Sutter Street Railway page: "The Sutter Street Railway - San Francisco's Second Cable Car Line" by Walter Rice and Emiliano Echeverria
    • Moved Motion Pictures Which Feature Cable Cars to a separate page. Thanks to Jack Tillmany, I added A Gathering of Eagles. Thanks to Steve Hill, I added screen captures of the titles of many of the movies.
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: A photo of car 13. More Christmas 2006 photos coming next month.
    • Archived December 2006 What's New
  • 01-Feb-2007
    • Picture of the Month: Two trains pass at the top of the bridge used by Kansas City's Metropolitan Street Railway to reach Union Depot in the West Bottoms.
    • The results of the Contest, conceived by Walter Rice, who has also generously provided the prizes: "San Francisco With a $5 Cable Car Fare".
    • On the new Kansas City page: The Metropolitan Street Railway
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: A photo of car 3. More Christmas 2006 photos coming next month.
    • On the San Francisco page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, information about the 1959 movie Crime of Passion.
    • On the Kitsch and Interview with Mrs. Barbara Kahn Gardner pages: Walter Rice has written about Kitty Margolis, a jazz singer who is Samuel Kahn's granddaughter.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about reconstruction work on Angel's Flight in Los Angeles
    • Archived November 2006 What's New
  • 01-Jan-2007
    • Picture of the Month: The Kansas City Cable Railway's 9th Street trestle.
    • On the new Kansas City page: The Kansas City Cable Railway
    • I'm still waiting for the results of the Contest, conceived by Walter Rice, who has also generously provided the prizes: "San Francisco With a $5 Cable Car Fare".
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: A list of the cable cars decorated for Christmas, 2006. Photos coming next month.
    • Added an article about cable traction engineer Robert Gillham to the Who page
    • Archived October 2006 What's New, 2006 Anniversaries, and July-December 2005 news items.

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  • 01-Dec-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Thanks to Wayne Miller: Market Street cable car 133 sits on Castro Street on 08-May-1941, waiting to be towed to the scrapper.
    • Try the new Contest, conceived by Walter Rice, who has also generously provided the prizes: "San Francisco With a $5 Cable Car Fare"
    • Added photos from Wayne Miller's collection:
      • Market Street cable car 133, on its way to the scrapper
      • Market Street Railway sand car 0603, converted from an Omnibus cable car
    • On the Old-Time Radio Shows Which Feature Cable Cars, added an 03-May-1953 episode of The Jack Benny Show. Frankie Remley mistakes the Powell/Market turntable for a record player
    • On the UK page: Thanks to Grant Dew, for a report about the West Hill Lift in Hastings being shut down for maintenance.
    • With Christmas coming, it's a good time to visit Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables, and the Decorated Cable Cars page.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a hit piece of "investigative" journalism from KGO Channel 7
  • 15-Nov-2006
    • Added News item about the 25th Annual Senior Citizen's Holiday Luncheon, hosted by the people of the Cable Car Division
  • 01-Nov-2006
    • Picture of the Month: A photo of Car 10 and a special tenth anniversary dash sign by Val Lupiz
    • Tenth Anniversary - November, 1996 - November, 2006
    • Added "Ten Years After" to the Why page -- what has changed since I started this site
    • Added a new page on Old-Time Radio Shows Which Feature Cable Cars, with an 07-Jul-1949 episode of Candy Matson and 09-January-1938 and 30-March-1947 episodes of The Jack Benny Show.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about repeated shutdowns and an obituary for mechanic Rick Fong
  • 01-Oct-2006
    • Picture of the Month: A photo of Joe Lacey posing with Cal Cable Car 50 at California and Drumm, about 1971
    • Joe Lacey has been scanning items from his collection. Thanks to Joe for sharing them with this site:
      • On the More Muni Photos page: A new Muni People section, with a photo of Joe Lacey and one of him and a group of other Cable Car Division men in 1971, modelling new uniforms designed by Bill Blass
    • On the Market Street Cable Railway page, thanks to Emiliano Echevarria, a 1905 United Railroads floor plan of the McAllister Powerhouse
    • On the Chicago page: 21-October-2006 marks the 100th anniversary of the end of cable traction in Chicago, when the former Chicago City Railway's Wabash Avenue line and the North Chicago Clark and Lincoln lines converted to electric traction. Added a photo of a North Chicago cable train.
    • Rolled out a new Advanced Search page
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: A newspaper article about the second cable car line in Brooklyn, New York, the Brooklyn Heights Railroad.
      • "IN THE CONDUIT/Final Preperations for the Montague Street Line", which describes the line's first cable being threaded. I would like to know the name of the poor kid who had to crawl both ways through the blind conduit
    • Thanks to Walter Rice for a review of Woman on the Run, a movie which includes some nice scenes of San Francisco cable cars, electric streetcars, and trolley buses
    • Thanks to Walter Rice and Val Lupiz. A new Chronology item and roster updates on Of Cables and Grips: The Cable Cars of San Francisco
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a complete shutdown, an accident on California Street, and a drop in ridership because of the five dollar fare
  • 01-Sep-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Thanks to Wayne Miller, a photo of Market Street cable car 133 on its way to the scrapper in 1941
    • On the San Francisco page, a new page about Cable Car Businesses
    • Joe Lacey has been scanning items from his collection. Thanks to Joe for sharing them with this site:
      • On Walter Rice's A Photo Album of 1970s Cable Car Supporters: A certificate issued to those who attended the 100th anniversary celebration at Portsmouth Square in 1973. Another certificate issued to those who walked the Clay Street Hill route with Margot Patterson Doss on the following Sunday. A picnic invitation issued to the people of the Cable Car Division by Mayor Joe Alioto and the San Francisco Cable Car Centennial Committee
      • On Walter Rice and Val Lupiz's The Cable Car Lady & the Mayor: A certificate from the 1947 Citizen's Committee to Save the Cable Cars, signed by Mrs Friedel Klussmann. Also a new section on 1971's Proposition Q, with signs and a letter from the Cable Car Committee, which included Mrs Klussmann
      • On the Muni page: A 1967 want ad for cable car crew members
      • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage, a new section with several of Joe's items
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: A newspaper article about the second cable car line in Brooklyn, New York, the Brooklyn Heights Railroad.
      • TO RUN IN MAY/Cable Cars Will Traverse Montague Street, which talks plans to build the road.
    • Added Bibliography item: obituary of gripman Elwood F Nestler
  • 01-Aug-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Car 24 was the only piece of California Street rolling stock to survive the earthquake and fire.
    • On the San Francisco in 1906 page, 1906 newspaper articles describing the return of the California Street cable cars:
      • CABLE LINE TO OPEN NEXT WEEK/Car Service on California Street to Be Resumed Shortly (San Francisco Chronicle, Wednesday, August 8, 1906)
      • FEW REPAIRS FOR CALIFORNIA LINE/Cable Cars to Operate This Week Over Uninjured Roadbeds (San Francisco Chronicle, Tuesday, August 14, 1906)
      • FIRST CAR RUN ON CALIFORNIA STREET/Successful Test of the Cable Line Which Will Soon Be in Operation (San Francisco Chronicle, Thursday, August 16, 1906)
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Cable cars in the 2006 San Francisco Carnaval Parade.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: A newspaper article about the second cable car line in Brooklyn, New York, the Brooklyn Heights Railroad.
      • DOWN THE HILL/A Cable Car Breaks Away on Montague Street, which talks about a runaway.
    • Added Bibliography items about the 2006 Bell Ringing contest. The stories have links to a podcast of the event.
  • 13-Jul-2006
    • Added the results of the 2006 Bell Ringing contest.
  • 01-Jul-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Walter Rice's photo of Powell Street car "715", to celebrate Barry Bonds passing Babe Ruth on the all-time list.
    • On the Muni page: A 1974 Powell/Mason schedule - warning LARGE images
    • On the new Inexplicable Cable Car Items section on the Kitsch page: Walter Rice found a souvenir magnet showing Sóller, Mallorca's famous Hyde Street cable car.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Three newspaper articles about the second cable car line in Brooklyn, New York, the Brooklyn Heights Railroad. THE FIRST CAR/Travels Over the Montague Street Road, which talks about an early demonstration run. THROWN THROUGH A WINDOW/Singular accident on the Montague Street Railroad, which talks about injuries caused by a sudden stop. BATH OF RED PAINT/Basis of a Damage Suit for $1,700 Instituted by Miss May Against W. J. Cockle, which is hard to explain. Also one more 1886 newspaper article about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. CABLE ROADS/Universal Interest Excited by the Brooklyn Experiment, which talks about how many companies were interested in the Johnson ladder cable technology. It includes a detailed description of the traction method.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a loose strand which shut down the Powell Street cable for most of a day
    • Archived April 2006 What's New and January-June 2005 News items.
  • 01-Jun-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Geary Street cable cars run among the ruins in 1906.
    • Results of the 2006 Contest, conceived by Walter Rice, who has also generously provided the prizes
    • On the San Francisco in 1906 page, 1906 newspaper articles describing the return of the Geary Street cable cars, work on the California Street lines, and the replacement of United Railroads lines with electric traction:
      • GEARY-STREET CHIMNEY NOW READY FOR USE (San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, June 15, 1906)
      • GEARY-STREET CARS AGAIN IN OPERATION CABLE UNDAMAGED AND SLOT NOT BADLY HURT (San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, June 22, 1906)
      • CALIFORNIA STREET CARS/Cable Road Expects to Resume Operations by First of August (San Francisco Chronicle, Friday, June 15, 1906)
      • TOO MANY CARS JUMPED TRACK/Service on Hayes Street Line Abandoned Until New Rail Can Be Laid. (San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, June 16, 1906)
      • WANT CABLE CARS TO RESUME OPERATION/McAllister Street Residents Would Have Old Line Run Again. (San Francisco Chronicle, August 3, 1906)
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Five 1872-1899 newspaper articles about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-operated elevated railroad
    • Added a Bibliography item about a California Street shutdown
    • Archived March 2006 What's New.
  • 01-May-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Powell-Mason car 509 on the turntable at Powell and Market, scanned from a magazine ad by Walter Rice.
    • Try the new Contest, conceived by Walter Rice, who has also generously provided the prizes
    • On the San Francisco page: A new page of Cable Car Advertising Images, scanned by Walter Rice.
    • Also on the San Francisco page: Added a 1951 Collier's Magazine image to The Cable Car Lady & the Mayor by Walter Rice and Val Lupiz, showing Mrs Friedel Klussmann and other cable car supporters.
    • Also on the San Francisco page: Walter Rice scanned Samuel Kahn's signature from a stock certificate as part of his article "An Interview With Mrs. Barbara Kahn Gardner, Daughter of Market Street Railway Executive Samuel Kahn"
    • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Val Lupiz and Walter Rice, a sign warning riders about the California Street line turnback because of the Chinese New Year parade, 2006.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Five 1870 newspaper articles about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-operated elevated railroad and the Beach Pneumatic Subway
    • Added a News item about the 18-April-2006 celebrations
    • Archived February 2006 What's New.
  • 01-Apr-2006
    • Picture of the Month: The headline of the 19-April-1906 Call=Chronicle=Examiner, printed on the presses of the Oakland Tribune by a combination of three of San Francisco's major newspapers.
    • On the San Francisco page: A new page about San Francisco in 1906, describing the effect of the earthquake and fire on the city's cable car lines.
    • Also on the San Francisco page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, a detailed review about the movie I Love a Soldier, which featured Barry Fitzgerald as a gripman.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Three 1869 newspaper articles about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-operated elevated railroad
    • On the Kitsch page: Bachman ho cable car under the Christmas tree. 1954 and 1960 Bank of America magazine ads.
    • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to detail view of Number 514.
    • Archived January 2006 What's New.
  • 01-Mar-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Denver Tramway Company Car 40, preserved at the Forney Transportation Museum.
    • Added information about the Denver Tramway Company to the Other Cities page
    • On the Australia/New Zealand page: Thanks to Stuart James, a photograph of his great-grandfather in a Melbourne engine house
    • On the San Francisco page: An update to the second edition of Of Cables and Grips: The Cable Cars of San Francisco, by Robert Callwell & Walter E. Rice. New information about the powerhouse
    • Added Bibliography items about two books: The End of the Penny Section and Penang Trams
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Four 1868 newspaper articles about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-operated elevated railroad
    • Added a News item about a new book about Penang transit
    • Archived December 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Feb-2006
    • Picture of the Month: A Roslyn cable tram in Dunedin, New Zealand.
    • 24-February-2004 marks the 125th anniversary of Dunedin, New Zealand's Roslyn Tramway, the first Hallidie-type cable tram line outside of San Francisco. I also updated the small article on Wellington's Kelburn Cable Car to mention that the museum has just received grip car 3 restored to its 1905 appearance
    • Thanks to Walter Rice, "San Franciscans Fight to Keep Historic Cable Cars", a 1947 Life article about the beginning of the rebellion against Mayor Roger Lapham's plan to get rid of the Powell Street cable cars. Also "City I Love", a 1946 Time profile about Mayor Roger Lapham
    • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, a sign warning riders about the California Street line turnback on New Year's Eve, 2005.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about the mayor accusing crewmen of skimming fares and a fatality on Mason Street
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Ten 1867-1868 newspaper articles about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-operated elevated railroad
    • Archived November 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Jan-2006
    • Picture of the Month: Car 507 at Washington/Mason in the 1920's.
    • Thanks to Walter Rice, "The Song of the Powell Street Grip", with a recorded reading by Craig Hulsebos of KEAR radio. Also updated the Ferries and Cliff House page.
    • On the Muni page: Links to live map's of Muni's cable car lines from NextBus
    • Added News items about Cal Cable rope unstranding, a new cable car dvd, and a new cd with historic streetcar photos
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: An 1887 newspaper article about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. WON’T BE RASH/Mr. Richardson Will Examine the Facts, which talks about how William Richardson got rooked by the cable people. It proves that the cable system was abandoned before 20-July-1887.
    • Archived October 2005 What's New, 2005 Anniversaries, and old news items.

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  • 08-Dec-2005
    • Added News item about Cal Cable car 23 being offerred to anyone who will take it
  • 01-Dec-2005
    • Picture of the Month: An invitation which Val Lupiz designed for the Cable Car Division's 2005 luncheon for Senior Citizens.
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: The luncheon invitation
    • On the San Francisco page: A new page about Motorized Cable Cars. Notes from Walter Rice and Val Lupiz on Cal Cable 61/62
    • Also on the San Francisco page: Thanks to Jack Tillmany, item about the movies Fools, part of which was shot in the cable car barn, and Fog Over Frisco, a 1934 movie with glimpses of cable cars.
    • On the Muni page: Thanks to Ray Long, a photo of 524 running on Broadway in Los Angeles for a 1949 Shriners parade
    • On the More MSR Photos page: Val Lupiz found a postcard of an MSR cable RPO car
    • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Walter Rice, a TWA poster
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Two 1886 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. WANTS TO USE THE CABLE, about a request for permission to use cable traction and CABLE ROAD/The Aldermen Inspect the New York Variety, about a junket to inspect a Manhattan line. Also an 1893 article, The Passing of Richardson, about the death of Brooklyn Cable Company promoter William Richardson
    • Added News items about new Powell Street cable car book signing and a meltdown on the Hyde Street line. Also added Nick Kibre photo to the item about Cal Cable car 59 in New Orleans
    • Added Bibliography items: Obituaries for Grimes Poznikov, Chester Smith, and Guillermo P Mendoza, Sr. Also a report of a 1980 publicity stunt
    • Archived September 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Nov-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Valencia Street cable car, 1904.
    • On the San Francisco page: San Francisco Cable Car Service, 1903 -- based on the San Francisco Official Street Railway Directory, 1903. Thanks to Walter Rice.
    • On the San Francisco page: A Photo Album of 1970s Cable Car Supporters by Walter Rice
    • On the More MSR Photos page: Valencia Street cable car, 1903
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: 1886 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. MR. RICHARDSON'S CABLE ROAD, about an early petition for permission to build the line and TO ADOPT JOHNSON'S SYSTEM, about the choice of the Johnson ladder cable system to operate it
    • Added News item about new Powell Street cable car book
    • Archived August 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Oct-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Powell and Market at 7am.
    • On the San Francisco page: San Francisco traffic code items about cable cars
    • On the More Muni Photos page: Powell Street photos
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: 1886 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. BUILDING THE CABLE ROAD, about early work on the road, The Cable System Authorized on Park Avenue, about the legal groundwork for the road, and THE CABLE ROAD/Names of its Seven Directors and its Stockholders, about the organization of the company
    • Archived July 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Sep-2005
    • Picture of the Month: A Peter Ehrlich photo of Dunedin, NZ cable tram 95.
    • On the Australia/New Zealand page: Peter Ehrlich's photos of a Dunedin cable tram
    • On the San Francisco page: Part Four of Walter Rice and Emiliano Echevarria's "When Steam Ran on the Streets of San Francisco: The Ocean Shore Railroad"
    • Added News and Bibliography items about accidents at Powell and California and California and Drumm. Also news items about the abusive $5 fare and the presentation of a cable car bell to the outgoing Archbishop
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: More 1887 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. The Rope Broke, about a rope break, and DISSATISFACTION ON THE CABLE ROAD, about labor unrest and a possible shutdown
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Cable cars in the 2005 San Francisco Carnaval Parade.
    • Added more Chronology items
    • Archived June 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Aug-2005
    • Picture of the Month: A Walter Rice photo of Powell Street car 25 with the round dash signs it sported until 1982.
    • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Walter Rice and Val Lupiz, a collection of Powell Street dash signs. Also an 1898 Cal Cable dividend check.
    • On the San Francisco page: Walter Rice has two more stories about Samuel Kahn, Market Street Railway's principal owner: "Samuel Kahn Paints a Streetcar White," about private party car San Francisco, and "Samuel Kahn, Inventor," about the creation of the White Front Car, with a copy of the patent
    • Also on the San Francisco page: Thanks to Phil Hoffman, an item about the movie I Love a Soldier, which featured Barry Fitzgerald as a gripman. Also thanks to Phil Hoffman, an update to the item about the movie In Harm's Way.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: More 1887 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York. A CABLE CAR ACCIDENT, about a pedestrian getting injured, and . EXTENDING THE CABLE ROAD, about extending the cable and possibly running cars across the Brooklyn Bridge using the Johnson system
    • Thanks to Phil Hoffman, added Chronology item about Adlai Stevenson campaigning from the back platform of Powell car 504 in 1956. Added a Time Magazine photo of the event to the article on Photos of Car 44 (retired Powell Street car 504/4) at Pac Bell Park
    • Added more Chronology items
    • Archived May 2005 What's New.
  • 14-Jul-2005
    • Added the results of the 2005 Bell Ringing contest.
  • 01-Jul-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Jim Walker's 1962 photo of Cal Cable car 42 at a feed lot in Betteravia, California.
    • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Walter Rice, Rudy Brandt's 1945 Muni employee pass and his 1944 union card, and a menu from the Cable Car Cafe on Bay Street
    • On the San Francisco page: Walter Rice has more stories about Samuel Kahn, Market Street Railway's principal owner
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: More 1887 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York.
    • Added another News items about the return of Cal Cable car 42.
    • Added Bibliography items about a US News & World Report article and an obituary for Brian Jennings
    • Archived April 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Jun-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Walter Rice's photo of Cal Cable car 42.
    • On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Walter Rice and Val Lupiz, several new signs and posters
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: More 1887 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York.
    • Added News items about the return of Cal Cable car 42 and motorized cable cars in the 2005 Carnaval Parade.
    • Archived March 2005 What's New.
  • 01-May-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Muni Car 9, in the Market Street Railway's famous White Front paint scheme.
    • On the San Francisco page: Walter Rice's interview with Mrs. Barbara Kahn Gardner, daughter of Market Street Railway's principal owner, Samuel Kahn
    • Added the May installment of Val Lupiz's quarterly column, Tales From the Grip: "California, Here I Come"
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: 1887 newspaper articles about the first cable car line in Brooklyn, New York, and 1854 articles about the first horsecars in Brooklyn.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about a shutdown of the California Street cable car line. Added bibliography items and updated news items about the wildcat strike on 02-Mar-2005.
    • Archived February 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Apr-2005
    • Picture of the Month: The cover of Downbeat for 10-Nov-1960 featured a collection of jazz musicians posed on a Powell Street cable car. They include Vernon Alley (with the string bass), piansts Earl "Fatha" Hines and Teddy Wilson, Pony Poindexter (holding a saxophone), saxophonist Virgil Gonsalves, pianist Vince Guaraldi (with the glasses and distinctive moustache), singer Bev Kelly, guitarist Wes Montgomery, Brew Moore (also holding a saxophone), clarinetist Paul Desmond, actress and singer Sylvia Syms, and trombonists Kid Ory and Turk Murphy.
    • On the Kitsch page: A Downbeat magazine cover and more Hard Rock Cafe pins.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: A contemporary newspaper article about the experimental non-grip line on the grounds of a lunatic asylum in Binghamton, New York
    • Added News and Bibliography items about the wildcat strike by Cable Car Division crews and the proposal to drastically increase cable car fares
    • On the Roster page: Powell Street Paint Schemes, with early examples of Blue and Gold and Green and Cream cars. Photos courtesy of Walter Rice.
    • Walter Rice provided another Sutro Railroad ticket and two current $3 collectors’ series tickets for the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets and Tokens page. Val Lupiz provided a rare Clay Street Hill Railroad ticket.
    • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to red Number 28.
    • Archived January 2005 What's New.
  • 01-Mar-2005
    • Picture of the Month: The cover of the second edition of Of Cables and Grips: The Cable Cars of San Francisco.
    • On the San Francisco page: The second edition of Of Cables and Grips: The Cable Cars of San Francisco, by Robert Callwell & Walter E. Rice. Although the second edition is available on this web site, it is not yet available in a print-and-paper book format.
    • On the New York/New Jersey page: Contemporary newspaper articles about cable cars in Manhattan, including the beginning of the Broadway line in 1893 and the end in 1901.
    • On the Decorated Cable Cars page: Car 504 decorated for a 1954 festival, thanks to Walter Rice.
    • Archived December 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Feb-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Geary Street Park and Ocean steam train.
    • February 16 marks the 125th birthday of the Geary Street Park and Ocean Railway
    • Added "When Steam Ran on The Streets of San Francisco," a series of three articles by Walter Rice and Emiliano Echeverria about steam street railway operations in San Francisco on the San Francisco page.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about the destruction by fire of a Baltimore cable car powerhouse and barn
    • Archived November 2004 What's New, 2004 Anniversaries, and old news items.
  • 01-Jan-2005
    • Picture of the Month: Clay Street Hill grip car 8 and trailer 1 at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Added some information from Walter Rice about the display on the Chicago page.
    • Added "When Stationary Steam Engines Powered the Cable," an article by Walter Rice and Emiliano Echeverria about the Washington/Mason powerhouse.
    • Updated the Decorated Cable Cars article with photos of the 2004 batch and photos from the 1973 centennial.
    • Added newspaper articles from 1873 about the first test of the Clay Street Hill cable car line, and a series of political attacks on Andrew S Hallidie , who was running for state senate at the time
    • Archived October 2004 What's New, 2004 Anniversaries, and old news items.

    ---

  • 01-Dec-2004
    • Picture of the Month: A Castro Cable car in the 1930's.
    • Thanks to Walter Rice:
      • Added "Market Street Railway's Efforts to Curtail Its Cable Car System," contemporary newspaper articles and photos with an introduction by Walter Rice.
      • Added Glen Hurlburt's "Cable Car Concerto," a 1947 composition that represents a ride on the Mason Street line, with an introductory essay by Walter Rice.
    • Archived September 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Nov-2004
    • Picture of the Month: A Pacific Avenue cable train in the 1920's.
    • One new guest article:
      • Added "The Sutter Street Railway - History and Technology," an article by Walter Rice, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the abandonment of the Pacific Avenue cable line on 17 November.
    • Added a newspaper article about the hearing to allow the abandonment of the Pacific Avenue cable car line to the newspaper article page
    • Added a photo of Henry Casebolt's balloon car to the Who page
    • Added a new article by Walter Rice about the 1950 Broadway Tunnel Construction Project and how it caused the O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde line to be temporarily replaced by Ford buses. Photos from Robert Townley and Walter Vielbaum.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about some outages and an accident that occurred in October
    • Archived August 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Oct-2004
    • Picture of the Month: The header of a Rider Alert card issued during the 2002 Powell/Market Turntable Replacement. The other side was in English. The Bay/Taylor turntable is being replaced this month.
    • Added the October installment of Val Lupiz's quarterly column, Tales From the Grip
    • Thanks to information from Rich Fill, updated the article about the Park Hill Incline, a funicular in Yonkers.
    • One new guest article:
      • Added "The Wire Rope Street Railways of San Francisco, California," an 1881 article by Andrew Hallidie from the Scientific American Supplement, collected by Val Lupiz, with an introduction by Walter Rice.
    • On the page about the 2002 Powell/Market Street Turntable Replacement page: Scans of a rider alert card in English and Chinese. Also a News item about the current Bay/Taylor turntable replacement.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about some outages that occurred in September
    • Added more Chronology items
    • Archived July 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Sep-2004
    • Picture of the Month: Grant Dew's photograph of the East Cliff Lift in Hastings, East Sussex, UK.
    • On the UK page: Thanks to information and photos from Grant Dew, a new article about Cliff Lifts.
    • On the More Muni photos page: Photos of Car 44 (retired Powell Street car 4) at Pac Bell Park, including a photo taken in August by Walter Rice, and a photo I took in February of the car wrapped in tarps for the winter.
    • One new guest article:
      • Added "Market Street Railway Company Past, Present and Future", a 1925 article from the San Francisco News Letter, with an introduction by Walter Rice.
    • Added News and Chronology items about Val Lupiz being named Muni's Runner Up as Systemwide Operator of the Month for July, 2004. Congratulations, Val.
    • Added more Chronology items
    • Archived Jun 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Aug-2004
    • Picture of the Month: A stamp showing former cable car 72/73 in Douglas, Isle of Man, in honor of the 75th anniversary of the abandonment of the Upper Douglas Cable Tramway.
    • In honor of the 75th anniversary of the abandonment of the Upper Douglas Cable Tramway, added some new items on the UK page: Articles by Walter Rice about the Isle of Man Railway and the Manx Electric Railway.
    • Added photos from the 2004 Bell Ringing contest, including photos of all the finalists. Also added more information about the contests from 1985 through 1994, and an article by Muni historian Bob Callwell about the history of the contest: "The Annual Cable Car Bell-Ringing Contest - A San Francisco Tradition". I added photos of Cal Cable's Alexander Nielsen, who won the first contest in 1949, and Francesca Cresci, Miss Cable Car 1972
    • Added two 1892 magazine articles about the end of the original Clay Street Hill Railroad, with and introduction by Walter Rice
    • One new guest article:
      • Added "Proper Techniques and Body Positions for Cable Car Gripmen", a 1972 ergonomic memo preserved by RT Murphy to the page with the 1976 "Instructions for Cable Car Operations", also preserved by Bob.

      Thanks to RT Murphy for allowing me to be the host of this material

    • Walter Rice provided another Sutro Railroad ticket for the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets and Tokens page.
    • Added more Chronology items
    • Added Search this Site function.
    • Archived May 2004 What's New and Jan-Jun, 2003 News.
  • 08-Jul-2004
    • Added the results of the 2004 Bell Ringing contest.
  • 01-Jul-2004
    • Picture of the Month: A New York Metropolitan Street Railway cable car
    • Added some new items on the New York/New Jersey page. Cable Car Run Amuck is an 1893 newspaper article about a runaway cable car on Broadway. Also an article about the Park Hill Incline, a funicular in Yonkers.
    • Some new guest articles:
      • The Cable Car Lady & the Mayor by Walter Rice and Val Lupiz on the San Francisco page, an article about the epic battle between Mrs Friedel Klussmann and Mayor Roger Lapham.
      • The Great Orme Tramway: The Cable Car of Wales, another article by Walter Rice, about the only street-running funicular in the United Kingdom.

      Thanks to Walter Rice and Val Lupiz for allowing me to be the new host of this material

    • Added News and Bibliography items about the party marking the 20th anniversary of the return of the cable cars after the Great Reconstruction
    • Archived April 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Jun-2004
    • Picture of the Month: Program marking the return of the cable cars in 1984
    • Some new guest articles:
      • Added 20-Years of Being Back and Building for the Future, a new essay by Val Lupiz and Walter Rice, about the return of the cable cars after the 1982-1984 reconstruction on the San Francisco page.
      • Cable Car Transfers, Tickets and Tokens by Walter Rice. With a new 1970's child's ticket.
      • TOWED BY RAIL, an 1878 Saint Nicholas Magazine article about cable cars, from Tom Ehrenreich's much-missed Railroad Extra site.

      Thanks to Val Lupiz, Walter Rice and Tom Ehrenreich for allowing me to be the new host of this material

    • Added the June installment of Val Lupiz's quarterly column, Tales From the Grip
    • Added News and Bibliography items about the California cable car shutdown and the passing of Arnold Gridley
    • Archived March 2004 What's New.
  • 01-May-2004
    • Picture of the Month: People protest the end of the O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde line
    • Added newspaper articles about the decision to abandon most of the former Cal Cable system, the last days of the O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde line, the cutback of the California Street mainline, and Proposition E.
    • Added a new essay by Walter Rice about Gellett Burgesss' poem "The Ballad of the Hyde Street Grip", with a recorded reading by Craig Hulsebos of KEAR radio. Also updated the Cal Cable page.
    • Some new guest articles:
      • Is It "Mahoney" or "Mahony?", an essay by Walter Rice
      • San Francisco Cable Car Chronology by Walter Rice
      • SAN FRANCISCO: that was THE CITY that was by Val Golding

      Thanks to Val Golding and Walter Rice for allowing me to be the new host of this material

    • Archived February 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Apr-2004
    • Picture of the Month: A detail from a magazine ad showing 519 at Powell and Market
    • A new guest article:
      • Instructions for Cable Car Operations (collected by RT Murphy)

      Thanks to RT Murphy and Walter Rice for allowing me to be the new host of this material

    • Added the April installment of Val Lupiz's quarterly column, Tales From the Grip
    • New items on the Kitsch page: including magazine ads and items from the 1982-1984 Great Reconstruction
    • Changed toy cable car picture on the main page to Bachman HO 4.
    • Added Bibliography items
    • Archived January 2004 What's New.
  • 01-Mar-2004
    • Picture of the Month: An elevator full of grips at Washington/Mason
    • Some new guest articles:
      • Historic American Engineering Record, San Francisco Cable Car System (assembled by Alan Kline)
      • Cal Cable's Hyde and California Street Car Barn and Powerhouse by Walter Rice and Emiliano Echevarria
      • San Francisco Cable Car - The Gripping Tale of an Aged Compact, an April, 1962 Road and Track article collected by Val Lupiz

      Thanks to Allan Kline, Val Lupiz, Walter Rice, and Emiliano Echevarria for allowing me to be the host of this material

    • Rolled out new page: More Muni Photos, including photos taken around Washington/Mason
    • Archived December 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Feb-2004
    • Picture of the Month: Last day of the Jones Street Shuttle
    • Add newspaper articles about the last days of the California Street Cable Railroad's Jones Street Shuttle and updated the Cal Cable page
    • Updated my article about the 2003 Cable Car Bell Ringing Invitational with information from its organizer, Nick Tomizawa
    • Add information about the retirement of old car 28 and the rollout of new car 28 to the roster page
    • Add a photo of the former powerhouse and information about the discovery of a turntable base to the Consolidated Piedmont Cable Company article on the Other California Cities page
    • Archived November 2003 What's New, 2003 Anniversaries, and old news items.
  • 01-Jan-2004
    • Picture of the Month: GSPO terminal at Geary and Kearney
    • Add newspaper articles about the last days of the Geary Street, Park and Ocean and updated the GSPO page
    • Add new page about Decorated Cable Cars
    • Add article about Ray McCann to the Who page
    • Add News item about Cable Car Division Senior Luncheon
    • Archived October 2003 What's New, 2003 Anniversaries, and old news items.

    ---

  • 03-Dec-2003
    • Added special Christmas installment of Val Lupiz's column, Tales From the Grip
  • 01-Dec-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Christmas tree with cable cars
    • Added the December installment of Val Lupiz's quarterly column, Tales From the Grip
    • On the San Francisco page: Added photos of Christmas decorations to Joe Lacey's article Christmas on the Cables.
    • Archived September 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Nov-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Paris cable tram
    • On the Other Cities page: Paris - Tramway Funiculaire de Belleville", the only Hallidie-type cable line in France
    • "Le Tramway Funiculaire De Belleville", my attempt at translating an 1890 magazine article about the line
    • Added photos to my article about the 40th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
    • Added banner and News item about raffle to support Cable Car Division Senior Luncheon
    • Archived August 2003 What's New and July-December 2002 news items.
  • 16-Oct-2003
    • Added an article about the 40th Annual Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
  • 01-Oct-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Belding silk ad with Chicago cable train
    • On the Chicago page: "Memories" a poem by Franklin P Adams. Also more images, including a stereo view of State and Madison.
    • On the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page, updated article about Tacoma's Steve's Cable Car Room. Thanks to Ron Gates for information and photos about the disposition of the cable car booths.
    • On the California Street Cable Railroad page, I added an item about a former Cal Cable car which was being prepared to promote a restaurant in Portland, Oregon
    • Archived July 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Sep-2003
    • Picture of the Month: A rainy day at Hayes and Van Ness in 1890
    • Added more photos to the Market Street Cable Railway and More Market Street Pictures pages.
    • Thumbnailed pictures on page with excerpt from "South of the Slot" by Jack London
    • Rolled out new page about the Cable Car Bell Ringing Contest
    • Added information about new cable car fares.
    • Added 1903 phone numbers for several SF companies.
    • Archived June 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Aug-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Seattle, Second and Madison
    • Added the August installment of Val Lupiz's quarterly column, Tales From the Grip
    • Added more about Seattle cable cars and counterbalances to the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page.
    • Added Disney pin and Italian Charm to the Kitsch page.
    • Added photos to the SF Muni page: Washington/Jackson and old Powell/Mason dash signs and on the Ferries & Cliff House Railway page a Sacramento/Clay sign, all thanks to Val Lupiz
    • Archived May 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Jul-2003
    • Picture of the Month: The Skagit Incline
    • Add the Skagit Incline to the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page.
    • Added photos to the SF Muni page: dash signs and a sign in Chinese, and some highlights from Muni's 2003 draft Short Range Transit Plan
    • Added News and Bibliography items about an accident on Powell Street and a Cal Cable shutdown. Added news item about the retirement of Cable Car Division's Saddati Ahmad
    • Archive April 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Jun-2003
    • Move to new domain: www.cable-car-guy.com
    • Picture of the Month: Butte cable car
    • Add the Butte City Street Railroad to the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page.
    • Added more photos to my illustrated article about the California Street Cable Railroad 125th anniversary.
    • Added News items about the Carnaval Parade, with a photo by Val Lupiz, who drove car 62, and a serious accident on the California Street cable line.
    • Archive March 2003 What's New.
  • 01-May-2003
    • Added Val Lupiz's new quarterly column, Tales From the Grip to the San Francisco Miscellany page. Thanks to Val for choosing to host his column here.
    • Picture of the Month: South Spokane cable car
    • Add the Spokane Cable Railway to the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page.
    • Added an illustrated article about the California Street Cable Railroad 125th anniversary. Also added Bibliography items about the party.
    • Added News and Bibliography items about Walter Rice and Emiliano Echeverria's new book San Francisco's California Street Cable Car/Celebrating a Century and a Quarter of Service.
    • Archive February 2003 What's New.
  • 10-Apr-2003
    • Add News item about the California Street Cable Railroad 125th anniversary.
  • 01-Apr-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Cal Cable centennial cachet
    • California Street Cable Railroad 125th anniversary. More pictures on the More Cal Cable Pictures page.
    • Add more items, especially special Muni passes and Lefton models to the Kitsch page.
    • Add excerpt from book Travels With Jottings, which describes an 1880 trip on the California Street Cable Railroad
    • Add information about new car 60 to the roster page
    • Add News items about anti-war protests
    • Change toy cable car picture on the main page to wood and metal Cal Cable 4.
    • Archive January 2003 What's New.
  • 01-Mar-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Tacoma, Washington cable car
    • Add the Tacoma Railway and Motor Company to the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page. Also article about Tacoma's Steve's Cable Car Room.
    • Add News items about anti-war protest and Chinese New Year.
    • Archive December 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Feb-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Portland, Oregon cable car
    • Add the Portland Cable Railway to the Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page
    • Thumbnail pictures on the California Street Cable Railroad and More California Street Pictures pages.
    • Add News and Bibliography items about proposed fare increase.
    • Archive November 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Jan-2003
    • Picture of the Month: Seattle cable car at Second and Madison
    • Roll out the new Cable Cars in the Pacific Northwest page with more pictures and information about Seattle cable cars.
    • Add more photos of the Powell Street Turntable Replacement
    • Archive October 2002 What's New, 2002 Anniversaries, and old news items.

    ---

  • 01-Dec-2002
    • Picture of the Month: New Powell/Market turntable
    • Add the Beach Pneumatic Subway to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add article about the Powell Street Turntable Replacement to the San Francisco page.
    • Added photos and thumbnailed others on the Clay Street Hill Railroad page. Also expanded added photos and expanded article on Andrew S Hallidie on the Who page.
    • Add photos to the News items about the bell ringing contest and Powell Street turntable replacement.
    • Archive September 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Nov-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Metropolitan Street Railway cable car
    • Add the Metropolitan Street Railway to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Also added a photo of Brooklyn Heights Railroad cable cars on Montague Street.
    • Add News items about bell ringing contest and Powell Street shutdown.
    • Archive August 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Oct-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Third Avenue, New York, parlor car
    • Add the Third Avenue Railroad to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add News and Bibliography items about an assault on a gripman and rededication of Seattle's Iron Pergola.
    • Archive July 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Sep-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Brooklyn Bridge cross section
    • Add the New York and Brooklyn Bridge Railway, a cable-driven rapid transit line, to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add an article about the Malayasian Penang Hills Funicular Railway to the Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand. I know it is not in Australia or New Zealand, but it's in the same hemisphere and Ric Francis, who kindly provided the information and the illustrations, is Australian.
    • Add photo of Byron Cobb to News item about Union Square reopening.
    • Add cable diameter measurement to How page.
    • Archive June 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Aug-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Great Orme car 5 entering Victoria Station
    • Add Llandudno Wales's Great Orme Tramway, a unique street-running funicular, to the UK page, in honor of the 100th anniversary of its lower section.
    • Add News item about Union Square reopening and date for bell ringing contest.
    • Walter Rice pointed out that it was never the "California Street Cable Railway", so I changed it to "Railroad" in various places.
    • Archive May 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Jul-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Charles T Harvey testing his West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway.
    • Add Manhattan's West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a pre-Hallidie cable line and the first elevated railway, to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add article about Charles T Harvey to the Who page
    • Add two articles about the 1949 Cal Cable strike to the Newspaper article page
    • Add Selected articles from Manufacturer and Builder Magazine (1870-1879) to the Miscellany page. This contains many articles about early els in New York.
    • Add News item about reconstruction of Seattle's Iron Pergola.
    • Archive Apr 2002 What's New and Jan-Jun 2001 newspaper articles.
  • 01-Jun-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Warning sign at Washington/Mason barn.
    • Add Brooklyn's Brooklyn Heights Railroad to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Roll out new page of newspaper articles about cable cars, with articles about the end of the Pacific Avenue line and a 1935 accident at Powell and California.
    • Add photos to the San Francisco Municipal Railway page and make images into thumbnails. Also thumbnailed photos on roster page. Mentioned car 524's 1950 visit to LA.
    • Add grip and yoke photos to the How page and add link to cable car bell wav file. Also add background sound to cover page.
    • Add News and bibliography items about California Street cable break and new cable car book.
    • Split Links and Selected Articles from Manufacturer and Builder (3/ 4) pages into two pages because of new Geocities page size limit.
    • Archive Mar 2002 What's New.
  • 01-May-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Former Omnibus Railroad cable car used as passenger car on the Mill Valley & Mount Tamalpais Railroad.
    • Add Brooklyn's Brooklyn Cable Company to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add photos to the Omnibus Railroad page and make images into thumbnails. Add Sanborn maps of the powerhouses.
    • Add photo of Fannie Barnes to the Who page
    • Thanks to Len Foley for pointing out that my Dunedin photographs were of the Maryhill and not the Roslyn line. Thanks to Walter Rice for pointing out some errors in my Muni page
    • Add obituary for engineer Bud Meyers to Bibliography.
    • Archive Feb 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Apr-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Muni cable car transfer.
    • Add Binghamton's Washington Street & State Asylum Railroad to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add more items, especially transfers and tokens to the Kitsch page.
    • Add Kaprun fire and more articles about Angels Flight to the Bibliography.
    • Add many links, including the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society and Randall's Lost New York City
    • Change toy cable car picture on the main page to front view of car 514.
    • Archive Jan 2002 What's New.
  • 01-Mar-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Driving drum from a Rasmussen non-grip system.
    • Add Newark's Essex Passenger Railway/Newark and Irvington Street Railway to the Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page.
    • Add Turning the Cars to the How page.
    • Add Sanborn maps of Los Angeles cable powerhouses to the Other California Cities page.
    • Add magazine article about 1883 experimental electric line in Newark
    • Review all links and fix or remove dead ones.
    • Archive Dec 2001 What's New.
  • 01-Feb-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Car 24, formerly 524.
    • Add Chicago West Divsion, a short-lived experimental implementation, to the Chicago page
    • Add 524 at the Fair, about San Francisco cable car 524's visit to the 1949 Chicago Railroad Fair to the Chicago page
    • Add more photos to the Chicago page
    • Add books Mind the Curve and Halfway to the Stars, article about decline in ridership, and obituary for Raymond McCann to Bibliography.
    • Add items about call to fill in Hallidie Plaza to News and Bibliography. Include photo of Cable Car Coffee. Also added news item about Olympic torch.
    • Archive Nov 2001 What's New. Split What's New archive onto separate page.
  • 01-Jan-2002
    • Picture of the Month: Hoboken elevated
    • Roll out new Cable Car Lines in New York and New Jersey page with an article on the Hoboken's North Hudson County Railway.
    • Sutter Street Railway cable traction 125th anniversary. Add photos to the Sutter Street Railway page and make images into thumbnails. Add Sanborn maps of powerhouses. Also thumbnailed photos on McTeague page.
    • Add Henry Casebolt to the Who page
    • Add photos to the Geary Street, Park and Ocean page and make images into thumbnails. Add Sanborn maps of both powerhouses.
    • Archive news stories, 2001 Anniversaries, and Jan-Oct 2001 What's New.

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  • 01-Dec-2001
    • Picture of the Month: North Sydney cable tram
    • Roll out new Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand page with an article on the Sydney's New South Wales Government Tramways. Also photos of Dunedin's Roslyn Tramway and Wellington's Kelburn Cable Car, a funicular.
    • Add George Smith Duncan to the Who page
    • Add another photo to the Presidio and Ferries page and make images into thumbnails. Add Sanborn maps of Union & Leavenworth powerhouse and the Jefferson/Lyon roundhouse.
    • Add Sanborn maps of Sacramento Street carhouse and California/Laurel roundhouse to the Ferries and Cliff House and more Sacramento/Clay photos to the More Ferries and Cliff House page.
    • Add photo of Santa arriving at the Emporium to Joe Lacey's Christmas on the Cables article.
    • Revise Mount Lowe article with corrections and new information. Thanks to Michael Patris.
  • 01-Nov-2001
    • Picture of the Month: Powell/Mason car 5
    • Fifth Anniversary - November, 1996 - November, 2001
    • Add "The Cable Street-Railway" magazine article
    • Add more photos to the Ferries and Cliff House and More Ferries and Cliff House page and make images into thumbnails. Includes Sanborn Fire Insurance maps of Washington/Mason
    • Revise Los Angeles Temple Street Cable Railway with some new information. Thanks to Ray Long
    • Add "Reflections After Five Years" to the Why page
  • 01-Oct-2001 (Fall, 2001)
    • Picture of the Month: Retired Glasgow Subway cars
    • Add articles on Glasgow's Glasgow District Subway and the Liverpool United Tramways to the Cable Car Lines in the UK page.
    • Add Selected articles from Manufacturer and Builder Magazine (1890-1899) to the Miscellany page.
    • Update Other California Cities and Los Angles Area Funiculars pages. Change images to thumbnails. Added more images of Second Street Cable Railway and Knott's Berry Farm cable cars.
    • Added more images of the Fillmore Hill Counterbalance, the Telegraph Hill Railroad, and the California/Powell signal tower to the San Francisco page.
    • Bob Murphy provided photographs of the North Melbourne Winding House, which I added to the Melbourne article.
    • Added article on Charles Smallwood to the Who page.
    • Reorganize Newspaper section of the bibliography by subject.
  • 01-Jul-2001 (Summer, 2001)
    • Picture of the Quarter: Upper Douglas car 72/73
    • Roll out new Cable Car Lines in the UK page with an article on the Isle of Man's Upper Douglas Cable Tramway.
    • Move London's Highgate Hill Cable Tramway to the UK page and add thumbnails.
    • Update San Francisco page. Change images to thumbnails. Added two more images of Carville.
    • Add article about Private Funiculars to the Los Angeles Area Funiculars page.
    • Add Liverpool United and Chicago West Division experimental installations to the Where page.
    • Add Selected articles from Manufacturer and Builder Magazine (1885-1889) to the Miscellany page.
    • Add photo of Mrs Klussmann and new article about her nemesis, Roger Lapham, to the Who page.
    • Update Market Street Cable Railway and Omnibus Railroad & Cable Company with colors of their lines.
  • 01-Apr-2001 (Spring, 2001)
    • Picture of the Quarter: Will Clark riding on cable car
    • Add more items to the Kitsch page, including stamps and magazine advertisements.
    • Add Selected articles from Manufacturer and Builder Magazine (1880-1884) to the Miscellany page.
    • Update How Do Cable Cars Work? page. Changed images to thumbnails. Added girder rail image from Randy Hees and other new images.
    • Bob Murphy provided a photograph of the Gertrude Street Cable Winding House, which I added to the Melbourne article. Peter Vawser provided additional information about Melbourne cable tramways.
    • Add links to Kavanaugh Transit site, North American Vintage Trolley Systems and many others.
    • Add News and Bibliography items about a truck knocking down Seattle's Iron Pergola. Also
    • Add News and Bibliography items about Angel's Flight runaway accident. Also updated the Los Angeles Area Funiculars page.
    • Move Kalakala article to my ferry web site.
    • Change toy cable car picture on the main page to car 51.
    • Move "The Los Angeles Cable Railway" article from Scientific American (courtesy of Tom Ehrenreich) to another server.
  • 01-Jan-2001 (Winter, 2001)
    • Picture of the Quarter: Market/Hayes cable car by IW Taber
    • Roll out More Market Street Pictures page.
    • Add "The Los Angeles Cable Railway" article from Scientific American, courtesy of Tom Ehrenreich.
    • Ray Long provided two photographs of the Industry Hills Incline, one of Sacramento/Clay car 16 on the Emporium roof and one of Cal Cable 56 at Washington/Mason.
    • Add section on The Electrical System to How Page.
    • Add Beebe book and article about ergonomic adjustments to turntable to Bibliography.
    • Archive news stories, 2000 Anniversaries, and Jul-Oct 2000 What's New. Add counter history to archive page.
  • 01-Oct-2000 (Fall, 2000)
    • Picture of the Quarter: Geary and Market
    • Roll out Excerpts From The Octopus page.
    • Join more webrings: Funicular, Trolley & Interurban, Tram, and International Transportation.
  • 01-Sep-2000
    • Picture of the Month: Fairfax funicular
    • Add Fairfax funicular article to the San Francisco Miscellany page.
    • Add news item and other remarks about old car 4 being installed at Pac Bell Park.
    • Add news item and bibliography item about new cable car book.
    • Add news item about car 9 mishap.
  • 01-Aug-2000
    • Picture of the Month: Philadelphia Traction train
    • Roll out Philadelphia Traction Company on the Other Cities page.
    • Add news item about bell ringing contest
    • Bibliography: update information about J Bucknall Smith book.
  • 01-Jul-2000
    • Picture of the Month: State Street, Chicago at night
    • Roll out page with excerpt from "South of the Slot" by Jack London.
    • Add State Street at night postcard to Chicago page
    • Add more information about Portland Cable Trams Inc to Melbourne page. Add thanks to Bruce McMillan for the information.
    • Add link to John Smatlak's Railway Preservation Resources page
    • Add photo of Benjamin Brooks to Who page
    • Archive news stories and Jan-Jun 2000 What's New
  • 01-Jun-2000
    • Picture of the Month: DB Fisk Advertisement
    • Mystery Picture Contest results.
    • Roll out Seattle Miscellany section with article about ferry Kalakala (later moved to my San Francisco Bay Ferryboats site.
    • Add newspaper items about ferry Kalakala and Demoro Key System books to bibliography.
    • Add mention of 1897 movie clip to Chicago page
    • Add thanks to First & Fastest, a magazine about the electric railways in the Chicago area for recommending this site in its Summer, 2000 issue. Add thanks to Val Golding for supplying newspaper clippings about Kalakala. Add thanks to Yahoo for listing this site in its directory. Add link to Clive Mottram's Tramway and Trolleybus Images.
  • 01-May-2000
    • Picture of the Month: Mystery Picture Number One
    • Roll out Mystery Picture Contest page.
    • Roll out article by Emiliano J Echeverria about the California/Powell signal tower on the San Francisco Miscellany page. Add references on How/CSC/ FCH/Muni pages.
    • Add DOA to Movies Which Feature Cable Cars list.
    • Add info about new Car 9 to roster. Add story to bibliography.
    • Add link for Harry Marnell's California Trolleys page. Add link to SF Seals web site.
  • 01-Apr-2000
    • Picture of the Month: Cable Car Room menu
    • Roll out Cable Car Kitsch page.
    • Change toy cable car picture on the main page to car 504.
    • Use database table in Where & When page.
    • Add news items for Powell Street suspension and Hallidie anniversary.
    • Add links for the Baltimore Streetcar Museum and the Baltimore Transit Archives and remove dead Bay Area Backroads link. Add link for GGIE.com.
    • Join Blickpunkt Straßenbahn web ring.
  • 01-Mar-2000
    • Picture of the Month: West Chicago cable train on Madison Street
    • Add West Chicago Street Railway to Chicago page.
    • Add article about the Chicago Tunnel Railway to the Chicago Miscellany page
    • Add more detail to Seattle page. Add Yesler/2nd & Iron Pergola pictures.
    • Add J M Thompson (no relation) to the Who page
    • Add links to Steve Annells' The Bus Station, Jacek Wesolowski's Urban Mountain Railways and People Movers site, and Joel GAzis-SAx's An Almanac of California.
  • 01-Feb-2000
    • Picture of the Month: North Chicago cable trains at the La Salle Street tunnel, Chicago
    • Add North Chicago Street Railway to Chicago page.
    • Add article about the Patent Trust to the Miscellany page
    • Add C T Yerkes to the Who page
    • Move Thanks/Links to a separate page
    • Add postcard of former cable car used on Mount Tamalpais railroad to San Francisco/Omnibus page
    • Add information about iron pergola in Seattle
    • Add information about modern Portland, Victoria tourist cable tram project to the Melbourne page
  • 01-Jan-2000
    • Picture of the Month: State Street, Chicago
    • Roll out Chicago page with Chicago City Railway and excerpt from The Pit by Frank Norris.
    • Add Miscellany page
    • Add C B Holmes and Asa Hovey to the Who page
    • Add items about Muni's New Year's Eve plans to news and bibliography
    • Add links to Library of Congress page about cable cars and Don's Railspot
    • Archive news stories, 1999 Anniversaries, and Jul-Dec 1999 What's New

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  • 01-Dec-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Highgate Hill, London
    • Roll out Highgate Hill Cable Tramway on the Other Cities page (later moved to the Cable Trams in the UK) page. Add thanks to Stuart Jenkins
    • Roll out Los Angeles area funiculars/ Industry Hills and Getty Center on the Other California Cities page
    • Add IW Hellman to the Who page
    • Add California/Drumm and old Cal Cable barn photos to the More California Pictures page
    • Add National Geographic Carville article to bibliography
  • 01-Nov-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Mount Washington, Los Angeles
    • Roll out Los Angeles area funiculars/Los Angeles and Mount Washington Railway on the Other California Cities page
    • Add Fillmore Hill counterbalance postcard to the SF page
    • Add news item and bibliography item about a collision at Washington and Taylor
  • 01-Oct-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Powell and Mason, 1880's
    • Roll out More Ferries and Cliff House Pictures page
    • Roll out Los Angeles area funiculars/Court Flight and Catalina on the Other California Cities page
    • Add news item and bibliography item about a loose strand
    • Add RR Extra to links
    • Updated SF Roster page
  • 01-Sep-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Angels Flight.
    • Roll out Los Angeles area funiculars/ Angels Flight on the Other California Cities page
    • Add link to new site from the Friends of the Cable Car Museum
    • Add cable car sudden stop to news and bibliography
  • 01-Aug-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Mount Lowe incline.
    • Roll out Los Angeles area funiculars/ Mount Lowe on the Other California Cities page
    • Roll out articles on movies featuring cable cars and Joe Lacey's remarks on making movies and commercials with cable cars on the SF detail page
    • Add link to Bruce Kliewe's site about the Great Reconstruction
    • Add news item about the cable car bell ringing contest
    • Add magazine article about Professor Lowe's Civil War service to the bibliography
  • 01-Jul-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Henry Casebolt's overhead cable line.
    • Roll out Casebolt overhead cable line on the Other California Cities page
    • Added magazine articles about New Orleans trade and St Paul history to bibliography
    • Added thanks for links to Mike Irlam, Tad Lane Creations, the Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society, and the Blickpunkt Straßenbahn.
    • Change url on NMRA directory link
    • Archive news stories and Jan-Jun 1999 What's New
  • 01-Jun-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Converted San Diego Cable Railway car.
    • Roll out San Diego Cable Railway on the Other California Cities page
    • Add link to new French site about cable cars. The third site on the web.
    • Add Scott Ostler column about turntable problems to the bibliography
  • 01-May-1999
    • Picture of the Month: California Street cable car in Muni colors.
    • Roll out Consolidated Piedmont Cable Railway on the Other California Cities page
    • Add More California Street Pictures page
    • Add item about California Street reopening to the news
  • 01-Apr-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Oakland Cable Railway car.
    • Roll out Oakland Cable Railway on the Other California Cities page
    • Add Knott's Berry Farm cable car article to Los Angeles miscellany on the Other California Cities page
    • Add thanks/links to cable car email list and Railway Preservation News. Add links to The American Heritage Time Machine and The Engines of Our Ingenuity.
    • Add Powell and California Street pictures to the roster page
  • 01-Mar-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Los Angeles Cable Railway Cape Horn viaduct.
    • Roll out Los Angeles Cable Railway/Pacific Railway on the Other California Cities page
    • Add Burgess picture to "Hyde Street Grip" page, add SSR and Norris pictures to McTeague page, and Madison Street Hill to Seattle page
  • 01-Feb-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Los Angeles Temple Street Cable Railway cable train.
    • Roll out Los Angeles Temple Street Cable Railway on the Other California Cities page
    • Add car 512 toy picture to main page, Hallidie picture to Who page, and Collins Street picture to Melbourne page
    • Add SF Beautiful link to Who page
    • Add Fickeworth book to bibliography
    • Add news item about California Street conduit replacement
    • Roll out train spotting page
  • 01-Jan-1999
    • Picture of the Month: Los Angeles Second Street Cable Railway cable train.
    • Roll out Other California Cities page with the Los Angeles Second Street Cable Railway
    • Add link about the Katoomba Scenic Railway to the Australia page.
    • Archive news stories, 1998 Anniversaries, and Jul-Dec 1998 What's New

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  • 14-Dec-1998
    • Added "Christmas on the Cables" by Joe Lacey to the SF page.
  • 01-Dec-1998
    • Picture of the Month: "A Sunday Load".
    • Add excerpts from article "The Parks of San Francisco" and "A Sunday Load" picture to the SF Miscellany section
    • Add California & Powell accident to news & bibliography
    • Fix some typos
  • 01-Nov-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Broadway, NY accident.
    • Add Broadway, NY picture and two Cal Cable wreck photos to How page
    • Add information about bells & brakes to the How page
    • Add thanks to Joe Lacey and quote him on bells on the How page
    • Add article about Fillmore Hill counterbalance to the SF Miscellany section
    • Add information about turntable helpers to news & bibliography
    • Add link to EHRA, replacing SF Online link
    • Add link to Rick Russel's The Trolley Stop and Seashore Trolley Museum pages.
  • 01-Oct-1998
    • Picture of the Month: URR Valencia Street Car.
    • Add MSR photo to MSR page
    • Add article about Telegraph Hill Railroad to the SF Miscellany section
    • Add powered turntable suggestion to news & bibliography
    • Add new links to Melbourne page
  • 01-Sep-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Sacramento & Grant.
    • Move Omnibus Railroad to separate page. Add more information about the company. Add inline Union Hall picture.
    • Add 125th anniversary to news & bibliography
    • Add guest book
    • Add Section 16.100 of the San Francisco City Charter and current route map to the SF Miscellany section
    • Created news archive. Moved GSPO powerhouse & Mrs Klussman stories
    • Start moving back to subdirectories
  • 01-Aug-1998
    • The 125th Anniversary of the cable car
    • Picture of the Month: Clay & Leavenworth.
    • Roll out three new pages: Who, Why, and a Site Map
    • Move Presidio & Ferries to separate page. Add more information about the company. Add inline 1906 & steam dummy pictures.
    • Add Powell/Post accident to News and Bibliography
    • Finish changing link colors and adding height/width to all pictures
  • 01-July-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Melbourne cable tram.
    • Roll out Other Cities page featuring Melbourne, Australia
    • Add News previews about bell ringing contest & 125th anniversary party
  • 01-June-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Washington & Mason.
    • Move SF Muni to separate page. Add more information about the company. Add inline W/M picture & move Hyde St Hill picture from roster page.
    • Add excerpt from Chapter One of McTeague to SF detail page.
  • 01-May-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Powell & Post.
    • Move Ferries & Cliff House Railway to separate page. Add more information about the company and its steam dummy operations. Add Powell/Post, Powell/Geary & steam dummy pictures.
  • 01-April-1998
    • Moved site from AOL to GeoCities.
    • Picture of the Month: Geary St/Central Ave.
    • Moved Geary Street Park and Ocean Railway to its own page
    • Add current fare information to SF detail page.
  • 01-Mar-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Sutter St/Temple Emanu El.
    • Move Sutter St Ry to separate page. Add more information about the company. Add Sutter/Temple Emanu El and Sutter St train pictures.
    • Add information about Benjamin Brooks to Clay St Hill page and add thanks to Phil Brooks for supplying it. Add newspaper article to bibliography.
    • Add more anniversaries.
    • Add link to Chicago Transit/Metra Railfan Page.
    • Add item about Carville to SF detail page.
  • 01-Feb-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Carville.
    • Add news items about Fannie Mae Barnes and Carville survivor.
    • Move Clay St Hill to separate page. Add Clay/Taylor and Clay/Leavenworth pictures.
    • Add link to Jon Bell's page.
    • Add more anniversaries.
  • 01-Jan-1998
    • Picture of the Month: Yesler Way grip car.
    • Move Cal Cable to separate page. Add California & Grant pictures.
    • Roll out archive page.

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  • 01-Dec-1997
    • Change picture on initial page from Cal Cable train to Hyde St hill.
    • Move SF Market St Cable Ry to separate page. Add links to old Ferry Building & file frame pictures.
    • Roll out surviving cable car roster page.
  • 01-Nov-1997
    • Change picture on initial page from MSR open car to Cal Cable train.
    • Remove obsolete link to David Letterman in SF top ten lists.
    • Remove link JW Harris picture to conserve disk space.
    • Clean up some typos.
  • 01-Oct-1997
    • Change picture on initial page from Clay St Hill grip car to MSR open car
    • Add MSR open car link to SF detail page.
  • 01-Sep-1997
    • Change picture on initial page from JW Harris to Clay St Hill grip car
    • Updates in SF detail page.
    • Change link to Museum of SF to thank them for linking to this page.
  • 09-Aug-1997
    • Change picture on initial page from Powell & Sutter to JW Harris with Calif St grips
    • Add links to Powell & Sutter & JW Harris photos to the SF cable car lines in detail page.
  • 02-Jul-1997
    • Add What's New section
    • Finish entering detailed information about Seattle cable car lines
    • Add link to Gelett Burgess' "The Ballad of the Hyde St Grip" to the SF cable car lines in detail page.

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