Where Should I Go from Here?
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- Muni History (From a Cable Car Point of View)
- Muni Anniversary Events
- Muni Centennial Merchandise
- Muni's Anniversary Logo
- Selected Items From The Electric Railway Journal
- from SHOPS AND BUILDINGS (July 13, 1912. Volume XL, Number 2.)
- from TRADE NOTES (July 20, 1912. Volume XL, Number 3.)
- Qualifications for Trainmen for San Francisco's Municipal Railroad
(August 3, 1912. Volume XL, Number 5.)
- from TRACK AND ROADWAY (August 24, 1912. Volume XL, Number 8.)
- from TRACK AND ROADWAY (September 7, 1912. Volume XL, Number 10.)
- Cars for the Geary Street Municipal Railway. (September 14, 1912. Volume XL, Number 11.)
- from TRADE NOTES (September 21, 1912. Volume XL, Number 12.)
- from PERSONAL MENTION (October 12, 1912. Volume XL, Number 14E.)
- Preparations for Starting Service on San Francisco Municipal Line (November 30, 1912. Volume XL, Number 21.)
- Geary Street Municipal Railroad (January 11, 1913. Volume XLI, Number 2.)
Muni History (From a Cable Car Point of View)
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The opening day of the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Source:
San Francisco Call, 29-December-1912). December, 2012 Picture of
the Month.
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By the early 20th Century, San Francisco's public transit
was in the hands of one large monopoly, the
United Railroads of San Francisco, and a few smaller
companies, which each operated one or two lines,
the California Street Cable Railroad,
the Geary Street Park & Ocean Railway
and the Presidio & Ferries Railway.
The people of San Francisco were generally unhappy with the service
delivered by the URR, which was owned by interests from Baltimore.
The San Francisco Municipal Railway was the first significant
muncipal transit company in the United States, opening its first
electric streetcar line, the A Geary, on 28-December-1912. Muni had been
preceeded by the West Seattle Municipal Railway (1900-????) and the
Monroe, Louisiana, Municipal Street Railway (1906-present), which is
still operating as the Monroe Transit
System.
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A San Francisco Call cartoon suggests that the best gift from Santa
would be a Municipal Railway
(Source: San Francisco Call, 25-December-1909).
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In a special election on 30-December-1909, San Francisco voters approved two
bond measures to build and operate a municipal railway on Geary Street.
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The San Francisco Call celebrates the approval of the Municipal Railway
on Geary Street
(Source: San Francisco Call, 31-December-1909).
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Car 10, the last cable car to operate on the Geary Street Park & Ocean Railway
and its crew, gripman FJ Brainerd and conductor F Stanley.
(Source: GEARY LINE STOPS/Municipal Road Begun
San Francisco Call, 06-May-1912).
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The Geary Street Park & Ocean
Railway, whose franchise had expired, was taken over by city in
1912. The last Geary Street cable cars ran 06-May-1912. Here are two
San Francisco Chronicle articles about the last of the Geary
Street cable cars:
The Geary Street Municipal Railroad first operated on Saturday, 28-December-1912.
Mayor Sunny Jim Rolph operated the first car for part of the trip out Geary.
Muni operated no cable cars until it took over the Market Street
Railway, successor to the URR, in 1944, when it inherited the former Ferries & Cliff House Powell/Mason and
Washington/Jackson lines.
In 1952, Muni acquired the California
Street Cable Railroad's California Street, O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde, and
Jones Street shuttle lines. Muni killed the shuttle on 06-Feb-1954 and
the O/J/H on 15-May-1954.
Muni decided to close the Cal Cable barn at California and Hyde and
consolidate all operations at Washington and Mason. Muni converted the
California Street line to use the Eppelsheimer bottom grip between
29-December-1956 and 27-December-1957. Muni combined the Washington/Jackson and
O'Farrell/Jones/Hyde lines into the Powell/Hyde line, which opened on
07-April-1957.
The Cable Car Division, still operated out of Washington and Mason,
has some of the best morale in Muni. Muni's shopmen and craftsman
maintain the cars and build new ones.
Muni Anniversary Events
Cussed and Discussed: 100 Years of the Municipal Railway in San Francisco
The San Francisco Main Library is hosting "Cussed and Discussed: 100 Years of the Municipal Railway in San Francisco"
(great title), a display of historic transit photos from
02-November-2012 to 24-January-2013. I haven't been yet.
On 07-November-2012, Grant Ute, transit historian and co-author of
San Francisco's Municipal Railway : MUNI, gave a talk on Muni history at the Main Library.
Go to top of the Events section.
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Muni Centennial Vintage Service
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Cal Cable O'Farrell-Jones-Hyde car 42 crosses Drumm street towards the terminal.
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On Sunday 04-November-1912 and Sunday 11-November-1912, Muni ran
special service with vintage vehicles to celebrate its Centennial. On
the second Sunday, I took BART down to the Embarcadero. I just missed
Car One, which rolled by as I rode the escalator up to the street.
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Motorized Jones Street shuttle cable car 62 sits at the plaza.
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I went by the plaza in front of the Market Street Railway
museum and saw General Motors fishbowl 3237, in proper maroon and gold
paint, 1941 Saint Louis Car Company trolley coach 506, and motorized Jones Street shuttle cable car 62.
3237 was remarkably clean inside. No slashed seats. 506 was missing
several seats and its brakes. Some of us who got on board nearly hit our
heads on the roof.
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Trolley bus 506 and Diesel bus 3237 sit at the Plaza.
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Diesel bus 3237's maroon and gold colors and unique scroll Muni logo
were inspired by the California Street Cable Railroad color scheme.
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Market Street Railway 1896 electric car 578 waits to turn into Don Chee Way from
Steuart Street. The former headquarters of the Southern Pacific Railroad is in the
background.
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I watched some streetcars arrive, including 1896 Market Street Railway electric car 578 and the last
PCC built in the United States, Muni Baby Ten 1040. Many cars were concentrated
at this end of Market because the Veterans' Day parade was due to start at 11am.
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Muni's 1948 Saint Louis Car Company double-ended PCC 1006 had just come back from a
thorough refurbishment. Here it stands on Steuart Street, waiting to turn into Don Chee Way.
1006 and its siblings were called Torpedoes.
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Muni's 1952 Saint Louis Car Company 1040 was the last PCC built in the
United States. It had just come back from a thorough refurbishment. Here
it stands on Steuart Street, waiting to turn into Don Chee Way.
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Cal Cable O'Farrell-Jones-Hyde car 42 rolls down California from Grant towards Kearny.
Old Saint Mary's Cathedral is visible in the background. I recognized the car in the
distance because of certain color and size differences.
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I took a walk up California Steet, hoping to intercept California Street Cable Railroad
O'Farrell-Jones-Hyde car 42. It sure was cold. I caught it at Kearny and
rode to Drumm. I got a seat in the cabin. It was a nice smooth ride.
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Looking towards the gripman.
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A broadside view of 42 as it lay over between Davis and Drumm Streets.
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A detail view of the side of 42 as it lay over between Davis and Drumm Streets.
The paint shop did a great job.
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After 42 reached Drumm, it posed for photos with trolley coaches
Flyer 5300 and Marmon-Herrington 776. Both looked a lot nicer and
shinier than when they were in service. Several people left
on the coaches for a trip around downtown.
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42 lays over at California and Drumm. Flyer trolley coach 5300 pauses on
Drumm Street. The light was not good.
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42 lays over at California and Drumm. Marmon-Herrington trolley coach 776 pauses on
Drumm Street. The light was still not good.
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The O'Farrell Jones & Hyde Street scroll on the end of 42.
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The classic Muni logo on Marmon-Herrington trolley coach 776.
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Passengers board Marmon-Herrington trolley coach 776 for the tour.
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42 crosses Drumm Street, heading out on a new run.
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I rode recently restored double-ended PCC 1006 on a trip down Third Street to
the new yard at 25th Street. Here motorette (I couldn't say motorman and operator
seems too bland) Ronna Brown poses with a young railfan. Breda LRVs are lined up
in the background.
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I got on 1946 Muni PCC 1006 to take a ride out Third for a visit to
the new yard. It was interesting to take the loop around. We got out to
look around a little bit.
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A view of the CalTrain Station at Fourth and King from 1006.
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1006 passes inbound Car One, part of Muni's first order of cars, at Third and
Channel Streets.
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Bredas lined up in the new yard at 25th and Third Streets.
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1006 pauses in the new yard at 25th and Third Streets.
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A ghost sign Third Street, from 1006.
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The old firehouse at Third Street and Mission Rock has been used to store toys
for the firefighters' toy program. The fire department would like to build a new
station on the same parcel and the police would like to build a new headquarters.
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Looking towards the Giants' ballpark, ATT Park, as 1006 turns from Third into
Channel Street.
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Engine 35 at Pier 22 1/2, Embarcadero and Harrison, is the home of the San Francisco
Fire Department's two fireboats, Phoenix and Guardian.
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The open air book sale in front of the MSR Museum.
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Back at the open air sale in front of the MSR museum, I bought six issues of
Western Railroader for two dollars.
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Market Street Railway 1896 electric car 578 lays over on Don Chee Way between trips
to Pier 39.
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A detail view of the dash of Market Street Railway 1896 electric car 578.
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42 crosses Drumm Street, crossing over to the outbound track.
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After grabbing a spot of lunch, I got on 42 for a ride out to Van
Ness. The car was going back to the barn. Cable Car Division
Superintendant David Banbury rode the car and helped passengers
get on and off safely at intersections. I walked over to Sacramento
and caught a one bus out to my mom's house for dinner.
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42 passed the elegant Cable Car Hotel.
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42 passed the Cable Car Cleaners at the corner of Hyde and California.
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42 at Vann Ness and California, preparing to switch ends and head back to the car barn.
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A few riders board 42 at Vann Ness and California for the trip back to the car barn.
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The gripman releases the brakes and 42 starts to coast through the crossovers on its
trip back to the barn.
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42 coasts down the hill towards Polk Street, where it will stop to pick up the cable.
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Powell Street Car 26 Rededication
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Val Lupiz took this photo of newly refurbished car 26, along with car 3, at Acquatic Park.
Val Lupiz photo. All rights reserved.
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Muni rebuilt car 26 and painted in a color scheme used from the late 1940s until the early 1960s.
It rejoined the fleet in a special rededication ceremony on 14-November-2012. I was stuck at work.
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Thelonious Sphere Monk (1917-1982), great American composer and piano player, posed on
Powell/Hyde cable car 526 (now 26) on the cover of his album Thelonious Monk Alone
in San Francisco. He liked San Francisco. When the car rolled out after refurbishment
in 2012, it was in this paint scheme.
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In Transit Photography Exhibit
The Harvey Milk Photo Center at 50 Scott St is hosting a display of historic transit photos from
30-November-2012 to 05-January-2013. I haven't been yet.
Go to top of the Events section.
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Muni at 100, History in Motion -- Examiner Special Section
On December 7, the San Francisco Examiner featured a 12 page special section,
"Muni at 100, History in Motion," an advertising feature sponsored by the SFMTA. It
includes a nice timeline of Muni history and many photos.
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Come on and Take a Free Ride
Muni will offer free service from 5am on Friday, 28-December-2012 through
5am on Saturday, 29-December-2012. I hope to take advantage of it.
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The Birthday
On Friday, 28-December-2012 Muni offerred free rides to all. I was home sick.
Many special vehicles operated, including, of course, Car One. Muni's oldest
surviving bus, 1938 White 042, in its orange and black colors, returned to
operation. The Market Street Railway Museum hosted a reception and meeting
where its president, Rick Laubscher spoke about the future of the E line.
Go to top of the Events section.
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Muni Centennial Merchandise
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A shirt celebrating Muni's 100th birthday features car 1 and a current Breda.
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The Market Street Railway offered
a variety of centennial merchandise at their museum and on their website.
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A cup celebrating Muni's 100th birthday.
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Muni's Anniversary Logo
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Muni's official 100th anniversary logo.
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Muni's official 100th anniversary logo on Powell Street cable car 27 at Hyde and Beach.
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Muni's official 100th anniversary logo on California Street cable car 49 at California and Drumm.
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Muni's official 100th anniversary logo on F Line PCC streetcar 1062 on Jefferson Street.
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Muni centennial banners on Jefferson Street in Fisherman's Wharf.
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Selected Items From The Electric Railway Journal
from SHOPS AND BUILDINGS
From The Electric Railway Journal, July 13, 1912. Volume XL, Number 2.
Geary Street Municipal Railway, San Francisco, Cal. -- The
contract has been awarded for the construction of the new building to be
used as an office, substation and carhouse at the northwest corner of
Geary Street and Presidio Avenue, San Francisco, to F. Rolandi, San
Francisco. The structure will be of reinforced concrete.
Go to top of The Electric Railway Journal section.
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from TRADE NOTES
From The Electric Railway Journal, July 20, 1912. Volume XL, Number 3.
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa
has received the following orders for railway equipment: ... Geary
Street Municipal Railway, San Francisco, Cal., forty-three quadruple
equipments of No. 306 CA motors and HL control ...
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Qualifications for Trainmen for San Francisco's Municipal Railroad
From The Electric Railway Journal, August 3, 1912. Volume XL, Number 5.
Qualifications for Trainmen for San Francisco's Municipal
Railroad. -- The Civil Service Commission of San Francisco has
announced that examinations will be held on Aug. 19, 20 and 22 to select
applicants for motormen, conductors and inspectors for the Geary Street
Municipal Railroad. Each class of employee will be rated differently
under the topics of general knowledge of duties, knowledge of equipment
and repairs, writing of report, arithmetic, physical ability and
experience -- general and special. A man who has had five years'
experience in California within the last seven years as a motorman will
be awarded the maximum credit of 100; periods of less than five years
proportionately; experience of less than six months not rated. A
conductor or inspector must have had general experience, the rating
being on time from six months to five years in the State. For special
experience they will be rated thus: Three years' experience had within
the last five years in the service of the Geary Street, Park & Ocean
Railroad, 100 credits; two years, 75; one year, 50; three years'
experience had within the last five years in the service of any other
street railway in the State, 50; two years, 40; one year, 20. Applicants
must be twenty-one years of age or over and must have resided in San
Francisco for at least one year preceding the date of application.
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from TRACK AND ROADWAY
From The Electric Railway Journal, August 24, 1912. Volume XL, Number 8.
Geary Street Municipal Railway, San Francisco, Cal. -- The
Board of Public Works has approved the plans and specifications as
prepared by Assistant City Engineer W. M. Larned for the construction of
this railway on the two blocks on Market Street from Geary and Kearney (sic - JT)
Streets to Sansome Street, where it is intended to make connection with
the outer tracks which have been used by the cars of the Sutter Street
line in San Francisco.
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from TRACK AND ROADWAY
From The Electric Railway Journal, September 7, 1912. Volume XL, Number 10.
Geary Street Municipal Railway, San Francisco, Cal. -- This
company has completed its double-track line from Thirty-third Avenue in
San Francisco to the west side of Kearny Street in Geary.
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Cars for the Geary Street Municipal Railway
From The Electric Railway Journal, September 14, 1912. Volume XL, Number 11.
J. W. Reiss, of the W. L. Holman Company, San Francisco, Cal., which
has the contract from the city of San Francisco for supplying the
forty-three cars for the Geary Street Municipal Railway, has explained
to the Board of Works of that city that the company will be unable to
deliver all the cars in the time originally specified, but will deliver
ten cars by Oct. 25, 1912, ten by Dec. 24. 1912, eleven by Feb. 20,
1913, and the remaining twelve by April 10, 1913. It is expected now
that the line will be ready to be placed in service in December.
Mr. W. D. Donald, of San Francisco, has been appointed car
inspector by the Board of Public Works of San Francisco. Mr. Donald will
examine the cars for the Geary Street Municipal Railway to see if they
comply with the plans prepared by Mr. B. J. Arnold.
Geary Street Municipal Railway, San Francisco, Cal. -- The
extension of this line from Thirty-third Avenue to the beach has been
considered by the Supervisors' finance committee and this body has
directed the Board of Works to advertise at once for bids for the
construction of the roadbed and overhead material.
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from TRADE NOTES
From The Electric Railway Journal, September 21, 1912. Volume XL, Number 12.
Eclipse Railway Supply Company, Cleveland, Ohio ... Orders
have been received for eighty-six standard Eclipse life guards for the
Geary Street Municipal Railway, San Francisco, Cal.
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from PERSONAL MENTION
From The Electric Railway Journal, Octobber 12, 1912. Volume XL, Number 14E.
Mr. Thomas A. Cashin superintendent of the Fresno (Cal.)
Traction Company, has been recommended to Mayor Rolph of San Francisco,
Cal., by the public utilities committee of the supervisors for the
position of superintendent of the Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railroad,
which the city is reconstructing for municipal operation.
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Preparations for Starting Service on San Francisco Municipal Line.
From The Electric Railway Journal, November 30, 1912. Volume XL, Number 21.
J. W. Riess, vice-president and general manager of the W. L. Holman
Company, San Francisco, Cal., which has the contract for forty-three
cars for the Geary Street Municipal Railroad, San Francisco, reported to
Mayor Rolph of that city on Nov. 15, 1912, that by Dec. 1, 1912, he
would deliver ten cars for use on the road and that he would deliver ten
more by Feb. 1, 1913. T. A. Cashion (sic - JT), superintendent of the railroad,
stated that as soon as he received the first ten cars he would be able
to establish service on the line from Thirty-third Avenue to Kearny
Street, with a headway of about seven minutes. Commissioner of Public
Works Laumeister stated that all the material needed for the lower
Market Street extension of the road was virtually on hand and that
contracts would be let in about two weeks.
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Geary Street Municipal Railroad.
From The Electric Railway Journal, January 11, 1913. Volume XLI, Number 2.
The placing in operation of the first section of the Geary Street
Municipal Railroad, San Francisco, Cal., on Dec. 28, 1912, was attended
with elaborate ceremonies in which practically all of the city officials
of San Francisco participated. The first car carried among its
passengers the Mayor and the city treasurer, and George Schaver,
construction engineer, and C. E. Heise, of the Westinghouse Company. The
operation of the property is in the hands of T. A. Cashin, who was
formerly superintendent of the Fresno (Cal.) Traction Company. Ten cars
are being used at present, but forty-three semi-steel, double-end
prepayment "California" type cars, seating forty-eight passengers each,
are under construction by the W. L. Holman Company, San Francisco. The
section which is in operation is about 51/2 miles long. The carhouse is
at Presidio and Point Lobus Avenues. It is constructed of concrete and
steel and has a storage capacity for sixty cars. It was built at a cost
of $228,363. A contract has been entered into with the Pacific Gas &
Electric Company for the purchase of power, and current is delivered at
600 volts to the feeders of the railway at Kearny and Geary Streets,
Broderick and Geary Streets and Presidio and Point Lobus (sic -
JT) Avenues.
The Geary Street Municipal Railroad is built over part of the route
formerly occupied by the Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railroad, the
franchise of which expired in 1903. With the expiration of the franchise
the first municipal bond issue to build the road was proposed by the
Supervisors, but this was defeated as the vote in favor of the plan did
not meet the charter provision which required a two-thirds vote in favor
of any expenditure of this kind. The second election to effect this
purpose was held the following year and the proposition again failed to
carry. Nothing more was done in this connection until 1907, when an
issue of $720,000 of bonds was authorized by the Supervisors. Suit was
brought to nullify this action, and the Supreme Court upheld the
contention that the Supervisors had acted without authority. In June,
1909, the plan to issue bonds to provide funds to construct the road was
again defeated by the voters. In December of that year, however, on
resubmission of the proposition the proposal was carried. An injunction
was secured, but the case was decided in favor of the city, and on
appeal the Supreme Court of California affirmed the decision of the
lower court. In February, 1911, the Legislature of California passed a
bill to insure the legality of the bonds, and in April, 1912, the entire
issue of bonds was sold to Adams & Company, Boston.
The contract for building the road was awarded on April 1, 1912, to
Bates, Borland & Ayre, but that firm forfeited the contract and new bids
were called. On April 17 the contract was awarded to B. H. Mahoney. He
was allowed 180 days to complete the work, with a bonus of $200 for
every day which he saved in carrying out the work. The operation of cars
over the route by the Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railroad was suspended
on May 5, 1912, and the construction of the municipal railway was begun
on May 7. 1912.
Following is a statement compiled by the Board of Works of San
Francisco in regard to the expenditures on the road:
Bonds authorized | $2,020,000 |
Geary street construction | $1,900,000 |
Market street extension | 120,000 |
Bonds sold | 1,900,000 |
Premium | 2,341 |
Subtotal | $1,902,341 |
Bonds to be sold | 120,000 |
Grand total | $2,022,341 |
Estimated expenditure to date | 1,543,721 |
Balance | $478,620 |
The principal expenditures of construction, right-of-way, buildings
and equipment are as follows:
Trolley poles and overhead wires, labor and material | $27,952 |
Track construction, day labor, Fitth to Thirty-third and Tenth Avenue | 97,647 |
Track construction and paving Kearnv to Fifth Avenue | 267,490 |
Paving right of way Fifth to Thirty-third and Tenth | 62,737 |
*Paving right-of-way Kearny to Devisadero | 7,244 |
Purchase of cars | 337,725 |
Carhouse construction, possible extras and bonus | 228,363 |
Electric conductors | 64,705 |
Underground conductors, Kearny to Presidio Avenue | 31,151 |
General construction, materials, supplies, etc | 276,701 |
Lands and miscellaneous | 114,171 |
*Balance expended for this purpose included in track construction.
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