California, USA
When San Francisco was San Francisco. These traffic signals controlled autos, streetcars, trolleybuses, cablecars, and pedestrians from the early twenties to 1960. These Wiley signals, called birdcage signals, were unique to San Francisco. The one on the left is the first model, the photo dated 1926, located at Van Ness and Market Sts. The ones to the right are the later model dated 1927. It was the latter ones that lasted to 1960. The one in the centre-left is in the Cable Car Museum as is the one on the right. There is a small attempt underway to return at least two of them to the Hyde Street turntable and somewhere on the F streetcar line where it won't interfere with normal automobile traffic. Photographers of the first photos are unknown. Photo of the last one is R. C. DeArmond, 17 NO 2004.
Two Flyer E60s on Mission St.Photographer unknown. JUN 1997.
Flyer at Parnassus. Both above photos thanks to Jon Bell, photographer. JUN 1997.
E800 at terminus of 6-Parnassus line. Thanks to Ian Fisher, photographer. Date unknown.
A little Nostalgia: Muni 130 on 17th St. painted in the original blue and gold. Photographer and date unknown.
Some more nostalgia: The last revenue service Iron Monster in SF. Car 181 on the L Taraval line. 9 MAY 1958.
The destination plate on car , the last Ironmonster. 9 MY 1958.
Ironmonster 130 resting at the terminus of the J Line at 30th St. and Church St. Today Breda LRVs pass through here. Photographer and date unknown.
Ex MSR 251 just completed turning from Presidio St. to California where it is going westward to its terminus. Photographer unknown. A California cable car is waiting at its western terminus before heading back to Market St. The cable line was cut back to VanNess around 1954.
MSR 979 on the 31 Balboa line. Photographer and date unknown. Submitted by Val Golding.
PCC 1008 was fitted with a pantograph and it went into the Muni tunnel underneath Market St. testing the tunnel. Photo taken as the Castro Station. Photo by Peter Strauss, from the archives of Peter Ehrlich. 8 NO 1977.
PCC 1170 on the J line and PCC 1145 on the N line at the East Bay (Transbay) Terminal. The inner loop was rarely used. The unwired lane was converted to trolleybus along with the middle lane in the 80s. This loop is now gone. It was removed when the F line was extended to Fisherman's Wharf. 21 MR 79. Photo by Walter Rice.
1887 Cable Car 522 on the Washington-Jackson line heading up the hill on Powell St. between Pine and Bush Sts. 522 was later renumbered 22. Muni had bought the Market St. Railroad only a few months earlier. It looks like parking was easy in San Francisco then. Photo by Walter Rice. 1945.
Former MSR Brill 56 repainted in Muni's then current paint scheme (the wings). Photographer unknown. Circa 1947.
PCC 1164 on the J line on Market at Powell. An unidentified Flyer is following. The J was that last surface PCC line when Muni operations started in the tunnel under Market St. Note there was only one set of dual trolley wires on Market St. at that time. The the streetcars on the F line share one of the inner set of wires. 23 MR 1981. Photo by Walter Rice.
1949 Twin Coach 44TTW 570 painted in red at Union and Columbus Sts.on route 30 Stockton heading for the Jefferson Loop. It was the only Twin to be painted red. Photo by Peter Ehrlich.19 FE 1971.
An baby Marmon-Herrington 536 at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. Photographer unknown. 22 OC 2006. Courtesy rts-regionaltransitservice.com.
536 When it still had front doors at the OREM. The photographer and date unknown
536 and Twin-Coach 614 in the field at the OREM. The photographer and date unknown.
536 when is was still in good condition at the OREM. Photographer and date unknown.
St. Louie 886 apparently had an accident at Ocean St. and Alemany Blvd. Peter Ehrlich does not think that there is a connection between this photo and the one below. Photo by Val Lupez. Date unknown.
St. Louie 886 at Potrero Garage. The two large vents in the front of the coach were burned off by by the shop. That is all that is known. Photo by Val Lupez. Date unknown
ETI 5472 broadsides the left corner of an unidentified diesel bus. Details of this accident are no known, although it appears that one of them ran a red light. Photographer and date unknown.
Unidentified ETI 40-foot trolley at the crest of Castro St. on route 24. Photographer unknown. SEP 2008.
Has Muni gone to the dogs and getting cheap on labour? No, it is merely some gymnasts at a festival, though it appears that they are reaching the overhead, which is not the case.
This page last updated 21 JAN 2011