The San Francisco Cable Car System

The San Francisco Cable Car System

This is the latest manually world operated car system. Of the twenty three lines established between 1873 and 1890, three remain of which two routes from the down town near Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf and the latest one the route along California Street. There are seven million tourists who use the cable cars to commute annually. The San Francisco cable car system is among the most significant tourist attractions in the city along with Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf.

History Of The San Francisco Cable Car System

The first successful cable- operated street railway was the clay street Hill Railroad which was opened in 2nd August 1873. It was engineered by William Eppelsheimer and promoted by Andrew Smith Halides. It was succeeded financially and halide’s patients where forced on the other cable promoters making him rich. It was opened after clay street Railroad which had been converted from horse operation in 1877. An engineer by the name Leland Stanford opened his California Street Cable Railroad by the year 1878. Latter in 1883 the ferries and cliffhouse Railway opened its initial two line system. The power- mason car in San Francisco was Omnibus Railroad and company was in the year 1889.

The decline of san Francisco cable car started in 1892 this was brought about by the cost of building which was twice that of operating and six times  that of using electric street cars. On 1906 the remaining san Francisco cable car were under control of united Railroad of San Francisco (URR) which wanted to convert them to overhead electric traction but it faced a lot of rejection as it was termed as making the thoroughfares of the city Centre appear ugly.

Operation Of The San Francisco Cable Car System

Cable cars operate without a motor or engine but rather with a centralized powerhouse. In the case of the San Francisco cable car, the powerhouse is located at Mason and Washington Street. With the use of very powerful electric motors, the w.............