Golden Gate Gazette

Besides the Golden Gate, no other sight is as iconic to San Francisco as its cable cars and trolleys. San Francisco’s street railway system formed the backbone of the city as it grew in the latter half of the 19th century. Cable cars and trolleys, or streetcars, enabled many people to move throughout the city safely and quickly to go to jobs, for business and for pleasure.

Cable cars first made their appearance in San Francisco. In 1869, Andrew Hallidie witnessed a horse-drawn car accident. The damp, coastal climate of San Francisco created slick surfaces on its steep streets. This situation proved dangerous for the heavy horse-cars, which would slide backward. The accident Hallidie inspired him to use an invention his father had developed. That invention was the metal rope.

Both trolleys and cable cars run on steel rails. The cable car uses a cable under the carriage, between the rails. The trolley uses an electric poll that runs above it. Cable car and trolley lines still run in San Francisco today. A museum highlights the contribution of the city’s street rail system. Enthusiasts of any age can try a hand on a life-sized replica of a motorman’s platform as it was in 1911.