The Cable Car Museum was established in 1974. It is operated by the Friends of the Cable Car Museum as a nonprofit educational facility. Free Admission!
San Francisco, CA
Joined August 2011
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San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Working at the @BAERA_WRM Archives yields many oddities, but none like this prototype Northern Electric Ry. steel car!
Designed on Oct. 9, 1908, this McKeen-esque motor-combine would have been the N.E.'s first steel car. Evidently, it was never built. Maybe for the better.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Toronto streetcars once ran in San Francisco. We owned one of them.
In the late 70s, Muni acquired 11 PCC streetcars from Toronto. Originally from Kansas City. "Red Rocket" #1190 was sold to us in 1979. It left in 2006.
In our 80th Anniversary Documentary, see footage of it!
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
🍇 Before the Wine Train, tourists rode electric trains to Napa.
From Vallejo's ferry slips, the Napa Valley Route hurried commuters and wine country tourists to Napa, St. Helena, and Calistoga. Abandoned in 1937, footage of these trains is very rare.
So, enjoy this video!
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
I think this is my best poster yet.
It's inspired by C. Coles Phillips' Life Magazine cover, with the reference being a hodgepodge of volunteers around the museum.
It's time to volunteer.
History moves here. Find your purpose in a community driven by passion. Forge friendships, build lifelong bonds, and learn the tips and tricks of yesteryear.
From Archives to Operations, there's a place for you here.
📝 See: wrm.org/support/volunteer
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Right now we are focused on restoring three of the cars in our collection: Pittsburgh Railways M1, Philadelphia Transportation Company 8042, and Red Arrow Lines 73.
(3/)
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Resting beneath the fragrant eucalyptus, Sacramento Northern #22 lives its final days at Greendale, on the Holland Branch — 1940.
#22 was built in 1905 for the Chico Electric Ry. and rebuilt in 1920 for the Suisun City-Vacaville branch. It was retired in 1938 and laid to rest.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Before billionaires and boutiqes, Tiburon was a railroad town; a port that ferried trains over the Bay.
As the Northwestern Pacific RR's southern terminus, Tiburon housed a roundhouse. In this 1930-view, we find it fully stocked, ready to send engines up north to Eureka.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
New for May, 2026 on the Cable Car Home Page:
On the Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand page: A ten year update about Dunedin, New Zealand's Kaikorai Tramway, including newspaper articles.
cable-car-guy.com/index.html
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Electric trains once swept Marin commuters to and from Sausalito. In this newly digitized video, see them at work like never before!
San Anselmo was an important junction for this system. Trains from Fairfax and San Rafael connected here, as well as steam trains to Point Reyes!
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Calm before the storm: a Northwestern Pacific interurban waits for sparse riders at Mill Valley, before the evening rush — 1938.
The Golden Gate Bridge has been open for a year. Ridership is dwindling, poached by buses. Though the end is nigh, the electric train soldiers on.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
🚧 New signs are going up at Gum Grove!
Ahead of our famous Pumpkin Patch, volunteers are busy preparing new signs for the soon-to-be busy station.
Additionally, LA Metro #164 had another test run while our Overhead Crew dug for SN insulators/clamps to go onto our catenary!
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Back in the 1930s, before ski lifts, you got to the top of the hill using the "up ski". This is the Auburn Ski Club up-ski being used at their hill near Cisco Grove. Just about 100 years later, the old up-ski still sits on the side of the mountain, waiting for skiers who will never arrive, with Interstate 80 far below.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Electric streetcars once linked Hayward and Oakland. But on July 30, 1923, interurbans took over the line!
For the christening of their new ferries "Hayward" and "San Leandro," the Key Route ran a special train to the namesake towns — the only time an interurban ran to Hayward!
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Limited space on the pier meant careful planning by the Key Route... and consolidating trains!
From Nov. 11, 1911 to July 2, 1933, all Northbrae and Claremont trains were consolidated at 43rd & Linden Ave. in Oakland, creating mega consists to and from the Key Pier!
ca. 1911?
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Oct 2, 1921: the Toronto Transportation Commission's new Peter Witt streetcars begin service on the Broadview route. The original TTC Witt car, No. 2300, had been on display the previous month at the Canadian National Exhibition. 1/2
ALT An illustration of the TTC's new Peter Witt streetcar No. 2302 in the October 1921 issue of Canadian Railway and Marine World, page 545.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
In our early years, we used to run a Shay logging locomotive!
In this clip from our upcoming 80th Anniversary documentary, see 1929-built Pacific Coast #11 operate alongside historic trolleys at our museum in the late 60s/70s!
🍂 Look forward to a release this fall!
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
New for October, 2026 on the Cable Car Home Page:
On the Other Cities page: A ten year update about the St Paul City Railway.
cable-car-guy.com/index.html
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Northeast corner of 16th and Mission, 1947. Today this is the BART station next to the decrepit Walgreens. The old signage here is fabulous and shames modern yawnage.
San Francisco Cable Car Museum retweeted
Early railfans were notorious for their poor safety. See it for yourself in this newly digitized film!
Hosted on April 6th, 1941, this excursion over the Petaluma & Santa Rosa RR had it all: great scenes and dubious safety.
8mm film by Addison Laflin Jr, narration by Fred Krock
