the horses behind it. The first cable car to descend down Clay Street on Nob Hill was an immediate success. Besides creating a vital link in San Francisco's public transportation system, the cable car opened the door for building on steep hills which until this time ws thought to be impossible. Thoughout the 1890s, eight transit companies operated 600 cars which covered 21 cable car routes and a total of 52.8 miles. Cable cars remained the primary mode of transportation until the 1906 earthquake.
The quake and the fires that followed destroyed most of the cable car system, and as the City rebuilt, few lines were restored. A municipal railway replaced most lines. In 1982 the City began a major two-year restoration project.
San Francisco's beloved cable cars are the only vehicles of their kind still in operation and designated as National Landmarks. |
