A little tour of the San Francisco Muni Metro and the cable cars.

We take a tour of the Muni Metro trains in the beautiful city of San Francisco viewing trains in various parts of the city in all kinds of weather. You will see the Breda LRV2’s which will be retired fairly soon and many of the newer Siemens S200 cars. You will also see some cable cars on the California Street Line and Powell Street Line. We will also visit the deepest station on the Muni system under Twin Peaks, see some street running and a cavalcade of rail vehicles going through beautiful Dolores Park as well as the subway stations. We even tour a little bit of the new T Line subway to Chinatown. 7/26/24

[@jimpotterton1574]

As a fellow native long Islander (Wantagh) and now a proud Californian you showed why we love our City by the Bay. I can almost hear Tony Bennett singing in the background. Thanks Tim for your superb camerawork and enthusiastic commentary on our transit jewels.

[@3985uprr]

It was my pleasure and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the Bay Area. I detest all the negative publicity San Francisco gets.

[@jaysaeger2057]

Great video! Thanks for taking me on the tour. I loved it.

[@scottyerkes1867]

San Francisco has always had a variety of transit vehicles. A railfan's delight💘🥰👌👌👍👍

[@tomboylan1522]

I’ve always admired MUNI, for operating FOUR different types of vehicles! (…diesel buses, electric overhead rubber tired buses (they call the “Trolley Coaches”. In Philly, where I grew up, we called them “Trackless Trolleys”), electric streetcars, and cable cars. They don’t operate subway cars. BART operates those. (MBTA doesn’t have cable cars, but does operate ferry boats. Some people say BART also operates a cable cars (the Oakland Airport Shuttle IS cable hauled.) BART USED to operate busses (a long time ago.) SEPTA (Philly) operates four types of vehicles; subway cars, electric streetcars (trolleys), diesel busses, and trackless trolleys.

[@tomboylan1522]

The Zamboni Company makes the famous ice resurfacing vehicles (machines). They also, apparently, make some other machines. A while ago, I read something about a company that claimed to operate all four types of machines that Zamboni made! (…the ice surfacing machine, a parking lot stripe painting machine, …and I forget the other ones.)

[@mikekeuleman]

the gripmen have an annual bell ringing competition

[@jimprice1959]

Thanks for the tour. It's been a long time since I've been in San Francisco. I remember taking the "B" line to Playland at the Beach with my uncle in 1946. We rode in one of the older cars. They were nicknamed "Iron Monsters."

[@anthonysnyder1152]

Oh wow!! I wish I was around ti experience what it was like. It’s a shame those streetcars weren’t retained and upgraded for the modern era. Lots of opportunity lost.

[@bradmcewen]

The station shown starting 7:30 looked amazingly clean. How nice to see it can be that way.

[@vettebecker1]

Awesome video, have always wanted to visit San Fran ❤

[@TrainsFerriesFeet]

It looks like you had a great trip, Tim.

[@3985uprr]

Indeed I did!!!

[@IndianRailwaysjourneys]

Great compilation.. Cheers 👍

[@billclements3879]

Spectacular, thank for the ride along , have fun, stay hydrated and safe 😊

[@BOOTEDTRAINSCHANNEL]

Thanks for your San Francisco railfan tour series! It's good to see all the muni, trolly and cable cars and listen to your narration. Next visit you might take the Capitol Corridor CalTrans/Amtrak service to Sacramento. You can ride the light rail in Sacramento. Next time in SF check out Little Italy, hope you had an Irish coffee at the BV while you were here. Booted2225 your New Haven RR enthusiast here in Sacramento.

[@3985uprr]

I was tempted to go to the BV but it’s a bit of a walk from the trolley stop at fisherman’s wharf. The cable car stops right outside, but it was too damn crowded and I got discouraged and I’m strictly a wine drinker and people were saying that the Irish coffee is very bitter and I was afraid that if I drank it, I might get sick and ruin the rest of my trip. As for the cable car there, Yogi Berra would say “Nobody rides the cable car. It’s too crowded”. His comment actually makes sense.

[@BOOTEDTRAINSCHANNEL]

@@3985uprr I was on the 729 from Auburn/Sacramento when you were videoing last Saturday, the #5 was running late just behind us. I was headed for OKJ to attend an event in Alemeda that afternoon. Coincidently I was on the 738 running late out of OKJ as you were pulling in. I was wondering why all the railfans were there...I missed hearing about the UP office car train. At least I saw the 4014 from Portola to Auburn last month. Enjoyed the videos glad you had a good trip out here. Have some train videos on my channel, Bridgeport to Waterbury where I grew up. Thanks.

[@3985uprr]

@@BOOTEDTRAINSCHANNEL oh I couldn’t identify that train that we passed on the way in the Jack London as the schedule didn’t jive so I figured it was a delay

[@christophercancel934]

You should do a ride on the (m) or (k) lines and get front window view before you go. it be a great experience for those who can't go to San Fran.

[@3985uprr]

I’m home in my living room now on Long Island

[@frankgrimesification]

The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco!

[@3985uprr]

Whitman

[@albertcarello619]

@@frankgrimesification It sure seems like you can get by without air conditioners in San Francisco. The summers never even seem to get much above 75 degrees .

[@TransitBaySF]

My favorite line is the M Ocean View

[@jimprice1959]

Did you notice at the cable car diamond that the Powell Street car had to detach from the cable when crossing the California line? That's because the California car's cable was above the Powell Street's cable. Back in the early 1900's there were battles between the various lines as to who had superior rights and could make the others release their cables when crossing.

[@3985uprr]

I would think that the cables would interfere with each other at that intersection. Makes sense.

[@jimprice1959]

@@3985uprr They use pulleys to keep the cable from rising up when the track descends down to a flat spot. Otherwise the cable would rise up and rub the slot. I think they also use them to keep the cables from rubbing against each other at a diamond. The pulleys are on a rotating bracket. When the grip passes by it temporarily pushes them to the side. I think I read all of this in "The Cable Car in America" years ago. Also.. If I remember correctly the cable car power house has a museum that explains much of the details.

[@jackdress5533]

Great tour of San Francisco Tim. Any chance of keeping captions up longer? Can’t read entirely before they disappear. Thanks

[@3985uprr]

My editing system is a bit finicky at times. You can always pause it to read the captions. I can never figure out a good time to keep those up because everybody reads at a different speed

[@christophercancel934]

Forest Hill? Isn't there a Forest Hill where the (E), (F), (M), (R) and LIRR all stop at? Also the station is so clean I wish MTA can learn something from this.

[@3985uprr]

Yes, there is

[@frankgrimesification]

The one in Queens is Forest Hills (with an S at the end).

[@3985uprr]

@@frankgrimesification 71st Street/Continental Avenue station.

[@JoeyLovesTrains]

18:38 wow you can see the whole thing flex

[@laurelcreek7]

Come back soon to ride electric trains on Caltrain! Service starts soon.

[@SoundmasterBlink]

RRFHG and the San Francisco chronicles continue😅

[@3985uprr]

More to come

[@johncrest-r6n]

I know this is a weird question but, how's downtown san francisco? Is it safe and nice for a tourist? I was just thinking of visiting.

[@3985uprr]

Hey, I survived just fine and I’m a 70-year-old dude. Like anywhere else you always have to be vigilant. Walking along the bay is beautiful Pier 39 is nice fisherman‘s wharf is nice. Take a bay cruise from Pier 39. That’s a gorgeous cruise. I’ve done it several times. Ride the cable cars. Go to the Golden Gate Bridge unfortunately I didn’t have time to do that. Plus the weather wasn’t that good?

[@TohaBgood2]

SF has cleaned up its act over the last year. It's back to normal old SF.

[@3985uprr]

@@TohaBgood2 I found the city invigorating

[@waynecampbell7609]

Violent crime is sort of middle of the pack for cities over 100,00 people. The real problem is property crimes, particularly car break-ins. Don't rent a car, you don't need one, parking is expensive, and there's good transit.

[@3985uprr]

@@waynecampbell7609 the whole time I was there I used public transportation

[@albertcarello619]

I have yet to hear the horns on these cars. So far I haven't seen any emergency situations requiring the horns.

[@anthonysnyder1152]

I have, first I heard was when multiple cars were blocking an intersection at 4th and King. He would use the little bells and then he got fed up and used the horn.

[@albertcarello619]

@@anthonysnyder1152 Is the horn single or dual blasting? It's bad enough that the MUNI TROLLEYS ARE captive of the surrounding motor vehicles in the way.

[@albertcarello619]

I wonder if these MUNI CARS have horns in addition to gongs??? If there's horns they're probably used only in emergencies.

[@3985uprr]

I think they have car horn sounds like the PCC’s

[@albertcarello619]

@@3985uprr So far I've only heard alarm-gongs so far. I guess they use the horns only in emergencies is my guess.

[@peteralbert1485]

They have very loud horns. I’m always kind of rattled when they use them, which fortunately is not very often. The gong sound is the basic noise, and much kinder on the psyche.

[@albertcarello619]

I can only imagine the horns would sound similar to the Los Angeles Light Rail Trolleys unless they're louder than that. The bells are what I call gargling gongs.

[@albertcarello619]

@@peteralbert1485 I hope to catch a video of these trolleys when they do sound their horns. Try to catch these trolleys when they do.

[@christophercancel934]

31:15 which trains split where?

[@3985uprr]

K and M. They both take different routes to Balboa Park.

[@peteralbert1485]

The L tracks peel off to the right. The M and K share tracks for another few blocks before separating at St Francis Circle (37:11)

[@tomboylan1522]

Interestingly enough… BART is a North-South railroad, while the MUNI Metro is East-West. …so, while you were at any of the stations where BART ran below the MUNI Metro, above the BART Southbound track, was the MUNI Westbound track - interesting, considering that below Market St., the subway runs at angle, not following any cardinal compass point! (BART numbers it’s tracks (the southbound track (in San Francisco) is the “1” track (look at the signs on the platforms - they identify the adjacent platform as “platform 1”)) The other track (towards the Oakland Wye) is the “2 Track” (“M2, in fact (“M” for that line (the Market St/Mission St. Subway. After Daly City, it becomes the “W” line (Westbay). (The spur out to SFO is the “Y Line.)))) MUNI designates it’s tracks as “Inbound” - towards the bay, and “outbound”.) (Fun trivia to know and tell: The Market St. Subway was built as FOUR separate tunnels (two for BART, two for MUNI), either by TBMs, or by advancing shields. I am not sure which. The STATIONS were “cut-and-cover”.)

[@3985uprr]

Sounds complicated, but I know that the surface running of the street cars ended right before Twin Peaks tunnel in 1978.

[@tomboylan1522]

The Twin Peaks Tunnel has been around for a LONG time. The streetcars used to run on the surface of Market Street, until BART was built, and BART built (well, paid for: a contractor actually built it) ALL of the MUNI Metro, including the part where the streetcars run underground, but there are NO BART tracks underneath (as you might have noticed at the Van Ness and Castro St. stations). The Forrest Hills Station was put in when the Twin Peaks Tunnel was built, but the existing West Portal Station (the station at the WEST end of the tunnel) was built by BART! (One of the plans, was to dig a subway (MUNI Metro) on that side of the Twin Peaks Tunnel, out so far as St. Francis Circle. The plan for that subway was cancelled, and, so the story goes, that’s where the money came from for the Embarcadero Station (Montgomery St. Station used to be (for a few years after BART first opened) the last San Francisco station. Embarcadero was BART’s first ‘infill’ station (between two existing stations, as opposed to an extension). The architecture of that station is noticeably different from the other downtown SF stations (and the platform is narrower)).

[@mikekeuleman]

those bells are pretty lame

[@3985uprr]

I thought they sounded very sharp

[@mikekeuleman]

@@3985uprr They sound like cow bells

[@guyfaux3978]

Ugly-sounding!

[@albertcarello619]

@user-ub6 xlo: The bells are best described as gargling gongs.

[@vividspace1225]

I am a Korean creator! This video is really cool. Let's follow together! ❤