by Ron Williams

ANTIQUES IN A NEW AGE

On September 1st, a long awaited event happened here in our fabulous city by the bay. A new streetcar line stretching 3 plus miles from the Transbay terminal, up Market, to the Castro. The "F" line was dedicated with 17 newly restored PCC trolleys representing cities from around the country and several antique trolleys from around the world.

All the old trolleys were lined up in preparation of the dedication ceremonies at Second and Market Street. The event was attended by many dignitaries, Frank Jordan, DiFi (Dianne Feinstein) and Muni's general manager, Phil Adams. Several awards and acknowledgments were given to those unsung heroes and volunteers behind the scenes that made this extraordinary project possible. After the dedication ceremony, all the VIPs boarded the newly restored rolling stock and made their way up Market Street to the Castro where the actual ribbon cutting ceremony took place. For the rest of the day all rides on the trolleys were free.

The "F" line will eventually continue down to the Embarcadero and around to Fisherman's Wharf as soon as the City can decide on the design of second leg of the track layout. Much of the work on the Embarcadero has already been finished. The area around the Ferry Building is presenting the problems with final design. The projected dates of completion are 1999 or 2000. The historic streetcar route was first proposed in 1974 at and estimated cost of $11 million dollars and was largely raised from bonds measures and sales tax.

PCC stands for President's Conference Committee, these cars were designed in the thirties by leaders of the electric railways to bring modern design and technology to public transportation systems in cities around the county.

One has to ride one of these streetcars to appreciate the craftsmanship and dedication that went into their restoration. Every rivet and screw was meticulously replaced and all of the original upholstery was faithfully restored. All of the stops along the "F" route are wheelchair accessible.

For further information call the Market Street Railway Company at (415) 863-1775. A hyperlink to the "F" line schedule is provided below.

San Francisco Muni F-Line Schedule