| San Francisco Cable Cars | |
|---|---|
| |
| The Powell & Market Street Car | |
| Location Information | |
| City | San Francisco |
| State | California |
| Country | United States of America |
The San Francisco Cable Car System has appeared in many opening sequences of Charmed throughout the course of its eight year run and is also featured in the opening credits just after Kit is shown and before the Triquetra flashes at the end of the opening.
Opening Sequence
It is one of the most recognizable features of San Francisco along with the Golden Gate Bridge.
The system is operated by San Francisco Muni and was the idea of a British man named Andrew Smith Hallidie. Andrew was born in England but came to America in 1852. After 17 years in the United States, Hallidie witnessed a horrible accident on the streets of San Francisco - a horse-drawn streetcar slid backwards under its heavy load. The steep slope with wet cobblestones and a heavily weighted vehicle combined to drag five horses to their deaths. Although such a sight would stun anyone, Hallidie and his partners had the know-how to do something about the problem. After only 4 years, Hallidie and his men tested the first cable car system near the top of Nob Hill at Clay and Jones Streets.
In the present day, the cable cars operate on two routes from downtown San Francisco near Union Square to Fisherman's Wharf, and a third route along California Street. They are more of a tourist attraction then a means of transportation for residents of the California city. They are among the most significant tourist sites in the city, along with Alcatraz Island and Fisherman's Wharf.
Routes[]
The Powell-Hyde Route[]
Powell and Hyde Car
Also known as Line 60, this route begins at Powell and Market street and terminates at Hyde and Beach beyond Lombard Street. It runs north and steeply uphill from a terminal at Powell and Market Streets, before crossing the California Street line at the crest of the hill. Downhill from this crest it turns left and uphill again along Jackson Street - as this is one-way, cable cars in the opposite direction use the parallel Washington Street - to a crest at Hyde Street. Here it turns right and steeply downhill along Hyde Street to the Hyde and Beach terminal, which is adjacent to the waterfront at the San Francisco Maritime Museum. Man-powered turntables turn the cable cars around at the two ends.
The Powell-Mason Route[]
Powell-Mason Car
The Powell-Mason Route, also known as Line 59 runs shares the tracks of the Powell-Hyde line as far as Mason Street, where it crosses Washington and Jackson Streets. Here the line turns right and downhill along Mason Street, briefly half left along Columbus Avenue, and then down Taylor Street to a terminal at Taylor and Bay. This terminus is near to but two blocks back from the waterfront at Fisherman's Wharf. There are man-powered turntables at each end to reverse the cars like the Powell-Hyde. This line is also used greatly by tourists, but also some commuters.
California Street Route[]
Van Ness-California Street Car
The California Street Route, also known as Line 61, runs due west on California Street from a terminal at California and Market Streets, close to the junction of Market with the waterfront Embarcadero. The line once ran a much longer distance from Presidio Avenue to Market Street but was reduced in the 50's. Ideas to restore the whole line have been proposed but not acted on. The whole of the line lies on California Street, running at first uphill to the summit of Nob Hill, then more gently downhill to a terminus at Van Ness Avenue. This line is used to a greater extent by commuters, with majority of passengers on weekdays being commuters.
- The two lines on Powell Street (Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason) both serve as residential and tourist/shopping districts near Union Square, Chinatown, North Beach, Nob Hill, Aquatic Park and Fisherman's Wharf, with the "downtown" end of both lines a substantial distance from the Financial District. The California Street Line is used more by commuters, due to its terminus in the Financial District.