San Francisco's iconic cable cars are a century-old engineering marvel still running today

Cultures · Published 9 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: San Francisco's cable cars are the world's last manually operated system of their kind. Born from a 19th-century transit revolution, these historic vehicles now serve millions of tourists annually. Despite their charm, they face constant scrutiny over high operating costs, frequent accidents, and their role as a city icon.

The system traces its origins to 1869, when Andrew Smith Hallidie conceived the idea after witnessing a horsecar accident. By 1873, the Clay Street Hill Railroad began service, establishing a template for transit that would see 23 lines built by 1890. These early systems relied on stationary steam engines to pull cables beneath the streets, a mechanism that allowed cars to climb San Francisco's steep hills. Over time, the network evolved, introducing innovations like the side grip and curves that allowed cars to coast on their own momentum.

The 1906 earthquake and fire decimated the infrastructure, leading to a shift toward electric streetcars. By 1944, only five cable car lines remained. The system faced near-extinction in the mid-20th century, but a grassroots movement led by Friedel Klussmann and the Citizens' Committee to Save the Cable Cars successfully forced a referendum to preserve the Powell Street lines. This political battle eventually resulted in the current three-line configuration: the California Street line, the Powell–Mason line, and the hybrid Powell–Hyde line.

Today, the system is a National Historic Landmark, yet it remains a subject of debate. While it generates around $30 million in annual revenue, it also carries a significant operating deficit and has the highest accident rate among U.S. mass transit systems. Despite these challenges, the cars remain a vital part of the city's identity, with Muni continuing to maintain the fleet and infrastructure, including the 1984 reconstruction that replaced 69 city blocks of track and modernized the propulsion system.

The fleet consists of 40 cars, split between single-ended vehicles for the Powell lines and double-ended ones for California Street. These cars, some of which are built or rebuilt at Muni's Woods Carpentry Division, are manually operated by gripmen who navigate the city's terrain. While they are primarily a tourist attraction, the California Street line maintains a higher proportion of commuter ridership, highlighting the system's dual role as both a living museum and a functional, if expensive, piece of urban transport.

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