| You probably already know about the San Francisco | | | | modern ones. For the next five years, a festival was |
| Cable Cars. They cost $3.00 a ride and are famous | | | | held that celebrated the historic |
| for carrying passengers over the steep Nob and | | | | streetcars. During the festival, the streetcars were run |
| Russian hills. Another historic way to get around the | | | | on the old Market Street |
| city of San Francisco is to take an F-line streetcar. For | | | | tracks. The success of the streetcar festival |
| $1.25, you'll be riding a vintage electric street car. The | | | | prompted the development of a |
| F-line streetcars were purchased from cities around | | | | permanent historic streetcar line and the F-line was |
| the world, so you may get on a car that was originally | | | | permanently reopened in 1995.The F-line runs from the |
| in service in Milan, Moscow, Philadelphia, New York or | | | | Castro down Market Street past the San Francisco |
| Cincinnati.The electric streetcars first appeared in San | | | | Civic |
| Francisco in 1892. After the 1906 | | | | Center and around the Embarcadero to Fisherman's |
| earthquake and fire, they began replacing cable cars | | | | Wharf. You can hop off at the |
| as San Francisco's main transit | | | | San Francisco Ferry Building on a Tuesday or |
| system (except for the really steep hills) because | | | | Saturday afternoon and enjoy the |
| cable cars were slower and more | | | | Farmer's Market. If you're visiting San Francisco, be |
| difficult to maintain. Cable cars run by grabbing onto a | | | | sure to include an F-line |
| constantly moving cable | | | | streetcar ride in your itinerary. It's perfect for getting |
| under the street, while streetcars have an overhead | | | | between some of the most |
| pole that connects to a single | | | | common tourist attractions and you'll find the ride |
| power wire.At one time Market Street had four sets | | | | worth every nickel of the fare.Jed Clark is a travel |
| of streetcar tracks (two for the Municipal | | | | writer, photographer and long-time San Francisco |
| Railway and two for its privately-owned competitor). | | | | resident. For |
| The last Market Street streetcar | | | | more travel tips and information about San Francisco |
| lines were closed in 1982 when the subway system | | | | destinations, attractions and |
| was installed, moving the tracks | | | | neighborhoods, visit - a destination guide to San |
| for the remaining streetcar lines underground and | | | | Francisco. |
| replacing the historic cars with | | | | |