Cable Cars
by Annie Yu
picture provided by the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection
In 1871 Andrew Hallidie invented San Francisco's Cable Car system after he witnessed an accident on a steep, slick hill. A horse-drawn streetcar slid backwards down the hill dragging five horses to their deaths.
Cable Car Routes
There are three routes for cable cars today:
Powell-Hyde Line
Powell-Mason Line
California Line
The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines start at the same cable car turn table, which is where Powell Street meets Market Street.
The Powell-Mason line goes over Nob Hill, down to Bay Street and on to the end of the line at Fisherman's Wharf.
The Powell-Hyde line goes up to Nob and Russian Hills, ending up at Aquatic Park, which is near Ghiradelli Square.
The California line is different from the two other lines.
It runs east-west from the Financial District, through Chinatown, Nob Hill, ending at Van Ness.The Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason Cable cars ring their bells right outside the Chinatown Public Library. I can hear them right now.
