Retro Weekend: Muni Heritage Celebrates the “Green Machines”

Sunday is a busy day, and the fun gets started early along The Embarcadero with the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure. Then head on over to Cole Valley for the Cole Valley Fair, and if you’re feeling adventurous make your way over to SoMa for the Folsom Street Fair. On both Saturday and Sunday, rarely seen vintage and historic vehicles take to the streets as part of Muni Heritage Weekend.

Streetcar 1050 and Streetcar 578 (Muni's oldest) crossing paths at Muni Heritage Weekend on November 2, 2014. SFMTA Photo Archive

Muni Heritage Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Steuart Street between Market and Mission streets

75 years is a long time. The city has certainly undergone a lot of changes since 1941, the start of Muni's electric trolley bus fleet. One constant has been the city’s reliance on the electric trolley bus, which like Muni's streetcars and cable cars run on non-polluting Hetch Hetchy hydroelectric power. We like to call them “green machines.”

The fifth annual Muni Heritage Weekend will celebrate 75 years of service by these workhorse “green machines” — the electric trolley buses.

Once again, the SFMTA and the Market Street Railway are partnering to present a showcase of historic and vintage vehicles and to tell the intricate history behind them.

This year there will be three free short loops that vintage and historic vehicles will operate on:

• The streetcar loop will operate along The Embarcadero between the Ferry Building and Pier 39 and will feature:
  • Streetcar no. 1, streetcar no. 228 better known as the “boat car,” and streetcar no. 496 which came to the city by way of Melbourne, Australia.
     
• The motor coach loop will start and end at the Market Street Railway Museum (operating along parts of Market, Sutter and Mason streets) and will feature:
  • Bus no. 3287 built by General Motors in 1969 and restored to its maroon and yellow livery glory.
     
• The R Howard throwback loop will cover a portion of original 1941 route (operating along parts of Market, 4th, Howard and 11th streets) and will feature:
  • Bus no. 776 the 1950 Marmon-Herrington trolley in its original green and cream livery and bus no. 5300 the 1975 Flyer trolley in the classic white and two-tone orange paint scheme.

In addition to these non-revenue loops, there will also be the opportunity to take a ride on the special double-end cable car number 42, built in 1906, which will operate on the California Cable Car Line as part of regular revenue service. Bus number 506 will service as a gallery on wheels, featuring a special photo exhibit chronicling the 75 years of Muni’s “green machines.”

Heritage Weekend visitors can take the Metro subway to Embarcadero Station; either the F Market and Wharves or E Embarcadero to the Ferry Building or the 14 Mission,14R Mission Rapid or any Market Street route to Steuart Street.

Muni service note: the F Market, E Line, and California Cable Car lines may see increased ridership.

Street Closure Reminder:

Howard Street between 3rd and 4th streets will remain closed until 5 p.m. this Saturday due to Oracle Open World at the Moscone Center. The northbound 8 Bayshore, 30 Stockton, and 45 Union/Stockton routes may experience service delays in that area due to increased traffic.

Temporary J Church and K Ingleside Service Changes Reminder:

Due to Balboa Park Station Area and Plaza Improvement construction work, there are now temporary stop changes in effect for the J Church and K Ingleside lines at Balboa Park Station. These stop changes will be in place through the end of the year. For details, please read our September 1 blog post.

On Tap for next weekend: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Giants baseball, Bridge to Bridge Run, and Castro Street Fair

“On Tap” gives you a heads up about the big events in town and what Muni routes and lines will get you to the party. Look for this feature to be posted usually on Wednesdays for a look ahead to the weekend. Check out our Weekend Traffic & Transit Advisory for more details.