Fillmore Street Cars

The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

"I was there..."

from Walter de Vecchi, Marina Memories

Marina$fillmore-north-c-1920.jpg

Looking north down Fillmore Street about 1920 from Pacific Heights toward landfill which had hosted the Panama Pacific International Exposition of 1915.

Photo: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library

FILLMORE STREET CARS

And who could forget the intriguing, though at times temperamental, Fillmore streetcars? From Green to Broadway towered two massive Kilamanjaros, mixtures of dirt, grass and cobblestone. One single cable was attached both to the descending and ascending cars. By means of accurately synchronized bell signals both motormen knew exactly when to begin their runs, and the descending car would pull the ascending car uphill.

Fillmore and Greenwich circa 1905 wnp4.1537.jpg

View southward up Fillmore Street from Cow Hollow, Greenwich Street c. 1905

Photo: OpenSFHistory.org wnp4.1537

U00029-SFMTA 1903-Fillmore-counterbalance-cars.jpg

Fillmore north from Broadway, 1903.

Photo: C. R. collection, also SFMTA U00029

Fillmore-Street-with-1920s-cars.jpg

New cars pose on Fillmore Street, 1920s.

Photo: provenance unknown

Fillmore near Green 1930s wnp5.50012.jpg

Fillmore Street near Green, 1930s.

Photo: OpenSFHistory.org wnp5.50012

Fillmore and Union circa 1940 wnp14.1371.jpg

Fillmore Street south at Union, c. 1940.

Photo: OpenSFHistory.org wnp14.1371



Marina Memories, courtesy California History Center; De Anza College, Cupertino, CA


Prev. Document  Next Document