Nostalgia & History > The streets of San Francisco

Various old Municipal Railway scenes in The City.

First, the Marina District terminal of the original F line on Chestnut St. What the car with the 25-line sign is doing there is anyone's guess.

Next, Stockton & Sutter with a 2-Clement car headed to the Cliff House. Sutter was a two-way street then. The famous White House store is a block distant at Grant Ave. The 2 line was originally a Market Street Railway route and became a bus line after takeover by Muni. I'd say the cars in the photo are on borrowed time.

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Very cool...thanks for sharing once again these interesting/historic images.

This would be a perfect time for a "then and now" photo.

JDE

I was just thinking that. The Chestnut scene is right over the hill form where I live too...

Here's a comparative shot taken today from Avila and Chestnut looking towards Scott St. It seems the area has changed very little since 1947.

A closer look at the photos shows that 2 of those businesses are still in operation today. "Jacks" and Walnut Cleaners are still at the same place...

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Here's a bonus SF "then and now"...

The first photo shows the 4 line car in front of the Vogue theater in 1948, one year before the line's discontinuance. (SF Library photo)

Second photo was taken today at the corner of Presidio and Sacramento in the "Presidio Heights" 'hood of town.

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danf Wrote:
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> Here's a bonus SF "then and now"...
>
> The first photo shows the 4 line car in front of
> the Vogue theater in 1948, one year before the
> line's discontinuance. (SF Library photo)
>
> Second photo was taken today at the corner of
> Presidio and Sacramento in the "Presidio Heights"
> 'hood of town.


Great before and after, I've spent a few afternoons in the Vogue. Thanks for the comparison.

Elizabeth

Yes, thank you Dan. I love to see the "before and after" shots just to see how things may, or may not, have changed.

JDE

A touch of irony in the titles of the films being shown at the Vogue over half a century apart, "Casbah" and "Syriana."

The color really make the scene come to life... It's hard to imagine the way it was in black and white.

sphogger

This thread reveals a bit of ignorance about my home town, or perhaps I'm having another senior moment...My recollection is that all Muni streetcar lines were lettered, not numbered. As I search the memory banks, I think this may be true. So, traction experts, was the difference that Muni streetcar lines were lettered, and Market Street Railway's were numbered?

agentatascadero Wrote:
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> This thread reveals a bit of ignorance about my
> home town, or perhaps I'm having another senior
> moment...My recollection is that all Muni
> streetcar lines were lettered, not numbered. As I
> search the memory banks, I think this may be true.
> So, traction experts, was the difference that
> Muni streetcar lines were lettered, and Market
> Street Railway's were numbered?

Muni routes were lettered and Market routes were numbered. After the city took over Market St. Rly. in 1944, routes had both letters and numbers. To this day some of those route designations remain. E.g.: J-Church, K-Ingleside, 6-Masonic, 21-Hayes to name just a few. Market St. Rly. operated many more routes than the Muni in its day as I have noted from old maps.