Nostalgia & History > San Francisco - Then and Now ... (Pt 2)

Here's a few more to continue from the thread below... http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,872128

This was taken at Howard and Beale looking toward the bay in 1938. According to Stash, this would have been the last year of operation for the 35 line. Above is the lead to the soon to be opened East Bay Terminal (opened in January 1939). It appears that the wires have yet to be strung. I believe that the crossbuck was for an SP team track that used to run across this street. (photographer unknown)

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Besides the bridge itself, about the only thing that remains is the fire hydrant on the corner (to the right). If you look closely, the brick building that the Folger's sign was on survives. It's between the newer glass building and the tall red building behind that.

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Actually there is something else that remains. Just to the left of where the above photos were taken is the entrance to the Bridge Terminal. A few of the old catenary supports survive. This one seems to serve no other purpose except to hold up the "speed limit 10" sign.

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Now we're over at 2nd and Folsom Sts. The bridge is for outgoing trains from the Bridge Terminal to Oakland, and is still under construction. The year is 1937. (photographer unknown)

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This is how it looks today. Changes are pretty self explanatory.

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If we step back a few yards, this is the actual intersection of 2nd and Folsom Sts., as seen in 1938. The car in the intersection is on the 27 line heading inbound, while a car on what I would guess to be the 36 line waits. I'm not real sharp on SF Muni operations, so corrections are welcome...

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Things do change - as seen here. The small building that was at this corner was torn down within the last 10 years to make way for this Marriot. There isn't even a trolly bus line that runs here, so no more wires either. And of course the buildings are much bigger these days.

More later...

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danf Wrote:
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> If we step back a few yards, this is the actual
> intersection of 2nd and Folsom Sts., as seen in
> 1938. The car in the intersection is on the 27
> line heading inbound, while a car on what I would
> guess to be the 36 line waits. I'm not real sharp
> on SF Muni operations, so corrections are
> welcome...

A quick look at my Market St. Railway book shows the 35 car ran out Howard and the 36 car ran out Folsom, both from the Ferry Bldg. As stated above, the Howard streetcar line was dropped in 1939 and replaced by a Muni trolley coach line, their first, in 1941.

The Folsom streetcar was replaced by a bus in Jan. 1940 and streetcars reinstated in Oct. 1942, due to WW II. It continued after the Muni bought Market St. Rly. in 1944 and was converted to a bus in Jan. 1945.

The 27 car operated from 2nd & Market to 26th & Mission mainly via Bryant St.

Thanks Stash. I just flipped through my copy of "Railways of San Francisco" and learned a little more about the 35 line. It is said to be the last of the horsecar lines to be converted to cable car. It was also one of the earliest cable lines to be converted to streetcar (1897). Must have had a very short run as a cable line. The 36 Folsom line was said to be a big money loser.


stash Wrote:
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> A quick look at my Market St. Railway book shows
> the 35 car ran out Howard and the 36 car ran out
> Folsom, both from the Ferry Bldg. As stated above,
> the Howard streetcar line was dropped in 1939 and
> replaced by a Muni trolley coach line, their
> first, in 1941.