San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival

San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival

Company type	Public event
Industry	Transportation, Tourism
Founded	1983
Founder	San Francisco Municipal Railway, San Francisco Chamber of Commerce
Defunct	1987
Fate	Discontinued; forerunner to F Market & Wharves line
Headquarters	San Francisco, California , United States
Area served	San Francisco
Key people	Maurice Klebolt, Rick Laubscher, Harold Geissenheimer, Dianne Feinstein
Products	Heritage streetcar rides
Number of employees	(not specified)
Website	(not specified)

San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival

The San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival was a heritage streetcar operation along Market Street in San Francisco, running mainly during the summer seasons from 1983 through 1987. Organized by the San Francisco Municipal Railway and sponsored by the city's Chamber of Commerce, this event served as a forerunner to the permanent F Market & Wharves heritage streetcar line introduced in 1995. The festival showcased an eclectic collection of vintage streetcars from around the world, including restored San Francisco vehicles.

Conceived as a temporary attraction during the extensive 1982–1984 overhaul of the city's famous cable car network—which was closed for more than a year—the festival initially operated five days weekly during the summer. Its unexpected popularity led to an extension over several seasons, expanding to daily service by 1985 and increasing its historic fleet to maintain visitor engagement.

Spanning five seasons, the Historic Trolley Festival garnered substantial support from both the public and local businesses, ultimately paving the way for the establishment of the year-round F-line streetcar service that commenced in 1995.

Overview

Operating primarily in summer months from 1983 until 1987, the San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival featured heritage streetcars running on Market Street in downtown San Francisco. Managed by Muni and co-sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce alongside private contributors, it laid the foundation for the later F Market & Wharves line inaugurated in 1995. The festival’s fleet included vintage streetcars sourced internationally as well as preserved local vehicles, many on loan from museums.

The concept emerged when San Francisco’s iconic cable car system shut down for nearly two years starting in September 1982 to undergo major infrastructure improvements. To counteract potential tourism losses during this period, city officials and business leaders championed the trolley festival as an alternative draw.

The first festival season in 1983 operated five days per week and proved so successful that it returned in 1984 despite the cable cars resuming service. The event expanded each year through 1987, increasing to seven-day operations by 1985 and incorporating additional vintage trolleys from countries including Australia, England, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Russia.

By its second year in 1984, ridership reached about 300,000 passengers and grew further in subsequent seasons. The trolley roster expanded to ten cars by 1987. Muni’s annual expenses for operation averaged approximately $526,000 during the initial four years; these costs were largely covered through corporate sponsorships and public fundraising efforts dedicated to acquiring and restoring trolleys, with farebox revenue contributing only a minor share.

While originally intended as a temporary measure during cable car renovations, by 1987 the Historic Trolley Festival had become a distinctive tourist attraction with strong commercial appeal.

Origin and development

The inception of the San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival dates back to summer 1982 amid plans to suspend cable car service for about twenty months to allow extensive reconstruction from September 1982 until June 1984. Anticipating a significant decline in tourism due to this closure, business leaders and municipal authorities endorsed launching a vintage trolley festival as an alternative visitor attraction beginning summer 1983.

Although proposals for historic streetcar operations along the Embarcadero existed since 1974 and Muni had suggested Market Street service by 1981, robust support only materialized with the impending cable car shutdown. The cable car system—a National Historic Landmark and major tourist magnet—required comprehensive repairs necessitating suspension of all three lines.

Surface streetcar service on Market Street had been gradually discontinued starting February 1980 as weekday operations moved into the new Market Street subway using modern Boeing LRVs under Muni Metro branding. By June 1981, weekday streetcar runs on Market Street ceased entirely; weekend PCC car service persisted until full conversion scheduled for September 19, 1982.

In 1981, Muni operated its preserved vintage car No. 1 (built in 1912) as a free shuttle on Market Street every other Saturday. That same year saw former Muni car 178 (built in 1923), loaned from the California Railway Museum, used for special railfan excursions and limited J-line trips. Both vehicles ran regularly on weekends and holidays throughout summer 1982 until Market Street tracks closed. Public reception to these vintage trolley services was overwhelmingly positive.

This favorable response demonstrated strong potential for a comprehensive vintage trolley operation to attract tourists. As a result, in August 1982 both the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and Public Utilities Commission approved continuation of vintage streetcar service. Car 178 returned to its museum that fall; however, Muni retained car No. 1 along with other suitable vehicles for use during the forthcoming festival.

Organizing the event

During the summer of 1982, Muni collaborated with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce to devise the idea of a historic trolley "festival" for the 1983 tourist season, supported by trolley enthusiast and businessman Maurice Klebolt. This festival was intended to compensate for expected tourism revenue shortfalls caused by the cable car system's temporary closure. The Chamber assumed sponsorship of the event, receiving additional support from the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau as well as municipal authorities. Initial opposition within Muni was eventually resolved with the endorsement of newly appointed General Manager Harold Geissenheimer and Mayor Dianne Feinstein.

Rick Laubscher, who chaired the Chamber's transportation committee, worked closely with Mayor Feinstein to coordinate the festival. The vintage streetcar lineup featured Muni’s car 1, the restored car 130 (manufactured in 1930 by Jewett Car Company), and car 178 on loan from the California Railway Museum. Other institutions contributed vehicles as well; the Oregon Electric Railway Museum provided Portland car 503 (a 1903 Brill model), while Blackpool’s "boat tram" 226 and car 178 were loaned by the Western Railway Museum. Paul Class from Gales Creek Enterprises arranged leases for two single-truck cars from Porto, Portugal (numbers 122 and 189). Klebolt played a key role in securing a W2-class streetcar from Melbourne, Australia, having previously donated a 1954 Hamburg streetcar to San Francisco. The diverse international collection reflected Klebolt’s vision; subsequent festivals expanded to include trolleys from Japan, Italy, Mexico, and Russia.

The service was scheduled to operate five days per week (Thursday through Monday), aiming for a launch around Memorial Day. The route extended from Transbay Terminal along Market Street, Duboce Avenue, Church Street, and 17th Street to Castro Street. Due to track removal between Duboce and Castro during earlier subway construction, new rails were installed on upper Market Street in 1993–94. A newly constructed crossover at 17th & Castro allowed turning only for bidirectional streetcars; consequently, single-ended PCC cars were confined to operating on the J Church line or up to the wye at 11th Street. Fare prices matched those of standard Muni services.

Regular surface streetcar operations ceased on September 19, 1982, shortly before the cable car system was closed for almost two years for reconstruction. Weekend bus replacements continued until November 20, when Market Street subway stations began offering daily service.

In autumn 1982, Laubscher presented the developing festival proposal to City Hall officials and neighborhood organizations, successfully gaining their endorsement. His employer, Bechtel Corporation, agreed to act as an event sponsor, while the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association pledged support with training and maintenance. Laubscher is also credited with coining the name "San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival".

Approval and final arrangements

On February 28, 1983, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors officially approved funding close to $350,000 to support the service. Additional financial backing was provided through sponsorships of specific streetcars, such as Portland car 503 sponsored by Embarcadero Center, Blackpool "boat" car 226 by Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, San Francisco car 178 by Levi Strauss & Company, and Muni PCC car 1128 (repainted as St. Louis No. 1704) underwritten by Anheuser-Busch.

The non-profit organization Market Street Railway played a vital role in coordinating and promoting the inaugural Historic Trolley Festival. Its board included Klebolt and Laubscher, and following the festival’s conclusion in 1987, MSR became instrumental in advocating for a permanent vintage streetcar line on Market Street, which was eventually launched in 1995 as the F-Market route.

A dedicated storage and maintenance facility was set up within the private right-of-way near Duboce Avenue, adjacent to the subway portal servicing the J and N lines west of Market Street. This yard included an inspection pit. The two through tracks in this corridor had remained unused since surface streetcar operations ceased in September 1982. On days when service operated, bidirectional single-track running was implemented with signaling systems to avoid conflicts, allowing one track to be reserved for vehicle storage. The initial launch date was postponed from Memorial Day or early June to late June.

First season

The San Francisco Historic Trolley Festival officially commenced on June 23, 1983, featuring a parade along Market Street led by Muni’s car 1, driven by Mayor Dianne Feinstein. The procession included streetcars such as Porto 122, Blackpool 226, San Francisco 178, and Melbourne 648. Non-revenue vehicles like Muni Repair Car 1008 and Boeing LRV 1213 also took part.

Public operations began on June 24 and continued through September 19, running five days weekly (excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays) with a headway of fifteen minutes requiring six cars. Service hours were from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays when running; standard Muni fares applied (60 cents for most passengers).

The route stretched approximately from the Transbay Terminal to 17th & Castro streets. Most streetcars displayed their original city destination signs; officially, the route was named F Market & Wharves from inception, although this designation did not appear on maps until 1985. The F line designation aligned with Muni’s five-year strategy (1981–86) for establishing a vintage streetcar line along Market Street.

Following opening day, additional trolleys joined the fleet: Porto 189 arrived in late June; Milwaukee 978 and Portland 503 were added in early July; Muni car 130 appeared in August. To supplement the collection temporarily, Boeing LRV No.1213—a modern prototype constructed in 1977—was adapted with trolley poles reinstalled for surface operation on Market Street.

The iconic open-top Blackpool "boat" tram was prominently showcased during the festival.

Milwaukee car 978 was loaned from Wisconsin’s East Troy Railroad Museum but sustained undercarriage damage during transit and never entered active service; it was returned in October. Portland car 503 had been modified with standard-gauge trucks to operate beyond Portland’s network.

The PCC cars featured included single-ended Muni vehicles repainted as St. Louis No.1704 and Muni No.1040—the last PCC manufactured in North America—operating either on the J line or only reaching as far as the reversible wye at 11th & Market due to their inability to turn at Castro.

San Francisco Muni trolleybus No.776 made occasional appearances in festival parades but was not utilized for passenger service.

1983 Historic Trolley Festival fleet

City of origin	Car no.	Manufacturer	Year built	Type	Notes
San Francisco	1	W. L. Holman Car Company	1912	DE, DT	Muni Type A; first publicly owned major city streetcar in U.S.
Porto, Portugal	122	J. G. Brill Company	1909	DE, ST	Wooden-bodied vehicle
San Francisco	130	Jewett Car Company	1914	DE, DT	Muni Type B "Iron Monsters"
San Francisco	178	Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation	1923	DE, DT	Muni Type K "Iron Monsters"
Porto, Portugal	189	Companhia Carris de Ferro do Porto (CCFP)	1929	DE, ST	Wooden-bodied; modeled after American Brill designs circa 1912
Blackpool, England	226	English Electric	1934	DE, DT	"Boat" style open-top tram; retired number:601
Portland, Oregon	503	J. G. Brill Company	1903	DE, DT	"Council Crest" wooden-bodied tram; converted to standard gauge trucks
Melbourne, Australia	648	Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board	1930	DE, DT	"W2-class" wooden-bodied tram
San Francisco	1040	"St. Louis Car Company"	"1952"	"SE, DT"	"PCC streetcar; last built in North America"
"San Francisco"	"1213"	"Boeing-Vertol"	"1977"	"DE, articulated"	"Prototype US Standard Light Rail Vehicle; initially numbered 1221"
"St. Louis, Missouri"	"1704"	"St. Louis Car Company"	"1946"	"SE, DT"	"PCC streetcar repainted from Muni No.1128; originally served St. Louis"
"Hamburg, Germany"	"3557"	"Linke-Hofmann-Busch"	"1954"	"SE, DT"	"Known as 'Red Baron' in San Francisco"

Hamburg car 3557—donated by Maurice Klebolt in 1979—was not part of the initial lineup but was prepared during summer at Muni's Metro Center facility and entered service on September 17, shortly before the festival concluded.

1983 post-season

On September 26, exactly one week after ceasing full-scale, five-day-a-week operations, a final trolley procession signified the end of the Historic Trolley Festival. Responding to popular demand, Muni prolonged service beyond September, operating on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., extending through the Christmas period and into January with a smaller fleet of four cars as weather conditions deteriorated. Typically, two single-ended PCC streetcars ran on Saturdays, while Sundays featured two older double-ended vehicles.

After the 1983 season concluded, several streetcars departed San Francisco: Portland 503 was returned to Oregon (later coming back in 1985), and Porto 122 was sold by Bill and Sam Naito’s Norcrest China Company to Dallas's McKinney Avenue Transit Authority, where it began service in 1989. During the Festival, Muni acquired Porto 189 permanently, while loans of San Francisco 178 and Blackpool 226 from the Western Railway Museum were prolonged.

LRV 1213, regarded as the least favored car in the fleet, operated briefly in mid-1984 before being reassigned to cover shortages on Muni Metro lines, with its trolley poles removed accordingly.

Reception in first year

The first Historic Trolley Festival was met with "overwhelming success," drawing strong ridership except for LRV 1213. Its popularity generated agreement to hold the event again in 1984, supported financially by the Chamber of Commerce. Although there was some resistance related to returning cable cars, most stakeholders endorsed continuing the Festival starting June 1984.

1984 season

The second installment of the Historic Trolley Festival commenced on June 7, 1984, featuring a parade led by car 1 with Mayor Feinstein at the controls. The event operated daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays until September 17. With an expanded fleet, headways were shortened to approximately 12 minutes. Single-ended cars were deployed on the N-Judah line rather than J-Church, with as many as five cars running concurrently. The "F–Market" route designation appeared more regularly on newly installed dash signs.

Three additional single-ended streetcars were incorporated into the fleet:

• Milan 1834, a Peter Witt-type car dating from around 1928 and constructed in Italy, arrived on August 4 after being donated or sold at a nominal price. This marked San Francisco's first Milan streetcar; Muni considered further acquisitions, several of which entered service on the F-line extension to Fisherman's Wharf in 2000.
• Veracruz No. 001 from Mexico, a single-truck open-bench vehicle built in 1977 atop a 1908 Brill underframe, was loaned courtesy of sponsorship by Veracruz's mayor and Mexican government. Because of its single-ended configuration, it operated solely between the Transbay Terminal and 11th Street.
• San Francisco car 1006, a double-ended PCC built in 1948 but converted to single-ended operation during the mid-1950s, ran as a single-ended car in 1984 with route limitations; it was restored to double-ended status in 1985.

Moreover, a 1950 Marmon-Herrington trolleybus (number 776) provided weekend service on route 8–Market. The Milan and Veracruz streetcars entered active service in August.

Due to funding shortages, the festival concluded early on September 17; however, weekend-only operations persisted through New Year's Day of 1985. Around 300,000 passengers utilized the service during the 1984 season.

1985 season

The 1985 Trolley Festival uniquely operated every day of the week for the first and only time. The third annual season commenced on May 23 with a parade led by Mayor Feinstein driving the 1912-built car number 1. Service continued through October 15, making it the longest running season yet, apart from previous years' weekend-only autumn schedules. The operational pattern stayed largely unchanged, maintaining 12-minute intervals between cars; single-ended streetcars operated along the N line, while double-ended cars served the 17th & Castro route. Extending service to a full seven-day schedule increased Muni’s expenses to $673,000 for that year.

Regarding fleet adjustments, Portland Brill car 503 returned following a year's hiatus for what would be its final season. The open-top Blackpool "boat" car number 226 was replaced by car number 228, also acquired from Blackpool. San Francisco car 578, originally constructed in 1895 for Market Street Railway and restored by Muni, joined the roster as the oldest streetcar in Festival operations, primarily running on weekends up to 11th Street. A notable highlight occurred on August 25 when a specially chartered two-car train composed of Boeing LRVs 1212 and 1213 traversed Market Street at street level—the only surface operation of its kind.

The season also marked the last use of Veracruz’s open-sided car 001, which left San Francisco on November 6, 1985.

Proposed discontinuation

Following the conclusion of the 1985 season, the Trolley Festival faced possible cancellation due to municipal budget constraints. Muni recommended cuts that included ending the Festival. However, The San Francisco Chronicle advocated for its continuation, describing it as "one of San Francisco's most unique and endearing new features" and a popular draw. Support from Mayor Feinstein and other officials ensured the Festival's survival, though service frequency was reduced to five days per week.

1986 season

Two significant operational modifications defined the 1986 Festival. In May, a track wye was installed at 17th and Noe streets, enabling single-ended streetcars to turn around near the 17th & Castro terminus. This allowed all Festival streetcars to operate along a unified route from Transbay Terminal to 17th & Castro, enhancing route consistency. The opening parade on May 19 introduced a new addition to the fleet: ex-Hiroshima, Japan car number 578 (originally Kobe car number 574), which entered active service on September 1.

Secondly, service was curtailed to weekdays only—Monday through Friday—eliminating weekend operations. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Herb Caen criticized this decision, emphasizing that weekends represent peak ridership periods. Operating hours were set from 10:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., with improved intervals of ten minutes between cars. Despite these cutbacks, ridership increased by an estimated 10–15% compared to the previous year.

The wye switches utilized at 17th and Noe had been relocated from Broad & Plymouth on the M line, where they became redundant following line extensions and retirement of PCC cars. Outbound single-ended cars would turn onto Noe Street from 17th Street before reversing westward along 17th back to the Castro terminus. This turnaround procedure was eventually discontinued with the installation of track on Market Street that created a one-way loop for F-line service.

1987 season

The final installment of the Historic Trolley Festival took place from May 14 through October 17. The operation schedule was extended to six days per week, running approximately from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., with streetcars arriving at consistent 10-minute intervals. On weekdays, service hours were slightly modified to run from 9:50 a.m. to 5:50 p.m., while Saturday operations were prolonged until 6:50 p.m.

The trolley collection was augmented by the addition of No. 106, a compact, single-truck car originating from Orel, Russia, initially constructed for Moscow’s street railway system in 1912. Although it arrived in June 1986, it had not yet been put into service by the festival's start. Meanwhile, Melbourne tram No. 648 was sold to the Bay Area Electric Railway Association and replaced by Muni’s acquisition of Melbourne W2-class tram No. 496. Moreover, the restored San Francisco Marmon-Herrington trolleybus No. 776 operated on route 8-Market—comparable to the future F line that commenced in 1995—running "at least one day a week for most of the summer," as noted by Don Jewell in Pacific RailNews.

Embarcadero demonstration service

A significant highlight during the 1987 festival was a historic streetcar demonstration along the Embarcadero lasting five weeks, beginning in mid-September. This initiative followed prior proposals and the termination of freight traffic on the San Francisco Belt Railroad tracks in 1985. Maurice Klebolt suggested this demonstration to evaluate its feasibility; both Muni and the city’s Public Utilities Commission granted approval on September 8.

Due to the absence of overhead trolley wires, the streetcars were powered by diesel generators mounted on trailers and towed along the route. Two cars participated: San Francisco car 578 (built in 1895) and Porto car 189 (built in 1929).

This demonstration operated Fridays and Saturdays from September 11 through October 17, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., with both cars running every 15 minutes. Temporary stops included termini at the Ferry Building (beneath the Embarcadero Freeway) and near Pier 39, with an intermediate stop at Levi's Plaza. Earlier that April, Muni briefly conducted a similar service using car 578 between Pier 39 and Pier 27 during a railfan event known as "Railfair."

Legacy

The five-year run of the Historic Trolley Festival played an essential role in cultivating widespread public and commercial enthusiasm for establishing a permanent F-line streetcar service, which officially began in 1995 as a full-time, daily, year-round operation.

See also

• E Embarcadero and F Market & Wharves
• San Francisco Municipal Railway fleet
• Streetcars in North America