Historic Muni Bus Weekend

During Muni Heritage Weekend, visitors will be able to ride and view historic streetcars, cable cars and buses that are rarely seen on city streets. In addition to these vintage vehicles from around the world, there will be exhibits, children’s activities, cable car bell ringing demonstrations, live music and more.

2014 Muni Heritage Weekend
November 1-2, 2014
Union Square, Castro, Fisherman’s Wharf
FREE museum admission
Normal Muni fares apply for historic bus, streetcar and cable car rides.

The vintage buses will leave from the San Francisco Railway Museum, located on Steuart Street between Market and Mission streets, across from the Ferry Building. The buses will pick up and drop off passengers at the terminal and at Market and Powell streets only. Regular Muni fares will apply. 

Exhibits on Muni’s history and future will be on display from 10 am to 5 pm across the street from the Market Street Railway Museum. View historic photos, vehicles and videos, and find out about the projects and vehicles that will carry Muni into the future.

There will be free family gift bags for the first 100 families each day from noon to 2 pm. There will be Maya Angelou tribute readings, pedestrian and bicycle safety info, a coloring contest for kids. Music, future and historical transportation exhibits and bell ringing demonstrations.

2014 Schedule

• Noon Welcome with Guest & Sponsor Recognition
• 12:15 pm Bell Ringing Demonstrations
• 12:30 pm Del Barrio Jazz Trio
• 1:15 pm Maya Angelou Reading by Johnnae D. Saunders, St. Ignatius Class of 2015
• 1:30 pm Bell Ringing Demonstration
• 1:40 pm Del Barrio Jazz Trio
• 2 pm Talks on San Francisco’s transit history will be given at the museum

2014 Historic Buses scheduled on the Union Square route:

The vintage buses will leave from the San Francisco Railway Museum, which is operated by Muni’s non-profit preservation partner Market Street Railway and located on Steuart Street between Market and Mission streets, across from the Ferry Building. They will supplement regular Muni bus service, following this circle route that loops around the Union Square area: outbound via Market, Sutter and Mason back to Market, returning inbound via Market, Spear, and Mission to Steuart. The buses will pick up and drop off passengers at the terminal and at Market and Powell streets only.

• Bus No. 042: One of the small gasoline coaches built by White Motor Company in 1938 that served Coit Tower on the 39-line for almost 40 years. Overhauled by Muni’s shops and restored to its original orange and black paint scheme and its original fleet number as part of Muni’s centennial.
• Bus No. 776: A 1950 Marmon-Herrington trolley coach, which served virtually all of Muni’s trolley bus lines during its quarter-century of service. It is painted in its original green and cream “Wings” livery.
• Bus No. 3287: Built by General Motors, purchased by Muni in 1969, and restored to its original maroon and yellow livery inspired by the cable cars.
• Bus No. 5300: A 1975 Flyer trolley coach painted in the white and two-tone orange paint scheme created for Muni by famed San Francisco industrial designer Walter Landor, who also created Muni’s current logo, known to many as “the worm” for the twisting lines that spell “Muni”.
• Bus No. 506: For display only on Steuart Street, this trolley bus built in 1941 was one of Muni’s first ten trolley coaches that operated on what was then called the “R-Howard” route. It is currently awaiting mechanical restoration following a successful cosmetic restoration into its original yellow and blue livery.

2014 Historic Streetcars Muni’s F-Market and Wharves historic streetcar line (operates between the Castro and Fisherman’s Wharf):

• Muni’s F Market & Wharves historic streetcar line will also have some special additions as part of the weekend celebration. Some of the vehicles that will be out on the line that operates between the Castro and Fisherman’s Wharf are listed below.
• Streetcar No. 1: Muni’s very first streetcar, which inaugurated Muni service on December 28, 1912, running out Geary Street from Market to 10th Avenue, with Mayor “Sunny Jim” Rolph at the controls. Streetcar No. 1 wears Muni’s first paint scheme of gray and red, with gold trim.
• Streetcar No. 1040: The very last streamliner “PCC” streetcar built in North America. These famous streetcars, the core of today’s F Line, once operated in 33 different cities across the continent. Muni’s No. 1040, built in 1952, was recently restored to its original green and cream livery as part of a complete rebuilding.
• Streetcar No. 578: The oldest streetcar operated by a North American transit agency, built in 1896 for a Muni predecessor. Converted to a work car after the 1906 earthquake, No. 578 was restored by Muni crafts workers to its passenger configuration and original yellow livery in 1956 as part of the city’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the earthquake. No. 578 will operate between the San Francisco Railway Museum and Pier 39 along The Embarcadero.
• Other vintage streetcars that spent their first careers on Muni tracks are expected to operate as part of regular F-line service.

2014 Special addition to the California Cable Car Line (runs on California Street between Market and Van Ness):

• Cable Car No. 42 is the last cable car bearing the markings of the O’Farrell, Jones & Hyde line, which was closed in 1954. Reacquired from a private party in the 1990s and subsequently restored to its 1906 appearance by Muni’s cable car maintenance team with assistance on cosmetic work by volunteers from Market Street Railway. This double-ended car will operate from Market Street to Van Ness Avenue on the California Street cable car line from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. Regular cable car fares will apply.