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Vintage Muni Bus Weekend

Ride historic muni buses & trolleys only in service for two days
By - posted 11/1/2013 No Comment

Join the San Francisco Railway Museum for Muni Heritage Days to view and ride many of Muni’s historic vehicles, which are not normally in regular service, on November 2-3, 2013.

Museum admission is free. Regular fares will apply for Muni, Streetcar and Cable Car rides.

All vintage vehicle excursions will start and stop at the free San Francisco Railway Museum (across from the Ferry Building) where there will be an exhibit on the Historic Trolley Festivals of the 1980s, and a special book and memorabilia sale. Talks on San Francisco’s transit history will be given at the museum at 2 pm both days.

2013 Muni Heritage Weekend
November 2-3, 2013
Union Square, Castro, Fisherman’s Wharf
FREE museum admission
Normal Muni fares apply for historic bus, streetcar and cable car rides.

Historic Buses scheduled on the Union Square route:

The buses will leave from the museum and will pick up and drop off passengers at the terminal and at Market and Powell streets only. 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, Mission to Steuart.

  • 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.

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

  • 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. It 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.

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.