The Fight to Save the Cable Cars | HISTORY

The Cable Cars of San Francisco are unique, there are no others like it in operation anywhere in the world today! But preserving them has been quite an uphill battle. Here now is their story from inception and construction in 1873, to the present day (2021).

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#SanFrancisco #CableCars #History

Time Stamps:
0:00 Introduction to the cable cars
1:24 the inception of the cars
3:00 the first cable car line
4:32 how they work
8:23 the decline of the cable cars
10:36 the fight to save the cars
15:16 the conclusion

VIDEO CREDITS:
4k San Francisco cable car footage credit to Soltau Cruiser:

Cable Car ride credit to inselvideo:

Full Ride aboard San Francisco Cable Car credit to Pedro Florentin:

Below the Surface of the Cable Car credit to RoizWorld:

Cable Car powerhouse footage credit to Roy J Kerr:

Cable Car maintenance footage credit to IBEW International:

Cable Cars Threatened (vintage footage) credit to British Pathé:

San Francisco prior to the Earthquake 1906 (vintage footage) credit to Mike Upchurch:

San Francisco Earthquake devastation 1906 (vintage footage) credit to Rick88888888:

MUSIC CREDIT:
"Pop" by Alex Productions:

"North Edge" by Keys Of Moon:

"Soft Corporate" by NewHOfTechnology:

"Sanctuary" by Scott Buckley:

"Ascension" by Scott Buckley:

"Way to Dream by Keys Of Moon:

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DISCLAIMER: I am not a University-educated historian, Alex the Historian was a nickname I got while working at Disneyland as a tour guide. After 5 years of using it as a stage name for my channel, it would be detrimental to the channel to suddenly change the name.

[AlextheHistorian]

DUNEDIN: yes folks, I accidentally mispronounced the name. Many thanks for the kind folks who have commented on my video this past year, helping to correct that. Cheers!

[kurtpena]

My friend works in the cable car shop. Muni must constantly fabricate new running gear for these cars. They fabricate all of these parts by hand. And they must fix all of the pulley systems in the field. What a thrill it must be to maintain the last fleet of cable cars!

[scottpecora]

The glorious cable cars are living moving history anyone can enjoy for the price of a ticket. While in San Francisco many years ago, I was able to take my mentally disabled daughter, who was 8 years old, on the cable car. Watching the squeal of delight on her face while the operator even shared with her how it sort of worked as he would reef back on the different handles making it goes and she would squeal in fascination. Ten years later, we would lose my precious daughter, who was an eternal child, but I still have the image in my mind of that spring day riding the cable cars with her. God Bless you, Friedel, and all those you stood firmly against to save history from the narrow-minded greed of some!

[krail]

My father was a cable car Gripman. My mom met him on the car and they fell in love. He used to do his special bell ring for her when he passed her building. There is an amazing picture with him at the controls and she's standing behind him. He eventually was Assistant Superintendent of the cable car barn. Very cool history.

[trippg]

Riding the Cable cars is one of the most exciting and fun experiences in the City. My 70+ year old grandma rode one and even stood on the side rails and swung her hands out. The joy in her face was clearly visible! This is a true national treasure.
If you are ever in the City Ride it! Its a unique way to explore the city and forget the seats ride on the sides! Let the wind through your hair!

[benkanobe]

Alex, as a 64 year old native of California all I can say is FANTASTIC JOB! From Disneyland to The Queen and now the Cable Cars.... I hope Hollywood recognizes you someday. Outstanding!

[pinkman]

I can not imagine a San Francisco without cable cars. It would be as devastating as removing the Lincoln Memorial or Statue of Liberty. Who are we without our history?
On visits to San Francisco my late wife and I were no more off the airplane then onto a cable car. I suspect many others hold the fondest memories regarding these iconic treasures.

[paulgracey]

In 1961 I began a year of U.S. Navy training at Treasure Island that gave me my appreciation of the ingenuity of the cable cars, and taught me that 9.5 mph was indeed "rapid transit" in its day. At that time the Muni fares were the same on all forms of their public transit and a day pass on Sunday (the only day I had free at that time)was 50 cents. Not only did I use the cable cars along with the electric busses that also climbed those hills effortlessly, I and other passengers could aid the grip-men as they turned the cars at each end.
I note that the 1906 Market street footage you use does show that there were a few electric street cars (trolley cars) in service prior to the earthquake. I also learned some time later that Chicago and New York had cable pulled streetcars around that time too. Contemporary footage in NYC shows street cars sans trolley poles that had to be cable pulled, mixed with the true electric trams.
It was the emergence of the electric overhead trolley system (Frank J. Sprague's, a distant relative of mine) that ended most of them where possible. And even allowed the trolley busses you did not show this time, that replaced cable cars on some of the steeper runs up and down those hills.

[jasonsummers]

This documentary is of high quality. It should be shown at the cable car museum. Lived in the Bay Area for 2 years 2018-20. Miss it terribly.

[flyingmyles]

What a humbling tribute to the magnificent San Francisco Cable Cars. Friedel Klussmann is a true Heroine and the city owes her a lot!

[waynecampbell]

What a fantastic video. It's interesting that both the cable cars and San Francisco Bay itself were saved by women who took up the cause. In the case of the bay, they were disparaged as a bunch of "uppity housewives", but they ended up establishing the first costal protection agency in the world and stopped the destruction of an enormous resource. So thanks to Sylvia McLaughlin, Esther Guilck and Kay Kerr, and Friedel Klussmann.

[MattGrossChannel]

I recall going on an amazing romantic date to Fisherman's Wharf. It was a 5 star Italian Seafood candlelit dinner followed by a cable car ride. And then I returned to my penthouse apartment on the corner of O'Farrell and Larkin dizzy with happiness. The cable car ride is what made the date extra special.

[everettfryman]

Thank you Alex for this absolutely triumphant presentation on a beloved public icon. I’m very happy that you’re expertise in the production of history videos are finding a new outlet and I sincerely hope this video receives millions of views.

[djplong]

Really good video hitting all the important highlights of the cable cars. When I was growing up, I spent several years in San Francisco (1966-1970) and it's always been the home of my heart. Loved the cable cars and pestered my mother every chance we had to ride on them. I recently went back to SF for the first time in nearly 50 years to run in a half marathon. The cable cars actually served their original purpose of getting people where they needed to go, in my case, as my hotel was near the end of one of the lines and, because of BART and MUNI, I didn't have to rent a car for my trip.

You made the comment about how pricey a ride on the cable cars can be - and if you buy a one-way ticket, that's true - it's now $8. What a lot of people DON'T know is that you can buy a 1-day pass for all of MUNI's trains, buses AND THE CABLE CARS for only $13 (they have the "Clipper Card" and a mobile app, depending on how you want to pay/implement). I was there for a weekend and paid $31 for a 3-day pass (note, this does not include BART as SF MUNI doesn't operate that service). So you can get a day pass for less than the cost of a round-trip on the cable cars.

[avexp]

I rode on the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines in June of 1981, before the system was rebuilt. I even saw a Rice-a-Roni ad on one car.

[Ericland_Entertainment_Inc]

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE cable cars!! I've always wanted to ride one, and I have a few model cable cars around somewhere. So much history in these little cars that ride a cable

[paulrowan]

Well done, Alex, nicely done. I started riding the cable cars in the early 1960s. Nothing beat a heavily loaded cable car heading down a steep hill with the smell of burning pine brakes in the cool air, the conductor yanking on the lever on the rear platform! And the distinctive sound of the bell clanging rhythmically- the City still holds an annual bell-ringing contest to showcase the best gripman talent! Some gripmen were identifiable by their particular ringing "call".

I have a book titled "Maybelle The Cable Car", published in 1952 by Virginia Lee Burton, another avid cable car enthusiast. Written as a children's book, it chronicles the battle led by Frieda Klussman (to whom she dedicated the book) against the uncaring City Fathers and the mean stinky Muni busses, and the vote to save the cable cars. It's a hoot!

Hats off also to Dianne Feinstein, whose campaign to restore the two remaining lines (the Powell and the California) by raising $60 million in donations was not without opposition.

[ericnelson]

Oh Alex! As a native San Franciscan, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making this outstanding documentary about our beloved Cable Cars! Rock on my friend, ROCK ON!!❤

[stephenphillip]

I visited SanFransisco as a 🇬🇧 tourist some years ago & on my "to see/do" list were:
Golden Gate Bridge ✅
Alcatraz ✅
Lombard Street ✅
But *absolutely* must see:
The cable cars ✅✅!
Iconic is a much-used term but totally appropriate here. Thank you & "chapeau" for your tireless efforts to save the cable cars, Ms Friedel Klussmann & the good citizens of S F. (I'll be back....!)

[jetsons]

Alex you made another GEM.... Wish we had someone like Friedel Klussmann to save some of the Pacific Electric "Red Cars" here. R.I.P. Friedel for your work in saving a American Icon. I still have my ticket from my first ride in 1974. Thanks to Alex for his fine