CZ CHI to EMY

[Railspike]

Got married in SF and love the city. However, haven't been back in years. For any who have been there recently, how safe is it with all the homeless issues, etc?

 

[Asher]

I love visiting San Francisco. There was an amusement arcade full of old "penny in the slot" machines at Fishermans Wharf that I enjoyed, but I seem to recall a fire in the area a while back, not sure if it was damaged? Be sure to ride the cable cars of course, as well as the many imported historic trams. As a former hippy, I liked Height Ashbury too.

I remember that Arcade, the thing I remember the most was a slide that you sat an a burlap sack type of cloth that helped propel you down at a faster rate. Long gone now.
Japaneese Tea Gardens another place of interes.

 

[Willbridge]

I haven't taken this train yet, but a cursory examination of the route on a map would reveal that the train makes a reverse move at Denver: it turns around at a nearby wye and backs into the station (the tracks dead end at the station) before pulling out of the station again after a crew change. Thus, don't be surprised if the train starts moving backward as it approaches Denver.

That's true but I've never been on a trip where the crew did not announce that in advance. They don't want people to get up and stand pointlessly in the aisles like airline passengers.

 

[joelkfla]

They don't want people to get up and stand pointlessly in the aisles like airline passengers.

In defense of airline passengers: sometimes ya' just gotta stretch! Not a problem on Amtrak LD.

 

[BCL]

Got married in SF and love the city. However, haven't been back in years. For any who have been there recently, how safe is it with all the homeless issues, etc?

I don't really worry about it. It's not pleasant when coming across someone homeless or tents set up, but I really have no issue bringing my family into San Francisco. There have always been parts of the city that I would never recommend a tourist visit.

 

[BCL]

Definitely get a Muni pass. In addition to the cable cars, San Francisco runs a "rolling museum" of historic streetcars on the F - Market and Wharves Line; I spent much of a day hopping on and off of them.

And of course that also lets you on the modern Muni Metro subway/streetcar lines, which run a combination of brand-new Siemens cars and 1990s-era Bredas. And on the trolleybuses. For anyone interested in the history of transit, it's a fascinating place. (And, of course, you can also ride the regular buses to get to places.)

A lot of the historic trolley fleet is rather fun. There are quite a few older streetcars from Milan and other parts of the world. I discussed this with an Italian friend from the Milan area, and he was joking that we just took their hand me downs since these were retired.

The PCC (Presidents' Conference Committee) streetcars are from all over the United States, but also with a few original San Francisco ones. But they may be painted in the livery of another city's transit agency, which they call a "tribute livery". I was riding on one once when I looked up where the streetcar was sourced, and the operator specifically said that it was where the train came from, which my info said was incorrect. But she was insistent.

https://www.streetcar.org/streetcars/

 

[caravanman]

I have visited San Francisco 3 or 4 times over the last 20 years, but still waiting to see this tram in operation there. I might have to just go back to Blackpool instead!

228 - 228 & 233 Blackpool, England

 

[Bonser]

A lot of the historic trolley fleet is rather fun. There are quite a few older streetcars from Milan and other parts of the world. I discussed this with an Italian friend from the Milan area, and he was joking that we just took their hand me downs since these were retired.

The PCC (Presidents' Conference Committee) streetcars are from all over the United States, but also with a few original San Francisco ones. But they may be painted in the livery of another city's transit agency, which they call a "tribute livery". I was riding on one once when I looked up where the streetcar was sourced, and the operator specifically said that it was where the train came from, which my info said was incorrect. But she was insistent.

https://www.streetcar.org/streetcars/

All the F-Line streetcars have their city of origin marked clearly on side window or painted on side.

 

[Willbridge]

I have visited San Francisco 3 or 4 times over the last 20 years, but still waiting to see this tram in operation there. I might have to just go back to Blackpool instead!

228 - 228 & 233 Blackpool, England

Here's a Blackpool tram in Glenwood, Oregon! I think that SF's Blackpool Boat Tram is only brought out on special occasions.

 

[joelkfla]

I have visited San Francisco 3 or 4 times over the last 20 years, but still waiting to see this tram in operation there. I might have to just go back to Blackpool instead!

228 - 228 & 233 Blackpool, England

The page you linked says the first boat tram was leased from a museum. When I was much younger, I volunteered at that museum, now known as the Western Railway Museum, 1 hour northeast of SF in the Sacramento River Delta. The boat car, as we called it, was one of my favorites to operate.

MUNI's boat trams have been outfitted with windshields. Ours wasn't, and I loved cranking it up to full parallel on the straight section of our layout, with the wind square in my face. It was always a big hit with the visitors, too.

 

[trainman74]

I think that SF's Blackpool Boat Tram is only brought out on special occasions.

Not sure what the current state of the F line fleet is, but it used to be a pretty safe bet that they'd have the boat tram running on sunny weekend days. (Of course, at present, they should have them out on the line all the time, since they're about as "open-air" as you can possibly get!)

 

[BCL]

Not sure what the current state of the F line fleet is, but it used to be a pretty safe bet that they'd have the boat tram running on sunny weekend days. (Of course, at present, they should have them out on the line all the time, since they're about as "open-air" as you can possibly get!)

In San Francisco? There's a reason why it's recommended that visitors dress in layers. Right now I'm reading it's 65°F and sunny at about 3 PM. This morning was in the high 50s. It's pleasantly unpredictable. And it can get really weird when a fog layer rolls right in and blocks out the sun.

 

[Alice]

This link lists the F-line cars with photos and status. E-line currently down.
Streetcars Archive
At the bottom of the page is a link to a live map showing which cars are out.

 

[trainman74]

In San Francisco? There's a reason why it's recommended that visitors dress in layers. Right now I'm reading it's 65°F and sunny at about 3 PM. This morning was in the high 50s. It's pleasantly unpredictable. And it can get really weird when a fog layer rolls right in and blocks out the sun.

Ha, I was thinking about the fact that the boat trams are about as "Covid-safe" as public transportation could be.

 

[BCL]

Ha, I was thinking about the fact that the boat trams are about as "Covid-safe" as public transportation could be.

I wouldn't be so about being packed like sardines in a can, even if it is "outdoors".