Fate of Castro Cable Is Argued

The Fate of the Castro Cable Is Argued

San Francisco News, May 5, 1939.

Editor’s Notes — On August 29, 1907, the United Railroads restored the Castro cable, 18th to 26th Street only. At 18th Street the cable car connected with the No. 8 streetcar that now served the remaining part of the former Market-Castro cable car line. In short, the standard gauge Castro cable car line was now a feeder for the No. 8 streetcar. The March revenues sited of approximately $1,000 equaled about 14,000 paying passengers. It can be assumed an approximate equal number of passengers transferred free from the No. 8 and No. 11 Mission & 24th Street streetcars and the No. 33 18th & Park trackless trolley coach line.

On January 1, 1939, the Market Street Railway increased its fare to 7¢. Competitive Muni lines remained at 5¢. The Castro cable as a result lost ridership to passengers who now elected to walk to and from Muni’s J-Church, K-Market and L-Taraval streetcars. After the Market Street Railway failed in its attempts for outright abandonment of its money losing Castro cable line, it was successful on April 5, 1941 of incorporating the route of the Castro Cable car into the new No. 24 crosstown motor coach line.

Standard gauge Castro Cable No. 3, built as an open car by the Central Pacific Railroad for the Market Street Cable Railway, rebuilt in 1907 by the United Railroads and equipped with a new body during 1926-27 by the Market Street Railway that featured an arch roof and rounded ends, awaits its departure time at 18th Street. Across the street a 1550 class streetcar on the connecting No. 8 line likewise awaits its departure time for its run down Market Street to the Ferry, mid-1930s.

EUREKA VALLEY SERVICE ARGUED
Cahill Opposes Taking Over Lines of Market Street Railway

Objections to absorbing losing lines of the Market Street Railway Co. were reiterated by Utilities Mgr. E.G. Cahill today as Eureka Valley residents prepared to press for abandonment of the Castro-st cable line and substitution of Municipal Railway service.

Mr. Cahill advised Mayor Rossi that an investment of $80,000 would be required if Municipal Railway trolley buses were substituted for the cable cars. The Market Street Railway’s income from the line in March was less than $1000, he said.

The interest by Eureka Valley residents to substitute the Market Street Railway Castro cable line with a Municipal Railway trackless trolley line arose when the former company successful substituted trolley buses for streetcars on its hilly crooked No. 33 18th & Park line. Pictured here is one of this Brill built fleet, No. 52, shown in 1935 before entering revenue service.

"While I do not hold that service should be denied a district because it might not prove profitable, believing with you that the city is in the business of transportation for the best interests of all the people, nonetheless I do desire to draw your attention to the policy which the Public Utilities Commission has adopted with regard to future transportation," Mr. Cahill wrote the mayor.

"We cannot take over the Market Street Railway Co. piecemeal. In other words, we cannot absorb the losing lines of the Market Street Railway Co., leaving the Market Street Railway Co. with the profitable lines, because to do so would mean that the Municipal Railway would probably be in the ‘red’ and have to be supported out of the taxpayers’ pockets."

Mr. Cahill advised the mayor that he had suggested rerouting the Diamond-Eureka bus line to serve a portion of the Castro-st district. The 20 per cent grade on Castro-st hill is too steep for the buses to negotiate safely, the utilities manager said.

The mayor has suggested to the Eureka Valley residents they assist the Market Street Railway in obtaining Board of Supervisors’ approval in the surrendering of its franchise to operate on Castro-st. Mr. Cahill expressed the belief the supervisors would not permit discontinuance of service unless the Municipal Railway was prepared to offer adequate service. The city-owned system is loathe to do so, he reported.