San Francisco streetcar T-shirt
by William
(San Francisco)
San Francisco streetcar T-shirt
(CafePress)
This is not a cable car, but rather a streetcar (aka trolley car or tram), note the trolley pole.
After the 1906 earthquake and fire
destroyed much of San Francisco, it was much faster to restore service by means of laying track with electric wires overhead rather than installing a new cable system.
Cable cars were actually very expensive to operate, as San Francisco and other cities with cable car systems knew to their cost.
Streetcars by 1900 had much better power and were more efficient than cable cars and most cities had scrapped their cable car system by 1905. San Francisco and Seattle have steep hills, so cable car systems were kept, as even streetcars of the time couldn't manage them.
Streetcar tracks were quickly laid in San Francisco after the earthquake on all but the steepest hills.
This postcard probably dates to 1908. There was a streetcar strike that year that lasted a few months and when resolved, the public jammed on to the first cars to operate. And they say public transportation couldn't work today...
This is by far a more interesting image than the average "I heart SF" tourist schlock. A great gift even for San Francisco residents, but also perfect for tourists -- shopkeepers, note there is a discount if you order 15 or more! See more Vintage San Francisco scenes on gift items here.