The Market Street Railway Company thrived in an age when rails ruled San Francisco. Spanning the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and the boom times of World War II, it had a long and legendary lifetime that is deeply ingrained in the city's early identity. Gradually, however, it became challenged by the emergence of the automobile, cheaper motor coaches, and "nickel jitneys"--competing cars on the same routes. The MSRy painted the fronts of its cars white to show up well in San Francisco's misty weather, and for many years people called them "the White Front cars." Franchise competition and city regulations undid MSRy, and its assets were absorbed into MUNI in 1944. However, the name lives on as the nonprofit Market Street Railway organization, dedicated to preserving the history of this company and also to retrofitting early streetcars from across the globe, putting them back in service on Market Street.
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Book Description
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About the Author
Authors and Market Street Railway members Walt Vielbaum, Philip Hoffman, Grant Ute, and Robert Townley have compiled this amazing collection of vintage images to tell the story of a busy urban rail line in its prime.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sure to be relished by any urban traction fan,
By Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: San Francisco's Market Street Railway (CA) (Images of Rail) (Paperback)
While intended for the San Francisco history buff, SAN FRANCISCO'S MARKET STREET RAILWAY, is sure to be relished by any urban traction fan: packed with clear vintage black and white shots of various incarnations of the Market Street Railway, chapters provide a wonderful overview of San Francisco's transit challenges over the decades. From central Market Street outward, changes from additions to subtractions of San Francisco and surrounding city trolley lines are detailed, with each photo receiving not only a descriptive sentence, but explanation of why it was important, expanded or discontinued. It's these extensive notes, tied to the vintage shots, which make for such an important coverage: this, and the attention to including historically significant yet clear, sharp photos.
4.0 out of 5 stars
A fine work,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: San Francisco's Market Street Railway (CA) (Images of Rail) (Paperback)
I was looking for a book containing a comprehensive history of San Francisco streetcars and interurbans. This book is focused on MSR only, but the quality of pictures is astonishing! I'm writing from Rome, Italy, and I can assure that similar very high quality images of our tramcars in, say, Therties or even later are barely available and, furthermore, they belong to private archives and therefore probably never published as a whole. I like it!
5.0 out of 5 stars
San Francisco's Market Street Railway (CA) (Images of Rail),
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This review is from: San Francisco's Market Street Railway (CA) (Images of Rail) (Paperback)
Slightly before my time. For many years I deliver the US Mail in downtown San Francisco, riding the street cars and cable cars as well.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
This group of lines included some of Market Street Railway's busiest. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
street railway, cable line Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Courtesy Will Whitaker, Market Street, San Francisco, Courtesy Al Thoman, Courtesy Philip Hoffman, Courtesy Walter Vielbaum, Third Street, Twenty-fourth Street, Daly City, San Bruno Avenue, Golden Gate Park, Southern Pacific Depot, Courtesy John, Courtesy Richard Schlaich, Courtesy Tom Gray, Eighteenth Street, Nineteenth Avenue, Art Deco, Lincoln Way, Courtesy Walter Vielhaum, Fillmore Hill, Haight Street, Army Street, Courtesy Gerald, Courtesy Walt Vielbaum New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
This group of lines included some of Market Street Railway's busiest. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
street railway, cable line Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Courtesy Will Whitaker, Market Street, San Francisco, Courtesy Al Thoman, Courtesy Philip Hoffman, Courtesy Walter Vielbaum, Third Street, Twenty-fourth Street, Daly City, San Bruno Avenue, Golden Gate Park, Southern Pacific Depot, Courtesy John, Courtesy Richard Schlaich, Courtesy Tom Gray, Eighteenth Street, Nineteenth Avenue, Art Deco, Lincoln Way, Courtesy Walter Vielhaum, Fillmore Hill, Haight Street, Army Street, Courtesy Gerald, Courtesy Walt Vielbaum New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 2
books:
- The Pacific Ocean (New True Books) by Susan Heinrichs Gray on page 53
- San Mateo by G.M. Johnson & Associates Ltd in Front Matter
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