San Francisco Cable Car

The San Francisco Cable Car system stands as the world’s last manually operated cable railway. Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964, the system currently operates three lines—Powell-Mason, Powell-Hyde, and California Street—utilizing a fleet of historic wooden cars that date back as far as the 1880s. Unlike standard streetcars, these vehicles possess no internal motors; instead, they move by “gripping” a continuous underground cable moving at a constant speed of 9.5 mph.  The fleet consists of two distinct types: the single-ended Powell Street cars, which require manual turntables to reverse, and the double-ended California Street cars, which feature open-air “dummy” sections at both ends. Beyond the tracks, the Washington-Mason Powerhouse and Museum serves as the system’s heart, where visitors can observe the massive 14-foot winding wheels that drive the cables beneath the city’s famously steep grades.