Ferries and Cliff House Cable Railways - San Francisco, California
Posted by: 
Touchstone
N 37° 47.677 W 122° 24.696
10S E 551803 N 4183190
The Ferries and Cliff House Cable Railways, or more commonly referred to as the San Francisco Cable Car system, is honored with the Society of Mechanical Engineers, National Historic Mechanical Engineer Landmark #1.
Waymark Code: WM4Y71
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/12/2008
Views: 36
The current cable car system in San Francisco was the work of Andrew Smith Hallidie, who after witnessing an unfortunate, but probably an all too common scene on the streets of San Francisco:
quote:
His idea for a steam engine powered - cable driven - rail system was conceived in 1869, after witnessing horses being whipped while they struggled on the wet cobblestones to pull a horsecar up Jackson Street. As the story goes, the horses slipped and were dragged to their death.
The resulting cable car system, first powered by steam engines, but now modernized with electrical engines, was hugely popular.
Although the cable cars are an interesting object for just about everybody, the coordinates above will take you to the real show stopper: The Sheave House, where the immense cables are being constantly pulled in an immense circle, is a bustle of activity and noise.