150 Years of Cable Cars, Streetcars, & Steam Trains in San Francisco.

Out of the Halcyon Days of the Comstock Nabobs, came the invention of the Cable Car. From the Earthquake and Fire of 1906, to Baghdad-by-the-Bay of 1955, The Rails of the Golden City, provided transportation for the people of San Francisco. The historic trains run again in this archival film-based Documentary.
In 1873, Andrew Hallidie utilized wire rope to run a Cable Car on the Clay Street hill in SF. This film celebrates 150 years of trains in the City by the Golden Gate. Drawing on archival footage dating back to the Earthquake of 1906, and stills from 1873, the story is told of trains running in SF.  Motion Picture film sources include major footage from the Western Railroad Museum Archive in Suisun City, and from the Prelinger Archive in SF.
Operations of the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Municipal Railway of SF, the White Front cars of the Market Street Railway, as well as the Key System are shown in detail. Footage of the earthquake – before and after – highlight the moments when the doors of the halcyon days of the Big Bonanza were closed, richly detailed herein by the eloquent writings of Lucius Beebe, voiced by Richard Beggs. Kodachrome footage of the City between 1940 and 1955 allows one to visit a time, which will never come again.

The vivid recollections of San Francisco native, Ray Muther, 87, breathe life into these films.

16mm Motion Picture Footage of:
• 8 Cable Car Lines of San Francisco
• 6 Lines of Market Street Railway’s
• White Front Cars
• 3 Abandoned Muni Streetcar Lines
• Southern Pacific Steam in 1955
• Shops, Carbarns, Maps
• Earthquake & Fire of 1906
• From the Western Railway Museum  Archive

Produced by - Catenary Video Productions
Running time - 65 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
Region - 0
Colour, Full Stereo Sound Track
DVD only