September 10, 2018:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I got my stuff together and walked to the Burger King for breakfast.

 

            After breakfast, I left and I photographed an AC Transit XD60.

 

 

            I decided to walk over to the 76 station and photograph the ball; this time in the daytime.

 

 

            Like the other 76 station in Oakland with a ball, this station’s ball was not rotating. It would have been nice if it was. I then caught an AC Transit bus back to the BART station and boarded a BART train for San Francisco. From the train, I attempted to photograph Union Pacific #1983 again.

 

 

            I got off the BART train and left the station. I photographed PCC #1040 on the F line.

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed PCCs 1077 and 1072. I saw Muni had replaced the broken window in #1072.

 

 

 

            I then saw Milan Witt #1818 approaching. #1818 is painted in Milan’s two tone green which was the second of three liveries they wore in that city. The cars in that livery are sometimes called “Mint Milanos”.

 

 

            I boarded #1818 and we headed off. Back in 2016/2017, Kevin Nicol compared the livery to that worn by HSR’s streetcars. One HSR streetcar exists as a body only at the Halton County Radial Railway Museum.

 

 

Compare this streetcar (HSR 521’s) livery to #1818 above.

 

            When I got off #1818, I photographed it and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

            I then photographed PCCs 1070 and 1059 before boarding #1059.

 

 

 

            When I got off, I photographed 1059 and PCC #1074 which was out for the fourth day in a row!

 

 

 

            I then filmed #1059 departing.

 

            I believe that the fact #1074 was running today as it was the last three days is karma paying me back for 2016 when #1074 didn’t go out at all when I was in San Francisco last time.

 

            I then photographed a couple buses and PCC #1009.

 

 

 

 

            I then boarded #1009 and headed off. I got off and photographed the car.

 

 

            I then filmed #1009 pulling away. I saw PCC #1056 was behind it. #1056 is painted for Kansas City. This was the first time I photographed #1056 in service.

 

 

 

            I then walked over to the Transbay Terminal. I had seen they had something that looked like a combination gondola/elevator which I wanted to check out. When I got there, I saw it was closed for work. I photographed it anyway.

 

 

 

            I then boarded XT60 #7273 and rode to near the San Francisco Railway Museum. I got off and photographed the bus.

 

 

            I then decided to take a ride on PCC #1079 which is painted for Detroit. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            I rode a couple stops and got off. I photographed the car and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

            I then photographed Milan Witt #1818 and PCC #1074.

 

 

 

            I filmed #1074 departing and then went to catch a ride on the California Avenue cable car. I photographed the car I would ride as it pulled up.

 

 

            I rode to Powell and got off and photographed the car.

 

 

            I then filmed the car I rode in on pulling away. I photographed cable car #9 on Powell before I caught car #16 to head back to Market Street.

 

 

 

            I rode to Market Street and got off. I photographed car #16 again.

 

 

            I then decided it was almost time for lunch. I photographed PCC #1077 before I got on.

 

 

            #1077 is painted for Birmingham, Alabama. I rode #1077 a distance before I got off and photographed the car and filmed the car pulling away.

 

 

            I then bought lunch at a nearby Taco Bell. I made my way back to Market and eventually boarded PCC #1059 to Castro.

 

 

            I filmed #1059 departing and waited for a little while. Milan Witt #1815 pulled up. I was hoping to ride #1859 because I rode it last year from Castro but missed out getting a video of it pulling away. I decided to ride #1815 instead because it was painted orange like #1859. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

 

            I took some interior shots of #1815.

 

 

 

            I rode to Church Street and got off and photographed #1815.

 

 

            This time, I filmed the Witt pulling away. I then waited for an inbound J line car. While waiting, I photographed various buses and PCC 1071.

 

 

 

 

            When the next J line train came, I photographed it and got on.

 

 

            I rode into the subway and got off. I saw one of Muni’s new LRVs going the other way. I went and photographed it.

 

 

            I decided to go to Muni Metro East; the division where the historic cars were kept back in 2016. I boarded a T line train and rode to 23^rd Street. I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I then walked over to see the PCCs Muni has in storage. Along the way I photographed a new XT40 undergoing testing.

 

 

            Moments later, I ran into Russ again! Russ told me that this was where Muni tests their new trolleybuses before they enter service. I told him I was here to photograph the PCCs in storage. I first attempted to photograph PCC #1054 which is an ex SEPTA PCC that was used in service until it was totaled in an accident after it was rear ended by LRV #1541. The photo didn’t turn out all that good.

 

 

 

Here’s a shot of #1054 taken back in 2016.

 

            I then photographed other streetcars in storage as well as some new XT40s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            The PCCs in the 1100 series are cars Muni bought from St. Louis after they abandoned their streetcar operations. In the 1980s, one car was restored to its original St. Louis livery and number #1704. #1704 was operated for a time but was stored with the other cars. As a result, #1050 is wearing the St. Louis livery until the time it or another ex St. Louis PCC is restored. However, Muni has since covered #1704 with a tarp.

 

 

#1704 is the PCC in the middle I believe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I saw a Caltrain commuter train with some Metrolink coaches in the consist. The Metrolink coaches appeared to be lettered for Caltrain. Metrolink replaced their Bombardier bi-level coaches with Rotem built coaches after a series of accidents. It’s a possibility that Caltrain bought or leased the coaches from Metrolink as they also run Bombardier bi-level coaches.

 

            I then walked over to the active Muni division which is Muni Metro East. I saw vintage streetcar #162. #162 was damaged a few years ago in an accident and was recently repaired and returned to Muni. Muni had hoped to have the car in service for Heritage Weekend, but it turned out to need truck work which kept the car from participating. I photographed #162 and a Milan Witt.

 

 

 

This photo shows some photos of the damage #162 suffered in its accident.

 

 

 

 

            I saw Boat Tram #233 was parked behind the shop. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I then went to the other side of the building and saw boat tram #228 at the front of a line of cars that included a Milan Witt in its original livery and PCC #1063. I took some photos.

 

 

 

            PCC #1063 is painted for Baltimore. I rode that car in service back in 2016. At the time, it was painted in Baltimore’s later livery, though the yellow paint was the wrong shade. #1063 was the first car to go to Brookville after my trip. After it was rebuilt, it was painted in Baltimore’s original livery which is more attractive. Unfortunately in January; two weeks after the car reentered service, it was returning to the car house when a truck ran a red light and collided with #1063 causing the car to derail. The car suffered a bad dent to the front right corner but the damage is repairable. Muni is now looking to find someone to fix the car.

 

 

Here’s #1063 back in 2016. The car looks different now.

 

            I then saw PCC #1007 awaiting shipping to Brookville for rebuilding. #1007 is the last car to be included in the contract. I attempted to photograph #1007 but a Muni employee said, “No pictures.” I went across the street and waited for her to not look before I took a photo since from across the street was public property and I could legally photograph the car from there.

 

 

 

Here’s a better shot of #1007 back in 2016.

 

            #1007 is currently painted for the Philadelphia and Western suburban line. However Muni acquired two actual Philadelphia and Western cars which are similar to PCCs so #1007 may be painted in a different livery when it returns from Brookville. What livery it will be painted as remains to be seen, but I’ve heard it may be painted in Muni’s Landor livery.

 

            I then walked to the T line and photographed some trains before I rode to the Caltrain station.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            At the Caltrain station, I photographed some trains.

 

 

            I then went inside a grocery store across the street and bought a bottle of Pepsi. I eventually boarded an N line train and rode a couple stops. I decided to wait to see if a train of newer LRVs or Melbourne car #496 would show up.

 

            I photographed PCC #1009 when it came through.

 

 

 

            A little while later a train with Muni’s new LRVs came. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            The new LRVs have all sideways facing seats compared to older LRVs. I rode a few stops before I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I filmed the train leaving and took one more photo.

 

 

            From the looks of things, it didn’t look like a downtown bound T line train was coming soon. I ended up catching a bus downtown.

 

            I went out and found the passenger car I had seen during Heritage Weekend. It was built in the 1920s and is named WaaTeeKaa. I photographed it.

 

 

 

 

            WaaTeeKaa is sitting in front of a skyscraper and looks kind of out of place.

 

            I decided to head to the Ferry Terminal and fan some PCCs. PCC #1078 showed up. I photographed the car and got on.

 

 

            I then rode to the ferry terminal and got off. I photographed #1078 and filmed it pulling away.

 

 

            I decided to wait to see what would come first: Melbourne tram #496, Milan Witt #1859, or PCC #1074. While waiting, I watched a sculpture being assembled. I photographed it.

 

 

 

 

            PCC #1040 came. I photographed it.

 

 

 

            PCC #1006 came by. #1006 is Muni’s first genuine PCC while #1040 which came by earlier was the last PCC built for Muni; not to mention anywhere in North America.

 

 

 

            I then photographed other PCCs as they passed.

 

 

 

            PCC #1074 came. I decided to ride to Castro. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            While on the way to Castro, I saw we were being followed by PCC #1056. I photographed #1056.

 

 

            It soon looked that #1056 would go out of service at or near Castro.

 

            When we got to Castro loop, I photographed PCCs 1074 and 1070. I also filmed #1056 deadheading back to the car house.

 

 

 

 

            When PCC #1070 departed, I photographed it.

 

 

 

            I then photographed a 30 foot Orion 7.

 

 

            I then filmed PCC #1074 leaving the loop and took one more photo of it.

 

 

            I photographed PCC #1062 when it came to the loop.

 

 

            I then went to the LRT. I decided I was going to have dinner at Fisherman’s Wharf and wondered if I could beat #1074 to the loop.

 

            I boarded an older Breda LRV on an inbound train. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            I rode to Embarcadero and got off. I walked a couple blocks before I photographed PCC #1006 before I got on.

 

 

            I got off a few stops before the loop and photographed the Liberty ship from World War 2.

 

 

            I went to the loop and saw PCCs 1040 and 1006 together. I photographed them as they were the first and last PCC San Francisco bought new.

 

 

 

 

            I filmed both cars departing. PCC #1074 showed up. However, PCCs 1051 and 1070 would leave before #1074 so I went and bought dinner. I photographed #1074.

 

 

            I rode #1074 to pick up the BART. I got off and took one last photo of #1074.

 

 

            I thought it was appropriate that #1074 was the last PCC I would ride in San Francisco as it was the driving force in me returning, plus it was the first PCC I rode on this trip as well.

 

            I was hoping to ride one of Muni’s Neoplan high floor buses, but none showed up. I photographed PCC #1062 before I got on the BART.

 

 

            I then rode the BART to Oakland City Center and got off. I saw someone was vaping despite the fact it’s against BART’s bylaws.

 

            I photographed the train before I filmed it pulling out.

 

 

 

            I then walked back to my hotel. I worked on this report for a little and went online. I eventually set the alarm on my phone and called it a night.

 

After four days of fanning in San Francisco, it’s time to go home on Amtrak:    California Zephyr trip