Before @bart.gov and @caltrain.com, Milbrae was a transfer stop between the Southern Pacific and rival Market Street Ry! Hailed for its speed and frequency, the MSRY's #40-line was the bane of the SP, stealing away patrons as streetcars raced commuter trains (and won) to and from San Mateo!

79 years ago today, a group of teen railfans decided to change history. On Sept. 26, 1946, they learned the streetcar they chartered was to be scrapped after their excursion. So, they passed a hat around, and bought it on the spot. Together, they founded the BAERA, now the Western Railway Museum.

🚨 RARE KEY SYSTEM PHOTO! In 1946, the #16-line was replaced by buses, the first to go by new-owners National City Lines. Inspired, teen railfans chartered a car to travel the line before it went. This is that excursion. Later that year they would go on to establish the Bay Area Electric RR Assn.

Everybody in a car on the Bay Bridge could fit in the two trains in this 1956 photo. And yet, to "ease traffic," we got rid of the trains in 1958. Hard fumble.

Nothing like spending a Thursday evening listening to America's greatest fiddler... and meeting him! Shoutout to Bruce Molsky!

Much has changed in San Ramon, but one thing is certain: the trains don't run. Long ago, people rode Southern Pacific trains down the then-rural valley. Discontinued in 1934 due to being unprofitable, the current blanket of suburbs and development begs the question: should rail return?

Rumbling up the grade, Sacramento Northern #670 makes a bee-line through the Oaks at Lafayette, Oakland-bound. Note the early suburbs. Thanks to postwar federal investment, suburbs sprang up all alongside the SN—a shame they weren't built earlier to support its passenger trains.

Sacramento Northern #1207: the WORST car to ever run on the SN. Originally built in 1890 for the Pennsylvania RR, #1207 was purchased in 1920 for local services. It rode rough, had dark/dreary interiors, and generally SUCKED for riders and crew alike. It was retired in 1934 and scrapped in 1938.

Being more rural than a city line, streetcars in South San Francisco differed from their city cousins. Operation beyond city limits allowed Market St Ry to embrace one-man service. As such, South SF cars #284/285 were unique, with rear doors paneled over for one-man service in 1932.

Abandoning Muni's interurban "40-Line" to San Mateo wasn't a fiscal decision, it was political. In the 1940s, SF's Board of Supervisors had two choices: rehabilitate or abandon the popular route. They chose the latter. Why? Because it left city limits, not their "jurisdiction" and obligation.

Happy Labour Day. Today is a holiday won in blood, sweat, and bodies. It is one uphill battle waged for the human right to dignity and the collective empathy of solidarity in the face of overwhelming greed. It is the victory of generations willing to stand up. Solidarity forever.

Did you know Oakland had a downtown interurban station? Built in the late 1880s, 14th & Franklin Station was a prominent station on the SP's electric "Red Train" network. However, limited usefulness, low patronage, and 'decrepit condition' resulted in its demolition to much fanfare in 1926.

Vancouver on 120 film — shot with my 1948 Kodak Brownie Flash Six-Twenty.

Far from home, two Californian lumber steeplecabs live on in Argentina! Former Red River Lumber Co workhorses, Pacific Electric #1592/#1593 survive at the Ferroclub Argentino, who saved them after their service on the Ferrocarril General Urquiza. Both look spectacular! (Fidel Villalba photos)

Before treacherous Hwy 17, beach-goers used to take the train to Santa Cruz! Winding through the big redwoods, Southern Pacific trains packed with tourists snaked their way over a twisting mountain route that was abandoned in 1940. Would such a route be worth preserving today? c. 1936

Electrified logging railroads weren't common, but they did exist! In California, the rugged Red River Lumber Co boasted 17-miles of electrification between Westwood and Chester. Electric box-cabs shuttled up to 190-cars a day under 1500V DC catenary! One engine survives today in Argentina.

Shrill whistle echoing among the gravestones, Southern Pacific #2345 leads an excursion through manicured Cypress Lawn Cemetery, on the San Bruno Branch. Passenger trains hadn't since the 1930s, making this quite the unique sight among the tombstones and crypts! ca. 10/1953 (Al Schwoerer photo)

Whoever told me to ride the Expo and Millenium lines was absolutely right. The old trains, with their open windows and small cars, don't feel like a North American metro. The new trains, in all their high capacity crowded glory, were amazing. Maybe I do prefer this to BART...

Recently we talked about 'working' on Muni #1153. So, what really are we doing? Volunteers are making strides to replace a Motor-Generator (MG) set in #1153! The MG converts voltage from the overhead into power usable in the PCC controls and more. One step towards operation! (WRM photos).

J'ai trouvé un caboose pis ils ont couvert les fenêtres avec un wrap! 😱 Un prison sur le fer...

📸 Here's a throwback to our early days! Before we started restoring the Sacramento Northern mainline, our museum used to be powered by a portable SN substation! Dubbed the "Temple of Electricity," the now 107-yr old rare substation still powers our museum occasionally today. (WRM photos).

Paid a visit to an old friend.

Overgrown and Unused: the old BC Electric Ry's Marpole-New Westminster line. Once, interurbans in provincial red/cream rumbled down these rails. Now, rusty tracks, repurposed catenary poles, and an odd memory are their only vestige in a sea of litter, brambles, and homes.

Fare evading is a practice long-observed in the Bay, with agencies back in the 50s having to deal with it too! Fenders at the ends of Key System trains were the popular stoop on which neighbourhood teens hitched rides. One can wonder if any rode it over the windy Bay Bridge!

Muni streetcars met few "real" trains on their routes. But, into the 1950s, it wasn't uncommon for non-revenue "L/K-line" cars to meet one on Ocean Ave! On what is today's I-280, SP San Bruno branch freights blocked streetcars as they deadheaded to Geneva Yard, such as this one!

Once, Muni considered abandoning its streetcars. Motivated by mounting deficits, in 1952 the Board of Supervisors contacted western bus-system tycoon Jesse L. Haugh on an offer to pave the tunnels, convert, and run Muni as a diesel bus-only system! Thankfully, the plan was shelved.

Melvin Webber, early BART consultant planner and later UC Berkeley faculty, states that BART was modeled after New Haven and Long Island Railroads. escholarship.org/content/qt7p...

The quaint term "Dinkey" doesn't come to mind when thinking of Muni, but it used to! Until 1947, Muni possessed a vast fleet of adorable "Dinkey" cars! Officially the "J-Type," they were apt at navigating steep hills and tight-corners on the now discontinued but similarly quaint "E (Union)" line.

Some photos speak for themselves. Undoubtedly, this portrait of glossy Muni #116 does. #116 was likely only a year or two old when caught at the Geary Carhouse. A "B-Type" car, it was one of 125 streetcars delivered in 1914-1915 to service Muni's rapidly growing trolley network. c. 1/19/1916

Sprinting through the marsh, Sacramento Northern MW #302 and BAERA-owned Salt Lake & Utah #751 tear through Port Chicago, speed tearing the dry grass as it races south. Here, the SN and ATSF interchanged alongside the once bustling town of Port Chicago, which was demolished in 1968. c. 03/24/1951

As Muni's iconic Bredas fall to the scrapyard, it's time one was saved. All of us at the WRM are proud to announce our campaign to save venerable Muni #1534! For $15,000, this urban stallion will join our historic SF Transit Fleet—will you help it get there? Donate at: wrm.org/support/donate

By stroke of luck, an old East Bay streetcar has resurfaced in Modesto! This venerable Key System 900-class car was one of many sold off after retirement in 1948. Their lightweight steel bodies attracted many buyers, like this one who reused it as a fruit stand! (photo by Kevin Shawver)

Some posters by yours truly. All are for the Western Railway Museum, of whom I am the social media manager. Fingers crossed, we'll be able to see the simple IER-car poster for sale in the gift shop sometime soon!

Before the Bay Bridge railway design was settled, there were some wacky proposals... In 1933 the Dept. of Public Works proposed a "high speed" shuttle to whisk passengers over the bay for $15.5M! It proposed a crazy multi-modal transfer terminal in Emeryville too—imagine that today!

Despite being replaced by the Bay Bridge, retired San Francisco Bay ferryboats received a new lease on life during WW2! Emergency traffic saw the Maritime Commission reinstate the old ferries in late 1942. They would deliver troops/workers to and from shipyards in Marin & Richmond.

I'm a travellin' man, but never by car...

Rode ACE for the first time! Riding from San Jose to Pleasanton, I find the route to be incredibly beautiful and superior to driving in every way. Yet, the miserable schedule leaves much (and I mean MUCH) to be desired in the usability department. Nonetheless, still alright... I guess.

In 1929, the "Streetcar of the Future" came to Berkeley! Sleek and cheap, the art deco Brill Master Unit was to be the replacement for aging trolleys across the nation. Key System took one in, #1929, using the lightweight car in Berkeley until 1933-1934, when it was scrapped after an accident.

Once, it was possible to visit Lake Tahoe by train! Opened in 1900 by the Lake Tahoe Ry & Transportation Co, narrow gauge trains once thundered along the Truckee River. In 1926, the Southern Pacific RR would widen the line, allowing for direct trains to Tahoe City from Oakland!

From 1906 to 1923, the "Big Subs" were SF's answer to Peninsula transport. Fast and comfortable, these giants ran on the Interurban line to San Mateo for 20-years! They were withdrawn due to their size, which conflicted with traffic on Mission St. Can you imagine these today in the city? THREAD ⬇️

We've got some brutalist vibes going on downtown.

This article advocates for the dissolution of Amtrak's Heartland Flyer based on the car's merits as a transportation device and the train's "unprofitability." In other words, a grossly terrible and car-brained take. www.nationalreview.com/2025/06/texa...

Did you know streetcars once ran through Golden Gate Park? Until 1948, the privately-owned Market Street Ry's "#7-line" passed in the park's western edge, dipping over and under roads and footpaths! It was grandfathered in and later abandoned in favor of buses through the park.

When privately-owned streetcar companies ran on public roads, they often had an obligation to perform street cleaning! So, special trolleys took to the streets, equipped with water tanks to keep down dust! San Francisco had one such car: Market Street Railway "Sprinkler" #0201.

Treasure Island... by train! Back when the Key System ran over the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island was accessiable via a station in the Yerba Buena tunnel. Until 1958, navymen would disembark, cross under the tracks, and board bus shuttles to Treasure Island. (Al Schwoerer Photo)

why did nobody tell me that the PBS logo is actually just three people and not the bird from Snoopy

It's a good year for trolley restorations! The city of Windsor, ON, recently unveiled the newly restored Windsor, Sandwich, & Amherstsburg Ry #351! The 1918-built car is the centre-piece of the Legacy Beacon, a new riverfront history centre. Isn't it stunning! (Pics from Windsor Star, AM800 CKLW)

After nearly 30-years of work, the Edmonton Radial Ry Society has unveiled the fully-restored Regina Municipal Ry #42 and Saskatoon Municipal Ry #200! Practically new, the 1928-built tram / 1907-built sweeper will join the historic fleet at Fort Edmonton Park. Awesome! (Pics from ERRS Facebook)

"I almost wish we were butterflies and liv’d but three summer days—three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain." - John Keats Nothing like spending a beautiful night in the city with my beautiful beloved :)

✅️ Grassy median? ✅️ Transit-oriented development? ✅️ Electric tramway? ✅️ Walkable neighbourhoods? Sounds like light rail! 85-years ago, Seattle really did have the peak transit urbanist vision.