Cable car

SAN FRANCISCO--Although they were once common public transportation in cities around the world, cable cars are now found only in the City by the Bay. Beginning in the late 19th century, the cars--which replaced horse-drawn cars and were capable of climbing even the steepest hills--were a main way to get around here. At one time there were eight lines, all run by private companies, and it was only much later that those lines were bought up by the city of San Francisco.

And while every other city abandoned cable cars in favor of streetcars and other conveyances, San Francisco has kept using them because of their charm and because they're great for taking people over the steep hills.

The great San Francisco earthquake of 1906 destroyed many of the carbarns that operated and maintained the cars, including the building that currently houses the Cable Car Museum.

Today, there are three lines in San Francisco, all of which run out of a single barn near Chinatown. Seen here, the Powell and Market line carries a carload of riders east along Washington Street.