I launched The Cable Car Home Page on AOL thirty years ago in November 1996.
This month I am embarrassed to publish this for the second time in a row on the 20th, but I have had various impediments.
I just put the February 2026 version of my Cable Car Home Page on the server:
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/
It includes some new items:
- Picture of the Month: In 1958, former Mornington Tramway trailer 167 was restored and sent to the Transit Museum in Matahoke. (Source: The Christchurch Press, 01-October-1958)
- On the Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand page: A ten year update about Dunedin, New Zealand's Mornington Tramway, the last Hallidie-type cable tram line to operate outside of San Francisco. More newspaper items.
- Added News items about operating issues
Ten years ago this month (February 2016):
- Picture of the Month: The only piece of rolling stock that survived the 1903 fire (Source: Otago Witness, 18-February-1903)
- On the Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand page: A new article about Dunedin, New Zealand's Mornington Tramway, the last Hallidie-type cable tram line to operate outside of San Francisco. Many newspaper items about the opening of the line and a fire that destroyed all the rolling stock except one trailer.
- Added News items the passing of conductor Rey Morante and the possible end of horse tram service on the Isle of Man
Twenty years ago this month (February 2006):
- Picture of the Month: A Roslyn cable tram in Dunedin, New Zealand.
- 24-February-2004 marks the 125th anniversary of Dunedin, New Zealand's Roslyn Tramway, the first Hallidie-type cable tram line outside of San Francisco. I also updated the small article on Wellington's Kelburn Cable Car to mention that the museum has just received grip car 3 restored to its 1905 appearance
- Thanks to Walter Rice, "San Franciscans Fight to Keep Historic Cable Cars", a 1947 Life article about the beginning of the rebellion against Mayor Roger Lapham's plan to get rid of the Powell Street cable cars. Also "City I Love", a 1946 Time profile about Mayor Roger Lapham
- On the Cable Car Transfers, Tickets, Tokens and Signage page: Thanks to Val Lupiz, a sign warning riders about the California Street line turnback on New Year's Eve, 2005.
- Added News and Bibliography items about the mayor accusing crewmen of skimming fares and a fatality on Mason Street
- On the New York/New Jersey page: Ten 1867-1868 newspaper articles about the West Side and Yonkers Patent Railway, a cable-operated elevated railroad
In January 2024 I started on a long overdue process of cleaning things up on my site. I started with the development pages. Actually, I guess I started the year before with making most thumbnails 200 pixels instead of 100.
Coming in March 2026: On the Cable Tramways in Australia and New Zealand page: More about Dunedin, New Zealand's Roslyn Tramway, the first Hallidie-type cable tram line outside of San Francisco.
125 years ago - 1901
Feb 14 - Peoples' Railway (St Louis, Missouri) converted to electricity
75 years ago - 1951
Feb 19 - Cal Cable, as authorized by the Public Utilities Commission, increased its fares from 10 cents to 15 cents with two tokens for 25 cents or nine for $1. Even with this
increase company claims it would lose money (1951), unless Muni paid 5 cents for each Muni transfer Cal Cable received. Cal Cable received 348,900 passengers per year (1950) more
from Muni than Muni received from them. Cal Cable lost $19,998 in 1948, $50,474 in 1949 and $51,311 in 1950. The 15-cents fare was expected to reduce the company's 1951 loss to $10,963.
The average daily patronage in 1950 was 16,437.
The Cable Car Home Page now has a Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/CableCarHomePage/
The Cable Car Home Page also has an Instagram page:
https://www.instagram.com/cable_car_guy/
Joe Thompson
The Cable Car Home Page (updated 20-February-2026)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/
San Francisco Bay Ferryboats (updated 31-October-2024)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ferry/
Park Trains and Tourist Trains (updated 31-October-2025)
http://www.cable-car-guy.com/ptrain/
The Pneumatic Rolling-Sphere Carrier Delusion (updated spasmodically)
http://cablecarguy.blogspot.com
The Big V Riot Squad (updated obsessively)
http://bigvriotsquad.blogspot.com/
