San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway facts for kids
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | San Francisco |
| Locale | California |
| Dates of operation | 1892–1902 |
| Successor | United Railroads of San Francisco |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Electrification | 550-volt DC |
| Length | 21 miles (34 km) |
The San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway (SF&SM) was the very first electric streetcar company in San Francisco. It operated for ten years, from 1892 until 1902. Then, it joined with other companies to become the United Railroads of San Francisco (URR).
Contents
How the Railway Started
Two brothers, Isaac and Fabian Joost, were real-estate developers. They worked in the Sunnyside neighborhood of San Francisco. They saw how well electric streetcars worked in other cities. They thought an electric streetcar system would make their properties more valuable.
In 1890, they officially started the San Francisco & San Mateo Railway Co. On July 29, 1891, they held a special ceremony. Behrend Joost, the company president, drove the last spike to connect the tracks. The railway officially opened on April 26, 1892.
The First Streetcar Route
The first line had two tracks from the Ferry Building in San Francisco. It went along several streets, like Market, Steuart, and Harrison. Then, it became a single track down San Jose Avenue. This line went as far as the Baden area of South San Francisco. You had to switch cars at 30th Street. Even though the name included "San Mateo," the line did not reach the city of San Mateo. It only went through part of San Mateo County.
The company built a powerhouse and a car barn on Sunnyside Avenue. The streetcars were called California cars. They had an enclosed middle section and open seats at each end. This was similar to the cable cars in the city.
Challenges and Dangers
The company faced some problems with its chosen route. Other streetcar companies already used the main streets. So, the SF&SM had to use less popular roads. Also, many areas beyond 30th Street were not yet built up. This meant fewer people lived there to ride the streetcars. Even with nearly 4,200,000 riders each year, the company did not make much money.
The line also became known for being dangerous. There was a steep hill on Chenery Street. Several times, cars ran away down this hill. Even after a boy was hurt on opening day, the company did not fix it right away. After more accidents, they finally improved the tracks and bought cars with better brakes.
New Opportunities
By late 1892, the company opened a second line. It went from the Mission District to Douglass Street. They hoped to get people going to Golden Gate Park. However, they could not extend the line all the way to the park. Another company, the Market Street Railway, blocked their access.
The SF&SM found a new way to earn money: funeral services. The railway served several cemeteries in Colma. Special funeral trains carried the casket in a special car. Then, other cars carried the people attending the funeral. This became a steady source of income for the company.
Even with this new income, the company had a lot of debt. They eventually went into receivership. This means a court-appointed person took control to try and fix the company's money problems. In November 1894, the 18th & Park line finally opened. This line later became San Francisco's first trolleybus service in 1935.
New Owners Take Over
The company was still struggling financially. So, on April 11, 1896, it was sold to a new group of owners. Brothers Adolph and John D. Spreckels led this group. They paid off the company's debts. They also changed the name to the San Francisco and San Mateo Electric Railway.
The new owners made many improvements. They replaced the old, lighter rails with stronger, heavier ones. They also bought more streetcars. They added forty new motor cars in 1898 and ten more in 1900. One of these cars, Car 0304, was still used by the San Francisco Muni as late as 2000.
Joining the United Railroads of San Francisco
In 1901, the company was sold again. This time, a group of investors from Baltimore bought it. They wanted to buy many railways in the Bay Area. They planned to extend the line all the way to San Jose.
In 1902, these companies all merged to form the United Railroads of San Francisco (URR). The URR quickly extended the line to San Mateo. This new section opened on December 31, 1902. New, larger streetcars were put into service on this line.
After the 1906 Earthquake
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the URR had to rebuild. Many streetcars were damaged or destroyed. The company bought twelve large motor cars from another railroad. These cars were called the Big Subs. They were very powerful and used on the San Mateo line. However, they were too big for the busy streets and used too much power on hills. The Big Subs were retired in 1923.
In 1908, the Southern Pacific Railroad bought another electric railway system. This company had tracks between San Mateo and Santa Clara. Southern Pacific planned to extend this line to San Francisco. They formed the Peninsular Railway Company in 1909. But this line was never extended north into San Mateo County.
The 40 Line
After the 1906 earthquake, the URR made its routes more efficient. Cars from the San Mateo extension and the old San Francisco & San Mateo line were routed along Mission Street in San Francisco. This route became known as the No. 40 line.
The 40 line became one of the URR's most profitable routes. It stayed in service until January 16, 1949. Funeral service continued to be an important source of income. Three longer cars were specially decorated for funeral use. They even had a special door for loading coffins.
