Seems railroads and street car lines in California continue to have wrecks

http://cbs5.com/local/muni.street.car.2.1113485.html

This is nothing new. San Francisco is a dense city with heavy traffic, where autos and streetcars share lanes.

You can watch a few silent safety films from the 1920's for proof that nothing has changed.

In addition, you have one-man cars where the motorman is expected to provide customer service while operating the car, and a high percentage of tourists who require extensive conversation.

You are right about that! Market street is pretty tight any time of the day.

we do not drive the car in the track gauge at any time. those Milan cars are big and heavy.

It is too bad that two historic street cars got smashed up even though there were thousands of PCC built they are mostly gone now and that means one less historic to run over the line.

i wonder if the time will come that replica cars will be built from scratch; the same way the MUNI builds the cable cars to a 19th century design?

Ted Miles
San Francisco

Maybe a couple dings in the sheet metal and some scratched paint, Ted. The SUV is a total loss. Where would you rather be riding?

dave

Most streetcar maintenance facilities can do their repairs with a paint touchup brush - fill in the paint scratches. The auto drivers do their repairs at the body shop - if repairable. The application of a 20th Century streetcar bumper to the backside of a 21st Century tinfoil automobile, well, the physics tend to favor the streetcar. I never drive on the tracks in any city.