Sunday, March 23, 2014

Today in History March 23, 1858

Today in history on March 23, 1858, Eleazer A. Gardner of Philadelphia patented the cable street car, which ran on the streets by overhead cables.

According to Wikipedia, the first practical cable car line was tested in San Francisco, in 1873. Part of its success was attributed to the development of an effective and reliable cable grip mechanism, to grab and release the moving cable without damage Here's a image from Wikipedia.

A San Francisco cable car still in operation 2014



Old World Christmas has it's own version of the streetcar or cable car.

46065 Cable Car Old World Christmas

The hang tag reads: Popular during the 1880s, Cable cars were public transit vehicles that ran on rails and moved by gripping and ungripping an endless cable that ran in a  conduit under the street. Due to the combination of steep hills and nostalgia, Cable Cars can still be found in San Francisco.

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