San Francisco's cable cars are probably the last remaining manually operated cable cars left in the world. Manually operated means that a person aboard the car, called the gripman operates the controls which allow the cable car to "grip" the cable running beneath the streets of San Francisco, which pulls the cable car along its route.
The cable itself, is basically a long metal, wire cable that is pulled by a motor in a central location. This is the power house or cable barn. The cable is pulled along at a constant rate. The cable car itself moves by gripping this cable and is then pulled along the tracks on its specific route. The gripman operates the controls of gripping or releasing the cable, which moves the cable car or slows it down, with the assistance of brakes inside the cable car.
This all may sound a bit complicated. Basically, the cable runs underneath the street and the cable car attaches itself to the cable and is pulled along up the hills and through the streets of San Francisco. There is no motor that runs an engine. Also, even though there are brakes, its not like the brakes on a typical car or vehicle. The cable car has to be slowed down by releasing the cable and then braking from a safe distance. It requires a great deal of skill and strength to be a gripman that operates the controls on the cable car.
I took some photos of the cable cars. Enjoy this unique, San Francisco spectacle! And be sure to ride one when you come to visit!
End of the line. The turnaround at Beach Street, near Ghiradelli Square.
A hill to climb along the Hyde Street line.
Approaching Lombard Street, with Alcatraz Island in the background.
Lombard Street, near the so-called, "World's Crookedest Street"
Lombard Street, another unique San Francisco attraction.
