September 8, 2018:

 

            I got up and got dressed. I walked to a Burger King three blocks away for breakfast. After breakfast, I went to the BART station and caught a train downtown. From the train, I saw the Union Pacific intermodal yard and attempted to grab a picture of Heritage locomotive #1983 which was painted to commemorate the Western Pacific.

 

 

            I got off and filmed the train pulling out. I then left the station.

 

 

            When I left the station, I was asked if I was part of the march. There was a big march this morning protesting climate change. They would be closing off Market Street. As a result, the “F” line would be bussed between the Ferry Building and Castro. Streetcars would still run from the Ferry Building to Fisherman’s Wharf. It also delayed the start of Heritage Weekend until noon. One ironic thing about the protest was that by them protesting climate change caused Muni to run diesel buses on a large portion of the “F” line instead of electric streetcars!

            Two diesel buses participating in Heritage Weekend were already there: White coach #042 and Mack bus #2230. I had seen #042 back in 2016, but was unable to ride it. #2230 was recently restored and this would be the first Heritage Weekend it participated in. I photographed the buses.

 

 

            Muni had a rubber tire vehicle that was made to look like a cable car on display for Heritage weekend. I photographed it.

 

            I photographed PCCs #1051 and #1073 in service. That morning #1051 was the only ex SEPTA car in service.

 

 

            I saw PCC #1074 was running again. I decided I would ride it to Fisherman’s Wharf. I photographed the car and #1071 which was following it.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then rode #1074 to Fisherman’s Wharf. Along the way, I photographed a ship belonging to Green Peace.

 

 

            Once I got to Fisherman’s Wharf, I got off #1074 and photographed it and filmed it leaving.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then took PCC #1071 back. I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            I rode back to the ferry building. I got off and photographed #1071.

 

 

 

 

            I then filmed #1074 heading back to Fisherman’s Wharf and took one more photo.

 

 

            I then photographed Muni XT40 trolleybus #5734 which was being used to house an exhibit.

 

 

            The XT40s are pretty new as none were around back in 2016. They have been purchased to replace the Skoda trolleybuses from the mid 90s.

            The march had begun as the protesters were chanting “Our rights are under attack! What do we do? Stand up! Fight Back!” Truer words couldn’t be spoken.

            Meanwhile, fishbowl #3287 showed up. #3287 was part of Heritage Weekend 2016. I photographed the bus.

 

 

            I saw European style PCC #737. #737 is from Brussels, Belgium, but is painted in the colours for Zurich; San Francisco’s sister city. I attempted to photograph #737.

 

 

            A few minutes later, I ran into a familiar face: Kevin Nicol from the TTS! It was nice to see someone familiar. I told him how I had better luck with PCC #1074 than two years ago. He said he had been out yesterday and seen it as well as the other cars in service.

            I then photographed streetcar #1.

 

 

 

            I then saw a black RTS lettered for “All Three” system which I photographed.

 

 

 

 

            Next came car #228; one of two boat trams from Blackpool, England.

 

 

            Next was dinky #578 which I rode back in 2016.

 

 

            Meanwhile, PCC #737 returned. It was going out for a run. I photographed it before I got on.

 

 

            The car ran from the Ferry Building to a short turn loop near Pier 39. We then returned and I got off and photographed #737 and filmed it.

 

 

            Meanwhile Muni Flyer E800 #5300 arrived. I rode #5300 two years ago. As it turned out, #5300 was the only trolleybus participating in Heritage Weekend. Marmon-Herrington #776 which ran two years ago was also to be part of the event, but it had mechanical problems and couldn’t make it out. I photographed #5300.

 

 

            I then photographed Mack Bus #2230 before I went on a ride on White bus #042.

 

 

            The buses were taking a different route than two years ago. When #042 returned, I photographed it.

 

 

            Mack bus #2230 was going out next. I boarded the bus and we headed out. We seemed to struggle going up a hill. However, we made it. Once we got back, I got off and photographed #2230.

 

 

            I filmed #5300 going on its run and photographed fishbowl #3287 which was going out next.

 

 

            #3287 headed out. Unlike riding #042 and #2230, we actually had a photo stop along the route. I got out and photographed the bus.

 

 

 

 

            We got back on and headed out. We drove through the new Transbay Terminal which only opened in August. I saw they had a gondola which I attempted to photograph from the bus.

 

 

            We got back to where we started out from. I photographed #3287.

 

 

            E800 #5300 was the next vehicle heading out. I boarded the bus and headed out. Like with #3287, we had a photo stop. However, this one was by a park in Little Italy.

 

 

 

            We got back on the bus and headed out. During the run, we dewired. As we drove through downtown, I noticed an old railway coach in front of a building. I decided I’d check it out in the next few days. At one point, we crossed paths with fishbowl #3287.

            We were soon in front of the museum building again. I took some photos before I boarded streetcar #1 to go for a ride.

 

 

            I rode #1 to the loop by Pier 39. I took some photos on the history of #1.

 

 

 

            When #1 returned to the Ferry Building, I got off and photographed it.

 

 

            I filmed #1 pulling away. Today’s event was over. However, I stuck around downtown. I saw on the tracking inside the museum building that PCC #1040 was running on the “F” line. PCC #1040 is significant because it was the last PCC built in North America! I had seen #1040 at the car house last year, but like #1074, it was never in service.

            I mentioned to someone that #1040 was coming. He decided to wait for it to come. That person said I looked familiar. It turned out to be Russ Schultz; who I had met in 2012 at the Illinois Railway Museum on board one of their Flyer E800 trolleybuses from Dayton!

            When #1040 came, I photographed the car before I got on.

 

 

            Russ and I rode #1040 to Fisherman’s Wharf. We got caught up in the years since we met at IRM. I told him how I went to Sandtoft to ride former Edmonton BBC #189 back in 2014. At Fisherman’s Wharf, we got off. I took some photos.

 

 

 

            We got back on #1040 and rode to Castro. Russ remembered I worked I my mom’s ice cream store. I told him that my mom sold her store earlier this year and that I now work at Home Depot. There was a person who was drunk and loud and at one point he briefly took off his shirt!

            At Castro, we got off. I photographed #1040 with and without PCC #1051. While both cars are in Muni colours, only #1040 is an original San Francisco PCC.

 

 

 

 

 

            I filmed #1040 leaving the loop. I took one more photo.

 

 

            Russ and I walked around the area looking for somewhere to have dinner. However, nothing suited me. We boarded a Skoda trolleybus on route #24. The #24 runs up and down some steep hills. I photographed the bus before I got on.

 

 

            The sun went down. I got off at where the #24 meets the “J” line LRT. I filmed the bus pulling away and caught an LRT train to Montgomery station where I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

 

            I then left the station and had dinner at a nearby McDonald’s. After dinner I caught a BART train back to Oakland. On board the train, I saw someone injecting himself. I’m not sure if he was a diabetic and injecting himself with insulin or if it was something illegal.

            I got back to Oakland and walked back to my hotel. I went online and worked on this report some more. I eventually called it a night.

Click here for the second day of Heritage Weekend 2018:  Heritage Weekend day 2