Essay the san francisco cable cars for class 8

ESSAY
THE SAN FRANCISCO CABLE
CARS:
One of the most historic, and significant
landmarks in the United States is the San
Francisco cable car system. It is the
world’s only, manually operated cable car
system. It is run by the San
Francisco Municipal Transportation
Agency. The system dates back to
1878, when the California Street line first
opened. In all, there are three
lines currently operating in the city, and
boasts a fleet of 12 cable cars. There used
to be 23 lines in use throughout the
city connecting the diverse
communities that make up San
Francisco. The open-air cars are a major
tourist attraction, and are still used by San
Francisco commuters on a daily basis.
The simple reason cable cars were first
used in the city was because of its
landscape. San Francisco is very
hilly, which makes it impossible for
municipal buses to scale. The solution for
this problem was the cable car. These
cars are literally pulled by cable, up and
down the steep hills of the city, making it
easier for people to get from one end of the
city to the other.
There are two types of cars in use
today. Single-ended cars and double-ended
cars. The single-ended cars have opensided sections with seats that face outward
to the street. The rear section of these
cars is enclosed with seats facing the
interior of the car. These cars seat 29
passengers. They travel in both
directions by using a swivel-based
turntable that turns the car at the end of the
line. The double-ended cars are a bit
larger, and can hold up to 68 passengers. It
has 34 seats, and grips for an additional 34
standing passengers. The best feature of
these cars is the pure fun they are to
ride. People who ride the San Francisco
cable cars are stepping into part of
California’s history.
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