San Francisco cable car detail views

These are available as 3D downloads (see earlier post).

There are two types in use in San Francisco's three lines:
Single-ended cars serve the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason lines. These cars have an open-sided front section, with outward-facing seats flanking the gripman and his collection of levers that actuate the grip and various brakes. The rear half of the car is enclosed, with seats facing inward and entrances at each end and the car has a small platform at the rear. These cars are 27 ft 6 in (8.6 metres) long, 8 ft (2.4 m) wide and weigh 15,500 pounds (7 tonnes). They have a passenger capacity of 60, of which 29 are seated. These cars must be rotated to reverse direction at each end of the line, an operation performed on turntables. Most of these cars were built or rebuilt in the 1990s.

Double-ended cars (pictured) serve the California Street line. These cars are somewhat longer, having open-sided grip sections at both ends and an enclosed section in the middle. These cars are 30 ft 3 in (9.2 m) long and 8 ft (2.4 m) wide and weigh 16,800 pounds (7.62 tonnes). They can hold 68 passengers, 34 of them seated. These do not need to be rotated to change direction and so this line has no turntables. Some of these cars were built in 1998.

Both types of car ride on a pair of four-wheel bogies; the track gauge is 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm).