104 YEAR OLD FILM CLIP

[drivesafe]

This was copied from the TRAMSDOWNUNDER forum and is well and truely worth the watch.

The text below came with and explains the history of the film.

Enjoy!



104 YEAR OLD FILM CLIP "you are there" for a cable car ride in San Francisco"

This film was "lost" for many years. It was the first 35mm film ever. It was taken by camera mounted on the front of a cable car.

The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. Absolutely amazing! The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero
wharf is still there. ... How many "street cleaning" people were employed to pick up after the horses? Talk about going green!

Great historical film! Watch the scampering as Joe Public race away from autos, horses, cable cars and bicycles.

YouTube - Air - La Femme D'Argent (http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=NINOxRxze9k)


This film, originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot. From New York trade papers announcing the film showing to the wet streets from recent heavy rainfall & shadows indicating time of year & actual weather and conditions on historical record, even when the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!).. It was filmed only four days before the Great California
Earthquake of April 18th 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing. Amazing, but true!

[abaddonxi]

Wow.

Doesn't that look great.

:angel:

Bet there isn't anything in that film going over 30Kmh.

Although I bet the road toll was huge.

I'd hate to try and do a burn out with a horse and cart to get out of the way of a tram.

[Rangier Rover]

What I could see was taken from the tram. Very disturbing watching all the people merging! Makes my 40's films look modern in effect

[95 Disco]

Fascinating….

The cars and carts are Right Hand Drive (not the push-bikes :)).

When did that change for the US of A?

Grant

(or have I missed something?)

[clean32]

Fascinating….

The cars and carts are Right Hand Drive (not the push-bikes :)).

When did that change for the US of A?

Grant

(or have I missed something?)

as i understand it, it was to keep out of the ditch and had nothing to do with cowboys and guns.

1300 i think some pope said pilgrums should keep to the right, muslums right is good left is bad, etc

[THE BOOGER]

Napoleon is to blame for the europeans driving on the wrong side of the road dont know about the US:)

[THE BOOGER]

notice how many coppers are walking in front of the trams and they are wearing pommy hats:o

[Bearman]

Did you get a load of that road train wagon on the right about three quarters of the way through.!

[abaddonxi]

Did you get a load of that road train wagon on the right about three quarters of the way through.!

Bumpy!

[It'sNotWorthComplaining!]

Thanks for the link, that was amazing.
But disturbing is the mayhem of people and car, tram drivers, they just walk, drive, tram in front of this on coming tram car. There was some close calls looking at the footage.:eek: :eek: :eek:

[p38arover]

One needs to watch that several times to garner all the information contained therein.

Notice how many people played chicken with the tram or how many couldn't wait for the tram to pass before crossing.

Were there any road rules? :D

[Bushie]

It was also obvious that a few knew there was some type of camera at the front, a few 'played' to the camera.



Martyn

[JDNSW]

Fascinating….

The cars and carts are Right Hand Drive (not the push-bikes :)).

When did that change for the US of A?

Grant

(or have I missed something?)

Cars were often right hand drive in the USA until the 1920s. Not too sure why, probably so that the chauffer was on the kerb side to open the door and assist the passengers out without having to go round the car. Horse drawn vehicles tended to have the driver on the right so that his strongest hand or foot could operate the brake lever or pedal.

There was no standard until at least ten years after this film clip, and as you will note there were few road rules.

John

[Bigbjorn]

Cable cars travel at constant speed, the speed at which the cable is being pulled along that central slot. I suppose everyone was accustomed to this and were able to judge to a nicety. Electric trams were crossing the cable car route regularly. Lots of lovely big early veteran cars. Note the number with wide bodies for four across seating with a passenger outboard of the driver in the front seats. Not seen here since used in trucks in the 1920's-30's.

[Cap]

Fantastic bit of footage... yes I agree some close calls with people almost getting hit by cars and kids playing chicken with the Trams... very interesting and very chaotic!

[bcr2734]

I love these times. ****ing great work.

[PhilipA]

Did anyone notice the "Sightseeing Car" which wasn't a tram as there were no lines so I assume some type of truck disguised as a tram.

Plus Change Plus la meme chose.

How "clean" a city looks without traffic lights, without overhead wires.

Regards Philip A
Looked at it again and it has a pole , but the lines still seem very indistinct.

[drivesafe]

I’m no old car expert by any stretch of the imagination, but those cars all seem to me to be of a later vintage than 1906.

Anybody know what type any of the vehicles are?

[incisor]

a few of the headlights look like the right era...

1905 Ford Model C Images. Photo: 05-Ford_Mdl_C_DV-07-AACA_01.jpg (http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/photo/232448,7474/1905-Ford-Model-C_photo.aspx)

a ford from that era

[incisor]

Did anyone notice the "Sightseeing Car" which wasn't a tram as there were no lines so I assume some type of truck disguised as a tram.
trolley bus

had them in brisvegas when i was a lad ...

[Bigbjorn]

I’m no old car expert by any stretch of the imagination, but those cars all seem to me to be of a later vintage than 1906.

Anybody know what type any of the vehicles are?

Images not clear enough or large enough. Definitely early veterans though. 1906 seems pretty correct as there were no motor lorries that I could see even though firms like Autocar were making recognisable trucks in 1900 but they did not catch on much until 1910 and later. American industry was making a lot of pretty high class and large cars before WW1 and more Americans could afford one than Brits and Europeans where cars where the province of the very wealthy. Hence the quite numerous motor vehicles in this film. No Ford T's in evidence so the date must be good.

[JDNSW]

I’m no old car expert by any stretch of the imagination, but those cars all seem to me to be of a later vintage than 1906.

Anybody know what type any of the vehicles are?

They struck me as being appropriate, although very few could have been more than a year or so old - mass production of cars did not really start until the Oldsmobile in, I think, 1901. I found the resolution was insufficient to identify any cars - remember that the bodies were all coachbuilt, so you had to look at radiators and mechanical details to identify models. One typical feature I noted was the number of rear axles with bracing bars under them to strengthen the axle housing.

What really surprises me, and someone else mentioned it, is the shear volume of motor traffic. I suspect it tells us that at that time San Francisco was a very wealthy city.

John

[drivesafe]

Thanks folks.

I was pretty well stuffed trying to pick the age as there were no Land Rovers in the film. :angel:

[drivesafe]

Did anyone notice the "Sightseeing Car" which wasn't a tram as there were no lines so I assume some type of truck disguised as a tram.

Looked at it again and it has a pole , but the lines still seem very indistinct.

Hi PhilipA, it is a tram.

You can set the single trolley pole on the roof ( Trolley buses have a twin pole set up ) and as you get close to the rear of the tram, you can see the tracks in the roadway.

BTW anyone have any idea when the first trolley buses were about?

[JDNSW]

Hi PhilipA, it is a tram.

You can set the single trolley pole on the roof ( Trolley buses have a twin pole set up ) and as you get close to the rear of the tram, you can see the tracks in the roadway.

BTW anyone have any idea when the first trolley buses were about?

According to Wikipedia, 1901 near Dresden for the first actually in service.

John

[101 Ron]

I have a copy of a trams spoters video called shooting though and is about the history of trams in sydney.
In the vid there is a old run of film, George st Sydney of the same vintage and it is very similar with the chaos, old gas lights and a kid on a push bike darting in front of the tram for the camera.
The sydney one is extra special as it was taken from the front and top floor of a electric double story tram giving a very good view.

[p38arover]

Did you also notice that the width of the track of many cars, buggies, and wagons was the same as the trams?

[drivesafe]

Did you also notice that the width of the track of many cars, buggies, and wagons was the same as the trams?

Thats supposedly how the Standard Gauge rail width, 4’8 & 1/2” came about. they took the average width between the wheels of horse drawn carts and thats why the strange measurement.

[drivesafe]

I have a copy of a trams spoters video called shooting though and is about the history of trams in sydney.

What a great set of videos, I have have the lot of them and watching them would make cry to see what these ****** politicians destroyed.

They wouldn’t have half the traffic problems in Sydney now if they were still running.

Just look at Melbourne’s tram network for the proof.

[Armadillo]

Brilliant...

And for comparison....

YouTube- San Francisco Market Street 2005

[JDNSW]

Did you also notice that the width of the track of many cars, buggies, and wagons was the same as the trams?

The one that I noticed was the cyclist riding almost straight on top of the slot for the cable grip - That slot is nearly as wide as the bike tyre!

John

[The ho har's]

trolley bus

had them in brisvegas when i was a lad ...


showing your age there aren't we:p:oops2:....see you in a couple of weeks:angel:


Mrs hh:angel:

[JDNSW]

showing your age there aren't we:p...........
Mrs hh:angel:


They were operating in Brisbane when I was working there in 1962. Also remember them in Sydney when I was a bit younger - they got scrapped along with the trams while I was at university.

And I have an idea that the Brisbane ones are still soldiering along in Wellington NZ.

John

[Gooseneck]

check out the cowboy driver at 6:18... cuts right in front of the tram. Great public transport in those days though.

[drivesafe]

Brilliant...

And for comparison....

YouTube- San Francisco Market Street 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqcz_tllnwM&feature=related)

Thanks Armadillo, thats a great video and even though they scraped a lot of their tram and street car routes in the late fifties and sixties, it surprised me just how extensive their down town tram network still is.

[drivesafe]

For those interested, probably one of the best tram locations in the world is Lisbon, Portugal.

The clip below is an example of the total contrast between the wide streets of SF to the narrow streets of Lisbon.

If you watch the clip, check out the gauntlet track on one of the tight corners and the way people have to step into doorways to let the trams pass.

YouTube- Lisbon tram 28 (elétrico)

BTW, you may notice mirrors on the front of the lead tram.

They are not for seeing behind the tram, they are there so the drive can see around corners in front of him.

[warren9981]

Brilliant...

And for comparison....

YouTube- San Francisco Market Street 2005 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqcz_tllnwM&feature=related)

Is that a Rangie about 33 seconds in?;)

[isuzutoo-eh]

Speaking of old films, this one is from 1899
YouTube- Women's Rights (1899)
:D