6 Haight and Masonic Streetcar Line

Service Begun: June 10, 1906 (as the United Railroads "Hayes and Masonic" line, terminating at 3rd Avenue and Parnassus).

Route: (As of February 7, 1916) From Ferries to 9th Avenue and Pacheco via Market, Haight, Masonic, Frederick, Clayton, Carl, Stanyan, Judah and 9th Avenue.

Rail service end: July 3, 1948 (replaced by motor coach and a year later by trolley coach)

Car 171 at 9th Avenue and Pacheco Street, 1939.

The United Railroads extended their Hayes and Masonic streetcar up 9th Avenue to end at Pacheco starting June 15, 1912. Bob Fisher, a longtime Sunset Heights resident, told us the extension was paid for by the neighbors and the line was nicknamed "streetcar to the stars". It wasn't uncommon for real estate promoters to pay for such extensions, so likely the story is true. (Walter Rice heard the developer in the area paid for it.)

The "6 Haight and Masonic" name officially was adopted on February 7, 1916, reflecting the 6-line being rerouted from Hayes to Haight street. From 1921 TO 1944 it was operated by the Market Street Railway. After September 1944 the 6 was a MUNI line.

The Hayes and Masonic service was replaced by 32-Hayes and Oak Street streetcar. During peak periods the 32 ran over the 6-line from Haight and Masonic to 9th Avenue. This line was an early Depression victim.

Following the completion of the Municipal Railway's Sunset tunnel (1928), 6-cars shared their Carl Street tracks with the N-Judah.

Image: Courtesy of the collection of Jack Tillmany

Sources: Jack Tillmany; John Coll; Walter Rice; The White Front Cars of San Francisco, Charles A. Smallwood, Interurbans Press, 1971.

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