Cable Car Day

Cable car holiday is held on January 17 every year. This is a special day for the cable car that has existed for the past few years. A cable car is any form of transportation that relies on cables to pull vehicles. It celebrates the anniversary of the first patent related to the cable car. It is also the Day that honors the hard work of Andrew Smith Hallidie, a US resident, born in the UK, who is responsible for receiving patents.

History of Cable Car Day

January 17 is Cable Car Day to mark the day of receiving the first patent of Andrew Smith Hallidie for the cable car railway in 1871. Legend has it that Hallidie was inspired to create the cable car after witnessing horses struggling to pull the wagons to train up the steep hills of San Francisco.

1873 was the first test of a cable car in San Francisco. That same year, Hallidie partnered with the Clay Street Hill Railroad, and by September the company was offering public service in San Francisco.

Cable car companies faced competition from trams throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Trams run on steel rails and are connected to overhead wires, which are cheaper to build and maintenance compared to slings, which run on steel rails and are propelled by underground cables.

In the mid-20th century, San Francisco was considering phasing out the cable car lines altogether. Concerned residents opposed the proposal and thanks to their efforts, the cable cars were saved. At present, San Francisco's cable cars are considered as a National Historic Landmark.

It is possible that some people who enjoy traveling by cable car will make such a Day of the year. However, this date was officially chosen because it was the day that Andrew Smith Hallidie received the first cable car railway patent. It was Hallidie who invented the cable car once after seeing a horse-drawn carriage slip and fall on the Jackson ramps in San Francisco. Hallidie established the world's first cable car railway on Clay Street just two years after receiving her cable car patent.

How to Celebrate the Day

Learn about the Cable Car, its history and development. If you can take the cable car, this is the ideal time to visit places through this transportation. Take your kids and enjoy the ride on the cable car to make this Day an event to remember. Share your celebrations and photos on social media using the hashtag #CableCarDay.