Cable Car Turntable, Tourist attraction in San Francisco, United States
The Tourne-disque de tramway, or cable car turntable, is a rotating platform used at the end of the Powell Street cable car lines in San Francisco, at the corner of Powell and Market Streets. Because the cable cars on these lines can only move forward, the platform spins the car around so it faces the right direction for its return trip.
San Francisco's cable car system first ran in 1873, making it one of the oldest in the country. The turntable was a practical solution from the start, since these cars have no engine of their own and cannot reverse.
The turntable at the corner of Powell Street and Market Street is one of the few places in the country where a transit vehicle is still turned by hand. Workers push the cable car around the platform while bystanders watch, often gathering in a loose circle around it.
The turntable sits right at Union Square, in the heart of the city, and is easy to reach on foot from most central neighborhoods. Early morning or evening visits tend to be less crowded, giving you a clearer view of the turning process.
The Powell Street turntable is the only one of its kind still in daily use in San Francisco, and it is operated entirely by hand with no mechanical assistance. The whole process takes just a few minutes, but the skill of the workers who push and guide the car makes it worth watching.
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