Opportunity

Since 1873, the best lighting the historic San Francisco Municipal Cable Cars had was dim incandescent headlights that did not do anything for illumination. They were merely bright enough to serve as an indicator that a cable car was coming. Plus, the old incandescent lights would quickly burn out or break from the constant vibrations.

“The biggest issue was the light on cold, wet, dark nights,” said Arne Hansen, Supervisor of Maintenance at the San Francisco Municipal Cable Car Barn. “We would change the batteries in the cars maybe 10 or 12 road calls in a night. We have better batteries that last much longer now, but still, with the GPS system and cameras, the equipment was draining the batteries pretty fast.” 

After over 140 years, the Cable Cars solved their lighting problems by simply upgrading to LED light bulbs from LEDtronics. Hansen said they ordered LED lights for the entire fleet and are very happy with their choice. Other operators have commented that the LED headlights have increased visibility tremendously. 

A19 style LED light bulbs were also installed inside the passenger cabins. Those lights, along with the PAR46 LED headlights, are saving the city money on energy as well as maintenance—especially in the winter when the lights are left on much longer. 

Between those advantages and the increased visibility, Hansen acknowledged that, “All the operators give it a thumbs-up. They all approved the change, and they all loved it. The project was a complete success.”

For more information: 

LEDtronics

San Francisco Cable Car