Name/Title
Number 9 sign of Key System Electric Street Car Line 9, 1919Entry/Object ID
1975.31.1Description
ACC, NO. 75.31.1
SUBJECT CATEGORY: TRANSPORTATION
DATE OR PERIOD: 1919?
OBJECT: NUMBER NINE (9)
DESCRIPTION: METAL PANEL, WITH A NUMBER 9 CUTOUT IN THE CENTER, ON THE PRINCIPLE OF A SILHOUETTE. THE BACK SIDE OF THE PANEL HAS A LEDGE WITH AN OPENING AT THE TOP, SO A PANE OF GLASS COULD BE INSERTED. THE GLASS WAS WHITE, SIMILAR TO MILK GLASS. THE METAL PANEL WAS INSERTED INTO A METAL BOX, AND ILLUMINATED BY A ELECTRIC LIGHT BULB. THE PANEL HAS A METAL EDGE OR GRIP, SO IT COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE LIGHT BOX, TO CHANGE THE NUMBER OF THE CAR. THE DOT THAT FORMS THE CENTER OF THE NINE IS HELD IN PLACE BY METAL WIRES, WELDED TO THE EDGES OF THE CUTOUT NINE.
SIZE: 10" X 12"
HISTORY OF OBJECT. THIS METAL FIGURE NINE (9) WAS FROM THE LAST #9 KEY SYSTEM CAR (ELECTRIC STREET CAR) THAT RAN FROM 12th AND BROADWAY, OAKLAND, EAST ON 12th ST. TO 230 AVE., THENCE RIGHT AT 23RD AVE. OVER THE PARK STREET BRIDGE, SOUTH TO SAN JOSE AVE. THENCE RIGHT (WEST) TO MORTON ST., THENCE RIGHT (NORTH) TO SAN ANTONIO AVE., THENCE LEFT TO NINTH ST., THENCE NORTH TO SANTA CLARA AVE, THEN IT MADE THE TRIP BACK TO OAKLAND OVER THE SAME ROUTE. HEADWAY EVERY 20 MINUTES. THIS LINE ON SAN JOSE AVE. TO NINTH AND SANTA CLARA WAS SINGLE TRACK WITH BLOCK SIGNALS AND TURNOUTS, GENEROUS TRANSFER PRIVILEGES.
THE ROUTE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1905, AND ENDED IN 1934. THE ROUTE DESIGNATION NUMBER, SUCH AS THIS NUMBER 9, WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1919.
ACQUIRED FROM: TERRY LACROIX
DATE: OCT 25, 1975Interpretative Labels
Label
KEY SYSTEM
"Number 9"
Electric Street Car
Metal Panel Identifier
This silhouette-type panel with the number 9 was inserted into a street car to identify this route that ran from 12th & Broadway, Oakland, over the Park St. bridge into Alameda, ending at Santa Clara Ave., and returning to Oakland by the same route.
This route existed from 1919 to 1934.