It was my impression Friedel Klussmann opposed the consolidation and wanted to retain everything but lost out to the downtown establishment which favored automobiles and one way streets but recognized some cable cars as a tourist attraction. The Swigs in particular wanted to retain the Cal Cable in front of their hotel.

Charlie Smallwood told me that at the time of the NY Macys purchasing Macys SF in the early 50's some execs came out from NYC to inspect and were appalled at the cable cars on O'Farrell. Early Manhattanization.

There was some consideration of combining the California Street line with the Hyde St. line but that did not prevail. I concocted the retrospective idea of combining the Washington & Hyde Sts. line with the Cal cable via Polk St., but AFAIK this pipedream was never put forth at the time.

Lastly my understanding why the #1 trolley coach turns north onto Steiner to Sacramento and Clay was to accommodate a possible extension of the Cal cable to Fillmore. Still possible and I assume would require that second cable in the channel on Mason up to California. But of course the Mason line still has never made it across Bay St. to the Wharf proper. SF officialdom is as brainless and feckless as MTC.

C'mon techie instant bazillionaires - come up with some couch change to extend the cable cars! And the F line.