Seems like they could have run the Powell-Mason line during a good part of that consolidation. Maybe there was a technical problem I am missing. But I'll bet they just wanted to save money. The key players from the time are all gone now so no one to ask.

The other option they had considered at the time was to combine the Cal Cable with the northern section of the O'Farrell, Jones & Hyde Sts. line and on down the Hyde Street hill. They may have been worried about the length of the rope, which would have been something like 8 blocks longer than coming out of California & Hyde carhouse. On the other hand they might have killed the Washington & Jackson Sts. line(which did indeed occur with the current layout)and the California St. rope would have been even shorter than it is today. Washington & Jackson Sts. between Mason and Hyde would only have been used for running the cables onto Hyde St. north and putting cars into and out of service.

But Washington & Jackson Sts. had some strong supporters and they would have appealed on the grounds with that arrangement there would have been only 2 cable lines left instead of the 3 we ended up with. In any even you know DPW loathed the idea of any cable cars west of Van Ness.