# Streetcar lines branching **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 1999, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streetcar-lines-branching/2392 "1999-08-09T00:08:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 1999, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streetcar-lines-branching/2392/1 "1999-08-09T00:08:00Z")
How do streetcar motormen get the car to switch to another line–with the tracks and overhead wires? In San Francisco there are five lienes, J, K,L,M,and N; all of them branch off from Market Street and go in different directions. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 1999, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streetcar-lines-branching/2392/2 "1999-08-09T00:48:00Z")
I live in the East Bay and stay out of SF as much as possible. I forget exactly how the switching is done, but as I recall, the trolley is shifted, under the driver’s control, to bear laterally in one or the other direction, so that the corresponding feed line is picked up. Can’t you **see** the action if you’re standing around outside a street care approaching a juncture? Ray ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 1999, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streetcar-lines-branching/2392/3 "1999-08-09T22:10:00Z")
The nearest thing to that I ever saw–I live in Los Angeles County and have visited S. F. several times–was at Market and 10th when one PCC car backed up. To do this the motorman got out and switched from one trolley arm to the other. But I never noticed any TRACK switches.