After a brief streetcar revival in the ’80s, San Francisco brought them back in earnest in 2000. The city bought streetcars from around the nation and world -- pictured on the left is a 1920s model from Italy, on the right is a 1948 streetcar from Baltimore.

The Brookville Equipment Corp. restores streetcars in a Pennsylvania warehouse. The process takes anywhere from 12 to 18 months. This New Jersey streetcar will be sent to San Francisco when it’s finished.

Many of the streetcars are in rough shape when they arrive at the Brookville Equipment Corp., but by the time they leave, they’ve been restored to their original colors and even have their model's original light fixtures. This 1947 tram has a ways to go, but when it’s ready, it will work the streets of Philly.

This 1946 Los Angeles streetcar, spotted in Utah, is en route from San Francisco to Pennsylvania, where it will get an electrical system overhaul at the Brookville Equipment Corp.

In San Francisco, a 1946 Washington, D.C., tram passes a 1928 Australian streetcar.

New Orleans has the oldest continuously running tram line in the U.S. A line started in the late 19th century is still running today, with Hurricane Katrina being its only prolonged interruption.

A 1947 Philadelphia streetcar in San Francisco.

A 1948 Philadelphia streetcar makes its way through a Philly neighborhood. The City of Brotherly Love brought back vintage trams in 2005. While some might argue that restoring streetcars is a waste of taxpayer money, they’ve been credited for bringing tourists to New Orleans and revitalizing neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

The destination sign on this 1948 Boston tram (which now resides in San Francisco) could be a bumper sticker on a classic car tooling around on a Sunday afternoon. On the right is a 1948 Baltimore streetcar.

A 1946 Washington, D.C., tram rides off into the sunset. While vintage streetcars may never again be a primary means of getting around, we are happy to see cities preserving this chunk of mass transit history.