William Eppelsheimer

Who is William Eppelsheimer?

William E. Eppelsheimer was a tramway engineer known for his work on cable car systems. He was born and studied engineering in what is now Germany. Eppelsheimer designed the Clay Street Hill Railroad in San Francisco. This was the first practical cable car line in the world and the first line in what was to become the San Francisco cable car system, although that line is more often attributed to its promoter, Andrew Smith Hallidie. Eppelsheimer later designed the bottom grip for the Geary Street, Park & Ocean Railway, another San Francisco line, and this is still used by that city's surviving cable cars.

Eppelsheimer went on to design the Chicago City Railway, at one time the world's largest and most profitable cable car system, and London's Highgate Hill Cable Tramway, Europe's first cable tramway.