Muni Color Schemes Through the Years By Jeremy Menzies Over the 110-year history of the SF Municipal Railway, our transit vehicles have been painted in six main color schemes (known as “liveries”). Here’s a short look at those paint jobs, from the oldest streetcars to our newest buses. The timelines of these liveries overlapped and old colors were not always phased out even after a new color was introduced. Not included here are the many colors of cable cars , historic vehicles , variations on the main colors, or any special paint jobs used. The Original Grey and Red: 1912-1939 When Muni started in 1912, vehicle paint colors were used to distinguish one transit service from another. Muni’s very first streetcars were painted grey with red windows and roof. Gold was used for lettering, vehicle numbers, and decorative lines. This combination gave the cars a simple yet elegant look. Seen here at Green Division rail yard around 1980, Streetcar 1 was built in San Francisco in 19