Home

Planning

The Decision to Build, 1946-1965

Engineering

Plan and Profile

• Woodley station profile, 1965
• Typical cross-section and details, 1971-1973
• Soil study, 1967
• Grosvenor, 1985

Automation

• Communications diagram, 1969
• WMATA control center, 1975
• Farecard machine, 2000
• Ride Guide, 2000

Architecture

Clean and Bright

• New York City Subway, 1967
• Toronto subway, 1966
• NCTA station proposal,, 1963
• Dulles Airport
• Lyndon Johnson letter, 1966

Vaults or Boxes?

• Concept drawing, July 1966
• DeLeuw, Cather design, 1966
• Weese box design, 1967
• Bunshaft's vault, 1967
• Station model, 1967

Adapting the Design

• Classic vault design
• Gullwing lighting, c. 1968
• Elevator design, 1972
• Wheaton Station
• Dupont Circle Station

Construction

Getting Started

Tunnels

• Union Station, 1973
• Union Station, 1974
• Earth tunneling, early 1970s
• Rock tunneling, 1980s
• Prefabricated tunnel, 1977

Mitigation

• Not in my backyard!
• Downtown disruption, 1971
• Vibration mitigation, 1971
• Environmental impact study, 1975
• Firehouse facade, 1994

Operation

The Passengers

• MICCO station drawing, 1968
• Opening Day, 1976
• Subway Magazine, 1968
• Underground Train, 1999

Real Estate

• The Great Metro Land Grab, 1970
• Real estate ad, 1984
• Pentagon City mall entrance
• Silver Spring, 1998
• Vienna Station, 1997

The Future of Metro

Your Story

• Contribute your memories
• Read the contributions of others

Credits and More Information

Related Links

• Center for History & New Media
• ECHO: Exploring and Collecting History Online: Science and Technology
• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
• Zachary M. Schrag