METRO PLANS A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Prince George's Journal
Metro will hold a 10th birthday party for itself Saturday.
On March 27, 1976, passengers got a free ride on Metrorail to celebrate the opening of 4.6 miles of the Red Line in Washington. Two days later, the first fares were charged.
A special train made up of the first six cars placed in service 10 years ago will run all day Saturday on the Red Line.
The birthday party will begin at 11 a.m. in the Pavillion at the Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington.
Elected officials from the region have been invited to speak and contribute items for a time capsule that will be opened when the entire 103-mile rail system is completed. Metro officials don't expect to finish the system for at least 11 years. When new stations on the Orange Line open in June, Metro will have 70 miles in service.
There will be musical perfomances and drawings for Farecards and other prizes. Clowns and metro police officers will also be on hand to fingerprint children for parents to keep as a positive identification.
I remember going to Silver Spring to ride that train. They used the first cars in the series 1000-1006 and they were handing out some stuff on board the train. I went to the Pavillion also to see the festivities but don't remember if they showed what they put into the time capsule or not.