What is the deal with these and why were they painted silver?
If I remember correctly these were to be the first of more "silverbrids" to come, as the proposed 500 hybrids that were supposed to be ordered would have come in the silver instead of white paint scheme. This was done before WMATA decided to change the overall paint scheme.
Now oddly enough was that the DE40LFs were in the standard white paint scheme, but the DE40LFRs are in the silver. That might be due to the possibility that these are "futuristic" buses and the future of WMATA, no more "boxlike", ordinary buses.
I'm sure someone has a better explanation than what I have, I am going on what I remembered.
I always joked that New Flyer ran out of white but WMATA needed their buses!
I'm not sure but they look ok in silver.