Rollsigns from Washington, DC
Capital Transit Co. / D.C. Transit / WMATA
This linen "via" and destination rollsign is from 1948 built
White 798 bus #5189. It is from the street side position of
the front destination sign set. The base rollsign would have
been printed in 1947, but has had additional exposures added
to the beginning and end of the sign. The "Limited" exposure
has the linen dyed yellow. The rollsign has 22 exposures.
A hand written note at the end of the sign saying this
sign came off of 1948 built White 798 bus #5189.
Washington D.C. Capital Transit Company bus #5100 is a 1947
built White Motor Company model 798. This 44 passenger, 96
inch wide bus was the demonstrator unit to an order that totaled
200 buses, the first fifty (5100, then 5101-5149) arriving in 1947,
and the second fifty (5150-5199) arriving in 1948, all of which
came in the standard CTCo bus silver color scheme.
Capital's versions of this model, which were their first post war
White's and which featured a White designed 'Hydro-Torque'
automatic transmission, were specified with a larger three
section front destination sign (the street side ones are shown
on this page) as well as two units built into the roof just above
the second and third passenger windows.
Demonstrator bus #5100 arrived with older "golden glow"
headlights similar to streetcars of the era. The remaining 99 of
the order were equipped with newer sealed beam headlights.

(Photo from the Capital Transit collection via
the St. Petersburg Tram Collection website.)
This linen "via" and destination rollsign is from 1948 built
White 798 bus #5178. It is from the street side position of
the front destination sign set. The rollsign was manufactured
by The Hunter Illuminated Car Sign Co. on August 27, 1947.
The "Limited" exposure has the linen dyed yellow.
The rollsign has 20 exposures.
A hand written note at the beginning of the sign saying
this sign came off of 1948 built White 798 bus #5178.
The manufacturer's sign tag stamp and print date on the sign.

The Hunter Illuminated Car Sign Co.
FLUSHING, N. Y.

AUG  27  1947
Made in U. S. A.

WESTERN DIV.
FLX.WMATA
ARL-ALEX-PRN GEO.
P.O.70503
69-550-10
SPEC.EVENTS SIGN
5/22/78 TRANSIGN
JOB 3
This dash mounted front "special events" mylar
rollsign was designed for one of WMATA's Flxible
Metro buses, and came with its rollsign box.
The sign is dated  May 22, 1978 and has 63
exposures. Its sign tag is shown below.
The image is shown 2 times larger versus the
other signs because some of the print is so small.
FLXIBLE-WMATA GROUP NO.1
P.O.NO.33686
0700-0160-005 AUXILIARY SIGN
7/10/87 TRANSIGN
This dash mounted front "auxiliary" mylar rollsign was designed for one
of WMATA's Flxible Metro buses. The sign has 71 exposures. Although
this sign is complete with no splices, each end has a completely
different sign tag. Both are shown below. The upper sign tag dates
this sign to July 10, 1987. The lower sign tag dates it to July 23, 1987.
The image is shown 2 times larger versus the
other signs because some of the print is so small.
Upper sign tag:
Lower sign tag:
FLXIBLE-WMATA GROUP 1
P.O. 33686
0700-0160-005
AUXILLIARY SIGN
7/23/87 TRANSIGN