5000-5001 with big roofline numbers

Noticed 5000-5001 today at Union Station had the big numbers by the roofline. I only saw the large numbers, as I was in a train on the opposite track during rush hour. Since it seems Metro is using the big numbers for cars being tested for one reason or other, has anyone seen this pair, and if so, have they seen anything different on them?

And now I spotted 2000-2001 at Brentwood this morning, and 2000 (only) has the big numbers as well. 2001 does not.

I saw 4000 (couldn't see 4001 though) at NY Ave yesterday and it had the large numbers as well.

That is 4000 only. I had that pair today, and 4001 definitely does not have roof numbers.

And 3000 (only) as well. Must be something they're doing with all the "000" cars, though I've not spotted 1000 or 6000 to verify on them.

Are they going to put roofline numbers on all the cars eventually? They should so that the Police or EMS or news chopper can see the car numbers from the surface in needed

Trust me when I say a chopper couldn't see these. These are the large numbers near the roofline:



There are no numbers on the tops of the train cars like the buses have.

Robert Paniagua wrote:Are they going to put roofline numbers on all the cars eventually? They should so that the Police or EMS or news chopper can see the car numbers from the surface in needed

No need. Subway trains are usually in tunnels most of the time, and even so, camera technology makes it possible for helicopters to see the regular number plates. Buses in NYC for example are losing their rooftop numbers as they get repainted.

Saw 1000 today with the giant digits. I guess its safe to say that all the '000s have it, since all are accounted for except for 6000. Must be some sort of Metro tradition that the first of each series gets the large numbers. I can't see any other practical reason.

I saw 1000 recently as well.

What's weird is that it's only something they've done in the last few months, putting the big numbers on the x000 car. I wonder what the rationale is for this, since they've done it on likely all the car classes, plus only the x000 car and not the x001 car to complete the pair. Some I can understand, like for cars where they're actively testing stuff, like the lighting or the flooring. But for the x000 cars, who knows.

And I spotted 6000 at Farragut North. Not surprisingly, it had the big numbers on the 000 car only.