Final Run on the Cabin John Line

January holds the anniversaries of two historic, yet sad, events in the legacy of Washington DC's street cars. One being the end of street car service all together, and the other being the one we recognized this past Monday - 61 years since the last of the street cars ran on the beloved and famous Cabin John line. Originally published December 4 2016, Jesse Smith recalls riding the last Cabin John street car on January 3 1960.

"[61] years ago: It was the very last trolley trip EVER, from Washington to Glen Echo Amusement Park, and to Cabin John. They were beginning to rip up Washington’s old Capital Transit trolley system around D.C., and this was a major line, at the very end of its time. My Granny always liked trains, is much of the reason I do, and had taken brother Spencer and me on our first train trip just a few years earlier (riding the B&O from Silver Spring to Philadelphia and back). So here, January 3rd, 1960, seated somewhere inside this very car, are Granny and little Jesse, riding that historic last trip on Cabin John’s final trolley run. Within just two years, all the trolleys in DC would be gone. And this picture? A chance posting by Facebook friend Guy Span, which he took all those [61] years ago! Thanks, Guy!"
Our thanks to Jesse Smith for his permission to share the post, and to Guy Span who took the photograph.

(This post was originally published December 4 2016 with permission from the author, Jesse Smith. It is republished with minor edits in brackets for clarification.)

Image courtesy, and property of, Guy Span. Please do not download or copy.