I nearly wept when I looked at this: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/29788/all-the-railroads-we-had-in-1921-in-one-subway-style-map/. (Click on the article's picture for the full version of the map.) This was obviously a labor of love for the article's author, since the various rail lines were private companies and didn't publish comprehensive, system-wide maps.
In the intervening decades, the Washington area has expensively built subway lines (most recently the Silver Line) and resurrected limited commuter rail service (with VRE and MARC). Yet it's arguably harder to get around than it was a century ago.
In the intervening decades, the Washington area has expensively built subway lines (most recently the Silver Line) and resurrected limited commuter rail service (with VRE and MARC). Yet it's arguably harder to get around than it was a century ago.