And when looking at maps, what are you searching for exactly? I am pretty good at maps and satellite images so I could search for more harder things.
rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
Flintlock76 Any good topographical maps should have railroads indicated, just as they'd indicate any geographic features. I haven't kept up with where you get them, but it shouldn't be too hard for you to find out. One source for maps pertaining to railroads, and railroads only, is "Steam Powered Video Publications. They have a series of map books pertaining to North American, both the US and Canada. www.spv.co.uk Look under "Railroad Atlases" SPV atlases are also available from White River Productions. https://whiteriverproductions.com/
Any good topographical maps should have railroads indicated, just as they'd indicate any geographic features. I haven't kept up with where you get them, but it shouldn't be too hard for you to find out.
One source for maps pertaining to railroads, and railroads only, is "Steam Powered Video Publications. They have a series of map books pertaining to North American, both the US and Canada.
www.spv.co.uk Look under "Railroad Atlases"
SPV atlases are also available from White River Productions.
https://whiteriverproductions.com/
When one is aware that a railroad once connected two towns, often long-abandoned ROW can be spotted on Google Satellite maps by slight changes in vegitation, etc.: sometimes straight lines, other times gradual curves. Street names such as "Railroad Ave" or "Station St" are clues in towns.
Irv
Great thread! Look up on google maps "Buford, WY". Switch to satellite. Easy to see the old rail yard. This is the foot of Sherman Hill. Follow the path up, no rails remain. You can see where helper engines were turned at the top. And you can see the Ames Monument (gotta buy me a shovel).
Whenever I read, or see an internet post. Google maps it is. If given a town name, the rails go through town. And always, follow the rivers!
casey56 When one is aware that a railroad once connected two towns, often long-abandoned ROW can be spotted on Google Satellite maps by slight changes in vegitation, etc.: sometimes straight lines, other times gradual curves.
When one is aware that a railroad once connected two towns, often long-abandoned ROW can be spotted on Google Satellite maps by slight changes in vegitation, etc.: sometimes straight lines, other times gradual curves.
Indeed - if one searches maps between Pierpont Manor and Sackets Harbor, both in New York state, you can still trace portions of the route of the Sackets Harbor and Ellisburg Railroad, which didn't make it out of the 1860's.
Oftimes, if you find a satellite image taken around spring plowing, you can see the difference in the color of the dirt.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
casey56Street names such as "Railroad Ave" or "Station St" are clues in towns.
I've always had a fascination with rail-adjacent streets seemingly named after distant connected cities that the adjacent rail line does in fact pass through. You might have street grid with streets named "Elm", "Oak", "Maple" etc and then right next to the station is "Pittsburgh"...or "Cleveland".....And then sometimes it's a little less obvious, such as "Lansing" where you really have to think about it to get the (ostensibly) intended meaning.
Distilling 50 years of experience: Official Guide maps at the individual RR listings are semi-fanciful and shows what the RR wans the shipper and passenger to see. Highway maps should be used for automotive pruposes. The US topo maps suffer from a policy on the big mapping done ca. 1893 of NOT showing man-made changes; thus when I looked up pre-Quabbin Mass. railroads for the incomplete Mass. Central--it showed nothing while other completed lines marched across valleys clearly on a fill! More recent topos more useful. But the three best are/were:
1) DeLorme Mapping's atlas BOOKS which vary in quality state by state and edition; the Pennsylvania atlas of the late 1980's was the best they every did nudging out Maine by a hair. Beware their NY atlas--the RR's were used for copyright infringement errors so some abandoned lines are shown as active and vice versa. DeLorme is best for showing rails in relation to highways in BOOKS but the earlier ones are better than the later; from demos I've seen I would stay away from their computer products because the early ones did NOT show topography. And DeLorme DOES have errors..
2) The SPV Atlas series--and get them NOW as they're going out of print and won't be redone. (Long story: SPV misjudged how Americans bought and used these atlases--Brits buy a new one every so many years while we Americans buy only two per life: one for lifetime reference and the other for lifetime noting Mileage Ridden. Very few errors for a very fine project run by foreign Brits who however learned too late the American interest in interurbans. Unless you want to or can justify the expense of ca. 450USD for a complete US and Canada set, just by the local areas. But beware! These CAN become your DREAM books!
3) Lastly, Google Earth, or its equivalents and go for satellite view. See things from the air--and learn how to filter annoying things out as Google thinks you want pizza joints, etc. Google seems to think we want to know what things look like in the summertime and where the nearest Dunkin Donuts is rather than wanting a Serious Research Tool for a Delaware & Hudson rerouting or the Paradise Tunnel on the DL&W. I want leaves off the trees because I'm often looking up old rights of way and other features which leaves and snow obscure.
So, good luck! Paper is preferable over digital--digital needs a power source--and will you still be able to read it 40 years from now?
Mr. Johnston:
Digital has it's place, even though I am a fan of the Delorme paper map format. Using Delorme Topo software allows zooming in to a level way beyond most paper map detail. I am still using the last version of Topo put out before Delorme was swallowed up by a larger competitor and their products terminated. My preference is to travel with the Delorme atlases of the states we are going through, and using my laptop when stopped to zoom in on interesting areas and do routing research for the next day, then transfer route to Google maps for use when driving.
Probably will not be able to read it in 40 years since I will be approaching 109 then. We live pretty long in my family but not THAT long!
PR
Mike Walker compiled the original (Steam Powered Video) "SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America" series of regional atlases. After that "Mike Walker's North American Railroad Atlas" series appeared. The latter has the full cover photos. White River Productions shows the SPVs with many marked as sold out. Railfan Depot shows the newer MWs as limited supply clearance and no longer published. For what's available from both the prices range from $17 to $30. Ebay is where the prices are getting way high.
Ebay is also where you have to be careful about the year of publication. I bought an earlier Northeast copy with crude details that included New England and was missing pages 4-10. Northeast was what I wanted and it was supposed to include only NY,PA,NJ,DE and MD, New England being a separate book. Finally got the right one from Rail Depot.
Someone on this thread inquired about a density map. Rail Depot has a title called "U.S. Railroad Traffic Atlas". I'd think most railroads would've or may still have traffic charts/maps. If USRA ever made one it would be fascinating. Ditto for the 1930's merger rationalization schemes and Conrail.
Rick
Convicted OneConvicted One wrote the following post 5 days ago: casey56 Street names such as "Railroad Ave" or "Station St" are clues in towns. I've always had a fascination with rail-adjacent streets seemingly named after distant connected cities that the adjacent rail line does in fact pass through. You might have street grid with streets named "Elm", "Oak", "Maple" etc and then right next to the station is "Pittsburgh"...or "Cleveland".....And then sometimes it's a little less obvious, such as "Lansing" where you really have to think about it to get the (ostensibly) intended meaning.
About a half mile of the former right of way of the Cleveland & Eastern Railroad (interurban; ended 1925) in Newbury, Ohio was named and remains Track Road.
In Avon Lake, Ohio a stretch of the former right of way of the Lake Shore Electric Railway was paved and named Electric Boulevard. Isn't that a fine name for such a street?
Electric Boulevard isn't too far from well known Nickel Plate Beach on Lake Erie, practically next to the eponymous railroad.
BTW Convicted One: I'm really enjoying the signal bridge on your postings, almost as much as Balt's old flying cat!
NKP guyBTW Convicted One: I'm really enjoying the signal bridge on your postings, almost as much as Balt's old flying cat!
For anyone knowing morse, there is a binary coded decimal message in the signaling, that can only be decrypted by using the hex value of the sky background as the key. A simple logic problem must first be solved to distinguish dots from dashes, and breaks previously indicated by the now eliminated white signals, are a little harder to pick out, thanks to Electroliner's suggested refinements.
My sole motivation being that the new, streamlined forum template made me feel obligated to freshen-up as well.
Convicted One Think I got it: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine" Rick NKP guy BTW Convicted One: I'm really enjoying the signal bridge on your postings, almost as much as Balt's old flying cat! For anyone knowing morse, there is a binary coded decimal message in the signaling, that can only be decrypted by using the hex value of the sky background as the key. A simple logic problem must first be solved to distinguish dots from dashes, and breaks previously indicated by the now eliminated white signals, are a little harder to pick out, thanks to Electroliner's suggested refinements. My sole motivation being that the new, streamlined forum template made me feel obligated to freshen-up as well.
Think I got it:
"Be sure to drink your Ovaltine"
NKP guy BTW Convicted One: I'm really enjoying the signal bridge on your postings, almost as much as Balt's old flying cat!
rixflixThink I got it: "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine"
Actually, it's a sarcastic condemnation of intellectual property rights law.
it says "Where were you standing when you took that picture?" lol!
This may be of no help but one point of interest here that I have experienced, most "official" highway maps put out by the state highway dept. or the state DOT tend to show rail lines whereas most "commercial" maps put out by Rand McNally or Universal do not.
A few state DOTs only indicate rail lines that have passenger service while others show all rail lines. I think Wisconsin's map, if I remember right, indicates which lines carry passenger trains and which are freight only by using two different colors for the rail track icon.
There are a few state DOTs like Arizona and California which, sadly, no longer publish such maps. Too bad really, 'cause Arizona used to have a really nice map. We'd pick them up at the border on U.S. 80 when we'd drive through the agriculture check point.
I THINK that maybe AAA maps indicate rail lines but I cannot remember for sure. I am not a member of Triple A.
Oh yes, and the "Gazeteer" maps put out by DeLorme also show rail lines. Abandoned lines are indicated in light grey while active lines are in black.
Fred M CainA few state DOTs only indicate rail lines that have passenger service while others show all rail lines.
As I recall, New York's rail map shows even long-abandoned lines. The DOT rail folks are pretty good.
tree68 As I recall, New York's rail map shows even long-abandoned lines. The DOT rail folks are pretty good.
Oh yeah? Does it show the NYO&W?
Fred M CainOh yeah? Does it show the NYO&W?
Yes, it does. It even shows the Sackets Harbor & Ellisburg, which came up in the 1860's.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger-rail/passenger-rail-repository/2019%20NYS%20Rail%20Map.pdf
Agree with the above comment regarding State Official DOT maps. Excellent maps. I grab a couple in each state travelled.
Regarding traffic density map...the atlas on Railfan Depot is a 2003 atlas. Does anyone know a source with current data? A few years ago an online map was located on one of the railfan photo websites, but I cannot recall which one.
The openrailwaymap is excellent - thanks to whoever suggested it.
ed
Fred M Cain This may be of no help but one point of interest here that I have experienced, most "official" highway maps put out by the state highway dept. or the state DOT tend to show rail lines whereas most "commercial" maps put out by Rand McNally or Universal do not. A few state DOTs only indicate rail lines that have passenger service while others show all rail lines. I think Wisconsin's map, if I remember right, indicates which lines carry passenger trains and which are freight only by using two different colors for the rail track icon.
A couple of years ago I was in a convenience store in the Joliet area and they had clearance prices on a couple of commercially published maps covering parts of the Chicago south and southwest suburbs. Before purchasing them, I did a quick scan to ensure they showed rail lines.
After examining them more closely, I noticed that the lines were labeled 'Norfolk and Western', 'Illinois Central', 'Rock Island and Pacific', etc. The maps were copyright 2013 and included the statement 'To the best of our knowledge, the information on this map was correct at time of printing'.
Ajsik Fred M Cain This may be of no help but one point of interest here that I have experienced, most "official" highway maps put out by the state highway dept. or the state DOT tend to show rail lines whereas most "commercial" maps put out by Rand McNally or Universal do not. A few state DOTs only indicate rail lines that have passenger service while others show all rail lines. I think Wisconsin's map, if I remember right, indicates which lines carry passenger trains and which are freight only by using two different colors for the rail track icon. A couple of years ago I was in a convenience store in the Joliet area and they had clearance prices on a couple of commercially published maps covering parts of the Chicago south and southwest suburbs. Before purchasing them, I did a quick scan to ensure they showed rail lines. After examining them more closely, I noticed that the lines were labeled 'Norfolk and Western', 'Illinois Central', 'Rock Island and Pacific', etc. The maps were copyright 2013 and included the statement 'To the best of our knowledge, the information on this map was correct at time of printing'.
I am not commenting about paper maps or Atlas'.
I own three Garmin GPS units. Each of the three display their information in similar but different manners.
My original unit made no reference to railroads - even when you are crossing them.
My second unit shows a representation of railroads wherever they are in the geographical area being displayed.
My third unit doesn't display a representation of railroads, however, it gives a audible and visual warning of a railroad crossing from 1/4 mile away.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
AjsikAfter examining them more closely, I noticed that the lines were labeled 'Norfolk and Western', 'Illinois Central', 'Rock Island and Pacific', etc. The maps were copyright 2013 and included the statement 'To the best of our knowledge, the information on this map was correct at time of printing'.
Looking through the USGS topo maps for a given area on Historical Aerials can be an interesting trip. The maps are usually an edition or two (or three) behind regarding railroad ownership.
That does make determining a line's lineage a little easier...
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