If I use a railway map or schmatic as a referance like Trains Maps or Steam Powered Video or any of the yard drawings from a publication how differant does it happen to be to make it my own and keep the lawyers at bay.
Some publications will include intentionally erroneous entries so a direct copy is obvious, at least to those who know the mistake.
Compiling a map using a variety of sources probably isn't going to get anyone in trouble. Likewise, personal use is rarely a problem. It's only if you sell someone's product as your own that there will be issues.
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...
Yes, Larry; I learned about the intentional errors many years ago. After seeing that this is done, I understood some errors on certain maps.
Recently, I noticed that Bing had a misspelled name for one of the roads near my home town--the road was namded for a man who had lived on it (as several other roads were, including one with seven brothers and sisters living on it; one brother lives on a connecting road, and two sisters live elsewhere, though one did live onit for a while). I sent Bing a note, saying that the last name of the man (whom I had known personally) was misspelled, and the name is now spelled correctly. On the same map, an alley with a right angle turn is represented as a street. A Greyhound bus could come part way up the alley (one did, one evening), but it could not have made the turn.
Johnny
This post was the first I've heard of this site: openrailwaymap.org. Very interesting. In my area, I saw no signs of lifting from spv. The data seems to come from GIS overlays (which include a pretty complete track layout with sidings and everything). It's actually a lot better than what SPV can offer.
Openrailwaymap looks to be a potentially handy resource, but also appears to be a work in progress. Just a quick look around my immediate area of eastern WA/northern ID/northwest MT revealed several areas where some significant abandoned routes are not indicated, and at least one public trail that's shown as being a former RR grade even though track never existed anywhere close to it.
I'll hazzard a guess that the data shown may have a lot to do with what data the state department of transportation can provide in GIS form. I know that Massachusetts and Vermont are very good, showing track charts and all sorts of information. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that other states are not so.
Bruce KellyOpenrailwaymap looks to be a potentially handy resource, but also appears to be a work in progress.
A version of "open street map?" That site makes no bones about being a work in progress.
Pretty good resource. It even shows the electrical grid in our area.
Thanks for the heads up. I did notice a minor error. The CN ex GTW mainline was referred to as the Elsdon Sub, when it is actually the South Bend Sub...minor issue.
Ed
Chris:
GIS had little or nothing to do with the englishmen's (Walker's) efforts. State level GIS in most states is still a work in progress even now, generally goes stupid around railroads. SPV appears to be using old USGS 1 x 2 quads plus other sources like rand McNally and others. I can use SPV's material as a reference lead to other details (frequently do); but there are errors, some of which were created in the older mapping data. Even USGS, which has larger resources at its disposal, is capable of the occasional blunder.
It is truly hoped, trackrat888, that this won’t be overly offensive to you or anyone else, but from the title of this thread alone one has to ask: Are you perhaps in elementary school or a high school dropout?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
K. P. Harrier It is truly hoped, trackrat888, that this won’t be overly offensive to you or anyone else, but from the title of this thread alone one has to ask: Are you perhaps in elementary school or a high school dropout?
A good possibility, I must agree.
The other option (assuming he's not an outright troll) is that he's easily outraged, leading to everything being a "zomygod" moment. If that's the case, he needs to do a little more research before posting such drivel here. All too often it turns out that he's outraged by something that most folks consider routine...
mudchicken Chris: GIS had little or nothing to do with the englishmen's (Walker's) efforts. State level GIS in most states is still a work in progress even now, generally goes stupid around railroads. SPV appears to be using old USGS 1 x 2 quads plus other sources like rand McNally and others. I can use SPV's material as a reference lead to other details (frequently do); but there are errors, some of which were created in the older mapping data. Even USGS, which has larger resources at its disposal, is capable of the occasional blunder.
When I was in college, GIS jobs seemed to be the thing. Get that ESRI certification and you were golden. When I looked into that a few months ago (I'm always hunting for a new line of work), there were forums filled with GIS people who couldn't find jobs.
Is there much of an effort to complete (for lack of a better term) GISificationing all these data?
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Depends on the organization/ company, their commitment/ funding for it, and the current purpose/ need for it, among other factors.
MC can speak to the Class 1's mapping of their current systems to support implementation and operation of PTC, which is much better than the run-of-the-mill GIS databases.
Historical and archival info - such as abandoned RR's - not likely that anyone but a hobbyist/ railfan would be doing that.
PADEP has a very comprehensive GIS for environmental data - permit locations, etc. I believe FEMA also has a lot. PennDOT - not so much, except for selected applications (though they desperately need it). Some utilities are big on it (see: http://www.thearrogroup.com/services.cfm?id=19074 ); others are "Huh ?". City of Allentown had a very dedicated surveyor about 15 years ago - Don Hirst - who put everything onto a well-run GIS database (funded by water and sewer departments there, not the general budget). Some counties (Northampton being one) use GIS for their Tax Assessment maps, which also include some other basic attributes (floodplains, soil types, woodlands, municipal boundaries, etc.), so that's how they justify the cost of it. It's available on-line to anyone, and not too hard to navigate; in contrast, Lehigh County's is locked away on the 5th floor someplace.
- Paul North.
New York State DOT actually has a fairly comprehensive map of railroads past and present in the state.
Current railroads are pretty accurate, however abandoned lines are not labelled at all.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/operating/opdm/passenger-rail/passenger-rail-repository/2013%20NYS%20Rail%20Map.pdf
Good map, but it's in 'PDF" format = a printed paper copy, not GIS.
GIS is usually more interactive (not always a 'value-added' feature, though), and often includes a lot of other data on different 'layers'. As examples, if the data's available and has been added in, you can selectively add roads (to follow the line), bridges, tunnels, 'stations', grade crossings, major industries, intercahnge points, number of tracks, yards, former RR names, current line designations (name and number), CP names, siding names and lengths, grades, etc. Others here can probabaly elaborate on this.
I have met trackrat888. He's an adult and acts in person a lot like he does in his posts. I never bothered to ask how much school he finished.
Patrick Boylan
Free yacht rides, 27' sailboat, zip code 19114 Delaware River, get great Delair bridge photos from the river. Send me a private message
gardendance (3-13):
Thanks for your personal testimony.
When one articulates a perspective well and it is understood by all, people can focus on the rightness or wrongness of that perspective. But, if another can’t even discern what the perspective is because of improper English or a rattlebrain presentation, more controversy than needed is inspired. Forums by their nature often polarize and antagonize those having opposite views, but the situation is immensely intensified by incoherency.
Public speaking is a gift, and those that do well at it often get a following. But a consistently incoherent public speaker will get the opposite, antagonists that don’t like things that don’t make sense and wastes everyone’s time. Public speaking is easy enough to learn, and if one gets the sense of it, they will go a long way in making convincing presentations.
Best,
K.P.
K. P. Harrier gardendance (3-13): Thanks for your personal testimony. When one articulates a perspective well and it is understood by all, people can focus on the rightness or wrongness of that perspective. But, if another can’t even discern what the perspective is because of improper English or a rattlebrain presentation, more controversy than needed is inspired. Forums by their nature often polarize and antagonize those having opposite views, but the situation is immensely intensified by incoherency. Public speaking is a gift, and those that do well at it often get a following. But a consistently incoherent public speaker will get the opposite, antagonists that don’t like things that don’t make sense and wastes everyone’s time. Public speaking is easy enough to learn, and if one gets the sense of it, they will go a long way in making convincing presentations. Best, K.P.
It may be that the subject is not well-read, or else has read little that was well written, and thus has had little exposure to good composition. Granted, we learn to speak by hearing other people speak and we attempt to imitate what we hear. But, exposure to good writing, whether it be fiction or fact, can be instructive in learning to communicate clearly.
As to anyone's being an adult, we do expect certain behavior of a person who has reached voting age (which was 21 until the boys who were drafted into the army complained they if they were old enough to be drafted they should be allowed to vote (and, two of my brothers joined the navy when they were sixteen, after having graduated from high school the year before, just after they turned sixteen)).
Oh, how I miss spel Czech!
Duplicate post.
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