Where to find maps?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to know where I could find maps of local railroads. I live in the York, Pa area and i'd like to find maps of the local system to help me make a layout. I know this was part of the Conrail system and I have a large map of that system but I would like a more detailed map of the local system. Specific internet sites would be helpful. Thanks

[Anonymous]

If you want area detail, the SPV atlases are very good.

If you want local detail, USGS 7.5 minute maps often suffice. They are available on-line, but the pixelization, in my opinion, makes them unusable for track detail and hard to use. The paper maps are in the $5.00-$6.00 range each.

If you want very accurate local detail -- enough to discriminate exactly where switches are -- some people like to use the terraserver aerial photos, free online. I find these very difficult and tedious to use, and often they aren't sufficiently clear.

If you want accurate, easy-to-read detail, you need the railroad's track charts or even better, if they exist, the railroad's engineering drawings. These are available, sort of, from collectors, which makes them hard to locate and often fairly expensive. They are not available from the railroads: either they threw them out years ago, they're not sure where to find them in the basement (and don't have the time to go look); or they consider them proprietary. But they ARE accurate. If I was building a layout, this would provide certainty. Try starting with the historical societies, railroad, state, and local; they may have these.

Sanborn fire insurance maps are wonderful, too, but also expensive and hard to get.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Mark. I tried the terraserver site and I agree it is very tedious to use. Free is not really an issue, although free is always nice if it serves the purpose.[:)] I've been looking on Ebay but what I want is pretty specific and I don't think I'll be lucky enough to find it on there. I guess the next step will be the historical society. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Another good source for maps is your local library. If the library is large enough it may have a USGS map colloection.

I would also check the closest college or university. Most university/college libraries have a USGS map collection for students to reference. If you're an alumni you can probably get in for free, or by paying a fee.

Hope this works for you!

[Dough]

The University of Georgia's map collection is fairly extensive and includes the Sanborn Insurance Maps. I have never looked at them however. What would they have about railroads? I know that they go into great detail on houses, for insurance purposes, but do they include actual track?

Also I have found many enginering maps on Ebay that seem to be quite extensive. And many of them are in the northeast. The one for Frontier yard was crazy. Unfortunatly, I still haven't been able to find a really good source for GA yet.

Edit: Check out this link:http://www.stores.ebay.com/modelgraphicarts/plistings/list/all/dept1/index.html

I don't know if they have anything next to you, but they do have some really good maps. And check back often, I just noticed that they have added a NS Alabama map...Getting closer! And it may be worth an email to see if they have some that are not listed.

[joseph2]

Walmart has Delorme Atlases for individual states.I have one of Indiana,it shows a lot of detail plus abandoned railroads,doesn't tell their names though.Cost $20,is in the hunting and camping section of the store.

[Anonymous]

The Sanborn maps provide very useful period information, and, yes, they generally show track, including sidings and spurs in urban areas. They also provide info on building sizes, construction and location. Also try some of the local photo collections in the area in which you are interested. Low altitude aviation charts are also useful for rural areas. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by joseph2

Walmart has Delorme Atlases for individual states.

These are a smaller version of the USGS maps and I would recommend to everyone to at least have one of your state. Good call on that, joseph2[8D]! I had completely forgotten about those!

Mapquest.com will also show railroads once you zoom to a close enough level, however, these maps are not very large.[:(]

[Anonymous]

The post by Dough above reminded me of the University of New Hampshire site, listed below, that contains old USGS maps for several time frames of New England .
Unfortunately, they go west only to New York. Perhaps U Penn has a similar site.
http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm

Art Schlosser

[Anonymous]

Both Western Carolina U and App State in NC have en exstensive USGS map collection with several old an new copies of each. It is interesting to put them side by side and look at what has changed since the maps where done.

[Anonymous]

You can get DeLormes from Amazon for around $14ea. Get a couple and get free shipping. Beats going to Walmart.

[Anonymous]

If you want to find a map of the New Jersey Transit Line's go to http://www.geocities.com/transit383/njtmap.jpg

[kgrantl]

Dave Cramer in Wisconsin has a web-site that lists

[kgrantl]

never press enter after "tab"
I have to remember this.
D Cramer ,Wisconsin :http://trainsite.8m.com
has a catalog available or you can go to
the track chart section to see if he has something
available for sale

[Anonymous]

For color arial photos try www.globexplorer.com their actual business is selling this images, so they have a water all over them, but for your purposes they may do fairly well. Also the unh site does have Pennsylvania topos, at least east of the Susquahanna, never needed them west of it.

[Valleyline]

I swear by DeLorme's "Street Atlas 2004 USA" software for excellent maps showing RR facilities.
It costs a few bucks, but it shows all US railroads in detail in addition to all of the out of the way highways and back roads to reach them. It's an excellent resource for creating computer printed maps, in a varity of scales, of unfamiliar or new territory.

[Anonymous]

If you need a USGS Topo map of York, I can
create one in the NGS Topo software for PA
and either email a large JPEG to you or put
it in the Files Section of

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/nshbgdiv/

Dave Kerr
Moderator
NS Harrisburg Division
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/nshbgdiv/

[mudchicken]

Colorado Railroad Museum has begun to release reduced sized sets of ICC Valuation Maps (1919-1926) for interesting parts of D&RG narrow gauge empire, starting with what is now the centerpiece of the Durango & Silverton along with the Cumbres & Toltec

[Allen Jenkins]

Topa565, I found, in a Walmart, around the checkout isles, ('other side from the candy), topographic maps for the state the store is located. I think they are DeLorme maps,about twenty dollars. They look like road maps, however they are highly detailed, and at least identify the present owner of the railroad rights-of-way. The major roads are identified, county and secondary roads are not, but every road is there, including the electrical power transmission lines, and with extreme accuracy. These maps are updated yearly, so by contacting the publisher at http://www.delorme.com/ , you can request, for a fee, the timespan you wi***o model. Consider too, the TrainzSimmers' are using digital elevation maps to re-create the lay of the land in 3D. That's a pretty heavy learning curve, just depending on how much you want to do. Enjoy Your Mapping!

[Anonymous]

DeLorme Topo USA makes maps for your computer which allows you to print out every railroad track in the country. You can minipulate each page with just the area you want to visit . I use it for every trip away from my local area and it really helps. I crossed the country following the Union Pacific all the way to Wisconsin from Neveda....never missed a road or railroad highlight. Check it out on the web......

[siberianmo]

topa565

QUOTE: I'd like to know where I could find maps of local railroads. I live in the York, Pa area and i'd like to find maps of the local system to help me make a layout. I know this was part of the Conrail system and I have a large map of that system but I would like a more detailed map of the local system. Specific internet sites would be helpful. Thanks

Topa565 - Thanx for asking the question - the answers provide some great sources for the maps![tup]

Really appreciate this info as I have always wondered about this, but somehow never followed up on it ...... I will use the maps for passenger rail trips between "here and there."

See ya![:)]

[Anonymous]

topt565 send me any location you wi***o have a topo map, including the railroads, and I will email it to you directly. I have topos for the entire USA....just need a detailed location, including state, and I will send off various maps....

[spbed]

I use Mapquest or Yahoo maps. [:D]

QUOTE: Originally posted by topa565

I'd like to know where I could find maps of local railroads. I live in the York, Pa area and i'd like to find maps of the local system to help me make a layout. I know this was part of the Conrail system and I have a large map of that system but I would like a more detailed map of the local system. Specific internet sites would be helpful. Thanks

[Anonymous]

Hey guys, there is another way to find a lot of information regarding trains, and railroads, etc. Go to www.RailroadData.com. I found this one by reading different things on the forums and found that It covers over 5000 different items relating to railroads, and anything associated with railroads. Check it out and have fun searching for what you are looking for.

ralph zimmer [e-mail] (new email address)

[spbed]

Thanks neat site [:o)][:D]

Originally posted by ralph zimmer
[

Living nearby to MP 186 of the UPRR  Austin TX Sub

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