US rail atlas

[banjobenne1]

Can someone recomend a good rail atlas?

 

[DrW]

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/

is online and, as far as I can tell from my area, up to date.

[dknelson]

I think the answer partly depends on what you want out of it

For on-the-go railfanning in my car I use the Steam Powered Videos series of rail map books.  They show abandoned as well as "current" (as of publication date) lines which is fine by me since I love exploring former rail rights of way.  It does NOT show roads (old or new) so I also have the Delorme maps with me.   For planning at home, that is where Google maps and satellite view -- and street view -- are good adjuncts.  But for on-the-go, I prefer (and need) paper

For planning my future line adventures and seeking out places to explore, as well as for just plain interesting "sit by the fire with a cup of coffee" afternoons, the hard copy bound rail atlas maps by Richard C Carpenter are a genuine pleasure albeit (because of the cost) something of a guilty pleasure, and they are too nice (and now getting too hard to find) to take out on the road with me.  

Kalmbach's long out of print reprint of the 1948 railroad atlas from Rand McNally has its uses (I think they also offered a reprint of the 1928 Atlas which would be close to including the high point of main line railroad milage in the USA).  

Dave Nelson

[banjobenne1]

This is great not a topo map but the next best thing. Thank you!

[richhotrain]

dknelson

I think the answer partly depends on what you want out of it

For on-the-go railfanning in my car I use the Steam Powered Videos series of rail map books.  They show abandoned as well as "current" (as of publication date) lines which is fine by me since I love exploring former rail rights of way.  It does NOT show roads (old or new) so I also have the Delorme maps with me.   For planning at home, that is where Google maps and satellite view -- and street view -- are good adjuncts.  But for on-the-go, I prefer (and need) paper

For planning my future line adventures and seeking out places to explore, as well as for just plain interesting "sit by the fire with a cup of coffee" afternoons, the hard copy bound rail atlas maps by Richard C Carpenter are a genuine pleasure albeit (because of the cost) something of a guilty pleasure, and they are too nice (and now getting too hard to find) to take out on the road with me.  

Kalmbach's long out of print reprint of the 1948 railroad atlas from Rand McNally has its uses (I think they also offered a reprint of the 1928 Atlas which would be close to including the high point of main line railroad milage in the USA).  

Dave Nelson

 

I have Volume 4 of the Richard C. Carpenter rail atlas series that covers Illinois, Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. It is an outstanding rail atlas. The drawback is that the book costs most than $80 and only covers two states, so it would cost a small fortune to own the entire series.

Rich

[MidlandMike]

banjobenne1

This is great not a topo map but the next best thing. Thank you!

 

Every US topo map, including all historical editions, can be found at:

https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/topoview/viewer/#4/40.01/-100.06

 

There is also FRA's interactive GIS:

https://fragis.fra.dot.gov/gisfrasafety/