I don't think USCGS maps are available in printed form now. Some of the last ones I got showed no evidence of such landforms as existing RR cuts from abandoned RR lines. It's been a long time since then, so I don't remember specific maps with this problem. IMHO, a map should show what is there. Maps are used for more than just driving from here to there. They show historians what used to be there, and indications of such things as abandoned RR's show why there is (for example) an existing cut or fill where no RR currently runs. If we rely on maps with incomplete data, I can imagine problems for those involved in construction projects.
Tom
For a fee, anything is possible. Uncle Sugar won't get it for free considering the other unfunded mandate that is currently a frankenstein mess as an overall system, hardly uniform.
If you have a smart phone, most web maps (Google, Bing, etc.) have a pretty good representation of railroads on their base map and can also show your location.
mudchicken Even the FRA's GIS is a joke. You are not gonna find much of a decent uniform geographically registered system until the market demands it. http://fragis.fra.dot.gov/Apps/GISFRASafety/ Union Pacific by far has the best in-house railroad GIS application.
Even the FRA's GIS is a joke. You are not gonna find much of a decent uniform geographically registered system until the market demands it.
http://fragis.fra.dot.gov/Apps/GISFRASafety/
Union Pacific by far has the best in-house railroad GIS application.
I was pretty disappointed with the FRA'S railroad dataset. I think I read in the metadata that it was digitized in the 90's from USGS 1:24k quads. With PTC coming, I bet we'll start to see higher resolution geospatial data at the national level. Could the FRA request that type of data from the Class 1's that they have either developed or had contracted?
The North Carolina DOT has recently digitized the state's rail network from 6-inch orthoimagery, and it's pretty detailed. No real attributes, other than maybe crossing id's, but it's impressive for data in the public domain.
NCDOT North Carolina Rail System
The map behind my Android "Navigator" app shows railroads reasonably well. I haven't really tried to pinpoint a geographic location (ie, a specific crossing) so I can ask for directions there, but it might be possible. It'll take me to road intersections, though.
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...
The sole purpose of a consumer GPS device is to help you find the right ROADWAY route to a location, not how to drive down a railroad track. Showing railroads would be courting disaster by people turning down them thinking they are a highway.
Whatever happened to reading an actual map?? A little advance planning goes a long way and I would find the screen on a Garmin contraption to be a distraction.
My Garmin doesn't show railroads at all. With the number of vehicles we get 'turning onto' the tracks without GPS indicating them - I would hate to hazard a guess of how many more would really think the track are a street if they were indicated on GPS.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
my garmin shows railroads only if zoomed way in. is there a recent and available brand and/or model that shows tracks well at any zoom level?
thanks
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