A Good Railroad Map?

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Woodcut60

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Dear Forum Members,

Perhaps this question has been here earlier, but I'll give it a try anyway. Are there any good detailed railroad maps available where you actually can follow the Amtrak trains through towns and cities, counties, etc.? I mean, a bit like the well-known road maps that are produced and published by Rand McNally. The map of the Amtrak System on amtrak.com is far too sketchy. What I'm looking for is a detailed one where I can truly track my journey across America.
 
If you're a AAA member, fairly detailed maps oriented for driving are free. Before a long-distance train trip, I often get AAA maps covering the places the train will go, and use the Amtrak system map to mark up an approximation of the train's route. This is usually close enough to tell me what I'm seeing out the train's windows. And it's free.
 
Google Maps... https://www.google.com/maps ...has one too if you click on the "Directions" icon and type in the endpoints along with "Amtrak". Then click on the "Transit" icon when the routes open up and then "Schedule Explorer" on that same page. Search the Schedule Explorer drop-down menu for the train you want and select it. The route for that train will show up on the map as a baby blue line. If you select "Satellite" at the bottom of the map you can then scroll in and see what there is to see along the route (still highlighted in baby blue).

It's a little complicated at first and I probably did a lousy job of explaining how to use it, but once you figure it out it makes it easier to preview a trip without getting lost - especially in urban industrialized areas where the tracks go all over the place.
 
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Often the state road maps (free from each state's tourism board) have the rail tracks on them as well.
As an example, the Nevada state highway map shows the entire route of the CZ in the state. Also, the AAA Indian Country Guide Map shows the route of the SWC from Needles, CA to Las Vegas, NM.
 
One other type of map that will surely show the train tracks is a topographic map. I find the easiest to use are the scrollable ones available here: http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm? Some websites have topographic maps that are searchable: https://www.topoquest.com/find.php Here's an example of one with Chicago Union Station close to its center:

CHIUnionStnTopob.jpg

In addition to terrain features such as elevation benchmarks and elevation contour lines, these types of maps contain the names of man-made things not found on other maps - such as the name of some railroad siding out in the middle of nowhere (like a now-dismantled siding named Kennedy just SW of Lamy NM).

If you're interested in history, the USGS has its old maps on file in pdf format but I find that site very difficult to navigate. Some time ago I managed to find a topographic map of St. Paul MN dated 1896 which was saved to file. Just tried to find it again here... http://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=262:1:0::NO:RP%2C1%2C18:: ...but failed. Anyway, those old topo maps contain a snapshot of "the way it was" back in the olden days - if you can figure out how to work the website.
 
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I use DeLorme Street Atlas USA on my laptop. It contains detailed railroad depictions on its maps. It is available with a GPS receiver. Including the GPS and maps of the entire USA, it's only $50. I use it regularly crossing nearly from coast to coast, and it works flawlessly. It takes relatively little storage to load up all the USA maps. One can then follow the journey with no internet connectivity whatever.
 
All depends what you're looking for. I have a number of railway atlases which are really excellent, but they generally are very sketchy on surrounding things like roads. However, there's nothing better for answering the question "Hey, we just passed a junction, where does that railway line go?", which I often find myself asking...
 
Before a run I normally use google maps. But on the train I have an old GPS for a car with railroads on it. And I follow it in that. The other fun thing about that if you get bored you can look up the different restaurants along the route
 
One other type of map that will surely show the train tracks is a topographic map. I find the easiest to use are the scrollable ones available here: http://www.mytopo.com/maps/index.cfm? Some websites have topographic maps that are searchable: https://www.topoquest.com/find.php Here's an example of one with Chicago Union Station close to its center:

attachicon.gif
CHIUnionStnTopob.jpg

In addition to terrain features such as elevation benchmarks and elevation contour lines, these types of maps contain the names of man-made things not found on other maps - such as the name of some railroad siding out in the middle of nowhere (like a now-dismantled siding named Kennedy just SW of Lamy NM).

If you're interested in history, the USGS has its old maps on file in pdf format but I find that site very difficult to navigate. Some time ago I managed to find a topographic map of St. Paul MN dated 1896 which was saved to file. Just tried to find it again here... http://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=262:1:0::NO:RP%2C1%2C18:: ...but failed. Anyway, those old topo maps contain a snapshot of "the way it was" back in the olden days - if you can figure out how to work the website.
From the USGS, you can download (free) entire 7.5 minute sheets from different times up to the present. The files are geo-referenced PDF files viewable in Acrobat ...

http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/usgs/maplocator/(ctype=areaDetails&xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd&carea=%24ROOT&layout=6_1_61_75&uiarea=2)/.do
 
It's even possible to modify a map to suit your own purposes. As an example, here's a map depicting all of three train routes over (and under) Steven's Pass in Western Washington including that now used by the Empire Builder:

WASkykomish1905,05Snapg.jpg

The first two routes (the one highlighted in green and the one labeled Cascade Tunnel #1) were on a USGS map dated in 1905. Because that map pre-dated the present Cascade Tunnel, the current tunnel was added by using a more recent map. The end result is a topographic showing all the routes used from 1893 to the present.

Who'd like to go back 120 years and be a Great Northern passenger taking the surface route (in green) with its eight switchbacks?
 
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I'd be interesting in a big Amtrak system map that I could put on my wall. Anyone know about one of those?
The Amtrak system map on their website is a PDF about 1 meg in size...it might hold up enlarged to 16x20 or so. Might ask Amtrak...probably no but, you never know!
Some depots have a really great map framed behind the desk but they won't let them go! A friendly travel agent might let you have an old one. There are several listed in the archives and you could have the file professionally printed full size. Occasionally I see them on eBay but not often, set up a search and eBay will email you when one comes up, I see prices of $3 to $15 plus S&H for different versions.
 
Some of the railway lines on that map no longer exist.
And for those interested in a bit or railroad history, that's a good thing. For instance, the openrailwaymap link shows the location of the now abandoned Milwaukee Road trackage between Avery ID and Bryson MT. While it doesn't look very interesting on that website's map, when seen on an old USGS topo map...

IDAveryTaft1917c.jpg

...it's quite spectacular - at least to me. The 27 miles of track between Avery and Bryson feature an amazing number of bridges and tunnels. I think all the rails have been torn up, but traces of the roadbed are still visible on Google Earth.
 
Some of the railway lines on that map no longer exist.
And for those interested in a bit or railroad history, that's a good thing. For instance, the openrailwaymap link shows the location of the now abandoned Milwaukee Road trackage between Avery ID and Bryson MT. While it doesn't look very interesting on that website's map, when seen on an old USGS topo map...IDAveryTaft1917c.jpg

...it's quite spectacular - at least to me. The 27 miles of track between Avery and Bryson feature an amazing number of bridges and tunnels. I think all the rails have been torn up, but traces of the roadbed are still visible on Google Earth.
Most of that former Milwaukee route in that area is now a bicycle trail. And from all accounts, a rather impressive one.
 
Sometimes a single USGS topo map can't be found that contains all the desired features, but a couple of adjacent maps can be stitched together with some success. Such was the case for this interesting stretch of track just south of Spruce Pine NC first laid by the Carolina Clinchfield & Ohio RR:

NCAltapassNorthCoveb.jpg

It originally had 18 tunnels in a stretch of about 14 miles but one tunnel has been converted to a cut. I think this route is still in use.

The map above was stitched together digitally using FastStone software. Maps can also be assembled from printed copies of digital maps which are trimmed and taped together, but they aren't quite as clear as when done digitally - at least when I do it. Perhaps somebody who knows what they're doing may have better luck in making one that's not a fuzzy as mine.
 
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