Visualizing RR routes on maps

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velotrain

Service Attendant
Joined
Jul 29, 2019
Messages
150
Location
Boston
As I was reading the Buffalo station thread, I found myself wanting to look at the rail routes being discussed on a map of the city. However, I find Google Maps almost totally useless for this, as they depict rail lines in a very thin faint gray line - which I find very difficult to detect - much less follow among everything else, especially their highlighted paid-for advertising locations.

For some time I've used a site named Ride With GPS for planning and documenting my bicycle tours. The benefit for me is that I can map out routes very quickly, with satellite view and other alternate map backgrounds available. I would often use street view to tell if a small road was paved or dirt. Although I sometimes felt I could create a most excellent 5-day tour remotely, I would always drive the route the previous fall to ensure that everything would work. The benefit to the riders was that they could download the map and "cues" onto the Garmin GPS device mounted to their handlebars, without needing the traditional cyclist cue arrows painted on the pavement.

I've previously used RWGPS for laying out walking routes and other non-cycling functions. One pragmatic note is that you can use the "Follow Roads" function if you are in fact on roads or bike paths, but if it is a RR track or anything else not mapped by Google then you need to use the "Draw Lines" function, which requires clicking to establish the route through Control Points.

Also note that only this OSM map background shows RR tracks so clearly, although if you create - And Save . . . WAIT for the processing to end, and then select View, a route you can later look at in in the standard Map or Satellite views. If trying to follow track I suggest doing this at least once at any curve, and you can place many of them in an arc OR go back later and CAREFULLY adjust your C.P.'s to create additional C.P.'s to round the curve more smoothly, as the line is like a stretchable rubber band - just beware it snapping back at you!

I will be attaching an image of a map I just created showing Buffalo's Exchange St. and Depew stations at the extreme bottom left and top right. What I particularly like is the clarity of the rail lines - certainly as compared to Google ;-). Basic use is free, and the next level up ( ~$6/month I think) allows functions such as adding POI's (Points of Interest) to the map. Note that this software was designed to assist cyclists and can easily be adapted for other functions, but Please don't ask the vendor to make changes to suit AU users! There are many tutorials and learning aids on the site. I'm not a techie but got used to the basic functions rather quickly, although as with any software there will be many small learning lessons along the way.

I realize there may well be sites with more up to date RR maps, but doubt they show them in the context of the rest of the environment, or allow you to quickly jump between base map styles. There are side and bottom panels you can collapse individually, or use the subtle Full Screen box.

If curious, I believe you can create an account, then go to my link and save it as your own file and start playing - er, drawing. For a start, you might try grabbing the right end of the red line and extending it to Depew - I had to draw something to save it as a Route. There is a handy Undo button on the bottom right. However - if you ever get in a tangled situation where things keep getting worse, just back out without Saving - you'll lose some work (perhaps Save often as you go along), but you'll quickly find how easy it "Can" be to work with.


https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30945906


NeGIuAM.jpg
 
I haven't used the app you mention but, I do use Open Street Map on my Garmin GPSMAP64st and in an app called US Topo Maps Pro on my Galaxy S9 and my Galaxy Tab A tablet. I create "point-to-point" routes with each station being a point. I just "follow along" on my GPS or tablet. Attached is a map created in Expert GPS of actual GPS "track logs" from previous trips. I use Garmin BaseCamp to create the routes.
 

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I haven't used the app you mention but, I do use Open Street Map on my Garmin GPSMAP64st and in an app called US Topo Maps Pro on my Galaxy S9 and my Galaxy Tab A tablet. I create "point-to-point" routes with each station being a point. I just "follow along" on my GPS or tablet. Attached is a map created in Expert GPS of actual GPS "track logs" from previous trips. I use Garmin BaseCamp to create the routes.

I don't have GPS or any digital devices myself and just use this for planning purposes at home. I'm not really interested in that level of detail while actually traveling, preferring to get my information from looking out the window.

I wish your map used varying colors to distinguish separate trips and some sort of directional arrows to assist interpretation beyond just seeing the Amtrak LD routes.
 
Openrailwaymap.com is a lovely tool to use. However it doesn’t have 100 percent of the lines or abandoned lines yet. But it has a lot and I do mean a lot.

I use google maps to map out the 1952 Official Guide of Railways. I will publish that map when I’m done here probably in November when it’s done. It could be done sooner but I strongly doubt that will happen.
 
Actually, the GPS runs 24/7 while I'm on the train...just records the "track"...little attention needed except a glance now and then to see the speed, direction, location, distance to next station, etc.

The map shown is composed of individual routes or segments and can each have its own colors. I can select one or more individual routes All of that is too much (color) to display on a single map especially where parts of different trips occur repeatedly over the same routes.. Each individual LD trips would involve many individual maps..
 
Street Atlas USA Plus by Delorme used to be a decent tool, but they were bought by Garmin and promptly shut down. I believe 2014 was the last full version containing rail lines. I still use several features of the program for travel planning, cross-referencing with Google Maps for more recent changes. It did a very good job on my last Empire Builder trip with the GPS receiver stuck to the roomette window.
 
For my purpose, just following along while riding Amtrak trains, I find VZ Navigator to be useful...it even identifies the railroad that owns the tracks you are on or near, once you zoom in to a certain level...
 
The CN Route Map Atlas is great with shows all North American railways and not just the mainlines but yard tracks also.

http://cnebusiness.geomapguide.ca/

Here’s the detail around Newark….an area not even served by CN:



If you are just looking for Canada. Good detail here:

https://rac.jmaponline.net/canadianrailatlas/

Nice. Looking out here in the west, the UP yellow is hard to see! Also, the route lines are pretty loose. Part of the UP Coast Line cuts across the water between Ventura and Santa Barbara! Perhaps the red CN lines are somewhat accurate.
 
Also, the route lines are pretty loose. Part of the UP Coast Line cuts across the water between Ventura and Santa Barbara! Perhaps the red CN lines are somewhat accurate.

You have to zoom all the way in. Yes the yellow for UP is a bit hard to follow but it appears accurate and not cutting through the water when you zoom in. Here’s along the coast at Ventura:

 
Openrailwaymap.com is a lovely tool to use. However it doesn’t have 100 percent of the lines or abandoned lines yet. But it has a lot and I do mean a lot.
This one's good for the most part, it's largely based on openstreetmap info. Abandonedrails is hit or miss. Chicagorailfan has some good maps of former routes. The Amtrak tracker map is good for Amtrak routes for the most part except the BBRR segment of the Cardinal.
 
As I was reading the Buffalo station thread, I found myself wanting to look at the rail routes being discussed on a map of the city. However, I find Google Maps almost totally useless for this, as they depict rail lines in a very thin faint gray line - which I find very difficult to detect - much less follow among everything else, especially their highlighted paid-for advertising locations.

For some time I've used a site named Ride With GPS for planning and documenting my bicycle tours. The benefit for me is that I can map out routes very quickly, with satellite view and other alternate map backgrounds available. I would often use street view to tell if a small road was paved or dirt. Although I sometimes felt I could create a most excellent 5-day tour remotely, I would always drive the route the previous fall to ensure that everything would work. The benefit to the riders was that they could download the map and "cues" onto the Garmin GPS device mounted to their handlebars, without needing the traditional cyclist cue arrows painted on the pavement.

I've previously used RWGPS for laying out walking routes and other non-cycling functions. One pragmatic note is that you can use the "Follow Roads" function if you are in fact on roads or bike paths, but if it is a RR track or anything else not mapped by Google then you need to use the "Draw Lines" function, which requires clicking to establish the route through Control Points.

Also note that only this OSM map background shows RR tracks so clearly, although if you create - And Save . . . WAIT for the processing to end, and then select View, a route you can later look at in in the standard Map or Satellite views. If trying to follow track I suggest doing this at least once at any curve, and you can place many of them in an arc OR go back later and CAREFULLY adjust your C.P.'s to create additional C.P.'s to round the curve more smoothly, as the line is like a stretchable rubber band - just beware it snapping back at you!

I will be attaching an image of a map I just created showing Buffalo's Exchange St. and Depew stations at the extreme bottom left and top right. What I particularly like is the clarity of the rail lines - certainly as compared to Google ;-). Basic use is free, and the next level up ( ~$6/month I think) allows functions such as adding POI's (Points of Interest) to the map. Note that this software was designed to assist cyclists and can easily be adapted for other functions, but Please don't ask the vendor to make changes to suit AU users! There are many tutorials and learning aids on the site. I'm not a techie but got used to the basic functions rather quickly, although as with any software there will be many small learning lessons along the way.

I realize there may well be sites with more up to date RR maps, but doubt they show them in the context of the rest of the environment, or allow you to quickly jump between base map styles. There are side and bottom panels you can collapse individually, or use the subtle Full Screen box.

If curious, I believe you can create an account, then go to my link and save it as your own file and start playing - er, drawing. For a start, you might try grabbing the right end of the red line and extending it to Depew - I had to draw something to save it as a Route. There is a handy Undo button on the bottom right. However - if you ever get in a tangled situation where things keep getting worse, just back out without Saving - you'll lose some work (perhaps Save often as you go along), but you'll quickly find how easy it "Can" be to work with.


https://ridewithgps.com/routes/30945906


NeGIuAM.jpg

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/?fbclid=IwAR0vclm87KT7SiyDuCGT9TMmMK4gXVZ0W6FfCwp4KvWuTYnNGXQkUPovY_8

Try this link. It may be what you are looking for.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Actually, the GPS runs 24/7 while I'm on the train...just records the "track"...little attention needed except a glance now and then to see the speed, direction, location, distance to next station, etc.

The map shown is composed of individual routes or segments and can each have its own colors. I can select one or more individual routes All of that is too much (color) to display on a single map especially where parts of different trips occur repeatedly over the same routes.. Each individual LD trips would involve many individual maps..

I'm sure it's very satisfying to you, but for anyone else it just shows that you live in or near DC, and have taken all the LD routes south and west of Chicago. I can appreciate that separate colors for the individual trips could make it complex.

Not helpful for RR applications, but RWGPS does allow stacking routes for viewing separately or all at once, such as here with the day rides out of Kingston for the free day on last year's Mid-Hudson tour.

https://ridewithgps.com/events/48674-m-ht-2018-day-3#routes/26820556/preview

This function comes with an advanced membership, so a friend did this for me after I gave him the individual routes.
It could be used for walking routes from a central start point.
 


As I suspected there are many options for viewing railroad tracks. In the case of the Buffalo example, I was interested in seeing the tracks in relation to the built-up city, and RWGPS gives me the option to toggle between the map and satellite view - which I doubt any of the others do.

However, I use it primarily for the ability to draw a route on it, walking or otherwise.

Here is the route from the Burlington Downtown Transit Center (bus connection from Vermonter) that I'll use Saturday night. In this case I'm taking a shortcut with alley/walkway segments, so needed to use the Draw Lines tool for those. I've been in Burlington some two-dozen times, but not recently and I haven't previously used all of these walkways. I used map as I felt the satellite view was too cluttered. I'll just be 2-3 blocks from my noon ferry on Sunday (bottom left corner).

REsMxtv.jpg



This is the map for my route from the Schenectady station to my lodging on Sunday afternoon. It's admittedly not complex, but I'll use a printed copy as my walking map while in town. I'm retro so prefer paper maps and don't own a digital device to carry. I recently termed myself a "gentle Luddite" - I have no desire to destroy modern technology, but feel I can get along quite nicely without most of it. On the way I'll look at Cafe Coffee to possibly supplement my continental breakfast in the morning, and check out Frog Alley - maybe stopping for a pint.

PyCbX8v.jpg


After reading reviews and checking menus I've selected 20 North Broadway (NE from station) for dinner, but might stop at the Moon and River Cafe on the way back to see what their music is - reviews suggest it's a slow and iffy place to eat, but you can sit and listen to the music for tips. Liberty St. is clearly the more direct route to dinner, and provides variety.

I realize this isn't very sophisticated, but it's what works for me and I thought it could be a useful tool for others in some manner.
 
I use motion x gps app on my iPhone. You can download maps of the route before you leave. You do not have to know the exact routing to do this. It works well and if you download to detail level 12 you get a pretty good idea of where you are. It even shows separate alignments of east and west bound tracks between Roseville and Colfax.
 
I love openrailwaymap, but it is really slow and sometimes the line names don't show up which can make it hard to figure out who owns a segment.
 
I love openrailwaymap, but it is really slow and sometimes the line names don't show up which can make it hard to figure out who owns a segment.
Indeed, and sometimes I've found that openstreetmap (on which it's supposedly based) often has better information like mileposts. There are also times where the track overlay orange/yellow/brown/black is completely missing yet the underlying layer shows track.

It's supposedly a collabroative site like a wiki, yet I haven't found a way to even go in myself and edit. Also the search feature doesn't work and there's no way to save a link to a particular set of coordinates. Lastly, sometimes you have to really zoom in to see if there's double track.
 
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