Satellite Photo of the Empire Builder

[musher]

I was checking out the new satellite photo feature on google maps (maps.google.com), and was perusing around my parent's neighborhood, when I happened to find myself following the tracks west-bound toward the MSP station in St. Paul.

If I'm not mistaken, I do think that I see an Eastbound Empire Builder parked at the St Paul station! Cool, eh?! Just based on the train's position, color and consist, it sure looks like Amtrak to me.

Check it out!

If it helps, the address to search on is:

730 Transfer Rd., St Paul, MN

 

[musher]

By the way, by the position of the shadows on the buildings in the photos, they must have been running a bit late on that day!

 

[frank]

Hey Musher,

Small world, I was just looking at the same thing. I too noticed the EB there, and also noticed that it's probably close to noon, probably this time of the year, as things look brownish. There's no doubt that's the EB. No doubt that it's way late too.

Now what's really cool about Google maps.....I typed in 500 depot street whitefish montana, switched to satellite view, and followed (flew over) the EB tracks all of the way through Glacier and on into Williston, some 564 miles before giving up. Having ridden this route many times, I was able to discern lots of topo features that I know from heart.....the sweetgrass plains, certain steep turns in glacier and so on.

Very cool technology. I have a feeling it's going to turn mapquest to toast as soon as word gets out.

Frank

ps. To anyone trying the above mentioned, be sure to empty your internet cache afterwards as this stuff can store tons-o-gigs on your pc. Mine was smoking after that little trip.

 

[MrFSS]

The maps must have some age to them. I put in the town where I live and it doesn't show a Wal-mart that has been there for over two years. Likewise my house is 2.5 years old and our street stops, on the map, before getting to our place.

Interesting, though.

 

[Frank]

MrFSS,

I think most of the maps on Google are up to 3 years old, which is better than the Gov site I used to use that averaged 10 years.

Google also has acquired a new company called Keyhole, where you can fly into your house from space in a video format. You can tilt the image to see relief such as mountains etc. Pretty cool stuff, but it's a $ site.

I'd like to see this technology linked up with GPS, so that you could follow along on a laptop in realtime, watching your travels whether by train, car or plane, from high above. This would allow you to look out for particular terrain features or even let you know exactly how far away you are from your next stop or your destination.

The futures here, and it's pretty cool. You can only imagine where this stuff will be shortly. With improved satellite imaging and closer resolutions, you'll be able to pick a vacation spot and know exactly what you're getting, or decide whether or not a neighborhood is really where you'd like to raise a family. I like it. I'm just concerned about too close of a resolution, reminding me of my ever growing bald spot.

Frank

 

[WICT106]

National geographic has had the Aireal photographs on their website for several years now, but its not quite the same as Google. You can zoom in, but the panning isn nowhere near as smooth. The topographic maps are still among the finest in the world, though. Nothing really new here, just a smoother way of using something already in existance.