Install Google Earth and then open the various links on this site - railroads past and present all across the US. Scroll tot he bottom for the individual Class 1 railroads.
http://www.msrailroads.com/Google_earth.htm
–Randy
Randy,
Yes, a useful reference. I will note that some of the detail in a couple of arcane areas I checked on the Monon wasn’t quite right, although they get you close. A look at the Rio Grande file showed some brown lines penciled in, perhaps someone’s additions? Or maybe just the way they did that one?
I think the off0color lines are other railroads, with or without an association to the main one that is the subject of a given file.
I noticed some of that with the Reading map, small branches that went to mines that, if they were there now, would go up and down grades so steep a loco wouldn’t be able to lift itself. However, 60-70 years ago, what’s there now was likely not an open pit mine and so the ground was more level. And if the Readong one is any indication, it shows branches that were gone even before the 1930’s - I think the object of the maps is to show every part of the railroad that ever was, not a snapshot of a particular timeframe.
–Randy
That would be great, but seems a work in progress from the two examples I saw.
The Monon case was they basically brought the line up to the quarry, then just ended it. No real attempt at any of the several configurations of track I know about on the site and the dead end they did show was not really plausible in terms of needed to overcome a certain quarry wall IIRC[:O]
All that track was shown in the same color so I took it all as Monon, which AFAIK it was.
The Silverton example was the in town trackage. It too has seen changes and that’s pretty well covered, but mostly in an alternate color. The reall sticker is the wye that’s used to turn trains and then back into town for departure, which is also in the contrasting color. It’s all Rio Grande and always was, so not sure what’s going on there. I thought maybe the alternate color was the crowd-sourced part of the file maybe?
Definitely not shown in Silverton were any of the other three lines that came into town, but I’ll give them some time on those, since they were all gone by WWII.
I don;t think there is any attempt to put in the details - like sidings, yards, etc. In the ones I looked at, they just have a single line going through where a yard is (ins ome cases - STILL is, which you can see by zooming in. SO it’s more a representation of mainline routes, less all the auxiliary tracks. Maybe they will add on and put in all teh detail, but I kind of doubt it. I think there’s be too many lines overlapping each other - oh, here is the passign siding in this town in 1910, then in 1950 they added a second track, and in 1990 they extended the length of 31 track to handle longer modern trains… you’d havelines crossign each other all voer the place
–Randy
I use Google earth frequently but haven’t worked with those links. I’ll have to try it out. But, I’m a map crony, and I’ve been re-educating myself on the Reading, the Catawissa branch in particular. I’m downloading USGS top maps considered historic and comparing them to sat images on Google earth. It’s a great time and I’ve made some enlightening discoveries. But I’ll definitely give those links a whirl.
Mark H
Also try Bing - sometimes they have better detailed bird’s eye views of areas Google doesn’t have covered, and you can often follow former rail lines by the differences in the trees.
–Randy
Applaud the authors for their efforts.
Maybe they don’t suit everyone’s desires, but a lot of effort is required.
Done route paths for Virtual railroad programs and it is work.
The historical rail lines are really impressive.
Harold
Found this reference over on Elvas Tower Forum:
Download Railway Network, the file has all the routes in the US in a .shp file.
Covert it to a .kml using:
http://www.zonums.com/shp2kml.html
The kml will show all the railroads in the US in Google Earth:
Looking on Google Earth at the Millville, NJ area where I grew up and there are routes long abandoned showing up.
Same with Delaware where I am living now.
Harold
Harold,
Sounds like an interesting resource. However, no matter what I do, I can’t manage to convert the file to .kml. This may just be my XP telling me it wants to be replaced…
I’m slowly adding routes to my Google Earth railroad maps. Right now I am just focusing on main lines but I plan to add individual sidings and spurs in the future. I just do it as a hobby in my spare time, so things progress slowly. I would welcome any additions and corrections anybody can provide. I was hoping to get other people interested and have a team of people working on the maps, but so far it’s mostly just me. While I have decent knowledge of the railroads in the southeast, I have to depend on what maps I can find online for other parts of the country. I use old topo maps, Sanborn maps, timetables, property maps, ICC valuation maps and anything I can find, but sometimes that isn’t much. In my maps, you can click an individual line and bring up a construction history of the line based on ICC valuation information. Hopefully I can add other info and abandonment dates in the future. I also plan to add railroad structures and can link a history of the building and photos like Paul Delamere has done with his excellent Canadian railroad maps for Google Earth. I’d also like to add streetcar lines and interurbans, but that’ll take some time, too. If anybody is willing to contribute on areas they are interested in, I’d love to hear from you!
Tony