HOG route: How do I convert the textures into what they represent?

[jonwray]

I am downloading the route for King Hill to Nyssa, and it has those HOG textures. With those textures, how do I figure out how many tracks / what switches / etc. should go in the place?

 

[Kennilworth]

Hi jonwray

I'm not familiar with the route in question but from your comments I get the impression that it is just a bare dem map with only the hog lines showing. If that is the case then you will have to do quite a bit of research looking for maps, track plans, descriptions of the route etc for the period that you are modelling. I don't know of any shortcuts other than if someone else has done the research and is willing to share with you.

If this isn't the case then you will need to be more specific with your question.

Regards

Brian

 

[cascaderailroad]

The lines are only as accurate as the creators tracing skills ... roads, and rail lines may be off as much (or much greater) than 20m in all the x-y-z positions, with roads and rail lines drooping down into river channels, and way off, way up on hillsides. The lines are just rough 10m wide inaccurate guestimate tracings. Most lines are swervy, and not really straight, when in fact where the curvy line is drawn, this was in fact a straight track ... followed by a curve track ... followed by a straight track ... etc ...

 

[n8phu]

Track charts are a must with these routes.... what railroad is this for?

 

[jonwray]

Track charts are a must with these routes.... what railroad is this for?

Union Pacific

 

[JCitron]

The lines may also have been imported from the TIGER map .SHP file when the route was originally created in MicroDEM. From what I remember, the following colors are most important. I might be off so if someone could please correct me I'd appreciate it.

Red = roads
Black = new roads and corporate/city boundaries
Light Red = power lines (High tension lines).
Cyan (light blue) = rail lines
Blue = Water

There are others, but these are the ones I remember.

As has been posted, this method isn't all that accurate, even if imported from .SHP files, due to the positional inaccuracy of the TIGER map overlays. In some cases, water and rail lines can be as far off the mark as 20 meters or more. Combine this with the low resolution terrain, and it can be very difficult making accurate maps. In many cases, the world coordinates are off as well, making merging with currently-created TransDEM routes, or even other HOG-created routes difficult.

John

 

[HiBaller]

One other consideration that I have gone astray on: A HOG color depicting a track (for instance) suddenly changing into the HOG for a road - or a river. Now, is what you've already laid track on truly track, or a road or a river? Gotcha! I've seen roads that terminate in a river line, as well as rivers that aren't really rivers, bur roads alongside a dry draw.

Bill

 

[JCitron]

One other consideration that I have gone astray on: A HOG color depicting a track (for instance) suddenly changing into the HOG for a road - or a river. Now, is what you've already laid track on truly track, or a road or a river? Gotcha! I've seen roads that terminate in a river line, as well as rivers that aren't really rivers, bur roads alongside a dry draw.

Bill

I've seen that as well, however, in some cases it's true to life where tracks end and the old ROW becomes a road or pathway. On the TIGER overlays, it's difficult to discern between roads and paths as only the single color is used. I saw this recently, but I can't remember where, otherwise, I'd post an actual map of the area.

As far as becoming a river? I can't 'splain that one! It's probably misaligned overlays causing that.

John

 

[HiBaller]

My favorite misplaced/misidentified HOG color was a "rail" that terminated in a "T" and changed to pink to the right and red to the left. That would mean that a track terminated at the junction between a airport runway and a road. I wish I'd taken a screen shot of that one, and stuck it in the 'memes' thread.

Bill