USGS "Historical' topo maps

[geophil]

From the EBT thread:

I just checked the USGS site again. There are 15 deg. topo maps from the 1920's and 1940's which show the EBT trackage. Those map cells are Union City, Orbisonia and Broad Top. The maps do show the mainline trackage, but unfortunately their large scale shows little detail on buildings and sidings, etc.

Four historical USGS 15' quadrangles in Pennsylvania: Huntingdon, Mount Union, Broad Top and Orbisonia, from the 1930s and 40s. GeoPDF in Polyconic projection, georeferenced in TransDEM, embedded neatline applied to cut off map collar, converted to UTM zone 17 and joined together as a group. (The 78th meridian is the border between zones 17 and 18):



(Searching the USGS site is a bit difficult as I haven't found an index for the 15' quadrangles. For the 7.5' series I can use the National Map Viewer.)

 

[KenRuof]

This is a great addition to TransDEM it seems to be easier than the TIFFS and better looking. I have run into a snag and not with TransDEM but USGS as I am unable to request any NED data. Is anyone else having this problem?

 

[geophil]

I have run into a snag and not with TransDEM but USGS as I am unable to request any NED data. Is anyone else having this problem?

The National Map Viewer server system appears to have its downtimes.

 

[saramos]

I receive an error message as well. I look forward to your update!

 

[saramos]

Interestingly, I just tried again, but using the bounding box method. Doing it this way rather than selecting from the grid worked.

 

[KenRuof]

Interestingly, I just tried again, but using the bounding box method. Doing it this way rather than selecting from the grid worked.

I have tried all different way but will give that a try again.

 

[geophil]

TNM Viewer seems to have access to the DEM database again.

 

[KenRuof]

TNM Viewer seems to have access to the DEM database again.

Yeah there be data!!! Thanks geophil... Now I can continue testing.

 

[normhart]

Hurray! I found a single 15x15 map section that actually shows both railroads I'm interested in and in a very important section, the Napa Junction. Sadly this is a very small portion of the total 41.6 miles of SFN&CRy track and even less of the SP Napa Branch. Not to surprising since they only operated at the same time between 1912 and 1938 and of all the maps only one is from within that date range from a 1916 survey. Fortunately the SP Branch remained fairly consistent until 1958 so the survey data from the 1899 and the 1943-1951 surveys should be of value.

For those who might be confused by the many identical survey dates that are offered from your Mark Points, if you move the cursor over the year in the listing a pop-up showing dates of the survey and any revisions shows.

Does anyone know if they will continue expanding this?

 

[saramos]

Ah, my interest is in the neighboring NWPRR.

 

[steamboateng]

The USGS NED sit is offline sometimes. Ignore the error notices and come back to it later. I couldn't get anything Sunday and it was rather sluggish Monday a.m. Seems ok today. Bureaucracies!