Anyone making DEM routes on request?

DEM needed for the Portland, Maine area

thanks

You mean the whole route, items and all, thats alot of work to make happen.

Or do you just want the Layout with landscape made from a dem, and track laid using shapefile information from the FRA?

The second option could be acomplished in a few days with a skilled person in transdem.

And you could even use satellite imagery from https://basemap.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/rest/services/USGSImageryOnly/MapServer

The imagery part takes weeks due to download speeds and quota limits imposed by map providers like the usgs link above.

To remake it in 3d with all objects takes years.


What route are you wanting done? (are there specific yards or railroad features you want, or are worth including.
More info might get someone interested to do it for themselves if you provide more specifics .

The national map states this about the imagery...

The National Map viewer allows free downloads of public domain, 1-meter resolution orthoimagery in JPEG 2000 (jp2) format for the conterminous United States, with many urban areas and other locations at 1-foot (or better) resolution also in JPEG 2000 (jp2) format.

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Allows free downloads of public domain 1-meter resolution orthoimagery.


Now, this most likely means creating utm tiles and sharing them in the Download Station for your route, is ok.
As long as you aren't uploading too many, using too much space on the download station? (utm tiles can.. take up entirely too much space)
gigs on gigs.

Being able to share the route files, AND the utm tile objects is best. And with the imagery above, its not subject to google data policy, even tho google got its data from the exact source that the linked .gov data came from, its just the above link's data has been quality reduced drastically for realistic affordable free delivery.

No, not the whole route... just the bare baseboards. I have had success with this going back to trs2004 & Hog. I own Transdem, but constant care for my ailing wife doesn't allow the time for me to go thru the whole process. It is getting harder for me to hold anything in short term memory. It is for these reasons that I asked here on the forums.

The area I would like do is Westbrook, Maine. it is home to the Pan-Am railway Mountain division, and the Boston & Maine once ran thru this area. That old right of way was converted to state hwy 25 and now carries vehicular traffic. The Mountain division tracks still exist up to and past Conway, NH. On the eastern end the mountain div connects with the main N-S line near the present day Portland, ME Amtrak station. Just across the bay is Rigby yard. I would prefer to make these in sections, then, merge them together.

Thanks, Mike

Do you know of any shape files that have the laid track already?

I wanted to make historic Allegheny mountain railway but its damn hard to find large area, detailed old maps of railroads.

TINE said:

Do you know of any shape files that have the laid track already?

I wanted to make historic Allegheny mountain railway but its damn hard to find large area, detailed old maps of railroads.

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Try the USGS server...it has shape files covering every state and mostly show really old lines also.

gawpo50 said:

Try the USGS server...it has shape files covering every state and mostly show really old lines also.

Click to expand...

Yea, I am more specifically talking about ones that have been trimmed to the routes and lines this person would like.

Its pretty easy to download a copy of OPENJUMP, and download the entire usa shape file and edit the file to cut out the not wanted lines and then post it.
Just don't MOVE any of the lines you wanna keep, while you edit them. They are geo positioned.


But theres so many lines in most areas, that it would be best for the requester(op) to edit and provide the shape file.
Then all lines wanted are included, and the shapefile can be split to represent the different sections wanted.

That then determines the dem scope and geotiff scope needed. It all starts with the shape file.

OpenJUMP ---> http://openjump.org/

The shape files here ---> http://www-cta.ornl.gov/transnet/RailRoads.html

The raw version QN contains the full semantic content. ---> http://cta.ornl.gov/transnet/qn48V.zip

The current version QC is an easier-to-use operational freight network that omits inactive lines and contains only current operators, but incorporates interlines as network links. --> http://cta.ornl.gov/transnet/qc48V.zip


I can't do it all son'.


So open the usa shape file.
Right click the layer, make it editable.
Select all the rails outside your target area, and delete them.
Rezoom the window ( click the globe icon) to check and see if you missed any deleted rail in hawaii or alaska.. if you got it all, your target rail area will zoom to full size, where you can tweak the rails to remove parts not wanted.
Select the different sections you would like and COPY each sections rail to a NEW layer.

Then save the new layers for as many sections as you want to new files, name them section1, 2, etc or some other name, email is a good way to send shapefiles to someone, they are small.

Is it possible for the op to do the shapefile? Or is that also an issue?

I may have that route/area already. Let me check my backups.

EDIT:

I don't have that, but I already have the DEM downloaded. I can generate the topomap for you.

Do you want ca. 1944 or thereabouts?

That will give you the old WRN&P as well as the Eastern Railroad, the GT in and around Portland harbor, Rigby Yard, and a whole lot which doesn't exist anymore including the Point Elizabeth line.

Wow, that is truly kind of you, John. Thanks for being so helpful to a community member. You made my day!

Hot_Box_Detector,

I have the GEOPDFs downloaded. They are from the 1940s-1950s timeframe. Do you want the RAW Transdem data so you can assemble the pieces? This will allow you to include the shape files for the tracks, otherwise, you'll have to hand lay track.

The GEOPDFs contain Portland and vicinity track including extant as well as abandoned lines of the Grand Trunk, Portland Terminal, WRN&P, and Eastern Railroad.

JCitron said:

Hot_Box_Detector,

I have the GEOPDFs downloaded. They are from the 1940s-1950s timeframe. Do you want the RAW Transdem data so you can assemble the pieces? This will allow you to include the shape files for the tracks, otherwise, you'll have to hand lay track.

The GEOPDFs contain Portland and vicinity track including extant as well as abandoned lines of the Grand Trunk, Portland Terminal, WRN&P, and Eastern Railroad.

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That would be great ! Thanks a million.:Y: attached files can be emailed to: you have a PM.

Might want to remove that email address before the spammers get hold of it! I'd pm it to John.

Would anyone like to make a DEM map of Chicago to St. Louis? Circa 1949

clam1952 said:

Might want to remove that email address before the spammers get hold of it! I'd pm it to John.

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Good Idea, Thanks, Durff

Anyone have the UP and BNSF dem routes between Bakersfield and Stockton Calif they are willing to share?

Many thanks to JCitron for the Portland, Maine DEM. Perfect area coverage. Once the map came into view, track laying was a breeze. All mainlines easily laid , Rigby yd turntable & roundhouse in place. Now, on to the "fun" part...adding details and buildings, etc...

Thanks a million. Durff

Not being funny, but isn't the OP request frowned upon by the Transdem author? If everyone who wanted a DEM based route set up for them got someone else to create it rather than buy the program themselves, Roland is not going to get the revenue to plough back into further development of his excellent utility...

Vern said:

Not being funny, but isn't the OP request frowned upon by the Transdem author? If everyone who wanted a DEM based route set up for them got someone else to create it rather than buy the program themselves, Roland is not going to get the revenue to plough back into further development of his excellent utility...

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In normal circumstances yes, but he owns TransDEM, but due to health issues with his wife, he asked for some help. In other situations, the answer would be no. I handed him the raw download files and let him continue with the rest of the project. I also had everything from a previous project I started except for two of the DEMS he needed.

Vern:
Yes, you are correct... normally one wouldn't do that. But I have owned Transdem since forever and upgrade & send Dr Zeigler money when I can. I was just stuck and John got me over the hump.

Thanks, Durff

Understood. Please ignore my wibbling!