View source for Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Trains/Maps task force

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==Initial tagging==
I've gone through [[:Category:Wikipedia requested maps]] and [[Template:North America class I]] and tagged articles with Mapneeded=yes as appropriate (and a few, like [[Wisconsin Central Railway]], with Mapdetails to give more information).  There are quite a few more that still need to be tagged, especially when we look at railroad companies and train routes worldwide.  We've got our work cut out for us. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 03:46, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

[[:Category:Trains project articles needing maps]] now has 112 articles in it. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 03:47, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

:There's the articles listed on {{tl|US class II}}, now we're up to 124 maps needed.  [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 04:09, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
:I got a start in going through the articles on {{tl|US class III}}, getting up through the reporting marks that start with C.  It's getting late here, so I'm going to bed now and plan to get back to tagging in the morning.  If anyone else wants to finish off the class III lines, feel free (just leave a note here on how far you get). [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 04:21, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
:Tagged D, E and F on {{tl|US class III}}.  We now have 178 in the map needed category. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 15:14, 13 August 2006 (UTC)
:There, I'm through that template now, and I went through {{cl|Amtrak routes}} as well.  We're up to 313 articles that need maps now, and we haven't even started on the list of railroads and trains operating outside of the US.  [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 19:42, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

==Data Source==
For the maps I've been making I've been using http://www.bts.gov/publications/north_american_transportation_atlas_data/ as my source - does require GIS software to use.  Note the date is 1998 so it doesn't include the most recent mergers.  [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 15:34, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

How accurate is it?  The publicly available railroad GIS layers I've looked at for New York State are essentially worthless.  They're very precise but not very accurate.  For example, they list sections of the Rutland east of Norwood, even though that railroad doesn't exist.  And they are missing sections of the New York and Ogdensburg which does exist.  They're so bad that I created my own dataset for New York State.  It's not as precise but it's far more accurate. [[User:RussNelson|RussNelson]] 02:56, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

:I'm not sure really - I've been using it for national scale maps, so detailed accuracy isn't really important.  I haven't checked it against any other sources to see how good it is.  I have noticed that many lines are missing data, that is the location is shown but without any ownership information.  [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 05:21, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

==[[Metra]] maps==
I noticed that Slambo tagged [[Metra Electric Line]] with "maps needed".  I wondered about making a bunch of Metra maps myself.  Should they be real, to-scale maps, or are schematics more appropriate for commuter railroads? [[User:Gws57|Gws57]] 16:58, 15 August 2006 (UTC)

:I'm more inclined to build maps that show the lines with all their curves and bends in a more to-scale representation.  A schematic could be used to show all the lines on a summary article about the entire system, but once we get down to individual lines, they should be rendered realistically.  [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 17:16, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

::I agree with Slambo's inclination, but would like to add that I think any map showing the Metra Electric line in detail should also show the South Shore ([[NICTD]]) line. They share tracks between downtown Chicago and 115th St./Cottage Grove Ave., which represents a considerable portion of both lines. They also share seven stations (Randolph St., Van Buren St., Roosevelt Rd., McCormick Place, 57th St, 63rd St., and Kensington). In any case, the map should at least include the NICTD's route up until it crosses into Indiana. <small>—The preceding [[Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages|unsigned]] comment was added by [[User:68.72.174.16|68.72.174.16]] ([[User talk:68.72.174.16|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/68.72.174.16|contribs]]){{#if:16:23, December 6, 2006|&#32;16:23, December 6, 2006|}}.</small><!-- Template:Unsigned -->
:::Sounds reasonable to me as long as South Shore owned infrastructure is labeled as such. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 12:25, 7 December 2006 (UTC)

==Consensus==
So let talk about a consensus on how maps look. I not sure how many have made maps but it is not easy. I use photo-shop to make mine, but scale is the big problem. Most of the ones I had to make more then once were due to the problem of scale. I will be the first to say that I am not realy happy with the way they look. The problem is that old rail maps are not around of these railroads.
[[User:Lazarus-long|Lazarus-long]] 16:05, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

:There are several different styles in use currently, these are just a few...

<gallery>
Image:Bnsfmap.png|[[BNSF Railway]]
Image:Scott Special route.png|[[Scott Special]]
Image:Boston and Lowell Railroad 1887.png|[[Boston and Lowell Railroad]]
Image:1923 MEC.jpg|[[Maine Central Railroad]]
Image:B&A on US map cropped.png|[[Boston and Albany Railroad]]
Image:Qingzangrailwaymap.png|[[Qingzang railway]]
Image:Nys-railroads.png|[[List of New York railroads]]
Image:SouthIsland rrMap v02.svg|[[List of New Zealand railway lines]]
</gallery>

:Of these, the BNSF map is closest to the style that is preferred by the [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Maps|Maps project]].  I created the Scott Special map based on [[:Image:US state outline map.png]], cropped and edited with The GIMP to add the route line and labels.  The only problem that I run into (other than time) when I have the resource data to correctly draw the route is that I don't have specific map making software. 

:I like the way that both BNSF and Scott Special look, mostly because they show the most important data for the map (the routes that are discussed in the article and how they relate to political borders) and they don't include an extreme amount of data that cause the route to be lost and difficult to follow.  An interesting coincidence that I see is the choice of color for the route &ndash; the majority of railroad maps use a bright red color for the route. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 17:16, 19 August 2006 (UTC)

:: I did make the BNSF one with the Maps project in mind.  I like the way the Scott Special one looks as well, I prefer it to the B & A map.  I think the others all have their place though.  Historical maps like the MC one are neat and should be used where they're available.  I tend to prefer geographically correct maps to schematics like the B & L one, but if you don't have the actual track location a schematic may be the best you can do - also some lines with stations very close to each other like commuter lines might be better shown by schematic.  Adding topography is nice for routes that were famous for going over mountains, I wouldn't add it for all though as it can make the map harder to read. 

::The Maps project recommends using SVG over PNG and that probably would help your scale problems.  I haven't been able to make a SVG map that looks nearly as nice as my PNG ones though, though that might just be me knowing how to use Photoshop a lot better than Illustrator. [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 13:24, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

I created Image:Nys-railroads.png and could create similar maps for individual New York State railroads with relatively little effort.  I agree with Slambo that the Scott Special is a nice representation, particularly since it shows the stations along the route.  It clearly requires a fair bit of hand work.  However, that would not be appropriate for a map that shows a system map of the entire New York Central.  For that, the BNSF map, or my Nys-railroads map is more appropriate.

== System Map Location? ==

Where should system maps be located on the page?  I looked at a few pages, and whenever a system map exists, it is the  top image in the infobox.  However, some infoboxes have the railroad's herald there.  Seems to me that there ought to be a standard place for displaying the railroad's herald as well.

I ask because I want to auto-generate a bunch of system maps for New York State, and I want to be able to auto insert them as well. <small>—The preceding [[Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages|unsigned]] comment was added by [[User:RussNelson|RussNelson]] ([[User talk:RussNelson|talk]] • [[Special:Contributions/RussNelson|contribs]]) 22:17, October 7, 2006.</small><!-- Template:Unsigned -->

:What you're seeing is a difference in the presence of specific infobox parameters.  Where a railroad logo is added, it will always appear above the map area in the infobox.  Both the logo and map parameters are optional and their respective rows are hidden if the parameters are not specified. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 14:35, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

::W00t!  Okay, what do people think of this one:   [[Delaware and Northern]] [[User:RussNelson|RussNelson]] 17:05, 8 October 2006 (UTC)
:::I'd brighten up the color used for the route, I think it blends into the background a little too much.  Otherwise, it's nice [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 16:28, 9 October 2006 (UTC)

== A few undecided features in maps ==

I've tried my hand at a few maps:
* [[:Image:DMIR Map.png]] ([[Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway]])
* [[:Image:BNSF Map.png]] ([[Burlington Northern Railroad]] and the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]])
* [[:Image:RRVW Map.png]] ([[Red River Valley and Western Railroad]])
* [[:Image:CNW Map.png]] ([[Chicago and North Western Railway]])
* [[:Image:MNNR Map.png]] ([[Minnesota Commercial Railway]])

Now that I look back at these, I see I haven't been using a consistent style for these maps.  Beyond that, though, I'm looking for feedback on a few things I've done:
# I've been using dotted lines and/or different colors for trackage that has since been abandoned.  (Except for the RRVW map, where I used dotted lines for trackage rights on other railways.)
# For the most part, I've used thich red lines for the primary railroad, and other colors for other railroads in the area.  An exception is the BNSF map, where I used BN's green color and ATSF's blue color to show those lines separately.  Do we have any sort of color standard?  Actually, can you help me come up with a color standard for consistency?
# Should I show the names of major cities along the route?
# Is it useful to show the highways in a metro area along with the railroads, like I did with the MNNR map?

I welcome any other comments on the maps I've drawn so I can be consistent and clear in what I'm doing.  --[[User:Elkman|Elkman]] - [[User talk:Elkman|(Elkspeak)]] 21:26, 13 October 2006 (UTC)

:There hasn't been any standard.  I've been using red for the primary railroad as well.  I noticed that many of the railroad companies use dotted lines for trackage rights on their own maps, so that may be a good way to go.  For cities I'd say it depends on the scale, for the railroads that cover large regions I've left them out, but if it just covers 1 or 2 states they make a useful reference point.  On the MNNR map I think the highways are a little confusing, they could easily be taken for other railroads - just having cities is probably good enough.  [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 15:58, 17 October 2006 (UTC)

== The colors I used on my NYS map ==
    'BnO': 'saddlebrown',
    'BnM': 'limegreen',
    'DnH': 'blue',
    'DLnW': 'purple',
    'EL': 'red',
    'LV': 'peru',
    'NYOnW': 'khaki',
    'PSnN': 'palevioletred',
    'NYC': 'green',
    'NYNHnH': 'purple',
    'PRR': 'dodgerblue',
    'LIRR': 'dodgerblue',
    'Rutland': 'plum',
    'Shortline': 'orange',

I took these colors (more or less) from the New York State Railroad Network Map linked here:
[http://russnelson.com/ny-rail-network-small.jpg]  The names of the colors are standard X Window System names; ask if you need to have RGB color numbers to go with them.

==Test of a CSX division exported from ArcMap==
[[Image:CSX Appalachian Division.svg|100px]]

Obviously it is not completed; I would add trackage rights and other divisions and fix the labels. But is the general idea good? I also hope to distribute my changes to the [http://www.bts.gov/programs/geographic_information_services/ BTS GIS data]; I added columns for the divisions and subdivisions. --[[User:NE2|NE2]] 01:34, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

:It's good, but I think readers who aren't familiar with US geography wouldn't have a good idea of where it fits in the country.  Maybe if you added an inset to show where this lies within the US; the map on [[Monaco]] shows one example of using an inset, but with the smaller land area in the inset. [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 12:08, 14 November 2006 (UTC)

I decided to make a full map first, but I need a few questions answered: [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject Trains#Questions for anyone familiar with CSX operations]]. Please help. --[[User:NE2|NE2]] 01:00, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

:Here it is; it still has a few possible errors but it's good enough for the article now:
[[Image:CSX map.svg|1024px]]
:--[[User:NE2|NE2]] 22:19, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

== First time making a map for Wikipedia ==

So my first attempt was on a whim for [[Black Mesa and Lake Powell]] railroad in northern Arizona. Before I add it anywhere, can people tell me if it is suitable? Thanks! [[User:Shorelander|Shorelander]] 02:01, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

[[Image:Black_Mesa_and_Lake_Powell_RR_Map.png|500px]]
* The name of [[Coconino County, Arizona]] is misspelled.  Otherwise, the map looks really good -- it's nice and professional.  You might want to show a little larger area to give the map some context -- like showing the northern border of Arizona, or some more of [[Lake Powell]].  I don't know about putting small black lines on either side of the thick red line for the railroad -- I don't think it adds much, and it might not scale very well if a smaller thumbnail is used.  Those nitpicks aside, I think the map is completely suitable.  --[[User:Elkman|Elkman]] - [[User talk:Elkman|(Elkspeak)]] 02:39, 19 December 2006 (UTC)
: Well, that's a showstopper. I'll get back to the lab tomorrow or Wednesday and fix it up. I wasn't thinking about thumbnail-sized images at the time, but you're totally right. I wish I could take a ''cartography'' course in addition to so many ''GIS'' courses. [[User:Shorelander|Shorelander]] 04:26, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

:: I uploaded a new version (that can be seen above). Comments? I changed it so that I think it looks better than the original in shrunken form.[[User:Shorelander|Shorelander]] 00:29, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
:::I think it is an improvement.  Taking out the smaller streams and labels was a good move.  I'd draw in the road connection between 89 and 98 (they do connect, it's just not highway for that little bit).[[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 02:07, 21 December 2006 (UTC)
::::Just got back to the lab from break and got that done (got rid of the extra polygon lines in Lake Powell as well). I'm going to add it to the page! [[User:Shorelander|Shorelander]] 22:28, 18 January 2007 (UTC)

== Program to generate map? ==

Hi,

I am trying to improve the state of the article [[Rail transit in metropolitan Denver]] and associated articles.  I have precise coordinates for all the stations and reasonably precise track coordinates.  Any suggestions on a program that will generate a map based on this data?  Ideally, I'd like something similar to the London Underground maps.  I have not been able to find out how people are generating maps like that.  --[[User:BetaCentauri|BetaCentauri]] 03:38, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

:By the way, I am curious.  How are people obtaining the track data for underground railways if there is no GPS access?  --[[User:BetaCentauri|BetaCentauri]] 06:18, 20 December 2006 (UTC)

==Bus route map==
Since there's no bus wikiproject, I'm going to ask for comments on [[:Image:Newark buses.svg]] here. Apologies if no one cares. --[[User talk:NE2|NE2]] 14:49, 31 January 2007 (UTC)
:I think it looks good, if you have it available it could use another feature to help people orient themselves (Interstates maybe?), but really it's fine as it is.  [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 17:27, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

== Map style from German Wikipedia? ==

I'd be interested in joining this task force, if people are interested in the creation of route maps using the model used on the German Wikipedia. I have produced one as an example at [[St Albans Branch Line]] - any thoughts? [[User:AlexTiefling|AlexTiefling]] 19:25, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

: See [[Wikipedia:Railway line template]], http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia_talk:WikiProject_UK_Railways#WP:TRAIL and [[Wikipedia talk:WikiProject UK Railways/TRAIL]] [[User:Pickle UK|Pickle]] 20:18, 15 March 2007 (UTC)

== Request for assistance ==

Hello all!  Sorry if this isn't the place for this ... the very nice map of the [[Baltimore Light Rail]] system (Image:BaltimoreLightRail.png) is now out of date, as the Maryland MTA has changed the routing.  (An updated map is [http://www.mtamaryland.com/services/lightrail/schedule/LtRailAug-07%20copy27.pdf here].)  I don't have the graphic skills with which to fix said map, and the wikipeidian who created it appears to now be inactive (a request posted to his talk page has gone unanswered).  Wonder if any of you mappers would want to take on the redrawing effort! --[[User:Jfruh|Jfruh]] ([[User talk:Jfruh|talk]]) 13:45, 10 October 2007 (UTC)
:I'll update the existing one, though if anyone wants to make a brand new SVG version, that would be better yet.  [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] 14:07, 10 October 2007 (UTC)
::Looks great, thanks so much! --[[User:Jfruh|Jfruh]] ([[User talk:Jfruh|talk]]) 15:18, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

== Need some help ... ==

Been working on a couple of related articles, [[Heartland Flyer]], [[Lone Star (passenger train)]] (incl Texas Chief), [[Inter-American (Amtrak)]] among them.  ALL need [[maps]].  The up side is that all share at least some trackage, which should make map-making easier.

I actually ''have'' taken [[cartography]] classes (in the early 1990s) but I'm not up to date on preferred tools.  I have all three platforms available at home (and 2/3 at work), but would prefer something [[Open Source]].  I'm open to ideas.

OTOH, I would not object at all if someone else would care to make the maps ... :-)

I hope to add some timetable refs this weekend so that route differences (there are a few) will be clearer in the articles.  --[[User:Plaws|plaws]] ([[User talk:Plaws|talk]]) 22:46, 14 December 2007 (UTC)

:For the maps that I made, such as on [[California Southern Railroad]] and [[Scott Special]], I used the public domain map of the US state outlines and then GIMP to draw the line and label the points.  [[User:Slambo|Slambo]] [[User talk:Slambo|<small style="color:black;">(Speak)</small>]] 16:15, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

::Cool, thanks.  I see the base map.  How did you add the dots in the correct spot?  Eyeball it? Also, any advice on particular tools within [[The Gimp]]? --[[User:Plaws|plaws]] ([[User talk:Plaws|talk]]) 18:23, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

==1st Attempt==

I have added a German style map to the [[Telford_Steam_Railway|Telford Steam Railway]] page, my first try at one. Comments and suggestions would be greafully received. --[[User:WaltTFB|WaltTFB]] ([[User talk:WaltTFB|talk]]) 19:31, 13 January 2008 (UTC)

==Map Needed - work with this task force - Hiow?==

[[User:Pyrotec|Pyrotec]] has said that article [[Whitby and Pickering Railway]] is in need of a map (it already has a location map) and that it should be provided in conjunction with this task force.

I am willing to try and provide another map to meet this request but all examples given here deal with the USA and this is a very early UK railway (horse worked at that).  Having no facilities to draw a map from scratch, I am thrown back on maps from the period (1830's).  I do have a (slightly rough) JPEG file of the map submitted with the application to parliament - but the original is around 4ft long, very little detail could be seen condensing it to screen width.  There is another slightly earlier map described as 'Map of the District connected with the Proposed Railway', which is still quite large and includes most of Yorkshire; however it is suitable for trimming to a smaller scope, which might then be suitable for use (providing a black and white map is acceptable).

If neither of these is acceptable, then please tell me what is?

Help and advice happily accepted.

[[User:XTOV|XTOV]] ([[User talk:XTOV|talk]]) 23:00, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

== How's this style? ==

I just made [[:Image:Union Pacific Railroad system map.svg]]. Should any of the colors or line styles be changed? --[[User talk:NE2|NE2]] 23:15, 26 August 2008 (UTC)
:I think it looks good, a definite improvement over the one I had made.  [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] ([[User talk:Kmusser|talk]]) 13:20, 27 August 2008 (UTC)
:I really like it.  I'm wondering if there is (and if not, why not) an Open Source cartography tool.  Or should we be looking to the [OpenStreetMap.org] project for these tools?  They '''do''' make nice map tiles. [[User:RussNelson|RussNelson]] ([[User talk:RussNelson|talk]]) 00:38, 7 October 2008 (UTC)
::It looks nice, but you might want to add some more background data - a few cities and different colours for USA, Mexico and Canada, for example, just to make it a real map instead of just a plot of routes. [[User:Classical geographer|Classical geographer]] ([[User talk:Classical geographer|talk]]) 15:57, 7 October 2008 (UTC)
:::The only problem with that is that (other than the different colors) I'd need to redo the additions each time I find an error. --[[User talk:NE2|NE2]] 16:57, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

== US Line schematic maps ==
I would be interested in producing schematic maps for rail lines in the US in a similar manner to the UK and German lines. No one seems to be doing this except for some Amtrak Routes and similar. Is anyone else working on this? I was going to start on Wisconsin as that is where I live. Any comments anyone?--[[User:Wickifrank|Wickifrank]] ([[User talk:Wickifrank|talk]]) 00:05, 4 January 2009 (UTC)

:You mean something like this: [[La Junta Subdivision]]? I've been wondering why this has not been made earlier or more widely. --[[User:Tve4|Tve4]] ([[User talk:Tve4|talk]]) 15:00, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

::So if somebody makes a line template for an article with a "Needs Map" tag, does that mean I can removie the "Needs Map" tag? I recently tagged the [[R1 (SEPTA)]] and [[R2 (SEPTA)]] articles with that parameter, and they had maps attached less than two days later. ----[[User:DanTD|DanTD]] ([[User talk:DanTD|talk]]) 23:11, 12 January 2010 (UTC)

:I've done schematic maps for a few East-coast articles, e.g. the B&O/CSX [[Baltimore Terminal Subdivision]] (current configuration) and [[Old Main Line Subdivision]] (historical, as of 1917). The latter one shows both current stations and closed stations, with appropriate color coding, and closed towers. [[User:Caseyjonz|Caseyjonz]] ([[User talk:Caseyjonz|talk]]) 16:52, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

I have added more info to the [[Green Bay and Western]] page to the point where it needs a route diagram. I have the info to do this but no matter how many times I read the route diagram template page I just don't get it. Is there a "Templates for Dummies" page - oops I am sure use of "for Dummies" is a copyright violation!. But I need a real simple how to guide. Please reply on my talk page. Alternatly I can list the info for someone else to do it. But would really like to be able to do this. Years ago it seemed to be easier to cut, paste and edit something someone else had done - that does not seem to work now. --[[User:Wickifrank|Wickifrank]] ([[User talk:Wickifrank|talk]]) 13:25, 28 September 2011 (UTC)

== More Pittsburgh Light Rail line templates ==

More [[Pittsburgh Light Rail]] lines need individual maps like that of [[:Template:47 Drake]]. Actually, ''all'' of them should get those templates, just in case articles are written on all individual lines. ----[[User:DanTD|DanTD]] ([[User talk:DanTD|talk]]) 16:00, 24 January 2010 (UTC)

== Non-schematic route maps ==

I have geographical (i.e. non-schematic) route maps for most of the New England (historical) railroads and I'm seeking guidance on how to introduce them into the Trains WikiProject.  The routes are in the form of KML files which are suitable for Google Maps (and Google Earth) but posting these on a Google base would, I think, involve copyright issues.  For an example, of this kind of map, see the Wiki page for [[Billerica and Bedford Railroad]] (look under the Maps section).

I like the look of some of the maps mentioned on this page, for example the one in Arizona.  That looks really nice.  But where did you get the base map?  And how did you get the route to overlay the basemap?

[[User:Rchillyard|Beowulf]] ([[User talk:Rchillyard|talk]]) 17:58, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
:For the U.S. you can probably get a decent basemap by using the National Atlas [http://www.nationalatlas.gov/natlas/Natlasstart.asp], that has railroads on it as well, but for historical railroads you may have to copy your basemap into a graphics program and draw them in. [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] ([[User talk:Kmusser|talk]]) 21:09, 10 May 2010 (UTC)
::The main requirements are that (1) I can import polylines (in some GPS-type format) and (2) that the maps have sufficient detail of roads, etc. that the railroad tracks can be shown in context.  Google Maps has both of these properties, but as I say there might be copyright issues.[[User:Rchillyard|Beowulf]] ([[User talk:Rchillyard|talk]]) 03:45, 11 May 2010 (UTC)
:::Yes, Google maps can't be used due to copyright and I don't know of anything else that uses KML directly - to convert those to something else you probably need some [[GIS]] software. [[User:Kmusser|Kmusser]] ([[User talk:Kmusser|talk]]) 12:06, 11 May 2010 (UTC)


[[User: James_Shelton32|James]]([[User talk:James_Shelton32|talk]]) 20 December 2016  I am working on US 19th Century routes and I used cropped images of historical maps from the Library of Congress, which has state, county and year attached to the map, and the New York Public Library.  
I currently search for the year and location on the Library of Congress site and crop the image with a CCS crop.  I would like to have a tool that could go in the badge of a rail map request, that could look for maps from the years and locations of the railroad of the request and open each map up in a crop tool that would produce a CCS crop after the user positions the borders.  First all maps would need to be imported from the Library of COngress and New York Public library, and libraries of other nations, with location and year information for more efficient searches.

Identify and categorize existing historical railroad maps (Need mass import, Library of congress and other libraries already have year and location data attached to the maps.

== How do you request a map? ==
{{Railways in Cameroon}}
How do I request a map be made? OR! How can I make one myself? The line is [[Raritan River Railroad]]. --[[User:Metallurgist|Metallurgist]] ([[User talk:Metallurgist|talk]]) 04:27, 19 October 2010 (UTC)
:You can make a stylised map template with [[Wikipedia:Railway line template]], which gives an end result like what you see on the right.
:This has advantages and disavantages compared to a conventional map (I like the vertical format, it's easy to read but doesn't disrupt the text of an article).
:Alternatively, if you'd like somebody else to draw a map for you, try asking over at [[Wikipedia:Graphic Lab/Map workshop]].
:Sorry nobody replied earlier - I guess this talkpage doesn't get much attention. (If there's anything I can do to help, try my talkpage).
:[[User:Bobrayner|bobrayner]] ([[User talk:Bobrayner|talk]]) 15:53, 19 November 2010 (UTC)

== Helping out ==

Just found this project, and it appears to be semi active, but you have a list of 3000 articles requiring maps for. Whilst I may not be able to draw maps very well, is there any way I can help you out? As you seem to have s big job ahead of you.

If you wish I could simply do something as come up with a list of articles that have a higher priority than others.
Any thoughts?
Thanks,<br/>
Lucas,

[[User:Lord Castellan Creed|Lord Castellan Creed]] ([[User talk:Lord Castellan Creed|talk]]) 22:31, 18 January 2011 (UTC)

== Amtrak needs a map! ==

The system map formerly used in the [[Amtrak]] article was deleted, due to it apparently being a copyright violation.  The article now desperately needs a new map.  Is there anyone here who can help?  Thanks, [[User:BMRR|BMRR]] ([[User talk:BMRR|talk]]) 20:59, 4 September 2011 (UTC)

== Creating maps for railway articles - new tool ==

Hello, as member of a developments team of [[http://ShareMap.org/ ShareMap.org]], Creative Commons Web GIS tool I encourage everyone to try using ShareMap for creating maps for railway or streetcar articles.

ShareMap can use geospatial data from Open Street Map and NORTAD railway maps (currently only Canada and Mexico).

All maps created with ShareMap are in SVG format and are licensed on CC-SA-BY 3.0 license, so it can be easily reused on Wikimedia projects (without any permissions);

Examples of maps created with ShareMap:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Railways
! Streetcars
! Other
|-
| [[File:Railways in Tanzania.svg|250px]]<br/>Railways in Tanzania
| [[File:Arkhangelsk tramway network.svg|250px]]<br/>Arkhangelsk tramway network
| [[File:Pony Express Route.svg|250px]]<br/>Pony Express Route
|}

For more informations check out [[commons:User:ShareMap|ShareMap Wikimedia Commons page]].

--[[User:Jkan997|Jkan997]] ([[User talk:Jkan997|talk]]) 23:27, 12 November 2011 (UTC)

== Fixing a KMZ ==

I found a KMZ file - open source - that contains a fairly complete list of railways in Southern Ontario. I'd like to use this as the basis of a series of maps for the articles I'm writing. Jan's post above seems like an ideal solution for the display side.

But first there are a series of very minor errors in the file I'd like to correct. Nothing serious, just minor mis-alignment of the lines with the underlying map data. So the first thing I'd like to do is perform the minor edits to clean this up.

The file naturally opens in GEarth on my machine, is this the editor I should be using? If so, can someone point me to an intro doc on editing? If not, can someone point me towards a Mac-based tool I might want to use?

[[User:Maury Markowitz|Maury Markowitz]] ([[User talk:Maury Markowitz|talk]]) 17:21, 15 August 2013 (UTC)

== ShareMap - Wikimedia grant - community feedback needed ==

Hello members of WikiProject Trains
ShareMap is a collaborative map creation tool (already mentioned at this page). It is  currently applying for Wikimedia grant to continue project development. 
One of of ShareMap principles is to provide tool for create train maps on free licenses (both both existing and rail dismantled systems) that can be easily reused.

Currently there are a lot train maps:
* [http://sharemap.org/category/railways http://sharemap.org/category/railways]

Also this maps are often used at Wikipedia - just take a look to some Amtrak routes articles (ie. [[w:California Zephyr]]) or some coutry rail system maps (ie. [[w:Egyptian National Railways]])

Here is video screen cast how to create railways map:
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8IFqFs5cMw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8IFqFs5cMw]

One of grant results will be creation free mobile off line map viewer application for maps created by Wikimedia community, which feature can be useful for train fans during outdoor trips.

I will be very happy for endorsement, opinions or even criticism from all community members on Wikimedia grant project.

[[meta:Grants:IEG/ShareMap#Part_3:_Community_Discussion]]

If you would like to learn more about ShareMap project please visit:
*[http://twitter.com/ShareMap_org ShareMap Twitter Channel]
*[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:ShareMap ShareMap on Wikimedia Commons]

--[[User:Jkan997|Jkan997]] ([[User talk:Jkan997|talk]]) 10:51, 15 October 2013 (UTC)

==Map needed==
I shall be grateful for somebody creating maps for the following railway line pages in the Punjab area, India:<br/>
1. [[Ambala-Attari line]]<br/>
2. [[Jalandhar-Jammu line]]<br/>
Both the pages have Railway Route Templates showing important stations. Some of these stations are linked to pages with coordinates. - [[User:Chandan Guha|Chandan Guha]] ([[User talk:Chandan Guha|talk]]) 15:14, 8 April 2014 (UTC)
:* The [[Amritsar-Pathankot line]] is also in the same area and may also please be included in the list. Thanks in advance. - [[User:Chandan Guha|Chandan Guha]] ([[User talk:Chandan Guha|talk]]) 12:45, 10 April 2014 (UTC)

== Has this Project died? ==

As far as I can tell (from the postings to this page) little work is being done on this railmaps project. If I am wrong please accept my apologies - I must be looking in the wrong place. If I am right and little new work is being done can I suggest a reason. The process of constructing a route diagram, as I would like to do for railways in Wisconsin and the Midwest has become incredibly burdensome. It used to be that you could just copy, edit and paste but that now seems impossible. The system no doubt is more pleasing to those whose interest is programming graphics but has likely put off the rail hobbyist who has the data but little interest in the minutiae of how it displayed. Thoughts anyone?[[User:Wickifrank|Wickifrank]] ([[User talk:Wickifrank|talk]]) 17:37, 1 December 2016 (UTC)
:Yeah, doing the route maps is difficult. Part of that is because there are so many possible options for how things are set up. No route is the same. ···[[User:Nihonjoe|<span style="color:darkgreen;">日本穣</span>]] · <small>[[Special:Contributions/Nihonjoe|<span style="color:blue;">投稿</span>]] · [[User talk:Nihonjoe|Talk to Nihonjoe]] · [[WP:JA|<span style="color:maroon;">Join WP Japan</span>]]!</small> 17:40, 1 December 2016 (UTC)

== KML maps ==

Hi Wikipedians. I've made maps of many U.S. and some world commuter rail, light rail and heavy rail lines using [[Template:Attached_KML]] template. For example, [[Metrolink_(California)]], [[Portland_Streetcar]], [[SEPTA_Subway–Surface_Trolley_Lines]] (to see the maps click "Google" link at header of each article or "Display on Google map" in the KML box). Is it work useful? May I continue doing that work?
{{Attached KML |display=inline | from =Moscow Metro}}
{{Attached KML |display=inline | from =Portland_Streetcar}}
{{Attached KML |display=inline | from =Metrolink_(California)}}
{{Attached KML |display=inline | from =SEPTA_Subway–Surface_Trolley_Lines}}
''Sorry for my poor English'' [[User:Bluetram|Bluetram]] ([[User talk:Bluetram|talk]]) 23:03, 21 August 2017 (UTC)
:I certainly consider it useful. While KML maps may not be as useful on-site as, for example, SVGs (though I am sure this could be debated), the convertability means that a later editor could certainly pick up where you left off and put that KML to good use in various ways. The important part is getting high-quality geographic data in Creative Commons, in my opinion. [[User:Julius177|Julius177]] ([[User talk:Julius177|talk]]) 04:22, 4 May 2021 (UTC)