Train Tracker

GKolo · #1 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 6:38 PM

If we can track airplanes almost in realtime, Why hasnt someone came up with a train tracker ? It would be neat to know where the train behind my house is going..........Just a idea

StephenVa · #2 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 6:59 PM

http://www.atcsmon.com/

GKolo · #3 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 7:06 PM

I was hoping for more of a web based program like Flightaware.

NHdave · #4 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 7:27 PM

I suspect the part where you have to join a Yahoo group to download the software.

~~radioman316~~ · #5 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 7:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHdave

I suspect the part where you have to join a Yahoo group to download the software.

you are correct.

kma371 · #6 (**permalink**) 02-23-2013, 11:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NHdave

I suspect the part where you have to join a Yahoo group to download the software.

its legit

K4IHS · #7 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 5:40 AM

Not great... but you can follow Amtrak station to station at this link...

Amtrak Status Maps - East

NHdave · #8 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 6:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kma371

its legit

I realize it's legit, I was replying to a post that seems to have been edited after I replied.

Utah_Viper · #9 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 7:59 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 4.0.4; LG-MS770 Build/IMM76I) AppleWebKit/535.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/18.0.1025.166 Mobile Safari/535.19)

I have a long story about atcsmon. I will make it as short as possible....

Looked it up during the Olympics in Salt Lake City, ended up interrogated by FBI who refused a lawyer all of my rights and would not release me even with no charges. Some 6 hours later after calls to the model railroad club I belonged too the excepted the fact I was a rail buff not terrorist.

rhicks6000 · #10 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 8:05 AM

ATCS does not show train symbols.

GKolo · #11 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 8:05 AM

I was a rail buff not terrorist.[/QUOTE]

My Great Grandfather was a engineer for the B&O Railroad in the 40's, So i think its in my DNA...LOL

KB1VLA · #12 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 8:16 AM

You need to remember that the transponder data that airliners transmit includes flight plan info, the only telemetry transmitter by trains is brake pipe pressure, and occasionally DPU data, not and routing info.
And ATCSMon only works when a particular set of track uses a particular RF standard (the name escapes me) for code data (switches and signals, etc.).

kma371 · #13 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 2:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KB1VLA

You need to remember that the transponder data that airliners transmit includes flight plan info).

just fyi the flight plan info is not transmitted by the aircraft. that info is supplied by the user of the various programs that receive ADS-B transmissions.

mancow · #14 (**permalink**) 02-24-2013, 2:25 PM

I would like to hear the long version.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utah_Viper

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (Linux; Android 4.0.4; LG-MS770 Build/IMM76I) AppleWebKit/535.19 (KHTML, like Gecko) Chrome/18.0.1025.166 Mobile Safari/535.19)

I have a long story about atcsmon. I will make it as short as possible....

Looked it up during the Olympics in Salt Lake City, ended up interrogated by FBI who refused a lawyer all of my rights and would not release me even with no charges. Some 6 hours later after calls to the model railroad club I belonged too the excepted the fact I was a rail buff not terrorist.

vascanner · #15 (**permalink**) 03-12-2013, 5:29 PM

I doubt you will ever see this come to fruition....there are too many independent parties to agree to make it happen. throw into the mix haz-mat and other commodities, and the government will probably not back anything like this....in the way that they do with air traffic..... and lets not forget the level of subsidies that are given to the airlines, highways etc, that aren't afforded to the railroad industry.

gunmasternd · #16 (**permalink**) 03-17-2013, 7:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mancow

I would like to hear the long version.

what he said

fourthhorseman · #17 (**permalink**) 03-18-2013, 9:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunmasternd

what he said

Triple Ditto's..

Dont leave us hanging..

exkalibur · #18 (**permalink**) 03-19-2013, 7:54 AM

Yeah, I'd be awful curious to see the "long story" as well. I suspect there's more to the story here.

GKolo · #19 (**permalink**) 03-19-2013, 7:59 AM

I am guessing he was Waterboarded and put on a fire ant nest, maybe if he tells they will come back and force him to watch Golden Girls until he rips his eyes out.

KD2BRR · #20 (**permalink**) 03-19-2013, 8:11 AM

Best place to put this question would be on a railroad website. I am a railbuff also. You used to be able to see everything, on every line, on practically every railroad in the country except for a select few like the NEC, and other commuter lines, on a few websites, but they have since been taken down due to the railroads dispatching upgrades. Now only the dispatchers themselves can get their hands on the software during work. All we have left is our radios, eyes and some other friends down the line giving you heads up to see where the hell anything is.