The Google folks have a great new program out called Google Earth. It is an free program and it uses satellite-based images like the MS Terraserver and others, but it has amazing features. I won't try to describe them here, but if you have a late model Windows PC, check it out by clicking "More" on Google's main page and then scrolling down. I bring it to the forum because among it's features is the ability to highlight railroad right of way. This feature, combined with the program's ability to "fly along" following the tracks will be quite helpful to modellers searching out features and locations. Just a heads up.
You might also want to check out http://maps.google.com/ and switch from the Map mode to the Satellite mode and type in your address and see what happens.
Just did! It should have come with a warning but I did find an arial view of my home, (about 15+ years ago). The trees that shade me had not yet been planted.
I found an interesting FORMER railroad right of way in the middle of San Francisco, not far from where I live. I knew the railroad used to go this way, but I didn't realize it was still such an unbroken line when viewed from above. The right of way itself is mostly built over, but the buildings have odd shapes that reveal the route. Old SP route into SF You can see the line going from bottom left to top right.
Just to clarify, Google Earth is different from Google Maps. It is an application which you install on your computer. It requires broadband (should have said that originally) because it streams the info. You move smoothly in any direction, zoom in and out, tilt the view towards flat so you can follow roads (and railroads) and it shows topography. It will mark schools, banks and ATMs, restaurants, bars, etc. if you like. For modellers, it shows the general path of rail right of way so you can find it while zoomed out. It has seperate options to show local transit rail, commuter rail and general rail locations. Google Maps is great, but this is very different, for what it's worth.
It does require a powerful PC. I find that it runs best after a restart (probably frees up memory). Here are the minimum and then the recommended specs for Google Earth: Minimum configuration: * Operating system: Windows 2000, Windows XP * CPU speed: Intel® Pentium® PIII 500 MHz * System memory (RAM): 128MB * 200MB hard-disk space * 3D graphics card: 3D-capable video card with 16MB VRAM * 1024x768, 32-bit true color screen * Network speed: 128 kbps ("Broadband/Cable Internet") Recommended configuration: * Operating system: Windows XP * CPU speed: Intel® Pentium® P4 2.4GHz+ or AMD 2400xp+ * System memory (RAM): 512MB * 2GB hard-disk space * 3D graphics card: 3D-capable video card with 32MB VRAM or greater * 1280x1024, 32-bit true color screen * Network speed: 128 kbps ("Broadband/Cable Internet")
Wait till you get into Google Earth. You can waste days!!! </font>[/QUOTE]Yeah, I wasted a few hours last night tracing the BNSF Cajon Pass Route and branchlines. I also use it to see my old neighborhoods and look at golf courses. Had trouble locating the rail line into SF though, and I am normally pretty good at picking stuff out, as I had taken an aerial photo class in college, and use them all the time at work. I remember my college professor tended to get things mixed up between photo and reality. We were studying a flood picture and it had an object he couldn't identify. He went out to see what it was, and it turned out to be a gas tank that broke loose from its moorings. On the next class, he kept muttering "It couldn't be a gas tank - it doesn't look like one from the air!" So, beware, excess study of aerial photos can skew your perspective of reality.
I had some fun with that program last night. satellites provide great closeups.... Stay cool and run steam.....
I thought the 3D buildings in the major US cities was kinda neat. If you go to the bottom left where you can check or uncheck options, scroll down to the 3D building option. There are about 35 or so US cities whose downtowns have 3D structures you can play with.
Wow, that is a pretty neat program but I was kind of suprised when I found out you can zoom in so far on military base's, I could make out everything from the chowhall, to my barricks to the gun park at my little home on Camp Pendleton. My friend also said she could count the airplanes on her AF base that is supposed to have some secretive units on it. I will definitly have to play around on this more tommorow. Kevin D Mumaw LCPL (forever?) USMC
i checked it out, great but lost all resolution below 15,000 feet. don't guess they will let me adjust the lens on that sat. david
Are the results realtime? I think the reason this is not a securty breach is becasue those are very old pictures. The trees that line a fence between me and the commuter rail or shade my window from the afternnoon sun have not been planted yet. [ July 27, 2005, 07:35 PM: Message edited by: Grey One ]
