Is there a decent rail map that not only lists all of the stations but also lets you personalise it?

[StealingSilver]

In the last few weeks, due to the Corona Virus outbreak, I have had nothing better to do than to plan out future rail journeys I would like to take. The main issue I have is there is not an easy way to do this.

I would just love a railmap that I could mark off and annotate where I would like to visit. This could be either Physical or electronic. I really like the project mapping map with all the stations located on it but It would be quite difficult to get it printed off in a high resolution for that size. Also the online rail maps I have found do not let you annotate or pesonalise them. Does anyone have any suggestions for this

Please could you put this thread in another sub forum if it belongs elsewhere

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[KieronQuinn]

Personally I use one of the National Rail maps from the official source here: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/maps.aspx

I've got an outdated version that seems to have changed design, but the same will still work: Open the PDF in Adobe Illustrator (or Inkscape will do it for free I think too) and you can modify the lines to colour them in as you like.

As it's a vector format it is scalable as needed and could also be cropped down very easily.

 

[route101]

Yeah suprised theres not a map that allows you highlight the routes youve done.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

I would recommend

Rail Atlas Great Britain and Ireland, 15th Edition
Stuart Baker

which will be released on April 30th.

It is available on Amazon

Rail Atlas Of Great Britain And Ireland 15th Edition: 15th Edition: Amazon.co.uk: Baker, S. K: 9780860936817: Books

Buy Rail Atlas Of Great Britain And Ireland 15th Edition: 15th Edition by Baker, S. K (ISBN: 9780860936817) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

www.amazon.co.uk

Baker is the holy bible for gricers like me who like colouring in the lines they have been on and ticking off the stations they have visited. It includes all passenger, freight, underground and tram lines, including larger gauge heritage railways.

The really hard core use Quail track maps but these are only really for people who like to tick off cross overs and sidings.

 

[_toommm_]

Personally, I use the detailed Great Britain map from Project Mapping. It's then fairly easy on GIMP (a free image manipulation program - others are available) to highlight and 'colour in' lines you've been on.

 

[route101]

Personally, I use the detailed Great Britain map from Project Mapping. It's then fairly easy on GIMP (a free image manipulation program - others are available) to highlight and 'colour in' lines you've been on.

Thats what i use GIMP , only issue is its very pixelated.

 

[_toommm_]

Thats what i use GIMP , only issue is its very pixelated.

That’s weird, I’ve not experienced that issue myself.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Inkscape would be better as it is designed by vector graphics.

 

[Mojo]

In the early days of the forum a member designed a map that you can use the “fill function” on MS Paint and similar programs to fill the gap between stations.

Obviously a few things have changed since then, and the map isn’t ideal, because it isn’t clear in areas with dense lines, but you can see what forum members did back then, on this thread here https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/route-coverage-maps-warning-large-images.2358/

As an aside, that shows the importance of uploading images to the forum and providing quotes because most of the images are stored externally and no longer work. If you look at post #26 you can see how the map looked as that map was uploaded to the forum.

 

[StealingSilver]

Thanks so much for everyones input. I think I will buy the rail Atlas when it comes out. It's just such a sahme there isn't an interactive map or a Massive wall chart you can buy.

 

[43 302]

Could always try this in the meantime.

The New Adlestrop Railway Atlas - historical UK railway map

 

[route101]

Thanks so much for everyones input. I think I will buy the rail Atlas when it comes out. It's just such a sahme there isn't an interactive map or a Massive wall chart you can buy.

Yeah , gap in the market for a online map you can click to highlight routes youve done

 

[StealingSilver]

Could always try this in the meantime.

The New Adlestrop Railway Atlas - historical UK railway map

This is great thanks. So many disused stations near me I did not know about!

 

[Llanigraham]

Chatting on-line with a friend who likes grabbing bits of unusual track and he says he has an old large scale road atlas and he goes over routes he's done with a highlighter.

 

[route101]

Chatting on-line with a friend who likes grabbing bits of unusual track and he says he has an old large scale road atlas and he goes over routes he's done with a highlighter.

I started to do that , gets tricky once in London

 

[Djminisite06]

Just off the top of my head you could download the uk rail network from open street map, load it into QGIS (free open source GIS software) and annotate it, customise it, etc that way. Also let’s you design really nice print outs etc. If anyone’s interested I’ll give it a shot later and see if I can come up with a method

 

[StealingSilver]

Just off the top of my head you could download the uk rail network from open street map, load it into QGIS (free open source GIS software) and annotate it, customise it, etc that way. Also let’s you design really nice print outs etc. If anyone’s interested I’ll give it a shot later and see if I can come up with a method

Wow this sounds great. Please give it a shot and let me know!

 

[Mikey C]

There's definitely a gap for an online map where you can mark the lines you've travelled on, and the stations you've visited.

A similar map for walks would be nice too, the main national trains etc

 

[gazr]

https://www.openrailwaymap.org/ (can not mark stuff off)

There is a site for micro-gricers, uttracker.com. I'll let someone else who's subscribed comment on that as I have not used the map marking facilities on the site and my subscription needs renewing!

 

[Ian Hardy]

uttracker.com is very good, marking up track that have been done will fill all your spare time
UT Tracker features:
1. Detailed track layout maps (they do not cover the whole of GB yet) where you can mark all common track done with one click & then OK, or all track (including the odd crossovers and loops etc) done with one click & then OK or you can do each section one at a time (for double slips that will be three different sections to mark up). You can also unmark sections you haven't done as that might be quicker if you have done most but not all track.
2. Overview (i.e. Baker level) maps for a large proportion of GB which you can mark up (you can mark all common lines with one click & then OK, or all lines (including the odd curves etc) with one click & then OK or each individual section between stations / junctions), you can also unmark lines you haven't done as that might be quicker if you have done most but not all lines.
3. Units that you have travelled on (you mark up all units in a class in one go or mark them up one at a time)
4. There are lists of crossovers covering the whole of GB (which are arranged by Quail / Trackmaps volume and page) which you can mark off as done.
5. There is a diary feature which lists all known-about (but by no means, all!) upcoming unusual track entries in date order. There is the ability to limit the display of diary entries only to those pieces of track which you have not yet done (N.B. This feature is disabled at present as the owner of UT Tracker not want to encourage people to make un-necessary trips due to the COVID-19 restrictions).
6. There is also the ability for subscribers to create queries to get information about services using pieces of unusual track (this is currently disabled as well).
A UT Tracker subscription costs £12 a year but it is well worth this.

 

[Cletus]

Don't think this one has been mentioned.

Current Edition – Railmap

www.railmap.org.uk

The 2020 National Rail map has now been released, featuring over 2,700 stations throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Each operator’s services are shown in their house colour for ease of identification, and each station carries its unique three letter code to assist booking clerks and customers alike. The 380 PlusBus stations are marked in green, together with all request stops, and services with restricted services. The map is full of interest for the rail user and enthusiast alike, and is published as a poster measuring 63cm wide and 100cm deep, so it will fit within the conventional poster case.

£10.00

 

[_toommm_]

Here's an example of an area of mine in GIMP (although I do seriously need to update it). I use the free select tool to highlight lines and colour them once I've covered that line. The screenshot is compressed quite a bit so that I could upload it onto the forum, but the actual map has text that is clear as day:

 

[StealingSilver]

uttracker.com is very good, marking up track that have been done will fill all your spare time
UT Tracker features:
1. Detailed track layout maps (they do not cover the whole of GB yet) where you can mark all common track done with one click & then OK, or all track (including the odd crossovers and loops etc) done with one click & then OK or you can do each section one at a time (for double slips that will be three different sections to mark up). You can also unmark sections you haven't done as that might be quicker if you have done most but not all track.
2. Overview (i.e. Baker level) maps for a large proportion of GB which you can mark up (you can mark all common lines with one click & then OK, or all lines (including the odd curves etc) with one click & then OK or each individual section between stations / junctions), you can also unmark lines you haven't done as that might be quicker if you have done most but not all lines.
3. Units that you have travelled on (you mark up all units in a class in one go or mark them up one at a time)
4. There are lists of crossovers covering the whole of GB (which are arranged by Quail / Trackmaps volume and page) which you can mark off as done.
5. There is a diary feature which lists all known-about (but by no means, all!) upcoming unusual track entries in date order. There is the ability to limit the display of diary entries only to those pieces of track which you have not yet done (N.B. This feature is disabled at present as the owner of UT Tracker not want to encourage people to make un-necessary trips due to the COVID-19 restrictions).
6. There is also the ability for subscribers to create queries to get information about services using pieces of unusual track (this is currently disabled as well).
A UT Tracker subscription costs £12 a year but it is well worth this.

This sounds okay. It's a shame that they are not taking new members.

 

[StealingSilver]

Don't think this one has been mentioned.

Current Edition – Railmap

www.railmap.org.uk

View attachment 77112

This looks Ideal Thanks!

 

[LAX54]

uttracker.com is very good, marking up track that have been done will fill all your spare time
UT Tracker features:
1. Detailed track layout maps (they do not cover the whole of GB yet) where you can mark all common track done with one click & then OK, or all track (including the odd crossovers and loops etc) done with one click & then OK or you can do each section one at a time (for double slips that will be three different sections to mark up). You can also unmark sections you haven't done as that might be quicker if you have done most but not all track.
2. Overview (i.e. Baker level) maps for a large proportion of GB which you can mark up (you can mark all common lines with one click & then OK, or all lines (including the odd curves etc) with one click & then OK or each individual section between stations / junctions), you can also unmark lines you haven't done as that might be quicker if you have done most but not all lines.
3. Units that you have travelled on (you mark up all units in a class in one go or mark them up one at a time)
4. There are lists of crossovers covering the whole of GB (which are arranged by Quail / Trackmaps volume and page) which you can mark off as done.
5. There is a diary feature which lists all known-about (but by no means, all!) upcoming unusual track entries in date order. There is the ability to limit the display of diary entries only to those pieces of track which you have not yet done (N.B. This feature is disabled at present as the owner of UT Tracker not want to encourage people to make un-necessary trips due to the COVID-19 restrictions).
6. There is also the ability for subscribers to create queries to get information about services using pieces of unusual track (this is currently disabled as well).
A UT Tracker subscription costs £12 a year but it is well worth this.

Pre-existing members only, no new ones being accepted

 

[gazr]

This topic recently came up on gensheet; search 'gensheet' on groups.io. With thanks to Paul Stewart, this looks like a pretty good deal for a map: https://europeanrailwayatlas.com/shop/regional-railway-atlas-britain-ireland/

Edit: Appears it's out of stock atm. The book comes with a pdf version when purchased through that site direct.

 

[robk23oxf]

I've spent the last couple of weeks working on this map. It's an updated, more accurate and slightly more detailed version of one of the maps mentioned in a previous post. It can be edited in MS Paint.

 

[AEthelwulf]

I've spent the last couple of weeks working on this map. It's an updated, more accurate and slightly more detailed version of one of the maps mentioned in a previous post. It can be edited in MS Paint.

Good job robk23oxf! The only problem I had was where junctions are outside of stations, and doing the "fill" coloured in all lines, even if I had not travelled on them all. I got round this by temporarily adding another colour.

 

[robk23oxf]

Good job robk23oxf! The only problem I had was where junctions are outside of stations, and doing the "fill" coloured in all lines, even if I had not travelled on them all. I got round this by temporarily adding another colour.

I tried to add stations at as many junctions as possible to make this easier. Use the pencil tool to draw on where you want the fill to stop.

 

[telstarbox]

I agree that a GIS / digital solution would be better than poking around in Paint