Lockdown Google Maps Interest

[CumbrianSausag]

I am that bored.

Stuck at home for another 9 days with Covid, unable to leave the house, I've taken to having a good old look at Google Maps.

Thought I'd start a thread detailing things I find remotely interesting, or that others might not have seen, feel free to add to it! (for some reason I can't post in 'Games' section).

For example
On streetview you can see 60054 stabled at Thornaby
On Overhead view there seems to be a Flask train passing what used to be Saltley (pair of 68s) - The flask is numbered on top, '28' are they all?
On streetview 70015 smoking next to the fence at Midland Road
On streetview 43098 at St. Phillips Marsh
On streetview 56311 at Longport with 5606* something

The real trick will be stumbling across those on trains on the mainline at just the right time...

 

[telstarbox]

Caledonian Sleeper at Fort William - https://goo.gl/maps/GHmN7xcKquH1PmiW8

Very minimal level crossing on Romney Marsh - https://goo.gl/maps/oauDwizojd8QzYXaA

EMU crossing the M25 near Brentwood - https://goo.gl/maps/aPANvu1u17f6ZJMT7

 

[CumbrianSausag]

Found another couple...

On streetview 66145 at Warrington Arpley and I think 66101 in the yard
On streetview 142017 with 144011 in York Station
On streetview loads at Leicester including 50008 and 56301

Caledonian Sleeper at Fort William - https://goo.gl/maps/GHmN7xcKquH1PmiW8

Very minimal level crossing on Romney Marsh - https://goo.gl/maps/oauDwizojd8QzYXaA

EMU crossing the M25 near Brentwood - https://goo.gl/maps/aPANvu1u17f6ZJMT7

What's that ex Virgin liveried coach attached to the sleeper?!?!

 

[telstarbox]

Northern DMU near Flixton - https://goo.gl/maps/uUZpfteJBoEWTkAo6

 

[CrispyUK]

Class 390 Pendolino near Long Lawford
https://goo.gl/maps/5EwzqW4kTnxWq5E39

Class 22x Voyager a bit further down the road
https://goo.gl/maps/iAGNN2LRsdsiNt5d9

And the point in the middle where you can see them both in the same shot
https://goo.gl/maps/b2MuWCL9WPTsHYQT8

 

[XAM2175]

Caledonian Sleeper at Fort William - https://goo.gl/maps/GHmN7xcKquH1PmiW8

If you head on down the train the last car is still in Virgin livery!

 

[route101]

How long does after the Google streetview car, the images get updated? Seen one of the cars in Glasgow last month. Wonder if its a full time job, im interested!

 

[birchesgreen]

Can vary, i was behind one of the cars in the city centre a couple of years ago, it took a few months before it updated online and i could see myself (well my car anyway!)

 

[Westcountryman]

Can vary, i was behind one of the cars in the city centre a couple of years ago, it took a few months before it updated online and i could see myself (well my car anyway!)

I have just checked the image of my house. The image is dated 2009, and there are daffodils in the garden, so spring.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes my Mum's house is probably about that date too, i live on an A-road so it seems to update at least once a year.

 

[telstarbox]

I've found several places (especially in more rural areas) where there hasn't been an update since 2009. Possibly because not much has changed!

 

[Logan Carroll]

Love using the time travel feature to see how stations and trains have changed over the twelve year span that street view has documented.

I also find it strange that its been around so long that the people captured have begun to pass away ( the back of my late grandfathers head is immortalised in google’s servers)

 

[Dr Hoo]

I've found several places (especially in more rural areas) where there hasn't been an update since 2009. Possibly because not much has changed!

Some while ago I was surprised to see a 'byway' in the Peak District included in Streetview. The 'journey' terminated abruptly when the camera was smashed off the roof by a low tree branch.

 

[High Dyke]

I've found several places (especially in more rural areas) where there hasn't been an update since 2009. Possibly because not much has changed!

Last updated map for my street was 2014. Prior to that it was July 2009. I must have been out both times; my car isn't parked.

 

[ABB125]

Where I live is dated 2009 as well! A few things have changed on the road since then...
Over the previous lockdown I considered updating it myself (I believe anyone with a phone can do this), but never got around to it.

 

[najaB]

As a FYI, some of these may already have been discussed in this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trains-on-google-street-view.89937/

Over the previous lockdown I considered updating it myself (I believe anyone with a phone can do this), but never got around to it.

You can submit updates (e.g. business closed, hours changed) or upload photos/photospheres but not update Street View.

 

[route101]

Amazes me only once ive seen the streetview car out and about.

 

[fgwrich]

67007 at Spean Bridge on the First ScotRail Caledonian Sleeper!

56°53'23.6"N 4°55'22.1"W · Station Rd, Spean Bridge

Station Rd, Spean Bridge

goo.gl

 

[GW43125]

14(?) car 458 crossing Rusham AHB on the Waterloo-Reading line, thanks to the wonders of Google's satellite image stitching.

51°25'20.4"N 0°33'23.1"W · Egham TW20 9NQ

Egham TW20 9NQ

www.google.co.uk

What's that ex Virgin liveried coach attached to the sleeper?!?!

For a while there was a Virgin liveried mk2 brake running round in place of the normal one, I can't remember exactly why but I'm sure someone will know.

 

[Logan Carroll]

14(?) car 458 crossing Rusham AHB on the Waterloo-Reading line, thanks to the wonders of Google's satellite image stitching.

51°25'20.4"N 0°33'23.1"W · Egham TW20 9NQ

Egham TW20 9NQ

www.google.co.uk

For a while there was a Virgin liveried mk2 brake running round in place of the normal one, I can't remember exactly why but I'm sure someone will know.

Slightly off-topic but speaking of non-standard sleeper coaches

37401 Liveries 3

Royal Scotsman By 2005 it was an EWS engine but had been renamed "The Royal Scotsman" and repainted to match the stock of that train.Seen north of Rannoch with the sleeper to Fort William on 26/5/2005. More to follow ! Copyright David Price No unauthorised use

flic.kr

 

[Mojo]

You can submit updates (e.g. business closed, hours changed) or upload photos/photospheres but not update Street View.

Rather annoyingly there are some errors that you don’t seem to be able to correct, particularly when it comes to Public transport, and with no way to contact Google some errors can persist for years.

 

[RichT54]

Rather annoyingly there are some errors that you don’t seem to be able to correct, particularly when it comes to Public transport, and with no way to contact Google some errors can persist for years.

Even when you do report an error, Google doesn't always fix it properly. I reported a problem with a footpath near Sandhurst station which Google maps shows incorrectly. They redrew it, but still showed it connected it to the ramp that leads to platform 2 whereas it actually connects to the road to the south. I reported the error again, but they ignored it.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Here's something, Apple Maps seems to think that Chiltern run into Baker Street.

 

[Mojo]

Even when you do report an error, Google doesn't always fix it properly. I reported a problem with a footpath near Sandhurst station which Google maps shows incorrectly. They redrew it, but still showed it connected it to the ramp that leads to platform 2 whereas it actually connects to the road to the south. I reported the error again, but they ignored it.

Main problem near me is a LU station that is incorrectly marked as a “Train [sic] station.” This has been the case for several years looking at the reviews, I have filed suggestions for deletion as that seems to be the only thing I can do but it hasn’t been fixed.

This means that things like live departures aren’t available as they presumably are trying to grab them from the National Rail feed rather than the one provided by TfL.

 

[lyndhurst25]

53°25'32.8"N 1°14'03.7"W · Yew Tree Rd, Maltby, Rotherham S66 8EW

Yew Tree Rd, Maltby, Rotherham S66 8EW

www.google.co.uk

How come there are a few yards of double track railway in place here? It's around the site of Hellaby Goods Depot on the closed (around 1969 I think) Thurcroft to Braithwell Junction section of the Great Central, Hull & Barnsley and Midland Joint Railway, near Rotherham. Very strange.

 

[najaB]

53°25'32.8"N 1°14'03.7"W · Yew Tree Rd, Maltby, Rotherham S66 8EW

Yew Tree Rd, Maltby, Rotherham S66 8EW

www.google.co.uk

How come there are a few yards of double track railway in place here? It's around the site of Hellaby Goods Depot on the closed (around 1969 I think) Thurcroft to Braithwell Junction section of the Great Central, Hull & Barnsley and Midland Joint Railway, near Rotherham. Very strange.

Most likely answer is that there was something (e.g. a parked vehicle) in the way on the day they were recovering the track. Either that, or it was five to five on a Friday afternoon...

 

[lyndhurst25]

Most likely answer is that there was something (e.g. a parked vehicle) in the way on the day they were recovering the track. Either that, or it was five to five on a Friday afternoon...

Interesting theory, but the track looks in fine fettle after 50+ years of disuse. Who has been doing the weeding?

 

[najaB]

Interesting theory, but the track looks in fine fettle after 50+ years of disuse. Who has been doing the weeding?

I guess whoever owns the business park.

 

[DelW]

Interesting theory, but the track looks in fine fettle after 50+ years of disuse. Who has been doing the weeding?

Maybe a local company using it for some sort of training? There was a thread a few years ago about an isolated length of track complete with trackside equipment, miles from any extant or abandoned railway. It turned out to have been purpose built by a company providing training courses for railway staff.

In this case, shadows suggest there are three tall poles centrally in the six-foot, which might be significant. Overhead trolley wires?

 

[PG]

Maybe a local company using it for some sort of training? There was a thread a few years ago about an isolated length of track complete with trackside equipment, miles from any extant or abandoned railway. It turned out to have been purpose built by a company providing training courses for railway staff.

In this case, shadows suggest there are three tall poles centrally in the six-foot, which might be significant. Overhead trolley wires?

Certmainly from looking at this aerial view I'd agree that it seems like the track has been deliberately laid there not left behind. Not sure of the date of the image but I'd guess at after 1987.
Bing maps aerial image.