Updates

Canadian National

• CN1776 - Celebrating 250 Years
• CN2026 - Celebrating 250 Years

CPKC

• KCS1776 - Celebrating 250 Years

BNSF

• BNSF 1752 – BNSF H1 Paint
• BNSF 2262 – BNSF H1 Paint
• BNSF 2294 – BNSF H1 Paint
• BNSF 2354 – BNSF H1 Paint
• BNSF 2734 – BNSF H1 Paint

Bruggere & Monson

• BUGX 9426 – Executive/Grinstein Paint

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad

• BPRR 4426 – America 250 Years

Canadian National

• GTW 5953 – Grey Ghost

Chesapeake & Ohio

• CO 2699 – Steam (2‑8‑4)

CSXT

• CSXT 8400 – Spirit of Kingman

Maryland Area Rail Commuter

• MARC 4913 – Kathryn D. Waters

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

• MBTX 1071 – New Haven
• MBTX 1036 – New York Central

Norfolk Southern

• NS 8184 – Altoona

Providence & Worcester

• PW 2325 – America 250 Years

I’ve updated the server that monitors the health of all YouTube web‑camera links maintained on the system. At the moment, we have 65+ camera operators configured with more than 360 YouTube feeds, along with many additional feeds hosted outside of YouTube.

This background service continuously checks each operator’s live‑stream link and works to keep those links current on the heritage units site (attempt to make it easier to find a camera in a location).   Note that when a camera is rebooted or reconfigured, its YouTube URL can change, and the service will nightly attempt to automatically detect the change and update the link.

A previous issue caused some links not to refresh correctly, but that bug has now been resolved. 

Thank you to all of the camera operators whose efforts greatly benefit the railfan community. I encourage everyone to visit each camera operator and show their support.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

New Web Cam - Minco, OK by Live Trains OK

Removed - NS3979 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White
Removed - NS3979 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White
Removed - NS3969 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

New Web Cam - Gardner, MA by Boston & Maine Live

Removed - UP1413 - SP Paint - Repainted

New Web Cam - Reading, MA (Train Station) by Reading Recap

Steel Highways webcams have been migrated to Northern Transcon Railcams. All configurations on our server that monitor YouTube links have been updated, and all former Steel Highways camera feeds (60+ links) should now be fully refreshed.

If you come across a broken link, please let me know through the contact page.

Brian =)

Arizona Eastern Railway

• AZER4028 – America 250 Years

BNSF

• BNSF1944 – BNSF H1
• BNSF2265 – BNSF H1

Canadian National

• CN8357 – Suicide Awareness (You Are Not Alone)

CSX

• CSX2103 – Hydrogen (Green/Blue)

Indian & Ohio

• IORY4445 – America 250 Years

Metra

• METX102 – Operation North Pole

Missouri & Northern Arkansas

• MNA3598 – Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker)
• MNA3599 – Honoring Veterans & Service Members

New Jersey Transit

• NJT4526 – Celebrating America's 250th

North Shore Railroad

• NSHR2238 – Celebrating America's 250th

Paducah & Louisville

• PAL4522 – Kentucky Wildcats
• PAL3801 – Louisville Cardinals
• PAL2129 – Honoring Our Veterans
• PAL2013 – Louisville Cardinals
• PAL2012 – Kentucky Wildcats
• PAL1998 – Kentucky Wildcats
• PAL2021 – 35th Anniversary
• PAL1986 – 35th Anniversary
• PAL2127 – Salute to Our Troops

Providence & Worcester

• PW2324 – America 250 Years

Union Pacific

• UP6703 – Wayne A. Hirsch Plaque

Thanks for being part of the railfan community and for everything you’ve shared with everyone this year. Whether you’re out trackside, updating train symbols, or just checking in to see what’s moving, we truly appreciate your contribution to this hobby we all enjoy.

We hope you have a relaxing holiday, time with the people who matter most, and a great start to the new year.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Configured the Missouri & Northern Arkansas Railroad into the system.  

This includes subdivisions, train symbols and routing

Configured the Paducah & Louisville Railroad into the system.  

This includes subdivisions, train symbols, routing and the following locomotives are now reportable.

• PAL4522 - Kentucky Wildcats (SD70MAC)
• PAL3801 - Louisville Cardinals (GP38-2)
• PAL2129 - Honoring Our Veterans (GP40-3)
• PAL2013 - Louisville Cardinals (SD70MAC)
• PAL2012 - Kentucky Wildcats (SD70MAC)
• PAL1998 - Kentucky Wildcats (GP38-2)
• PAL2021 - 35th Anniversary (GP40-3)
• PAL1986 - 35th Anniversary (Road Slug)
• PAL2127 - Salute to our Troops (GP40-3)

New Web Cam - Creighton, PA by Railfan 423 

NS Conemaugh Line tracks are across the road (hidden) but can still see the trains.   Reporting is currently disabled on the web camera as it currently lacks a timestamp

Removed - CSXT4419 - CSX YN2 - Repainted to YN3

New Web Cam - Tulsa, OK by Oklahoma Railfan (relay of ODOT Camera)

Added a New Web Cam - Harrisburg, PA (Rockville Bridge) by Susquehanna River Basin Commission

I’ve added new configurations to handle web cameras like the one above where they lack timestamps. Since a few of these cameras don’t include timestamps, reporting from them can lead to inaccurate reporting. To prevent this, reporting is disabled for cameras like the one above but they still are viewable.

If a camera operator add a timestamp in the future, please reach out to me via the contact page... I’ll be happy to review and look at enabling reporting.

In addition, when a web camera is displayed on the map (web version only), you’ll now see a “New Report” button directly within the camera view. This should make submitting reports easier and more intuitive. Please note that, for security reasons, you’ll still need to pair a device before web cam reporting.

Brian =)

Hi Everyone

First, I want to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly three years since we released the train routing algorithm... a project that itself took two years of coding and initial configuration to bring to life and one that I’m still refining every day.

Routing is far more than a simple path calculation. To improve accuracy, the system layers together details such as:

• Subdivision configurations
• Milepost configurations (with a long-term goal of tenth-mile precision for each subdivision)
• Speed profiles
• Special routing rules unique to each railroad
• Waypoints and many other factors

Needless to say, routing is a complex beast that requires extensive research, since every railroad must be configured individually and each has its own unique characteristics.

All of these elements combine to generate the predicted routes. With over 18,600 train symbols in the system, achieving perfect accuracy across every route is the dream... but realistically, we strive to get as close as possible, knowing railroads are dynamic and can change daily.

You may occasionally notice a train route that doesn’t match what you see in the real world. This can happen because the algorithm calculates the fastest possible path, while in reality railroads may choose a slower route due to train type, directional running, or other operational factors. That’s perfectly normal... but if you spot something that looks off, we’d appreciate your help.

Please visit the train symbols database on the web or mobile app and submit the correct routing information. Your input will be queued for our moderation team to review, and we’ll do our best to adjust quickly.

A few additional notes...

• On the desktop version of the website you might notice a small "blue ripple" on the map that will appear for a few seconds over a marker...  this indicates that a new report has recently been added.
  
  
• For those of you who enjoy the geometry side of things: if you’ve ever seen a subdivision or route line that looks a bit “janky,” it’s because the system currently configures subdivisions down to the tenth of a mile. That level of precision doesn’t always capture the perfectly smooth rail curves. I’ve recently added an enhancement that attempts to smooth out those curves for a more natural look.
  
  
• Curious about track speeds? Below is a small behind‑the‑scenes look at the current Norfolk Southern speed map.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Best wishes!
Brian =)

Buffalo & Pittsburg

• BPRR4434 - America 250 Years
  
  

CPKC

• CP1101 - Hydrogen (Green/Blue/Gray)

Kyle Railroad

• KYLE4460 - America 250 Years
• KYLE4461 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members 

Metro North Commuter Railroad

• MNCR216 - Honoring All Who Served

Minnesota Commercial Railway

• MNNR76 - Celebrating 250 Years

Norfolk Southern

• NS1231 - NS OCS - Atlanta
• NS1230 - NS OCS - Birmingham
  
  

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad

• RBMN1776 - Celebrating 250 Years of Independence

11/11/2025 4:30 EST - Maintenance Complete!

We’ll be performing server maintenance on Tuesday, November 11th from 4:00 AM to 6:00 AM EST. During this time, HeritageUnits.com and the mobile apps will be temporarily unavailable as we migrate to a brand new server to improve performance and reliability.
Brian =)

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Hi Everyone,

Heads up, everyone... NS 1230 and 1231 OCS units are officially out today on NS 955.

We ran into a bug where the system was incorrectly flipping the direction from West to East after report submission. This was due to a lingering route profile that had NS 955 terminating in Altoona, causing the system to "correct" what it assumed was a mistaken direction.

I've cleared the outdated route profile for NS 955 and am currently preparing a server patch to resolve the underlying logic that triggered this behavior.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Alabama and Tennessee River Railway

• OMLX7204 - BN Paint (SD40)
• BUGX1497 - Illinois Central (SW14)

BNSF

• BNSF6553 - BNSF OCS Train (ES44C4) Temporary addition, will be removed. Note that we're reviewing how to handle these special train movements in future . 
• BNSF341 - BNSF H1 Paint (GP60B)

Buffalo & Pittsburgh

• BPRR4435 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members (C44-9W) 

Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad

• CFE4031 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members (C40-8W)
• CS04033 - America 250 Years (C40-8W) 

Columbia Basin Railway

• CBRW1747 - ATSF Bluebonnet (SD40-2) 

Connecticut Southern

• CS04039 - America 250 Years (B40-8W) 

Huron & Eastern Railway

• HESR3866 - Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker) (GP38-2)

Indiana & Ohio Railway

• IORY4436 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members (C44-9W)

Lake State Railway

• LSRC1776 - 250 Years of Freedom

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

• MBTX1130 - MBTA Heritage (GP40MC-3)
• MBTX1030 - Boston & Maine (F40PH-3C)

New Jersey Transit

• NJT1319 - Lackawanna Railroad (Arrow III MU)
• NJT4202 - Pennsylvania - Reading Seashore Lines (GP40PH-2B)

Norfolk Southern

• NS9747 - Last NS Thoroughbred (C44-9W)
• NS4947 - 1,000th DC to AC (AC44C6M)

Ohio Central Railroad

• OHCR2400 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members (SD60M)

Southwestern Railroad

• SW2414 - ATSF Bluebonnet (GP30u)

SunRail

• CFRC110 - SunRail Celebrates America's 250 (MP36PH-3S)

App Version - 4.43 Released

• Ability to view report's public profile, when viewing a report click on the blue reporters handle
• You can now filter and search through all your report history (more > profile > report history > "filter icon" top right to search).  

Removed - NS1000 - Vandalized - Red, White, Blue Stripes - Repainted

Removed - AMTK621 - Crayola (Blue) - Wrap removed

With the CSX Baltimore Tunnel and Blue Ridge Subdivision (post-Hurricane Helen) now open, we've updated CSX routing configurations accordingly. The system is currently reprocessing train routes and is expected to complete by later this afternoon.

If you notice any incorrect routes (starting tomorrow Saturday 9/27/25), please submit a train edit so we can address them promptly.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Removed - BNSF1474 - Great Pumpkin (Scraped)

Removed - AMTK620 - Crayola (Yellow) - Wrap removed 

Removed - NS6345 - Vandalized - Bigfoot Nose (Repainted)

We’re doing something a little different and temporarily adding the BNSF OCS train, led by locomotive BNSF 6553 which will be the reporting locomotive as it makes its way over CSX en route to New York. 

On CSX, the train is operating under symbol P976.

Please note that things may change as things develop. 

9/19/2025 5:00 AM EST

• BNSF OCS train departed Selkirk, NY last night at 11PM.
• Lead locomotives is CSXT486 (YN2) with CSXT478 (YN2) 
• New train symbol is CSX P977

9/17/2025 5:00 AM EST

• Updated the reporting locomotive from BNSF7995 to BNSF6553 (swapped out in Chicago)
• Will be on train CSX P976 (destination now updated to Selkirk)
• At Selkirk will flip to CSX P977 and lead locomotive will likely be swapped out (TBD)
  
  

Hi everyone,

As the number of train routes and railfan reports continues to grow, we anticipated the need for performance tuning to keep things running smoothly. Early this morning around 6AM EST, we rolled out a routing optimization update to help handle the increased load.

Unfortunately, a bug slipped into the release and caused some disruption with route processing. A fix has since been deployed, and all 18,000 train symbol routes are currently being reprocessed. We expect this to be fully resolved by midnight EST.

Please note that between 6AM and 2PM EST, several dependent features (including routing and notifications) were temporarily disabled while we worked through the issue.

Apologies for the inconvenience, and thanks for your patience. We’re keeping a close on the system as everything stabilizes.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

BNSF

• MRL401-406 - Montana Rail Link
• BNSF95280 - Snow Plow

CPKC

• CP1000, 1003, 1004, 1100 - Hydrogen (Green/Blue/Gray)

Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad

• DL2452 - Erie Lackawanna

Lake State Railway

• LSRC6437 - Spirit of Pere Marquette

IORY

• IORY4078 - Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker)

Great Plains Transportation Museum

• OKRX93 - ATSF Warbonnet (FP45)

RJ Corman

• RJC1560 - 50th Anniversary
• RJC1973 - 50th Anniversary
• RJC2023 - 50th Anniversary
• RJC2620 - 50th Anniversary

Steam Locomotive Heritage Association

• SOO1003 - Steam

Per AltoonaWorks.info, NS1072 (Illinois Terminal) just got a fresh paint job and is hanging out outside the shop.

Fingers crossed it hits the rails again in the next few days.

We’ve standardized all Metra train symbols in the system to include a suffix that reflects their respective line codes. This update helps distinguish trains with overlapping numbers across different lines

New Format:

• METX {number}-{line code}

Line Codes:

• BNSF = BNSF (to Aurora)
• HC = Heritage Corridor (to Joliet)
• ME = Metra Electric (to University Park)
• MDN = Milwaukee District North (to Fox Lake)
• MDW = Milwaukee District (to Elgin)
• NCS = North Central Service (to Antioch)
• RI = Rock Island (to Joliet)
• SWS = Southwest Service (to Manhattan)
• UPN = Union Pacific North (to Kenosha)
• UPNW = Union Pacific Northwest (to Harvard)
• UPW = Union Pacific West (to Elburn)

Note: Some Metra line codes contain dashes (e.g., UP-N, UP-NW, UP-W). Since we’re already using a dash in the new format, the system will start to strip dashes from line codes to maintain readability.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

I've been monitoring how reports are submitted and noticed a delay when saving new entries, often taking between 15 and 30 seconds. 

As of 10:15 AM EST today; I applied a patch to the server that should bring this down to just a few seconds. 

Keep in mind that during peak activity, things may still slow slightly, but the improvement should be noticeable when submitting new reports.   I'll be keeping a close eye on additional performance tweaks.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

App release 4.42 should come available within the app stores today or tomorrow.

• Fix two small Apple/iOS app crash issues (iOS 18 w/ maps and iOS 15 devices)
• Fix web cam searching

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Metra 402 has returned to service and now is reportable again (video)

Illinois Railway Museum

• IMRX231 - F40PHR - Amtrak Operation Lifesaver
• IMRX6976 - SP40F - Maersk Sealand

Ohio Central

• OC2280 - SD60M - Honoring Veterans & Service Members

BNSF

• BNSF344 - GP60B - BNSF H1 Paint
• BNSF345 - GP60B - BNSF H1 Paint

Norfolk Southern

• NS5260 - GP38-2 - Belt Line 

CPKC

• CP403012 - MoW Equipment - MoW Yellow Power Unit

Metra

• METX147 - F40PH-2 - Operation Lifesaver

Hi Everyone,

We experienced a primary Internet Service Provider (ISP) outage on our hosting platform around 3:50 PM EST today. As of 4:40 PM EST, we’ve initiated a failover to our secondary ISP, and services should begin coming back online shortly.

We'll be keeping an eye on things as everything restores.

Thanks for your patience!

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Coming in Version 4.39

• You'll soon be able to view all train symbols by subdivision for any route that’s been configured.  Within the mobile app, this will be located under "More" > "Subdivisions" > View subdivision > Button "View Train Symbols on Subdivision"
  
  
• Expected to start rolling out over the upcoming holiday weekend (pending no delays).
  
  

Key Details

• Some trains only occupy a subdivision for a few miles, while others run across the entire subdivision.  We'll indicate the milepost range the train is on the subdivision.  You will also be able to filter by mileposts to see exactly what trains route at the specific location.
  
  
• This view will also include trains from other railroads (provided the route is configured) even when operating over foreign trackage.
  
  
• Each result will display the direction of travel on the subdivision (based on the railroad's timetable rules).
  
  
• If you notice a route that’s incorrectly configured, please go to the train record and submit an edit, detailing the correct routing.
  
  
• For broader routing issues affecting multiple trains (often due to directional running), contact me directly.  I have functionality to apply route corrections system-wide.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Added DL4068 - Delaware & Hudson (Alco RS3)

Web Camera  Updates

Added

• Tracy, NB by TrainVideos
• Melbourne, FL by RailStream.net
• Onawa, IA by Steel-Highway.com
• Woodside, NY by Woodside Train Camera
• Glidden, IA by Trains On Demand

Removed

•  Landgraff, WV by RailStream.net

Did you know...

Our server automatically monitors YouTube streams each night and updates their links as needed. Typically, rebooting a webcam results in a new YouTube video link.

Direct links to individual cameras are accessible through the mobile app or the online webcam database. I’m also updating the website’s camera direct links on the location maps very soon (currently just links to the operators website). 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com 

Wheeling & Lake Erie

• WE1776 - Celebrating 250 Years of Independence

Norfolk Southern

• NS6345 - Vandalized - Bigfoot Nose
• NS5120 - High Hood

BNSF

• Numerous BNSF H1 (SD40-2, GP Units)
• MRL SD40-2

Indiana & Ohio

• IORY4091 - Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker)

CPKC

• CP7470 - Strathcona's (CPKC Paint)

Portland & Western

• PNWR - (2306, 2308, 2311, 2312) - ATSF Bluebonnet

Added - IORY4091 (Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker))

Added CPKC7470 - Strathcona's (CPKC Paint)

Added - CN - Iowa Northern Units 

>> SPECIAL NOTE FOR HIDING LOCOMOTIVES <<

I understand that not every locomotive group in the app may be of interest to you. If you'd like to hide a specific locomotive or an entire group, follow the steps below:

1. Open the app and navigate to More > Settings 
2. Scroll to Hide Locomotives
3. Select Specific Locomotives or Locomotive Groups to add or remove as needed.

Please ensure you're running version 4.33 or higher, as locomotive groups have replaced the now-deprecated locomotive categories. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Added - MNCR203 - (MTA Central) - Released yesterday

App Version 4.35 is now rolling out to the app stores.

• The Inbound Trains screen has been refreshed for a more friendly experience.
  
  
• ETA context has been added to the screen.  If an ETA extends a couple of days out, you may see "Rough Estimate" displayed for better clarity.
  
  
• As railfans submit updates on locomotive movements, ETA calculations will be refreshed to better assist those further down the line.

If the update isn’t visible yet, check the store again within 24-48 hrs.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Added BNSF H1 locomotives.  We know this is not a definitive list so if you spot a BNSF H1 not in the system, please provide video or photo evidence via the contact page and we'll look to add it.

>> SPECIAL NOTE FOR HIDING LOCOMOTIVES <<

I understand that not every locomotive group in the app may be of interest to you. If you'd like to hide a specific locomotive or an entire group, follow the steps below:

1. Open the app and navigate to More > Settings 
2. Scroll to Hide Locomotives
3. Select Specific Locomotives or Locomotive Groups to add or remove as needed.

Please ensure you're running version 4.33 or higher, as locomotive groups have replaced the now-deprecated locomotive categories. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Added CO614 - Steam - On it's journey from Clifton Forge, VA to Pennsylvania

Added - NS1080 (Delaware & Hudson) - SD70ACe

Apologies for the delay! I was volunteering with our local Salvage Army, and when I finally checked my phone, I was met with a flood of notifications about the new locomotive. Many thanks to everyone who reached out about the new Heritage Unit!

*** SPECIAL NOTE WITH HIDING LOCOMOTIVES ***

I understand that not every locomotive group in the app may be of interest to you. If you'd like to hide a specific locomotive or an entire group, follow the steps below:

1. Open the app and navigate to More > Settings 
2. Scroll to Hide Locomotives
3. Select Specific Locomotives or Locomotive Groups to add or remove as needed.

Please ensure you're running version 4.33 or higher, as locomotive groups have replaced the now-deprecated locomotive categories. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

CSX YN2 locomotives have been added in response to the overwhelming demand we've received over the past few months and as their numbers continue to decline.

SPECIAL NOTE

I understand that not every locomotive group in the app may be of interest to you. If you'd like to hide a specific locomotive or an entire group, follow the steps below:

1. Open the app and navigate to More > Settings 
2. Scroll to Hide Locomotives
3. Select Specific Locomotives or Locomotive Groups to add or remove as needed.

Please ensure you're running version 4.33 or higher, as locomotive groups have replaced the now-deprecated locomotive categories. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Added - VIA2218 / VIA2317 (Lumi)

Added - RNCX1893 - 30th Anniversary (Piedmont Service)

Unfortunately, a small bug managed to sneak in and affected around 30 reports over the past 2 days, causing them not to display. Most of these were Amtrak/Metra locomotives, though a few others were impacted as well.

The issue has been resolved as of 5:15 PM EST, so everything should be back to normal!

Apologies to those affected!  I do my best to avoid mishaps, but every now and then, the universe likes to remind me that I'm only human! =P

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Removed - CN3309 - CN Wafer Logo (logo removed)

Added - NS992800MW / NS992801MW - MofW Orange Power Unit

Added - CFNR2403 - Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker)

Removed - CN 3226 - 100th Anniversary - Logo removed

Due to the number of requests to track certain vandalized NS units, I've added them to the site for reporting until they are repainted.   

NS1000 - Vandalized - Red, White, Blue Stripes
NS4364 - Vandalized - Pink Stipes

We do not condone or support the vandalism of locomotives in any form.  Tracking and reporting of these units are intended for informational and historical purposes only.

There was a temporary photo upload issue that occurred the morning of 5/8/2025.  This should now be resolved

Georgia Central - GS533 (B32-8) - Honoring Our Veterans and Troops

Amtrak - AMTK620 (ACS-64) - Crayola (Yellow)

Amtrak - AMTK621 (ACS-64) - Crayola (Blue)

Added UP1616 - Abraham Lincoln (SD70M) to the system for tracking.  Reporting is temporarily suspended until it enters road service following today’s unveiling.

Removed - BNSF 645 - ATSF Warbonnet - Sold to Comstock Mountain Lion Railroad (repainted all maroon color)

Added - CSXTGMS-1 - Geometry Unit

Added - CSXTGMS-2 - Geometry Unit

Removed - BNSF 9768 - Executive/Grinstein Paint - Scrapped

Removed - CSXT 4500 - Spirit of Cumberland - Scrapped

Removed - UP 9771 - CNW Paint - Rebuilt/Repainted (photo link)

I've made updates to the routing configuration for CSX within the system where the NS Harrisburg line can now be utilized (NS trackage right agreement while CSX Baltimore Tunnel is being worked on).  All CSX trains within the system will start reprocessing their routes shortly.   

Please note that the system will calculate the fastest route between origin/destination and thus any trains without waypoints configured make take the new NS trackage rights.  If you run into a train symbol that you know doesn't take this route, please submit a train edit on it and let us know the correct route and we'll make the changes needed. 

Brian =)

Hi Everyone,

Apologies for the lack of updates recently; I’ve been out of commission for a bit but am feeling much better and back on track.

I’m currently focused on a new version of the app to address a quirky iOS bug where a train route line takes an unexpected detour straight to the North Pole. This issue is specific to iOS, and I’m hoping to have it resolved in the coming weeks.

And if all goes well, I might even sneak in a couple of extra features with this release—stay tuned!

Brian =)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holidays!

I’m currently refining the maps (currently only the browser version) to display a dotted line indicating the predicted future path, along with the origin and destination stations. 

Once it's polished, I plan to implement the same feature in the mobile apps.

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 1506 - BN Paint (Sold to LTEX)
Removed - BNSF 549 - ATSF Warbonnet (Sold to LTEX)

On Monday, the system encountered issues that caused it to become unresponsive. This was related to a recent patch applied over the weekend. The issue should now be resolved, but I will be monitoring it closely over the next few days. Apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Brian =)

The web camera database is now accessible on the website (previously available only through the mobile app). This includes all camera locations submitted by the Heritage Units community, along with individual links for each camera at the location.

The server will regularly monitor the health of each camera's URL and will attempt automatic updates, particularly for YouTube live feeds, as reboots can disrupt previous links. If a link is dead please contact us to let us know so we can review it for possibly updates/removal. 

We encourage eveyone to support the camera operators—setting up and maintaining these locations requires significant effort and expense.

Best wishes!
Brian =)

Added - WE7004 - Patched Former CEFX Blue/White

Added - WE7006 - Patched Former CEFX Blue/White

Added - WE7007 - Patched Former CEFX Blue/White

Updated @ 11:35AM (Thank you Julian)

Train Symbol - NS 13V
Power is NS 4120 NS 1017 NS 4611 
(ex-CEFX) NS3979, NS3968, NS3992, NS3989, NS3974, NS3971, NS3969, NS3972, NS3990, NS3993 

Captured on cameras (VRF Altoona, PA at 4:34 AM and Railstream Cresson, PA at 5:03 AM), 10 NS (formerly CEFX) units appear to be in transit, likely for rebuilding.

They were spotted on a westbound manifest train behind NS units. (Train symbol to be updated once confirmed and locomotive #'s once spotted in daylight)

Good luck everyone!

Brian =)

Last night Amtrak 161 (Phase I - 50th Anniversary) caught fire at the Amtrak Maintenance Facility in Northeast D.C..   We're suspending reports on AMTK161 indefinitely and will flag it future removal from the site. 

Link to news artical

Removed the following locomotives.  Rebuilt and repainted to standard NS paint. 

NS3980 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3985 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3983 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3994 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3987 - Central, Maine & Quebec

NS3981 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3984 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3966 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3995 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

NS3996 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

Removed - SOO 4410 - SOO Paint (repainted to SSRX 4410)

We've added back UP9696 (CNW Paint) for its journey to Texas, where it will undergo a rebuild and repaint.

This unit has been inactive from the heritage units reporting since it was stored in 2018.

KCSM4139 - Breast Care Awareness
KCSM4727 - Breast Care Awareness
KCSM4662 - Breast Care Awareness

We've unlocked KCS FP9s for reporting as they're currently on the move.

A new field, "Turn Job," has been added to the train symbol database.

Currently, this field is only visible on the website, but it will be available in the mobile app within a few days. 

Note that if any existing train symbol contained the word "Turn" within the notes; that we automatically defaulted the Turn Job flag to 'on'.    

Brian =)

Add the Great Lakes Central Railroad which includes the following

Locomotives

• Added GLC329 - Tribute to Louis P. Ferris Jr (SD40M-2)
• Added GLC393 - 10th Anniversary (GP35)
• Added GLC394 - City of Clare (GP35)
  

Train Symbols

• Setup known train symbols

Subdivisions

• Added subdivisions / milepost
• Setup routing logic for the GLC

EWLX329 - Montana Rail Link (SD45-3)
EWLX815 - Wisconsin Central (GP30)
EWLX7311 - Chessie System (SD18)

WAMX3536 - Texas Tech University (GP35)
WAMX3834 - Pittsburg State University (GP38-3)
WAMX4001 - Wichita State University (GP40-2LW)
WAMX4158 - Cherryvale Chargers (SD40-2)
WAMX4207 - Texas Tech University (SD40M-2)

With reports emerging about the damage to several bridges on the CSX Blue Ridge Subdivision and the subsequent rerouting of CSX trains, I've updated the routing configuration to bypass the affected subdivision until further notice.

Within the next few hours, all CSX symbols in the system will automatically adjust their routes accordingly.

Brian =)

Added - UPY309 & UPY409 - UP Hybrid mother-slug set.

Added - CSXT1851 - NC&StL (LinkedIn Post)

Removed - IC 2462 - Blue Devil - At SLM in Welland, ON waiting to be scrapped (thanks Jay K. for the info)

At 11:30a EST our primary internet provider has reported that they're down.  I've failed over to our backup provider at 11:40a but it could take up to an hour for your device to recognize this change.  

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 9705 - Executive/Grinstein Paint (Sold to Progressive Rail)

Added - PW4069 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members

Added - WEBX2058 - New Haven

MBTX1129 - MBTA Heritage Maroon paint

(Mobile Devices) - Click here to read the entire update

Since I developed the routing engine over a year ago, I've been documenting instances where routes are incorrectly assigned and require manual adjustments.

Recently, I've devoted significant time to adding conditional routing logic to handle various scenarios, such as directional travel, specific train types, and unrealistic junction turns. Here are a few examples:

Cincinnati, OH:

NS and CSX share tracks where trains traveling north of Cincinnati use CSX lines, while trains heading south into Cincinnati use NS lines. This is generally the case, though exceptions do occur (I'll be adding alternative routing in the future).

Butler, IN:

Prevent eastbound trains on the NS Chicago Line from going westbound on the NS Huntington District to Fort Wayne due to the lack of a connection.

BNSF Washington:

Empty eastbound grain trains are usually routed through Tacoma, WA, whereas loaded grain trains are routed through Vancouver, WA.

These examples represent the initial phase of implementing new conditional routing rules. If you notice any scenarios where routing is incorrect, please let me know so I can make the necessary corrections. It’s most helpful if you can submit an edit through the train symbol and specify in the notes to moderator the correct route.

I also want to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has previously assisted with routing discrepancies. Your feedback has been invaluable, and I truly appreciate it.

One common misconception I hear is that Google maps is calculating the routes... not true.  The system is entirely custom-built specifically for railroads... been many years of work mapping railroads (USA/Canada) and creating the routing engine. =)

Brian

HeritageUnits.com

There was a system issue that was preventing new accounts from registering. This has been resolved as of 7:30PM EST. 

Brian =)

Added - CSXT1877 - C&EI (Chicago & Eastern Illinois)

Removed - SOO 4412 - SOO Paint - Repainted into the new CPKC scheme

Removed - AMTK168 - 25th Anniversary (Heartland Flyer) decal was removed

Hi Everyone,

If you're running an older version than 4.12; please upgrade to the latest version within the app stores (visit Google Play or Apple Store).  

Note that 90%+ of you are already running this version for several weeks so this message is for the 10%.   You can check your version by going to the home screen and scrolling to the very bottom.

Starting later this week I'll start disabling the server to responding to the "legacy" pull notifications and will require 4.12 to submit new reports.    Not only does this assist me with supporting the current version; it also allows me to reduce the load on the server and look to expand the routing engine to do additional railroads.

Brian =)

HeritageUnits.com 

Added - BAYL4059 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members

Added new Chattanooga, TN  (CSX W&A Sub - MP 122.8) camera link by Rail Moments

I've added Berkshire Eastern Railroad (in-place of the Pan Am Railways).   All train symbols have been migrated over to Berkshire Eastern Railroad with a prefix of BERX.  Many thanks to [Trainluvr 1956] for bring this to my attention.

Brian =)

Added - SPAX280 - Reading Lines

Added - SPAX304 - Conrail

Added - SPAX401 - Penn Central

Version 4.8 should be available to download within the app stores within the next 48 hrs.

Items Fixed

• (iOS/Android) Fixed report time display issue
• (iOS) - When attempting to change the time during a report submission the app would crash
  

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

New iOS app is finally released (4.7).   This release now aligns with the Android (v4.*) that was released  about 6 weeks ago and has numerous enhancements to make reporting much easier.  

Also note that push notifications are now enabled in version 4.6.  Make sure to configure your notification settings (More > Settings > Notifications). 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

*** Completed ***

On Tuesday (5/28/24) we'll be performing system maintenance between 4-7AM. 

This is because our system has reached a new milestone where our databases have grown so much that we're in desperate need of an upgrade.   I don't foresee this maintenance window taking 3 hrs. (hopefully only 15 minutes) but I wanted to block off enough time just in case.

During this time it will be a total outage (server, apps, notifications, etc...).  If you're able to pull up https://heritageunits.com then you'll know we're back online. 

Note that I'll also update this article once completed.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Today between 11:30AM-3:35PM (EST), there was a system issue that was preventing web cam reporting.  This has been resolved and reporting is now available again.    

Note that I'll be reviewing the submission logs that ran into this issue and will resubmit your report to the server if you had an issue during this time. 

Brian =)

Android Devices

Near by Reports Push notifications are now operational on Android (v4.5+) which should be available within the Google Play Store as of yesterday.   Please make sure to check your notification settings within the app (see below).

You can enable notifications by opening the HU app > "More" > "Settings" > "Notifications" > "Near By Reports".

Additionally, make sure you've given permission within Android Operating System to allow the Heritage Units app to display notifications.  You can always check this by going to the Android Settings > Apps > Heritage Units > Notifications.

iOS Devices

I'm getting very close to releasing the iOS app.  I'm currently building the push notifications for iOS and once that's completed and working I'll be releasing it. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Added - NS3970, 3972, 3976, 3997, and 3998 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

Added - CP9375 - 1st CPKC Livery

Please note this will be the only unit we'll be tracking in the new CPKC paint since it was first one to be painted.

Hi everyone, 

I'm working on bringing true push notifications to the app (current version can only checks every 15 minutes on Android and randomly on iOS).  

The Android version with push notifications is currently in testing and hope to release it with a week or so.

iOS users, the 4.x version is still in the works and very close to being ready to test. 

Brian :)

Heritageunits.com 

Added - NS3994, NS3995, NS996 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

New Web Cam - Seymour, IN by Seymour Trains

New Web Cam - Missoula, MT (By Cornell Lab Bird Cams)

•  BNSF - MRL Third Subdivision is in the background behind Osprey's bird nest. 
•  Trains going left to right are eastbound. 

New Web Cam - Boone, IA by Trains on Demand

Added - NS3967 / NS3966 - Patched - Former CEFX Blue/White

New Web Cam - Dunkirk, NY by Wide World of Trains

New Web Cam - Keokuk, IA by StreamTime Live

Hi Everyone,

I'm very close to releasing the new Heritage Units app and I'm looking for folks that might be interested in testing the new version.  This is only for the Android (iOS version is ready and will follow within 2-3 weeks).  

What's in the new app 

100% New Report Submission (hopefully faster & easier than the current)

• Locomotive Image now display when selecting
  
• Locomotive list will default to units around your location or webcam
• Selecting a web cam there is a "Recent" view based on your previous reporting (make it fast to find your fav camera
• Map view is available when selecting the sub division

Map Customizations

• Set default zoom
• Map type (terrain, street, satellite, etc.) 
• Map themes (normal, blue, dark)

Dark Mode (highly requested) 

Web Cams (Individual camera links per camera)

If you're interested in becoming a tester please contact me at the support link on the website (https://www.heritageunits.com/main/contact).  

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Removed - CSXT7560 - NCSTL Emblem - Rebuilt and repainted (no longer has emblem)

Added - NJT4508 - Black History Wrap

Removed - AMTK174 - Phase VII.  Mentioned earlier when adding this unit.  We would tracked until Amtrak started painting additional units in Phase VII.   Amtrak 82 has been recently repainted and thus we're taking the unit down. 

Added Montana Rail Link SD70ACe units (MRL4300-4319 / MRL4400-4408) as some of the units are starting to venture out onto the BNSF system.  We'll add additional units in the future.

Added - AMTK174 - Phase VII.  

Please note that this is first P42 in Phase VII and we'll temporarily track this unit until the additional units get repainted into Phase VII. 

Removed - CSXT7574 - Thomas Rice Special - Rebuilt and Repainted

Renumbered AMTK406 to AMTK90406

Removed - IC 2463 & 2459 - Blue Devil (Scrapped)

New Web Cam - Blue Island, IL by LiveTrains.com

Fixed a bug where the Train Symbols web page was appearing to fail to load.  

New Web Cam - Newport, MN by Northern Transcon Railcams-Otter Tail Channel

With the BNSF taking over the Montana Rail Link (MRL) effective Jan. 1st, 2024.  We're starting to move things around within the Heritage Units system to align.   Below are some quick bullet points.

• All MRL subdivisions are now under BNSF.
• We've updated the routing configuration for BNSF to utilize the MRL subdivisions.  If you see a train route that appears incorrect;  please submit a train update and let us know. 
• Currently there are only two tracked MRL locomotives (MRL4404 & MRL4407) within the HU system.  These locomotives will still maintain the locomotive prefix of "MRL" until BNSF officially re-prefixes them to "BNSF" and any possible renumbering.

Happy New Years!
Heritage Units Team

New Web Cam - Clear Creek, CA by M. Leland-Nascimento

Merry Christmas from the HeritageUnits Team! 

New Web Cam - Okarche, OK by okweatherwatch.com

New Web Cam - Galveston, TX by M. Reeves

Added - NS5231 - NS High Hood

Removed - PRLX6003 - Blue/White Striped - Waiting to be rebuilt

New Web Cam - New London, CT by Railside Live

New Web Cam - Ludlow, KY by RailStream.net

Removed - WE7009 - Operation Lifesaver (sticker removed)

New Web Cam - Cowan, TN by Cowan, TN Railroad Museum

The following regional railroads have been updated in the system.  This includes the mapping of the subdivisions, enabling of routing on train symbols and inbound ETA predictions. 

• Florida East Coast
• Kyle Railroad
• Iowa Interstate 
• Indiana Railroad

I'll continue to expand the routing engine to additional regional railroads in the upcoming weeks.

Brian =)

Added - CSXT6509 - Georgia Road Emblem - Spotted in Hamilton, OH by Chuck C. 

To our Iowa Interstate Railfans.  We've recently mapped out the sub divisions and have configured routing for the railroad.  If you have inbound train feature enabled; the server will now start calculating the route and ETAs (train symbol required).

Added - CSXT6394 - RF&P Nose

Because of the numerous requests we've received within a brief period, we have decided to track this unit based on the request from the HU community. It's important to mention that this unit was recently subjected to vandalism and to our knowledge is not recognized as an official CSX Heritage Unit. We strongly disapprove of any actions taken by individuals to vandalize locomotives.

New Web Cam - Avondale, LA by WebcamGreece

To all the railroad community, railfans, friends, and family, we send heartfelt wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Recent security change was implemented on the server that was blocking the captcha (aka... not a robot prompt) to load on the website.  This prevented folks from logging into the website and this has now been resolved.   Note this issue did not affect the mobile app.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com Found/Developer

We've changed all the BNSF train symbols within the system to now include the dash delimiter between the train type indicator and the org/dst train station codes.  

This will make it easier to quickly recognize the train symbols.  

Note that when submitting new reports 

If you don't include the dash delimiter; the server will automatically format the symbol into the correct format (assuming the symbols is within the system). 

Added - MNNR45 - B23-7 - This will be temporary addition to the site while the unit is on it's way back to Minnesota.  Currently on CSX M367

Added - NS3989 - Patched - Former CEFX Gray/Blue/White (Reporting suspended)
Added - NS3990 - Patched - Former CEFX Gray/Blue/White
Added - NS3991 - Patched - Former CEFX Gray/Blue/White
Added - NS3992 - Patched - Former CEFX Gray/Blue/White
Added - NS3993 - Patched - Former CEFX Gray/Blue/White (Reporting suspended)

Removed - KCS 2900 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Added - CSXT6003 - Operation Lifesaver.  This is a temporary addition while it's transported from NY to NC and will be removed afterwards. 

Majority of the CN train symbols and routing matrixes are built and configured in the system.  This means if you have the "inbound trains" feature you will start seeing them show up on your screens if the route of the train is inbound for your location.  But please note we're still working on the ETA precision for CN. 

Special Note with CN train symbols

CN shares train symbols with different regions of the railroad.  An example would be "CN L501" which has 8 variations  (please read the CN train symbol anatomy).  I've coded the system that when submitting a new report and you enter in the correct sub division and "CN L501"; the server will automatically assign the correct variant. 

Quick example...

Train "CN L501-61" - Origin (Flint, MI) to Dest (Battle Creek, MI)

When submitting a report if you enter "CN L501" and select "CN Flint Subdivision" then the server will automatically assign "CN L501-61". 

Changed the locomotive codes for 2 CMQ units as they've been sold to NS.

CMQ1002 > NS3987
CMQ1006 > NS3988

Inbound Train Feature

Please note the new "Inbound Train" feature was released in version 3.26 which will attempt to provide a heads up on when a train is inbound to a configured radius around your device.  This is still flagged with a experimental flag and please read our FAQ on the site for more details.   Android 3.26 is already within the Google Play Store and Apple 3.26 version should be available next week. 

Android Notifications (v3.26)

Google is requiring application permission be granted to display notifications within the app if you're phone is running Google OS 13 (Tiramisu) or higher.  With the recent app release; the HU app wasn't requesting permission and thus notifications are not displaying. 

A new version is queued up within the Google Play Store (3.27) which will resolve this issue and should be available shortly.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com  

Added - CSXT1850 - L&N

Removed - KCS 2841 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Removed - CSXT940 - Crayola Unit - Repainted

Added - IC6252 - CN - Illinois Central Paint "OLS"

NS1069 - Virginian has been repainted and is now unlocked for reporting.  Please check out AltoonaWorks FB page for pictures. 

New Web Cam - Austell, GA by VirtualRailfan.com

Added - CSXT1976 - Conrail

Removed - BNSF 1466 - BN Paint - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 164 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added - CP9840 & CP9737 - BioFuel Units

Our servers needed some TLC this morning and this was executed today between 10-10:30AM EST. Thus the servers may have been unresponsive or sluggish during this window.  

As a side now; with all the new functionality that we’re throwing into the system (milepost, routing, eta calculations, etc…).  We’ll be looking to upgrade our servers within the next few months. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

We've made a tweak to the system that when a web camera is submitted and there is multiple camera operators watching the same lines at the same location (Fostoria, OH); we will normalize the location name within the report.    

Example... A report use to show as "Fostoria, OH (Railstream)" or "Fostoria, OH (VRF)" will now be recorded as "Fostoria, OH".  This resolves an issue where with how reports displayed within the system.   

This will take affect going forward and note this will only occur in special locations like Fostoria, OH and a couple others.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Hi everyone,

We've published our train symbol database online and it can be found at our web site on the top navigation "Train Symbols".  This is a database that is community driven for the past couple years but was only viewable on the mobile app. 

Couple quick notes...

• All active railroads 'currently' configured in our system our viewable (many small/medium railroads may not have symbols but are available for train symbol additions).
  
  If you wish to contribute a train symbol for a railroad not listed; please contact me so I can add the railroad. 
  
  
• Train Routing...  This is a very complex beast that I've custom built and configured over the past 3 years (I can't express the amount of endless nights and work that has gone into this creating this feature... AND the next new feature release will build upon it... STAY TUNED). 
  
  Note that currently the majority of the Class I railroads are configured with the exception of the Canadian National (my desire is to finish it next month).   
  
  If you see a route that is incorrect; please let us know by hitting the "Submit a change..." button on an individual train.
  

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder/Developer

Starting today the server may require that you upgrade the Heritage Units app if the version you're running is severely out of date.   Simply head to the App Store or Google Play store and find the Heritage Units app and click "Update" and you should be all set. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Hello Everyone,

I've released the web cam reporting back to the web browser. Note that you must have the Heritage Units application 3.22+ installed on a phone/tablet to pair your browser to your device (both Android and iOS versions released today). 

I've tried to make it as easy as possible for folks to report in the new UI for webcams.  I've also started to build in maps for each camera to assist with the orientation of the web cameras to actual railroad lines and will provide individualized instructions for certain web cams to help during the report.  

As always... constructive and/or positive feedback is always welcomed as it keeps me motivated knowing that I'm helping railfans out. You can reach out to me at the contact links at the bottom of the web site or within the application (More > Profile).   Any bugs or issues please let me know... I'm human and mistakes do happen but I'm quick to fix if confirmed to be an issue.

Happy railfanning!

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder/Developer

Removed - 4 BNSF Units (Executive/Grinstein Paint) > sold to BUGX  (BNSF9832, BNSF9546, BNSF9760, BNSF9697)

I'm making a few changes to web cam reporting...  

In mobile app version 3.22; you will no longer need to adjust for the timezone.  We ask that you enter the exact time that matches the camera's timestamp (don't worry... we'll handle the timezone stuff).  The 3.22 app version should be available within the Apple/Google Play stores within the next few days...

Coming very soon... 

We're going to start allowing web cam reports to be submitted via web browser again.   We know that most folks watching web cams are sitting near a computer and this will make it easier to report.   

Note you'll still be required to register/install the mobile app for security reasons but I'll have more details on this very soon...

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

Following units have been out of service/scrapped for a long time. 

Removed - AMTK 42 - Veterans
Removed - AMTK 90208 - Veterans
Removed - AMTK 822 - Phase III
Removed - AMTK 197 - Big Game Train
Removed - AMTK 162 - M. Kempf Memorial Unit
Removed - AMTK 156 - Phase I

Following units have been unwrapped

Removed - AMTK653 - Harry Potter - Unwrapped 
Removed - AMTK634 - Harry Potter - Unwrapped 

Removed - BNSF1772 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - AMTK641 - Harry Potter - Wrap Removed 

Removed - AMTK638 - Harry Potter - Wrap Removed 

Removed - BNSF 9657 - Executive/Grinstein Paint - Sold to BUGX

We've unlocked NW611 for reporting in preparation for it's return trip back to Virginia.

New Web Cam - Houston, TX (T&NO Junction) by https://livetrains.com

Removed - BNSF 1980 - BN Paint - Repainted

UP Steam Club just announced the UP4014 (Big Boy) will be running June 7th to July 3rd.  We'll enable this unit for reporting the day before on June 6th.  Below as the schedule shared within the email.  For more details please visit the UP Steam Club web page.

• June 7 – Albin and LaGrange, Wyoming, overnight in Gering, Nebraska
• June 8 – Broadwater and Lemoyne, Nebraska, overnight in North Platte
• June 9 – North Platte layover
• June 10 – Cozad, Kearney and Grand Island
• June 11 – Columbus and Fremont
• June 15-21 – Omaha, public display
• June 24-25 – Omaha, public display
• June 29 – Fremont, Columbus and Grand Island
• June 30 – Overton and Gothenburg, overnight in North Platte
• July 1 – North Platte layover
• July 2 – Ogallala and Chappell, overnight in Sidney
• July 3 – Kimball, Nebraska and Pine Bluffs, Wyoming

Removed - IC 2466 - Blue Devil - Being scrapped

Removed - BNSF 642 - ATSF Warbonnet - Repainted

When reviewing another problem with notification rules; I discovered numerous notification rules where the location name was set correctly (example... "Columbus, OH") but didn't have any geo-coordinates on the rule.   This resulted in the rule never correctly working.  

I've fixed the root cause of the bug and updated a majority of the notification rules within the system.  Thus if you're one of the persons within this group, you'll start receiving notifications again going forward.

Note that email notification rules can be setup at the following link @ https://www.heritageunits.com/user/settings/notify

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

NS8099 Southern unit is repainted and sitting outside the shops. Reporting on the unit has been unlocked.

Removed - BNSF 625 - ATSF Warbonnet - Repainted

0er AltoonaWorks, NS1071 has been released and thus we're unlocking reporting on the unit.

4/30/2023

CPKC sub divisions and routing are now 95% configured and operational within the HU system.   Please note that I'll be providing more milepost detail to sub divisions as time permits.   Any questions or if you see anything that needs tweaked please reach out to me via the contact page.

Brian :)
HeritageUnits.com

4/23/2023

With the CPKC merger I'm starting work on mapping out all the CPKC lines within Canada and building out the routing matrix.   This will take a few weeks to complete but please note that routing between stations may be off as I configure things during this timeframe so, please be patient as I bring things online. 

Brian :)
HeritageUnits.com

Added - SDNX2105 - Coaster F40PH-3C & unlocked ATSF5704 in preparation for their move from SCRM to Commerce, CA.

Removed - BNSF 167 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 174 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added - NKP190 - Nickel Plate PA1  

Per the Genesee Valley Transportation page, the NKP190 will be doing a cross country trip from Oregon to Scranton, PA.  We'll be temporarly adding the unit so it maybe tracked during its trip.

As many of you know; the Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern merger is effective today creating CPKC railroad.  We're actively merging the two railroads together within the HU system today and below are the current changes.  

• Created CPKC Railroad
• Migrated all CP/KCS Divisions & sub divisions into the CPKC railroad
• Moved all tracked locomotives under the CPKC railroad but they will retain their current reporting marks (KCSM, KCS, CP, etc...) until they are officially changed.
• Changed the CP train symbol prefixes to CPKC.  Note that we're hearing that the KCS symbols will be abolished once the current trains running under them arrive at their destination and they will be sticking with CP train symbols.  Thus will be removing KCS symbols from the HU system within 48 hrs. 
• Routing engine will also update later this evening to adjust for the new train symbols. 

If you have any knowledge of any division/subdivision changes or have a recent train symbol listing; please reach out to me via the contact page so we can get everything sync'd up as fast as possible. 


Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com

NS1067 - Reading has been repainted in fresh paint per AltoonaWorks FB page.  We'll be activating this unit when it returns to road service which should be shortly.

Renumbered NS 4654 to NS 6654 (Operation Lifesaver)
Renumbered NS 4655 to NS 6655 (Operation Lifesaver)

Removed - KCS 1908 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1475 - BN Paint - Repainted

New Web Cam - Columbus, OH (NS Dayton District) by Private Railfan

Removed - BNSF 660 - ATSF Warbonnet - Scrapped
Removed - BNSF 624 - ATSF Warbonnet - Scrapped

Removed - BNSF 181 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted
Removed - BNSF 189 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted
Removed - KCS 2014 - KCS Grey - Repainted
 

Removed - BNSF182 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - KCS 2964 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Removed - AMTK 184 - Phase IV - Repainted

Per our Altoona Works Facebook post.  NS8099 (Southern) repairs are almost complete.  As soon as it returns to active road service; we'll enable the locomotive to be reportable again. 

There has been issue with reporting locomotives on Android devices running 8.1 or older operating systems where the locomotive selection screen acts sporadically.  I was able to replicate the issue and have a fix coming in HU app version 3.20 (Android only).   This will become available within the app store within the next day.   Many thanks to those who reached out about the issue.

Brian =)

Removed - AMTK 157 - Big Game Train - Stickers removed

Added - KJRY3010 - Honoring Our Veterans and Troops

There was a bug within the 3.17 iOS release that has been fixed.  This bug would only occur on the reporting screen and only if a popup was displayed for a second time it would be blank.  Sample popups would be selecting a locomotive, subdivision, etc..

A new version of the iOS (3.18) should be available in the Apple app store as of this morning.   Note that Android phones are not affected by this bug.

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 1659 - BN Paint - Repainted

Removed - KCS 2902 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Added - BNSF8231 - BN Sticker Unit

Removed - BNSF178 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Renumbered NS GP59 Units that are in Operation Lifesaver paint schemes.  

Removed - KCS2823 - KCS Grey - Repainted 

Removed - BNSF 185 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1973 - BN Paint - Repainted

Removed - KCS 2898 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 190 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Railfan Arizona who currently runs many cameras in & around Arizona has a setup a GoFundMe to setup a new camera in Needles, CA.  If you wish to help support them at the GoFundMe page, the URL is https://gofund.me/a6a8fb0c

Current update on train routing algorithms.  We have completed CSX, NS, BNSF, KCS routing configurations and we're actively working on the UP and Amtrak configurations.    Please note that if you view a train route and it's incorrect; please reach out to me at the contact link on the site or within the mobile app. 

There is likely small configuration tweaks that need to be done so the server can calculate the route correctly (note train routings are auto recalculated every 24 hrs).  Once we have Amtrak/UP configurations completed we'll then look to release the Train ETA functionality. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder/Developer

If you received a report submission error between 7PM EST (1/2/23) and 7AM EST (1/3/23) this issue has been resolved.  The error was around assigning a train # behind the scenes and would only occur if train number was not found within the system.  Thank you to everyone that reached out that had a problem.

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 1604 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1960 - BN Paint - Repainted 

Removed - BCOL 4612 - BC Rail Paint at LTEX

Removed - BNSF 176 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 2849 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share what I've been working on with HU over the past year and what I'm intending to release within 2023.

Train Symbols

Currently you can view the train symbol database only within the mobile app.  I will soon be releasing this onto the web (browser) where additions/modifications can be updated by the HU community. Currently modifications can only be submitted via the app. 

Train Routing 

I'm sure many of you have seen the prompting for a nearby sub division and milepost when reporting a locomotive.  This is needed to assist with the train routing algorithms.  Over the past year since releasing the new mobile app I've been working hard to import all the major class I railroads and milepost data within the HU system.

I've also been coding the routing algorithms and building the routing grids for each major railroad.  This has been an extremely time consuming to do but we're getting very close to having this setup.  Note that you might see a 'View Route' button when viewing a report on the mobile app and it displays map of the routing path.  This is the result of all this work...   

Note that I've currently been working on routing within the USA.  I will be expanding this to our Canadian friends in the future. 

Train Estimated Arrivals/Notifications

This has been my dream since writing the 1st piece of code for HU over 10 years ago. 

This is actively working behind the scenes and the server is predicting when a train will arrive at a location and an estimated timeframe.  I'm still tweaking things out and polishing off the design and adjusting for timetable speeds.    My goal would be to have this feature available in the future where the mobile app can provide you a potential heads up on when a locomotive is inbound to your location or a web cam.   I hope to report back on this in the future... but I'm very excited about this. 

Web Camera Logs

Web cameras have been a fantastic addition to the railfan community!  It's been requested by many if I could create train logs where the community can record trains that they’ve seen go by a camera.  

This is something that I will be adding to the site in the near future and new train log additions can be directly added via the website but only for web cameras.   Normal reporting of tracked locomotives will still require the mobile app because the security architecture.  I will be trialing this with a few cameras before expanding it out to all.

Apologies for the long message but just wanted to share and I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s!

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder / Developer

City of Kyle, TX (host of the webcam) has taken down their feed.  We'll be removing the camera from our system but please reach out if the a new camera in Kyle, TX becomes active again. 

Removed - CSXT 4589 - Spirit of Nashville - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1836 - BN Paint - Repainted

Removed - KCS 2967 - KCS Grey - Repainted 

Removed - CN 2115 - 15th Anniversary - Sold (likely for scrap but not confirmed)

Removed - BNSF 2787 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 173 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

Removed - BNSF 159 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

Resolved an issue where the was throwing an error when submitting train symbol changes (Adds, Updates and Deletes).  

BNSF721 has been reactivated for reporting

Removed - AMTK606 - King Tut - Unwrapped

Removed - AMTK662 - Phase III - Train Sim World 2 - Unwrapped

Fixed a bug when viewing a certain locomotives the page may have not displayed.  

Added - UP5511 - Steam (2-10-2), UP3985 - Steam (4-6-6-4) and reactivated UP6936. 

This is for the scheduled move from Cheyenne, WY to Silvis IL on Friday November 11th.   Note that once the locomotives arrive at Silvis, IL we'll be removing these locomotives from the app. 

New Web Cam - Houston, TX (UP Houston West Sub) by LiveTrains.com

We've added back BCOL 4609.  We received bad information of it being possibly scrapped.  Many thanks to everytone that reached out to assist with more detail. 

Removed - IC 2460 - Blue Devil - At LTEX to be scrapped

Removed - BNSF 1920 - BN Paint - Repainted 

Removed - BNSF 187 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

Removed - BNSF 180 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

NS4656 is now NS6656.  Unit has been renumbered for future AC-DC conversions of Dash 9's. 

CMQ9021 is now CP9021.  Unit has been repainted and relabeled to "SD40-2F (CP PAINT)"

Removed - BNSF 1609 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - CSXT 8077 - Colonel Philip Hooper - Rebuilt to a ET23 it is now CSX 1727 

Removed - BCOL 4602 & 4622 - BC Rail Paint - Sold LTEX for scrap

New Web Cam - Richville, MN by Northern Transcon Railcams-Otter Tail Channel

New Web Cam - Neenah, WI by Steel-Highway.com

New Web Cam - Cincinnati, OH (Union Terminal) by Cincinnati Railroad Club

Removed - BNSF 175 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

Removed - IC 2457 - Blue Devil - In dead line at Lordstown

Removed - CSXT173 - Spirit of West Virginia - Rebuilt as CSXT7274

New Web Camera - Sedalia, MO by Steel-Highway.com

New Web Camera - Waupaca, WI by Steel-Highway.com

2 New Web Cameras added - Perham, MN & Wadena, MN - Both provided by Northern Transcon Railcams-Otter Tail Channel

Added 2 new web cameras by Steel Highways

Trempealeau, WI (Trempealeau Hotel)
Manly, IA (Manly Junction Museum)

Removed - BNSF 165 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 166 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 172 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

We've updated the NS train symbols to match the new intermodal symbols effective today. 

Hi everyone,

The HU team is getting the system ready for the upcoming NS intermodal train symbol changes on 8/22.  We'll execute scripts on that day to update all the symbols in the system.  Please note that you can submit train symbol changes to us via the mobile app.  Head to "More" > "Train Symbols" and run a search.  If the train symbol is not found then you'll be presented with the option add one.

Couple notes... 

• Always prefix the train symbol with railroad code "NS 23N",  "CSX M500" or "KCS IDAAT"
• Please enter in the location as City, ST.  Example would be "Phoenix, AZ".  
• If there is a specific yard at a orgin/destination then please add that after the city state "Cincinnati, OH (Queensgate Yard)
• If the train has additional stops on it's way to the destination then please place those in the notes field.

With this information our team can review the change help build out the database.  Note that you may see routing paths generated for trains.  Our system regenerates these routing paths every night.  If you see a routing path that is incorrect, please let us know via submitting a train symbol update.  Note that we're expanding the routing functionality everyday to include more railroads but note this is still experimental as we're constantly tweaking the algorithms. 

Brian =)

Removed - KCS 2023 - KCS Grey - Repainted

New Web Cam - Kyle, TX by City of Kyle, TX

New Web Cam - Grand Mound, IA by Steel-Highway.com

Removed - BNSF 183 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

New Web Cam - Greeley, CO by Private Railfan

New Web Cam - Gallup, NM by RailfanAZ.com

If you attempted to validate your email within the last few days and where unsuccessful; please try again.  This developer/human (=P) had a bug within the code that was preventing verifications which has been resolved as of 7/15/22 @ 7:15AM EST.  

If you need to generate a new verification email, please log into your profile on the web site or open the mobile app and click on the yellow email verification banner on the top.

Brian =)

Removed - CSXT 323 - L&N Emblem - Rebuilt to CM44AC 7272

Removed - DH 7303 - CP - Delaware & Hudson - Scrapped

New Web Cam - Selma, NC by RailStream.net

Removed - CMQ2001 to 2006- Central, Maine & Quebec (BNSF)

New Web Cam - Dunn, NC

Added - CN Ex-CREX ES44AC purchased in early May (CN2750-2796)

Added new web cam by RailfanAz.com at Kingman, AZ

Removed - BNSF 197 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

Added - ATSF 5704 - Bicentennial. 

Please note reporting is locked on this unit until it starts its journey west.  Please contact support when this occurs.

Removed - BNSF 171 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added new web cam by Steel-Highway.com at Grinnell, IA

Willcox, AZ by RailfanAz.com
Fort Worth, TX (Central Station) by Trinity Metro

Removed - BNSF 168 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Wanted to send a message that our server is currently running slower than normal.  Everything should resolve by 2-3PM EST today (5/31/22).   I'll update this note when everything is back to normal. 

2:45PM EST - Everything is back to normal 

Brian =)

Reactivate - AMTK662 - Phase III - Train Sim World 2.    This was a mistake on our part for removing this locomotive.  We received word that unit was unwrapped.   Many thanks to HU community for reaching out to provide support. 

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 163 & 179  - ATSF Bluebonnet (repainted)

2 New Web Cameras Added - Tacna, AZ / Wilmot Tucson, AZ by RailfanAZ.com

Removed - BNSF 1618 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - AMTK662 - Phase III - Train Sim World 2

Removed - UP 6367 - SP Paint - Repainted

Added Web Cam - East Dubuque, IL (Steel Highway Railcams)

Removed - BNSF 182 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added - Mount Pleasant, IA - Web Cam by Steel-Highway.com

Added New Web Cam - Waycross, GA - VirtualRailfan.com

Changes Mobile App v3.15 
------------------------------------

• Resolved issue where cards on the home view would act very sporadic.
  
  
• Added experimental views of the routing of a train.  This will display as a button underneath a train symbol when viewing a report but... only if route data is available. 
  
  This is a feature that I've been working on for a very long time and currently is implemented on a majority of NS trains and a few CSX trains but note this is dependent upon a correct train symbol being assigned to report.    
  
  The server has calculated 'routing' of train symbols based on sub divisions, speed, way points, etc...   Note that we're still building out the routing matrix for each railroad and tweaking the algorithms.   This is experimental but thought I would provide the ability to view some of the routes as a preview as things mature.   
  
  Could there be a chance you see a route that doesn't make sense?  Absolutely;  but I would appreciate if you reached out to support and contacted me to let me know.  
  
  

Please note that this release should be available within the app stores within next few days.

Brian =)

Added 2 new web camera - Carroll, IA & West Liberty, IA - Steel Highway Railcams

This news is already a week old but CMQ9022 (SD40-2F) has been repainted into CP paint and renumbered to CP9022. 

I debated if we should take these unique locomotives off once repainted and decided that we'll create a separate special category for just the CP SD40-2F units.  

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 1765 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Changed the direction mode for the Monon sub division from East/West to North/South.  CSX changed the directions between the 2005 and 2008 timetables.   Many thanks to Christopher R. for reaching out to help identify the problem. 

Added - Winslow, AZ Web Cam - Owner https://railfanAZ.com

Added - NS5199 - NS High Hood

Added - WE7001,7009,7012 and 7014 - Operation Lifesaver

All UP sub divisions have been loaded along with mile post data.  This can be found within the mobile app > "More" > "Sub Divisions"

Removed - BNSF 1798 - BN Paint - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1647 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1607 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

WE5391 (Rio Grande) has been renumbered to WE5412

Removed - CMQ9010 - Central, Maine & Quebec - Repainted

Removed - UP 6290 - SP Paint - Repainted

KCS Business Units are unlocked for reporting.

Removed - BNSF 1760 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - KCS 2846 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1622 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

The legacy Heritage Units app (v2.2) is no-longer supported for submitting reports as of 3/11/2022.  Please note that we'll be removing this legacy version from the app store with our next release.  Please upgrade to the version 3.0 which has been available for over 6 months now.  

If you're one of the rare folks running this version and you're asking why?   As of 3/11/2022 - 99.9997% of the heritage units community are running version 3.0+ and we need everyone upgraded the latest version so we can implement new functionality. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits - Founder / Developer

We've added back the ex-NS8520 (DC to AC - Red unit) under it's new ownership of Knoxville Locomotive Works.    

The unit's reporting marks are now KLWX 8520 and is supposedly on lease to CN.  A video of the unit was captured at the link below on CN L556.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hExZ5Va8tQ

Added UP Kansas Area
Added UP Dallas/Ft. Worth Area

These can be found within the mobile app > "More" > "Sub Divisions"

We've added the remaining NS High Hoods that are currently active on the roster and not within storage.  

Removed - EMDX 1602 & 1610- EMD Demonstrator

Removed (Repainted) - BNSF 1645 - ATSF Bluebonnet 

Added UP Divisions (Areas) - Los Angeles and Sunset.  These can be found within the mobile app > "More" > "Sub Divisions"

Removed - BNSF 679 - ATSF Warbonnet - Scrapped

Added UP Divisions (Areas) - Salt Lake, Roseville , North Platte and Council Bluffs.  These can be found within the mobile app > "More" > "Sub Divisions"

Removed - SOO 4411, 4416, 4438, 4598 & DME 4002, 4004, 4006.  Currently being auctioned off. 

Added - CP1001 - Hydrogen (Green/Blue/Gray)

Added - CN3913 thru 3987 - Ex-Citirail ES44AC 

Removed - BNSF 1997 - BN Paint - Repainted

Changes 3.12

------------------------------------

(iOS) - Fixed an issue where notifications slowly stopped working as Apple updated to iOS 15.1/15.2 over the past few weeks.  Please note that iOS Version 13+ is required for notifications to work. 
(iOS) - Added message to indicate if background fetch is disabled which is required for notifications to operate. 

Removed - BNSF 1611 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Changes 3.11

------------------------------------

(Android/iOS) - Fixed an issue where notifications may not have been working

Removed - UP 2010 - Boy Scouts - Repainted

The team at HeritageUnits.com wishes everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, & Happy New Year...

Removed - BNSF 1629 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added Oregon, IL Web Cam - RailStream.net

Added Victoria, TX Web Cam (Jack's Carson's Railroad Videos) to the database

Changes 3.10

------------------------------------

(Android/iOS) - Added the ability to turn on 24 hour time formatting  (More > Settings > Time Format)

NS 8099 (Southern) Derailed last night on NS 20W. Reporting of the locomotive is suspended until repair work is completed. 

Added - AMTK662 - Phase III - Train Sim World 2 - Video can be see at this link

Added North Tazewell, VA web cam operated by Tazewell County Historical Society

Added Westfield, MA - Web Cam by Boston & Maine Live

If you're on the old legacy app (v2.5/2.6) then you'll start receiving a message to upgrade to the new app when attempting to submit a new report.  This is because the old app is officially deprecated and can no longer meet the new requirements of the system.  Upgrading is easy, just pop into the Google Play or Apple App store, find the Heritage Units app and click update.  

Please note that 95% of devices are already running the latest version 3.x version.   

Note if you're one of the handful of users running an Android OS version < 7.0 then you're in a pickle as I can't provide support for these devices due to the age of the Android operating system.  Technically you're still using the HU app v2.2 which is crazy old....  I highly recommend looking into purchasing a new phone (don't do it for HU app... do it for your own security as your android OS isn't updating with security patches like the new Android OS). 

Brian =) 

(iOS/Android) - 3.6 Released

Changes
-----------------------------------
(iOS/Android) - Added ability to upload photos
(iOS/Android) - Pull down refresh on home page
(iOS/Android) - Sub Division Railroad list now sorts correctly
(iOS) - Fixed a zoom issue on sub division maps when screen initially loaded
(iOS) - Fixed issue with personalized ads initialization
(Android) - Fixed Google Play Subscriptions where after the first renewal it could appear expired.  

Please note that their may be a delay with iOS app store release as Apple is backlogged with app reviews during the holiday week.  

Brian =)

Pere Marquette 1225 will be running between November 20th to December 19th.    Details can be found at https://www.michigansteamtrain.com/tickets-reservations

Added Lexington, KY Web Camera (hosted by Berkshire Trains)

Added 2 web cameras

• Wyanet, IL
• Rochelle, IL (VirtualRailfan)

The majority of the BNSF sub divisions have been loaded into the system.  This is mainly the milepost data with many more enhancements to come. 

Note that sub division data can only be viewed via the mobile apps. 

Brian =)

Added 5 web cameras within Iowa hosted by Steel-Highway.com

• Washington, Iowa
• Cedar Falls, Iowa
• Muscatine, Iowa
• Belle Plaine, Iowa
• Iowa Falls, Iowa

(iOS 3.4) & (Android 3.5) Released

• (iOS/Android) Prefill prompted even if no locomotives where selected
• (iOS/Android) Styling tweaks on reporting view
• (iOS/Android) Fixed map pinch/zoom issue when viewing sub division
• (Android) - Fixed issue with notifications
• (Android) - Added battery optimization notification on settings screen 

Next release will be 3.6 (iOS/Android)

• Adding pull down refresh on the home page
• Sub division search page, railroad drop down list will sort correctly
• More items to come

Brian =)

(iOS/Android) - 3.3 Released

• (iOS) Fixed sporadic scroll on user's report history
• (iOS) Fixed application failed to load on iOS 12.0 or older 

If you wish to have the latest reports display on your home page.  Go to "More" > "Settings" and enable latest reports within the settings (near bottom)

Brian =)

Added/renumbered CSXT3 in B&O Heritage. 

(iOS/Android) - 3.2 Released

• Fixed issue where viewing a photo from search list going back it would reset the search
• Fixed sort of railroad filter on the latest reports screen.
• Clicking a link in the news will now open within the native browser

If you wish to have the latest reports display on your home page.  Go to "More" > "Settings" and enable latest reports within the settings (near bottom)

Brian =)

Added Web Cam - Fort Lauderdale, FL along FEC (Owned by Marine Industries Association of South Florida)

Complete rewrite of the Heritage Units iOS app is finally released and will be rolled out over the next week. Apologies for the delay but the new iOS 15 operating system roll out required a few code changes.  All functionality that was in the Android app will be available within the iOS app (including notifications).       

Please note that notifications work on the iOS background fetch event controlled by the operating system. Unlikely Android where the application is allowed to check the server every "x" minutes (consistent behavior).  iOS operating system determines when notifications will be checked and is usually tied to user behavior and app usage. 

Update 10/28/2021 - A few small bugs have already been found with the new app (3.0.70).  Related to erratic scrolling on the current reports, near by pages and where it appears the settings page is not recalling the last setting values.  All these items have been fixed and are getting queued up in the Apple Store.  When released the version # will be 3.1.71 or higher

Brian =)

Amtrak 406 is back in service and reporting is enabled

Removed - BNSF 1770 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added - AMTK197 - Big Game Train.  Please note this locomotive was in an accident yesterday.  The dramatic video can be seen at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03NkGLVbQLA

Added 2 new web cameras to the database

• Railstream.net - Marion, OH
• Boston & Maine Live - Greenville, ME

Removed - FEC 104-107 - Florida East Coast Paint

Added Tehachapi Live Train Cams to the web camera database.

Updated a handful of VRF YouTube links

Amtrak 160 is out of the paint shop.  Link to Amtrak's twitter announcement. 

Added new Springfield, MA web cam

Added new Muscatine, IA web cam

NS 1074 is now reportable again as it's been spotted outside of Altoona, PA

Release of Android 3.0.61 - Released 9/12/2021

• Performance Improvements

I'm also actively working on the iOS version which is currently in testing and still on schedule for end of September pending no surprises arise.

Brian =)

Android Version 3.0.56 - Released 8/31/2021

• Ability to unmask password on login/registration. This will allow you to copy/paste complex passwords.
• Can now search for sub divisions around your device (More > Sub Divisions > Map Icon top right)
• Numerous small bugs/tweak

NKP 765 is now reportable again 

Android Release 3.0.54

• Home Screen added Latest Reports (must be turned on in settings)
• Web cams are now searchable when submitting a new report
• Report Submission, fixed an issue with prefill

If you updated to the new HU android app (Android 8.1 or older) and received an object reference error or the application is failing to load.  I've developed fix for this issue (3.0.53) and will be publishing it to the store later today.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder / Developer

I've released the Heritage Units Android App (3.0) to the play store.   

• If you have a fatal issue where the application won't run please contact me at the support link (https://www.heritageunits.com/main/contact) and please be detailed to the issue that is occurring.  I will likely respond asking for screenshots if it's an error that I'm not a aware of as this will assist with faster resolutions.  Please be patient as I'll try to resolve any issues as fast as possible.  Note that application has been available for 48 hours and many folks are already updated to 3.0 and are using it to report locomotives. 
   
• If you're running Android phone with the operating system (4.0 / 5.0) - Less than 0.6% of users.  Note that you're a rare bird and I still have the legacy version out there FOR NOW...  but it will be removed before 2022.  My recommendation is that it's time to upgrade your phone.    
  
  

• If you're running Android phone with the operating systems (6.0 / 7.0) - Less than 4% of users .  Please note that these operating systems support is running thin and thus you may receive errors and I'll attempt to resolve them but I can't provide any guarantees.  Just like the 4.0/5.0 operating systems, it's recommended that phone upgrade be in your future.
   

Brian
HeritageUnits.com - Founder / Developer

New Web Cam - Washington, IA

Added new web cam for Cinncinati, OH.  Note that camera does change directions but when faced east it will see the trains entering/leaving Cincinnati. 

New mobile apps are on the way... 

These are 100% complete rewrites of the current version and address many issues the plagued the old one.  Below are a couple notes about the releases and their planned release dates.

• Complete new UI experience.  
• Fixed issues requiring frequent logins (note you will need a new fresh login with this new app)
• Time zone issues when submitting reports
• You can now set the leading locomotive if it's not a tracked unit.  In the current version you could only state "other" or select one of the reported locomotives.
• Sub divisions / mile posts are now available.  We're actively building our database so this is experimental but will include radio frequencies, detector locations, etc... 
• If a sub division is selected during a report, the train direction should match timetable directions (N/S or E/W) for the sub division.  We know some are confusing so we provide helpers per division.
  
• Notifications within the app of when a locomotive matches your near by settings.
• Many more...

Rollout

• Android app should start a staged rollout next week pending no issues arise during our final testing.
• Apple app should follow right behind with a mid- to-late September rollout.

Not included (but coming very soon...)

• Photo uploads

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder / Developer

Updated the North East, PA web cam URL and set the owner to Lake Shore Railway Museum

Removed  (repainted) - BNSF 1608 - ATSF Bluebonnet

Added BNSF1594 (BN Paint)

Added Palmer, MA Web Cam by Boston and Maine Live

Added AMTK108 (Phase VI)

Added AMTK160 (Dash 8 Phase III)

Reactivated BNSF 9407

Added - BBLE862 (DMIR Paint)

Added VirtualRailfan.com Web Camera - Spartanburg, SC

Added Railstream.net Web Camera - Atlanta, GA

Added - AMTK301 - Day 1 - 50th Anniversary

Removed - MNCR126 - New Haven

Added - BNSF1787 - BN Paint

Removed - KCS 2972 - KCS Grey

CSX has officially renumbered CSXT1 (Spirit of WV) to CSXT173.   Note that we renumbered the locomotive last week due to CSXT1 (B&O Scheme) venturing out on the OCS. 

CSXT1 & 2 - B&O Heritage Scheme locomotives are available for reporting.

Unlocked NS 8098 (Conrail) for reporting

Added Rocky Mount, NC web cam

Added Oklahoma City, OK web cam

Added - IHB3800 - Salute our Troops - Note that notifications are disabled on this unit due to it's limited range

NW611 is enabled for reporting

We've received word about the new CSX1 (F40PH in B&O Scheme).  We're holding on changes until we receive confirmation that CSXT1 (Spirit of WV) is officially renumbered and confirmed.   This is to avoid confusion and reporting the wrong locomotive.

Added Belle Plaine, NE web cam (thanks T. Hogan)
Added Fostoria, OH (thanks A. Wenger)

Updated link to new Roanoke web camera and updated the link to Hotel Roanoke Rail cam.   Many thanks Bruce P. for the email!

Added - Metra North Commuter Units in New Haven paint (P32AC-DM #228-231 and BL20GH 126-127, 129-130).  

Please note that we don't send out notifications for units in regular commuter service. 

As of 5/1/2021 we've officially deprecated SMS notifications due to lack of utilization and costly to maintain.   Please note that we'll have push notifications coming to our mobile apps. 

We've unlocked NW611 in preparation for its move in May.

https://www.strasburgrailroad.com/611-at-strasburg/

Fixed an issue where the server was failing to send out emails during registrations / forgot passwords.   If you registered your account between 4/12/2021 8PM EST to 4/16/2021 8PM EST you likely didn't receive an email.  

Please visit the profile page to generate another email verification link (link)

Added - WE7023 - 30th Anniversary

Added Cedar Fall, IA to the web cam map

UP1995 reporting restrictions have been lifted. UP has placed the unit back in service as of yesterday. 

On the web site (Desktop View) we've added the ability to see the locations of web cams within the USA/Canada. Please contact us if there are missing.   This will be useful if trying to locate and track a Heritage Unit.   

Also note that this is in preparation for our new mobile app which will ask specifically what camera you saw the locomotive at to assist with keeping reporting consistent. 

HeritageUnits.com is not affiliated with these camera operators.  While some of these cameras are free to view, others are not.  We do ask that you support each operator on their respective sites via a membership or donations.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com 

Added - KCS2823 - KCS Grey

Removed - BCOL 4643 - BC Rail Paint - Scrapped

Added  - Canadian Pacific's "Central, Maine & Quebec" units

• CMQ1002
• CMQ1006
• CMQ2001
• CMQ2002
• CMQ2003
• CMQ2004
• CMQ2006
• CMQ3812
• CMQ3816
• CMQ3817
• CMQ9004
• CMQ9010
• CMQ9011
• CMQ9014
• CMQ9017
• CMQ9020
• CMQ9021
• CMQ9022
• CMQ9023
• CMQ9024

Removed - NS 3215 - 2014 NMRA - SOld to PRLX

Reactivated - NS3492 OLS as it's been spotted in numerous locations. 

Added - EMDX7235 - EMDX Black

Reactivated CSX 911, 3194 and 1776.   Reportable on CSX Q410-14 to Selkirk, NY

AMTK184 is now reportable again

Added remaining KCS units in Grey.

SD40-2

• KCS 661 
• KCS 3219

GP38-2

• KCS 1908 
• KCS 1909
  
• KCS 1915 
• KCS 1921 
• KCS 2004 
• KCS 2014 
• KCS 2022 
• KCS 2023 
• KCS 2029

GP40-3

• KCS 2809 
• KCS 2830 
• KCS 2841 
• KCS 2844 
• KCS 2846 
• KCS 2898  
• KCS 2964 
• KCS 2972 

 GP40-2LW

• KCS 2900 
• KCS 2902 
• KCS 2906 
• KCS 2911

Removed - BNSF 2843 - ATSF Bluebonnet (Repainted)

Removed - BNSF 2831 - BN Paint (Repainted)

Added - KCS 2967 - KCS Grey

Removed - BNSF 193 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Just resolved an issue with our password reset.  If you had troubles logging in after a password reset it's likely that your new password wasn't complex enough.  The password reset page wasn't displaying validation messages when a new password didn't meet the requirements.    This has been resolved at as of 1/10/2021 6:30PM EST.  

There have also been a couple instances where a fellow user might accidently selected the wrong locomotive during a report.  For example; it's a locomotive on the east coast only but was reported on the west coast.  This could happen if the person was scrolling the locomotive selection screen and accidently tapped the wrong locomotive during a scroll.  For such a unique situation; we've added geo-fencing for handful of unique locomotives.

Brian =)

Added - BNSF 3027 - BN Paint

Our moderators now have the ability to update the leader status on a report.  Previously if a user made a mistake selecting the leader we would have to take it down.   Now our team can fix the mistake so the report can stay viewable.

Brian =)

Removed - GTW 4926 - GTW Paint - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1885 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Fixed an issue where the "distance away" was displaying incorrectly on the latest location view on the mobile app.  This view was never designed to show the distance away and thus resulted in very confusing results. 

Brian =)

The entire staff here at HeritageUnits.com wish everyone Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, & Happy New Year...

Fixed a bug on the mobile (web) for locomotive list page. Was creating duplicate entries for the same categories.   Thanks J. Higgins for bring this to my attention.

Brian =)

Fixed a bug where user favorites was not displaying within the apps (iOS/Android/Web).  Many thanks to Tom B. for bringing it to my attention.

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 2947 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - AMTK 189 - Big Game Train - Stickers removed 

Removed - BNSF 2949 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 2939 - BN Paint - Repainted 

Added - BNSF 196 - ATSF Bluebonnet
Added - BNSF 1638 - ATSF Bluebonnet
Added - BNSF 1645 - ATSF Bluebonnet
Added - BNSF 1648 - ATSF Bluebonnet
Added - BNSF 1761 - ATSF Bluebonnet

BNSF677 & BNSF686 are reportable again. Spotted in Kansas City, MO. 

Removed - BNSF 2857 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - IC 2455 - Blue Devil - Scrapped

Fixed a bug where custom favorites couldn't be updated on the web.  Thanks Phil for letting us know.

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder/Developer

Renamed - CN 3233 to Veterans Unit

Fixed a bug where the category drop down on the mobile apps was only displaying a the sub category.  This was a server level fix;; thus the fix will be immediate for any affected app versions.

Brian =)

Removed - BNSF 1739 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1738 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Added 3 "New" Heritage units from Canadian National.   CN3023 (EJE), CN3008 (IC) and CN3069 (WC).   All 3 locomotives with addition of CN3115 (BCOL) are on train CN M396.  

A video of the units can be found at this link ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdH7YV2SQ-Y )

Removed - BNSF 2869 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1757 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Quick update on the upcoming 3.0 mobile app.  

For the past month I've been making core changes to the server in preparation for the 3.0 app.  Below are a couple features I'm looking to bring into v3.0.

• Sub Divisions / Mile Post - We'll ask the reporter for more details like the sub division, mile post and timetable direction.  If you don't know all those details; it's ok!    We're building the app to suggest them to you and also provide pointers on the correct direction (sometimes North/South is actually East/West on a railroad's timetable). 
  
  
• Web Cameras - We're building in features to speed up web camera reporting and pre-fill in details about the location. 
  
  
• Push Notifications - Currently only our android app (premium accounts) has the ability to do notifications but they're built upon a "pull" notification that works on a schedule.  We're looking to replace this with "push" notifications for iOS/Android.
  
  
• Photo Uploads - Currently only available via our web version.  Looking to add the ability to upload directly from your phone. 
  
  
• Routing Predictions - Our ultimate goal... with more detailed reporting our goal is send notifications to you if you train is inbound to your location.  Note this will likely be delivered in later version as we stabilize the 3.0 version. 

Please be patient as I build things out but if you have enhancement ideas please send them to me at our contact page. 

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder / Developer

BNSF680 is reportable again

Added - AMTK 600 - David L. Gunn Memorial - Note that this is in commuter service so we've disabled notifications for this locomotive

BNSF625 is reportable again (was in storage)

Added another "new" heritage unit CN3115 in BC rail paint. This unit previously was a 100th anniversary unit. 

It's been spotted in it's new paint but no word on the official release date.  

Their is also another Illinois Central heritage unit (all black "deathstar") that is painted but it's number is still TBD.

Top notch stuff coming out of Canadian National!

Added a "new" heritage unit.  Fresh out of the shop in true GT (Blue/Red) paint - CN 8952 - Grand Trunk Western

Resolved an issue while submitting new reports where a new report could result in a "Object reference not set to an instance of an object".  

Applied a small fix for the map view on the mobile web version where it wasn't pulling up the report when clicking on the marker icon. 

Fixed a display issue with trending locomotives (Mobile & Web versions)

Removed - CEFX 6012 - SOO Paint - Repainted

Added - CN7600 (GP40-3) CN 600 (Slug).   As of right now we're describing them as "Canadian National Green" paint.  You can view a picure of them at this  (link).  

Please note that links only work on the web version of heritage units.  In our new app they'll be clickable. 

Removed - SOO 4409 - SOO Paint - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 3172 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 1746 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 2952 - ATSF Bluebonnet  - Repainted

UP1995 (C&NW) is now reportable again

Removed - BNSF 2846 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 2796 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

Beginning in August 2020 we'll be rolling out the requirement that all new reporting of locomotives will be required to be submitted via our mobile apps (iOS/Android).

We analyzed the data and for the past couple years noticed that reporting from the mobile applications has been more reliable and consistent then reports submitted via the web version. Additionally, we’ve seen in 2020 that 90% of the reports came from the mobile versions leaving only 10% reports via the web.

Deprecating the web reporting version will allow us to focus our attention to solid experience within the mobile app and also bring in additional features that have been asked for.

Nothing else and we have no plans for any other changes. You can still view all reports in real-time, upload photos, etc…

We’re currently in the process of complete rewrite (3.0) of the app where we will attempt to bring “All” the functionality of the web site to the mobile apps along with new enhancements. We know there are some limitations of the current application and thus why we're taking a fresh swing. Give me some time to get things built and ready!

Brian =)
HeritageUnits.com - Founder / Developer

• On your phone, go to “Settings”
• Go to “Apps”
• Find “Heritage Units” app, click it
• Click “Storage”
• Click “Clear data” AND “Clear cache”
• (note, clear cache may be disabled after clearing data, this is ok)
• Start the Heritage Units app, you should be prompted to login again.