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
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)
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)
Map Customizations
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.
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.
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