Updates

11/12/2025

11/11/2025

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

11/9/2025

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I've cleared the outdated route profile for NS 955 and am currently preparing a server patch to resolve the underlying logic that triggered this behavior.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

11/8/2025

10/31/2025

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)

10/30/2025

10/22/2025

10/21/2025

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).  

10/17/2025

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

10/11/2025

Removed - AMTK621 - Crayola (Blue) - Wrap removed

9/26/2025

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

9/22/2025

9/21/2025

9/20/2025

Removed - BNSF1474 - Great Pumpkin (Scraped)

Removed - AMTK620 - Crayola (Yellow) - Wrap removed 

9/19/2025

Removed - NS6345 - Vandalized - Bigfoot Nose (Repainted)

9/16/2025

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)
  
  

9/4/2025

9/2/2025

8/27/2025

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

8/22/2025

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

8/20/2025

8/16/2025

8/9/2025

8/8/2025

8/7/2025

8/5/2025

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.

8/4/2025

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

8/3/2025

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

7/31/2025

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)

7/26/2025

7/25/2025

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

7/18/2025

7/17/2025

7/14/2025

7/12/2025

7/11/2025

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

7/10/2025

7/6/2025

7/2/2025

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

6/26/2025

Added DL4068 - Delaware & Hudson (Alco RS3)

6/21/2025

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

6/17/2025

Added - IORY4091 (Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker))

Added CPKC7470 - Strathcona's (CPKC Paint)

6/16/2025

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

6/15/2025

6/14/2025

Added - MNCR203 - (MTA Central) - Released yesterday

6/13/2025

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

6/10/2025

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

6/8/2025

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

6/4/2025

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

6/3/2025

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)

5/31/2025

Added - RNCX1893 - 30th Anniversary (Piedmont Service)

5/30/2025

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

5/25/2025

Removed - CN3309 - CN Wafer Logo (logo removed)

5/23/2025

Added - NS992800MW / NS992801MW - MofW Orange Power Unit

5/21/2025

Added - CFNR2403 - Genesee & Wyoming (Whisker)

5/14/2025

Removed - CN 3226 - 100th Anniversary - Logo removed

5/10/2025

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.

5/8/2025

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)

5/3/2025

4/30/2025

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

4/29/2025

4/26/2025

4/20/2025

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

4/17/2025

4/11/2025

4/10/2025

4/7/2025

4/5/2025

4/3/2025

4/2/2025

3/31/2025

3/29/2025

3/28/2025

3/26/2025

3/16/2025

3/13/2025

Added - CSXTGMS-1 - Geometry Unit

Added - CSXTGMS-2 - Geometry Unit

3/11/2025

Removed - BNSF 9768 - Executive/Grinstein Paint - Scrapped

3/8/2025

3/6/2025

2/26/2025

2/22/2025

2/19/2025

Removed - CSXT 4500 - Spirit of Cumberland - Scrapped

2/18/2025

2/15/2025

2/13/2025

2/11/2025

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

2/6/2025

2/4/2025

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 =)

2/2/2025

1/28/2025

1/27/2025

1/26/2025

1/25/2025

1/23/2025

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 =)

12/31/2024

12/26/2024

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 =)

12/24/2024

12/23/2024

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

12/20/2024

12/18/2024

12/17/2024

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 =)

12/16/2024

12/14/2024

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 =)

12/12/2024

12/10/2024

12/6/2024

12/2/2024

12/1/2024

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 =)

11/30/2024

11/26/2024

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

11/24/2024

11/20/2024

11/16/2024

11/14/2024

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