Updates

9/16/2023

9/15/2023

9/14/2023

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". 

9/6/2023

9/4/2023

9/2/2023

8/28/2023

8/27/2023

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

CMQ1002 > NS3987
CMQ1006 > NS3988

8/26/2023

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

8/25/2023

Removed - KCS 2841 - KCS Grey - Repainted

8/19/2023

Removed - CSXT940 - Crayola Unit - Repainted

8/18/2023

8/14/2023

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

8/12/2023

8/11/2023

8/10/2023

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

8/9/2023

New Web Cam - Austell, GA by VirtualRailfan.com

8/2/2023

7/20/2023

Added - CSXT1976 - Conrail

7/19/2023

Removed - BNSF 1466 - BN Paint - Repainted

Removed - BNSF 164 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

7/15/2023

7/12/2023

7/10/2023

7/8/2023

Added - CP9840 & CP9737 - BioFuel Units

7/3/2023

6/30/2023

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

6/29/2023

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

6/27/2023

6/26/2023

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

6/25/2023

6/24/2023

6/20/2023

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

6/19/2023

6/16/2023

6/13/2023

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

6/12/2023

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

6/10/2023

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

6/9/2023

6/8/2023

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 

6/7/2023

6/5/2023

6/3/2023

6/2/2023

Removed - BNSF1772 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

5/31/2023

Removed - AMTK641 - Harry Potter - Wrap Removed 

5/30/2023

Removed - AMTK638 - Harry Potter - Wrap Removed 

5/29/2023

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

5/27/2023

5/26/2023

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

5/24/2023

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

5/22/2023

Removed - BNSF 1980 - BN Paint - Repainted

5/19/2023

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

5/16/2023

5/14/2023

Removed - IC 2466 - Blue Devil - Being scrapped

5/13/2023

5/10/2023

5/9/2023

Removed - BNSF 642 - ATSF Warbonnet - Repainted

5/8/2023

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

5/6/2023

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

5/5/2023

Removed - BNSF 625 - ATSF Warbonnet - Repainted

5/4/2023

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

5/3/2023

4/30/2023

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

4/29/2023

4/28/2023

4/27/2023

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

4/24/2023

Removed - BNSF 167 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

4/23/2023

4/21/2023

Removed - BNSF 174 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

4/20/2023

4/19/2023

4/18/2023

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.

4/17/2023

4/16/2023

4/15/2023

4/14/2023

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

4/12/2023

4/10/2023

4/8/2023

4/7/2023

4/6/2023

3/31/2023

3/29/2023

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.

3/27/2023

3/23/2023

3/22/2023

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

3/20/2023

Removed - KCS 1908 - KCS Grey - Repainted

3/19/2023

Removed - BNSF 1475 - BN Paint - Repainted

3/16/2023

3/11/2023

3/9/2023

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
 

3/8/2023

Removed - BNSF182 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

3/6/2023

Removed - KCS 2964 - KCS Grey - Repainted

Removed - AMTK 184 - Phase IV - Repainted

3/1/2023

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. 

2/27/2023

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 =)

2/20/2023

2/19/2023

2/18/2023

Removed - AMTK 157 - Big Game Train - Stickers removed

Added - KJRY3010 - Honoring Our Veterans and Troops

2/16/2023

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 =)

2/15/2023

Removed - BNSF 1659 - BN Paint - Repainted

2/12/2023

Removed - KCS 2902 - KCS Grey - Repainted

2/7/2023

2/6/2023

Added - BNSF8231 - BN Sticker Unit

2/3/2023

Removed - BNSF178 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

1/27/2023

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

Removed - KCS2823 - KCS Grey - Repainted 

1/26/2023

Removed - BNSF 185 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

1/17/2023

Removed - BNSF 1973 - BN Paint - Repainted

1/15/2023

Removed - KCS 2898 - KCS Grey - Repainted

1/14/2023

1/12/2023

Removed - BNSF 190 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

1/7/2023

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

1/3/2023

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 =)

1/2/2023

Removed - BNSF 1604 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

1/1/2023

Removed - BNSF 1960 - BN Paint - Repainted 

12/30/2022

Removed - BCOL 4612 - BC Rail Paint at LTEX

12/29/2022

Removed - BNSF 176 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

12/26/2022

Removed - BNSF 2849 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

12/24/2022

12/23/2022

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

12/21/2022

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. 

12/19/2022

Removed - CSXT 4589 - Spirit of Nashville - Repainted

12/5/2022

Removed - BNSF 1836 - BN Paint - Repainted

12/4/2022

Removed - KCS 2967 - KCS Grey - Repainted 

12/3/2022

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

11/30/2022

Removed - BNSF 2787 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

11/29/2022

11/25/2022

Removed - BNSF 173 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

11/21/2022

11/18/2022

Removed - BNSF 159 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

11/16/2022

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

BNSF721 has been reactivated for reporting

11/15/2022

Removed - AMTK606 - King Tut - Unwrapped

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

11/13/2022

11/12/2022

11/11/2022

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

11/9/2022

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. 

11/7/2022

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. 

11/4/2022

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

Removed - BNSF 1920 - BN Paint - Repainted 

11/2/2022

Removed - BNSF 187 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

10/28/2022

Removed - BNSF 180 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted

10/25/2022

10/24/2022

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

10/23/2022

10/21/2022

10/15/2022

10/13/2022

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

10/11/2022

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

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

10/9/2022

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

10/8/2022

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

10/1/2022

Removed - BNSF 175 - ATSF Bluebonnet - Repainted 

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

9/24/2022

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