Updates

4/20/2025

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

11/11/2024

11/10/2024

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

11/8/2024

11/6/2024

11/5/2024

10/31/2024

10/25/2024

10/21/2024

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.

10/15/2024

10/13/2024

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

10/8/2024

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

10/7/2024

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 =)

10/6/2024

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)

10/4/2024

10/3/2024

10/2/2024

9/29/2024

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 =)

9/26/2024

9/23/2024

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

9/20/2024

9/19/2024

9/17/2024

Added - CSXT1851 - NC&StL (LinkedIn Post)

9/16/2024

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

9/15/2024

9/14/2024

9/11/2024

9/10/2024

9/5/2024

8/30/2024

8/29/2024

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 =)

8/26/2024

8/20/2024

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

8/16/2024

8/15/2024

Added - PW4069 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members

8/12/2024

8/11/2024

8/6/2024

8/5/2024

8/4/2024

Added - WEBX2058 - New Haven

7/28/2024

MBTX1129 - MBTA Heritage Maroon paint

7/27/2024

(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

7/26/2024

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

Brian =)

7/23/2024

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

7/19/2024

7/17/2024

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

7/13/2024

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

7/12/2024

7/9/2024

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 

6/28/2024

6/25/2024

6/23/2024

6/22/2024

6/21/2024

Added - BAYL4059 - Honoring Veterans & Service Members

6/19/2024

6/17/2024

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

6/16/2024

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 =)

6/10/2024

6/9/2024

6/8/2024

6/6/2024

6/5/2024

6/4/2024

Added - SPAX280 - Reading Lines

Added - SPAX304 - Conrail

Added - SPAX401 - Penn Central

6/2/2024

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

6/1/2024

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

5/27/2024

*** 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

5/26/2024

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 =)

5/22/2024

5/21/2024

5/18/2024

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

5/16/2024

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

5/13/2024

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.

5/12/2024

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 

5/10/2024

5/1/2024

4/30/2024

4/28/2024

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

4/27/2024

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. 

4/22/2024

New Web Cam - Boone, IA by Trains on Demand

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

4/20/2024