Google Earth "Tracking"

[fredevad]

I've been playing with a GPS application on my cell phone that creates a geo-track on where you've been (as long as the application is running) and creates waypoints with photos. The application can email the GPS track and waypoints information in a format that is importable into the Google Earth application ("kmz", binary data or "gpx", XML data). From there I can create a "tour" where one can "fly" through the geo-track, giving one the feeling of actually traveling the route.

So far, I've used it to create test geo-tracks for drives to and from work and it seems to work quite well (as long as I don't pause it during the trip, which creates additional segments).

So I thought, why not use it to geo-track train travel? I'm going to create a track from MKE to CHI when I travel for National Train Day, creating picture waypoints of features of the route. It would be pretty cool to "fly" along above the rails to follow the route.

I'm all about "Low Cost" or "Gotta know how to use your free stuff", so everything here (except the phone and window mount) are free or low cost solutions. I'll be happy to divulge the technical details if anyone wants to know - I just didn't want to start this thread with shameless product plugs.

Would anyone be interested in the MKE-CHI geo-track file? I'll be happy to host and post a link to it when it's ready (hopefully within a week after NTD, but no promises).

Happy travels,

 

[PetalumaLoco]

I've been playing with a GPS application on my cell phone that creates a geo-track on where you've been (as long as the application is running) and creates waypoints with photos. The application can email the GPS track and waypoints information in a format that is importable into the Google Earth application ("kmz", binary data or "gpx", XML data). From there I can create a "tour" where one can "fly" through the geo-track, giving one the feeling of actually traveling the route.
So far, I've used it to create test geo-tracks for drives to and from work and it seems to work quite well (as long as I don't pause it during the trip, which creates additional segments).

So I thought, why not use it to geo-track train travel? I'm going to create a track from MKE to CHI when I travel for National Train Day, creating picture waypoints of features of the route. It would be pretty cool to "fly" along above the rails to follow the route.

I'm all about "Low Cost" or "Gotta know how to use your free stuff", so everything here (except the phone and window mount) are free or low cost solutions. I'll be happy to divulge the technical details if anyone wants to know - I just didn't want to start this thread with shameless product plugs.

Would anyone be interested in the MKE-CHI geo-track file? I'll be happy to host and post a link to it when it's ready (hopefully within a week after NTD, but no promises).

Happy travels,

Well I'd like to see the result. I'm never going to have the technology to do this myself, but I'm interested in seeing what you come up with.

 

[fredevad]

I finally have it ready (and within a week of NTD!). You can download the Geo Track file, and read the documentation (that I slaved over just for 'yall) on my Geo Tracking page. There are instructions on what to do with the file for those that aren't familiar with Google Earth KMZ files.

It follows the rails from [nearly] Chicago Union station (as soon as I could acquire a GPS signal) all the way to the downtown MKE station. I added the Hiawatha station stops along the route as well.

And yes, for this one I had the time to build it to scale and to paint it. (Does anyone get that reference?)

There's just a bunch of pages that don't have content yet.

 

[MrFSS]

That's interesting. I hadn't used Google Earth before. After looking over your route I panned to where my house is in central Kentucky. Must be some really old maps as it shows my house with a car in the drive I haven't owned in 4 years and the patio on the back we had installed five years ago doesn't show, either. Wonder how often they update the maps???