Track 11 - TCS RAILROAD & TROLLEY TRAX MAP
If you already have Google Earth, just click this link: TCSTRAXMAP and then click on the Download arrow.
Otherwise, see 'FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS BELOW.'
In case of difficulty accessing the map, email rrtrax2@yahoo.com to get a link.
This map, like this website, is a work in progress. It is an effort to create a geographical framework for the station annotations and illustrative material on Track 12. The primary purpose is to accurately locate all the railroad stations in the state, as well as rail and trolley lines, current and abandoned, and additional points of interest [POIs]. Recently we went a step further and created path sets by railroad company and by date, so you can now identify when main lines, branches, extensions and later realignments were completed. Major interurban trolley lines are given and we have routed them as best we can through the cities; all local street lines are not included and only a few trolley stations are noted. Subsequent work has attempted to cover all of New England, especially in hot pursuit of the Lewis H. Benton photos we are gathering (pink numbers). Additional lines and places of interest include the Farmington Canal, Nantasket Beach, MA and Cape May, NJ.
*********** SOME NOTES ON USING THE MAP ***********
Colors:
BLUE=active and/or not abandoned rail lines, track still in the ground;
RED=abandoned rail lines; track out, with some exceptions;
ORANGE=street railway lines; no rail in the ground.
Main sub-files:
1. CT RR Stations;
2. CT RR POIs;
3. CT RR Lines;
4. CT ST RWYS;
5. ICC Valuation Maps, 1915-1916;
6. Fairchild Aerial Maps, 1934.
Station locations are shown by the house icons and zooming in CLOSE should show you the actual side of the track or crossing quadrant where the station stood. This attempt to clarify exact locations is ongoing. If you know something is amiss or feel it needs to be clarified, email Bob at rrtrax2@yahoo.com.
If ** follows the name with the a station icon on the map and in the index list, it means the structure is still standing at the original location. If it has been moved, it is marked by a [>], it has been moved and a pin with [<] indicates the new location. The pin is the indicator that is used for points of interest [POIs] other than stations. There are more specific instructions on the map with the introductions to each of the six sub-files.
The only thing you need to do to use this handy map resource is to download Google Earth, if you do not have it already on your computer. It is a safe, popular, and acclaimed Web mapping tool that is FREE, takes up little space on your hard drive, and enables you to open geographic files. We have stored our map data at Google Sites to make it universally available on the Internet.
**************** FOLLOW THESE SIMPLE STEPS ******************
1. Click here to download Google Earth.
2. UNCHECK the boxes offering to install Google Chrome. You don't need it for Google Earth.
3. When the download is complete, click this link: TCSTRAXMAP.
4. Click on the Download link on the Google Sites page and save it to your desktop.
5. Click on the TCSTRAXMAP file now on your computer. It should open automatically. Otherwise, right-click the file and choose Google Earth as the program to use.
6. Double-click on the Earth globe to pull it toward you and rotate it to Connecticut. As it comes in closer, you will see paths, station icons, and pins marking points of interest. Follow lines of interest on the map or double-click on items in the sidebar list to take you where you want to go. Keep the map open and switch back and forth to Track 16 and read our research on particular stations.
7. Upon exiting Google Earth, you will be asked if you want to add this temporary data to your 'My Places' file. You can say 'YES' to keep the map, but we actually recommend saying 'NO' to encourage you to go back to Google Sites to download the most recent version, since we are constantly tweaking and revising. The other advantage to doing this is that avoids overlaying a newer version on the old one, which causes duplicate data, paths, labels, etc. and gets very confusing. Revisions are labeled by date, e.g. CTTRAXMAP 2019 0710. If you have an older version, delete the old one and download the newer one.
8. If you did not keep the old map, just go go back to Step 4 and get the new map. If you did keep the old map, OPEN GE FIRST, right-click on My Places, locate the CTTRAXMAP, right-click on it, click 'Delete' and go back to Google Sites to get the newer version. If you run into trouble at any time, delete everything in My Places and just download the newer version.
9. A WORD OF CAUTION. Keep any map data sets that you have created in SEPARATE files on your computer so when you delete our map, you don't discard your personal work.
ENJOY! This is easier than it sounds once you have done it! FEEDBACK is invited and appreciated!!