[alastair_i]

For those that haven't yet discovered it, Google Earth provide some great "over the fence" images and overhead shots of rail interest.

Here are a couple of places that have either been featured or mentioned in previous issues to get people going:

• Ballard Terminal RR - loco shed (latitude: 47?39'42.34"N, longitude: 122?22'21.43"W)
  
• Potters Intermodal Rail Depot, Queen Adelaide, nr Ely (latitude: 52?24'15.92"N, longitude: 0?17'32.95"E)
  

It should be possible to set-up a means by which locations of interest can be more easily shared.

Alastair

[Jordan]

I got the Ballard Engine Spur on Google Maps, just by going to Seattle with it set on Hybrid & zooming in closer & closer using the map in MTI 55 as a rough guide- got there in the end, the Satalite got L'il Beaver & Old Yeller in the spur quite clearly!! Fascinating!! From the views of my own house I reckon these views are a good 6 to 8 years old though. I haven't got to grips properly with Google earth- the views I got on that appeared to be even older.???
P.S. is there any more word on a UK 'Ballard Terminal Fan club' for want of a better name?

[shortliner2001]

Not so far as I know, Jordan. BTW has anyone tried
http://local.live.com/. Works very well

[Blackcloud Railways]

Can't speak for the rest of the country/world but Local Live seems to have older images than Google Earth. I've just zoomed in on home and the road markings outside the house are not up to date on LL but they are on GE.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[shortliner2001]

I think it rather depends when they last flew a photo recce of the area, which is what the photos are based on, rather than satellite imagery - if they had used that many of the areas would have been obscured by cloud.
My house appears in the furthest north you can get using windows live (no images are available any further north in UK.) and is about 3 years old - but the image was good enough for a recent planning application for a garage to be added.

[Blackcloud Railways]

Ah, I'd not thought of how they take piccies when it is cloudy

LL is very clear down to a low level over Crewe though, GE goes all fuzzy about half way between Sandbach and there. I can make out a gronk and a few sheds in the sidings.
_________________
Bob Hughes
Playing Trains

Once there were mountains on mountains and once there were sunbirds to soar with and once I could never be down.

[Jordan]

Finally got to try the link to Local/live maps as posted on Shortliner's reply. You can see the Ballard line quite well. There's 5 Cement cars in Shilshole Yard interchange, a couple at Salmon Bay S&G, & a Reefer near Western Pioneer shipping I presume. L'il Beaver & Old Yeller are in the Engine Spur, with some other stock by the looks of it. Thanks to Dick Whightman, his website & MTI articles- it's quite something to be able to locate & name places & happenings on the other side of the planet as if you've actually been there!! This Interweb is just awesome isnt it?