News of problems

I was out and about in Cornwall yesterday following the Royal Duchy's progress, and luckily I decided to view at Bodmin where there was lots of updated news regarding the problems at Newton Abbott.
But had I decided to view 'out in the countryside', I might have been alone with no idea of what was going on.
Is there no way the mobile phone system can be used for 'early warnings' of problems and delays?
Might save some wasted (and expensive journeys).

On a positive note, it was lovely to see the number of people events like this can bring out! =D>

 

Even the most basic mobiles have internet capabilities nowadays...maybe it's time to hang up the brick.

 

Google has released IMaps...

Maybe someone or some locomotive owner, would be willing to link their mobile phone to the IMaps page.. then we will see in real time where the train is.

I'm thinking of a particular railtour this year I am going to ride on, and maybe volunteer my whereabouts on the web to show the train's location for those interested.
Could be an interesting experiment. (NXEC already does it.. any train will show you real time on a map where it is).

 

Does Nat-Pres have a mobile (WAP?) website/page?

 

I use a BlackBerry and have managed to log on to NP from that. It is a bit labourious typing in user name (partly my fault for having such a long name!) etc. and isn't the easiest to then use but it is possible and actually probably a more like the normal version that say mobile E-Bay.

 

I think that generally speaking the mobile phone system already does this job now. I was in a random field at Dainton with a load of others, and about 10 mins past the due time, some phones started going, and we all soon knew Nunney was off at NA with a box, and Champion was being summoned from Plymouth. I tried to log on to nat pres on my PDA, but it was so bright in the sun, I couldn't read the screen!!! ](*,)
I try and make sure someone i can contact has quick access to Nat Pres for updates. It's never that long before someone posts if there is a problem. Normally, if all is quiet, that's good news!

 

I use a few 'gen 'sites, based on yahoo...

there are several including GWgen and SWRG... Always find up to date stuff on there and fairly easy to get it to be seen on you mobile....

It was amazing to see the people on Dainton, possibly over 100, with most in contact with someone either on the route or in contact with someone looking at the gen sites...

 

But only if you are on it!
Now, if you could view the position of a train that you are not on, that could be very handy.
Shouldn't be all that difficult to come up with a cheap GPS/GMS box to do the job.

 

Hmm..a cheap GPS/GMS box..brilliant idea, anybody know who to ask to produce one? but for us who generally stand in a field near top of incline,nobody else about and dont know anybody on the train... Is friends of loco owners phone line for 10 quid a year still going, thats my best bet.

 

... Is friends of loco owners phone line for 10 quid a year still going, thats my best bet.[/quote]

Yes it is.

 

I would gladly contribute if I could understand your post. Please expand.

 

I've been thinking of the GPS + GSM thing. Should not be too difficult (or expensive) to have a box that includes a mobile phone and input from a GPS receiver. So anyone wanting to know the position of the train could text a blank message to it and it would interrogate the GPS text back a location.
If every railtour operator had one, and put it on their train (or every loco owner - covers LE positioning moves too then), they could charge 50p or so per text, thereby paying for the kit, and generating a small income.
I think I might look into this a bit more. I am a GPS engineer after all!
Could call it TrainTrack or something!
hmmmm, thinking cap on.

 

Roachie:

Sorry, my attempt to quote part of a previous post didn't work properly.

Friends of the Main Line Steam Locomotive Operators (FMSLO) in Lichfield run a phone recorded message service. There is an annual sub. The phone number is changed every year to cut out the freeloaders. I don't have the full address to hand at the moment. Any profits get put towards main line associated projects (IIRC the water supply at Garsdale was contributed towards, as were generator vans, to help get rid of ETHELS)
I haven't found it useful once the weekend has started as the message is usually recorded on about Thursday, ready for the weekend, but for those (like my Dad), who won't let a confuser in the house it is very useful, although you often have to sit through a whole list of timings before you get to the tour you're interested in. Don't blink!

Sometimes there is additional info of a kind that doesn't make it onto UKSteam.

 

With one exception the "system" mentioned above seems to work OK here in SE England. i.e friends on the train or on an earlier part of the route usually send an update when they have got their first photo etc.

The exception being the VSOE Pullman train behind 35028. Not yet had a phone call from anyone on that train yet. I wonder why!

 

I even got a couple of updates whilst on holiday in New Zealand in may last year! :smt023

Neil.