RailSightings.com BIG Update!

csx6900 · January 09, 2013, 11:09:16 PM

Hi all,

I am pleased to inform you that RailSightings.com is now a functional website! I've worked tirelessly to get our latest update finished. You can now submit sightings and begin to keep an online log of your train findings. This, of course, will add the required data to our database to make it the great railfanning tool it has the potential to be! Until then though, the site serves as an excellent tool for maintaining your personal train-watching records.

If you are already signed up as a user, then you can login on RailSightings.com and begin entering your sightings immediately. Please feel free to enter your sightings from the past so that we can build our data faster! Then go to the "My Sightings" area of your account to view and edit your sightings. Eventually, we will add options to group your sightings and search through them, but updates such as that will most likely come in the next big release.

If you are not a user, please sign up today! Head on over to RailSightings.com and submit your application for membership. Your application will be reviewed and approved promptly. You will then have access to your account and the ability to submit and manage your sightings.

Please help us make this a railfan tool like no other! Spread the word to other railfan groups, forums, and friends. Then submit your train sightings whenever possible to help build a wealth of information.

There will be many more exciting updates to come in the future, so stay on the look-out! Updates will be posted to these groups accordingly. A big thanks goes out to all who have supported our efforts so far!

-Evan

E.M. Bell · January 11, 2013, 11:09:19 PM

I posted a couple of trains this evening just to give it a whirl, and its a neat site! It will take awhile to build up a useful amount of information, but your on the right track (no pun intended).

Everyone be sure to check Evans work out!

csx6900 · January 11, 2013, 11:30:18 PM

Emmett,

Thanks for the comment! I really appreciate it. You are absolutely correct: It WILL take a while to build up a good amount of information. But that's why I'm encouraging as many people as I can to start submitting now. Even if the data pages aren't developed yet, you can still submit the information to the database that will make those pages useful in the future.

-Thanks again,
Evan

PGupton · January 12, 2013, 10:51:56 AM

Just signed up. Looking forward to building up your database!

chipallen16 · January 12, 2013, 12:47:31 PM

I've been putting stuff in today! I have three more to add, and I'll get to those in a bit. (I'm where your Lula, GA hits are coming from, haha.) I'm loving it!

-Chip

ARandall70 · January 15, 2013, 05:41:26 PM

I have been actively using the site starting with my first sightings of 2013 and I love it! Great job.

If I could make a feature request... a delete button. I know you haven't finished the site and it may not have full functionality yet. I sent you a message through the site email about a mistake I made.

Thanks!

csx6900 · January 15, 2013, 06:01:52 PM

Guys,

Thank you so much for all of the input! It helps me out a bunch. I'm already amazed at the amount of data going into the site. When it gets popular, it will truly be one of the best railfanning resources available... and I haven't even started compiling the data yet!

Anthony, I've been debating about the delete button. On one hand, it's convenient in situations like this. On the other, I don't want people deleting their sightings from the database like someone would delete emails in their inbox... that defeats the whole purpose of the sight. I'll get rid of your duplicate in the meantime.

What would you guys think if I added a delete button, but your deletions require moderator approval?

-Evan

NSMoWandS · January 15, 2013, 06:53:30 PM

Another thing would to have the "Top 10" clickable like the "5 most recent entries" Just my 2 cents. Dan

csx6900 · January 15, 2013, 06:59:39 PM

Dan,

The top 10 locations will be made into links eventually. I have yet to write the script for the location pages, but will add them when I can. I have some other more back-end-oriented stuff that I'm working on first. Thanks for the input though!

A lot more than just the top 10 locations will become "clickable" eventually... every sighting, town, railroad, engine, subdivision, and more will be links to explore further information. That's a ways off yet though.

-Evan

ARandall70 · January 15, 2013, 07:02:35 PM

I think "delete upon approval" is a good way to go. Maybe have a delete reason box so you can screen the delete requests quickly.

fireball451 · January 15, 2013, 08:02:24 PM

Got signed up a couple of days ago. Made my first sighting post today. Going to be a really neat site!

csx6900 · January 15, 2013, 09:55:52 PM

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I'll work on the delete button this week and have it up ASAP.

-Evan

ARandall70 · January 18, 2013, 08:09:39 AM

If you could, add the capability to input CSXT GMS-1 and GMS-2.

Thanks

fireball451 · February 01, 2013, 08:56:01 PM

I would like to see the "members" and "locations" areas to be clickable to see a list.

csx6900 · February 01, 2013, 09:04:24 PM

Thanks again for the feedback guys!

Anthony, to keep things simple and universally compatible on the site, I find it best to leave the test cars out of the loco lists for now. Perhaps I will add that option in the future. It would be best to add that into the notes for the time being. Thanks!

fireball, that feature is certainly forthcoming. There are a lot of updates on the way, but they will take time. I haven't been working on the site recently due to investing time in hardware upgrades on this end, but work will resume again soon. Here are some updates I'd like to have up in the next few weeks:

Ability to add sightings to groups
Email groups of sightings
Search feature
Watch list feature

More distant goals include pages that compile train data for different locations, locomotives, and symbols. Plus a bunch of other neat side features. Please be patient and hopefully you'll be happy with the results!

-Thanks,
Evan

NSMoWandS · February 01, 2013, 09:28:29 PM

A "Watch List" feature would be an excellent idea! Dan

fireball451 · February 01, 2013, 09:41:59 PM

On the train ID, I tried to enter a partial one for a CSX sighting, but it wouldn't let me. Seems like some some people have a case of the mush-mouth at times......
I would think that clear annunciation when calling signals could be important....
Some times, you have no clue as to what the garble was.
I was trying to at least enter the part I knew was correct.
Guess that is what the notes section is for!

csx6900 · February 01, 2013, 10:32:38 PM

Yep, if you enter a train symbol, it requires the full symbol with correct syntax. The form validation script will check for that upon submission. If you don't have a full symbol, then just put it in the notes. Thanks!

-Evan

ARandall70 · February 04, 2013, 10:38:32 PM

Evan, could you add RNCX for the locomotive reporting marks list. Its for F59PH and F59PHI locomotives owned by the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

csx6900 · February 05, 2013, 05:41:55 PM

Anthony,

RNCX has been added. Thanks!

-Evan

fireball451 · February 10, 2013, 02:22:54 PM

Just realized, with 21st Century Steam kicking off soon, we will need to be able to select "SOU 630" and "NKP 765" when they get spotted. Maybe under a specialty heading.

csx6900 · February 10, 2013, 06:27:53 PM

Quote from: fireball451 on February 10, 2013, 02:22:54 PM
Just realized, with 21st Century Steam kicking off soon, we will need to be able to select "SOU 630" and "NKP 765" when they get spotted. Maybe under a specialty heading.

Yep, steam locomotives have been on my "to do" list for a while. I'll have them available by the time this year's steam season kicks off. Thanks!

In the meantime, I've resumed work on my next update. Hopefully within a month, I'll have the following features added in one big update:

Ability to add sightings to groups
Search feature
Ability to set your own default values for the sighting submission page

After that update, I'll move on to some more exciting features including data compilation pages and an option to set up automatic sighting notifications. Lots of exciting things in the near future!

-Evan