22 ms·

Traintrackr – Live LED Maps

100 points by recursion 9mo ago

tobinfekkes 8mo ago
I have the London board in my living room. It's one my favorite parts of the house. Can't recommend it enough.
codefeenix 8mo ago
Wow this is presented exactly the same as the flight data led display. It is odd that the advertising method and the comments are similar to the previous.
- ionwake 8mo ago
  which display is that? can you link it? sounds cool
KaiserPro 8mo ago
Train Trackr is great, and the weather one is also good too. If you are less into trains (heresy) but still want to look at unusual maps https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX is your place to go. its a live junction schematic of any train junction in the UK.
- lozf 8mo ago
  > unusual maps https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX Nice one, OpenRailTimes[0] is a similar style, but split in to smaller local sections by rail company and area. I also like SignalBox[1] maps for their more traditional geographic layout, and for "less map -- more data", with accurate times that trains pass through stations and junctions, then RealTimeTrains[2] is hard to beat. - [0]: https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps - [1]: https://www.map.signalbox.io/ https://www.map.signalbox.io/ - [2]: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/ https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/
  - KaiserPro 8mo ago
    Open traintimes map is really nice. If/when work gets a video display wall, that's what I'm going to put on it, even though its not an industry we work in.
- youngtaff 8mo ago
  I prefer Tracksy — https://traksy.uk/live https://traksy.uk/live Works on a mobile phone too so I can check what’s happening when I’m at my local station and the train is late Raildar is a pretty abysmal experience on mobile… locks up on this iPad when I try to zoom in
  - KaiserPro 8mo ago
    Traksy is much better on mobile, thanks for shout!
bongani123 8mo ago
Ohky
sschueller 8mo ago
Shameless self promotion. I make these: https://www.stationdisplay.com/ https://www.stationdisplay.com/
- rooster212 8mo ago
  Very cool looking product. I'd seen the original product linked before but I really like the look of these! The screen looks unusual too, I've seen single colour OLED screens of a similar size but not multi colour LED ones. I'm not in the market for one of these but I'd love to get one of the screens to play with!
wedog6 8mo ago
London underground looks awesome, but I can't imagine it having even the vaguest utility in terms of knowing when to leave the house.
- tialaramex 8mo ago
  Because it's a metro service (some peak periods have 36 tph throughput), in most cases the answer will be that you should leave when you want to travel and then a train turns up and you board the train, so you don't need this information. But, the services may be disrupted or unavailable and that might mean you make different choices e.g. Victoria's main line was shut due to a One Under when I was there at Xmas, so I took a bus to a station that wasn't shut and continued the rest of my journey.
  - SahAssar 8mo ago
    > One Under > (rail transport, slang, British) A person under a train; a person hit by a train after jumping or falling in front of it. In case anyone else was confused.
jackfranklyn 8mo ago
[flagged]
arranf 8mo ago
Wish it included the overground!
iamflimflam1 8mo ago
The blog is a much more interesting read than the product site: https://blog.traintrackr.io https://blog.traintrackr.io
- netsharc 8mo ago
  The guy, Geoff Marshall (edit: the guy on the video on the main page, I've assumed for a while he's also the maker of this gadget, but it seems not) is also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd18OhMfRmjMjzSHP7Zrzmw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd18OhMfRmjMjzSHP7Zrzmw . I like experiencing London/the UK through the scenery of his videos... One time he and his girlfriend did a journey to visit every train station and stop in the UK (posted on a different channel): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4PdgT_AV_nXshM-I7xjYpXG-C_2tH1W9 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4PdgT_AV_nXshM-I7xjY... Sadly for the romantics, they've since broken up...
- richardhawthorn 8mo ago
  Thanks, we've documented how some of our products work, where we get the data, the manufacturing process, and how to write/upload your own code to your board. We should have a couple more technical posts released this year as we update the way our boards get their data.
CPLX 8mo ago
I put the NYC one in the office. It’s a good conversation starter and mildly mesmerizing.
enjrolas 8mo ago
ayyyyy great to see someone from my local hacking community on the front page!
deleted 8mo ago
[deleted]
richardhawthorn 8mo ago
Hi everyone, Richard here, the creator of these traintrackr boards. It's great to see this on the front page! I've been designing PCBs for years, and designed over 250 at last count. We have a couple of products in the pipeline to come out this year, but I'd love to hear what you think we should build next.
- ionwake 8mo ago
  fantastic work Ive been a fan for a few years! Maybe a general "train to newcastle / Birmingham" map like this? https://map-shop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ms00004-uk-rail-map-a0-cmyk.png https://map-shop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ms00004-uk... A wimbledon tram one could be good and might appeal to the richer demographic ( im not sure ). https://www.croydon-tramlink.co.uk/info/gen/images/RouteMap.gif https://www.croydon-tramlink.co.uk/info/gen/images/RouteMap.... Finally an overnight sleeper train only (europe) could be good: https://media.timeout.com/images/105981668/image.webp https://media.timeout.com/images/105981668/image.webp Just suggestions I have no idea if these are good ideas.
- ljsocal 8mo ago
  Build a BART- CalTrain version and make bank!!
  - tuukkah 8mo ago
    Here's BART: https://www.traintrackr.co.uk/product/bart3 https://www.traintrackr.co.uk/product/bart3
- afandian 8mo ago
  Curious why you went with a matrix over WS2812 or similar. That PCB looks like it was painful to route!
  - richardhawthorn 8mo ago
    We switched to a matrix partly for price, partly for improved reliability. Regular RGB LEDs are a lot cheaper than the WS2812, around 6x cheaper when we made the decision to switch, which adds up when you have 768 of them. WS2812 LEDs are much easier to route, but if one dies then every LED routed after that one stops lighting up.
tangotaylor 8mo ago
I have one of these for Boston. It's awesome. I want to find more art like this that updates in real-time, then I feel like I actually appreciate it in the long term. With regular static pictures on the wall I tune them out after they've been there a few months.
pimlottc 8mo ago
The Chicago one could use a bit do a rework. The shape of the Loop is a very very distinctive, even iconic, but here it’s off — it’s squashed and fat, wider than it is tall, rather than narrower. Obviously some compromises must be made for routing the traces but I’d consider the shape of the Loop to be the most essential element of the whole system. Definitely very cool though!
phil21 8mo ago
Love these! My wife gifted me a Chicago CTA map for a birthday gift a few years ago and it makes great wall art. I found an in-box rated USB-C hardwired power adapter, and ran an additional outlet above an existing one. Then used a couple screwed together brass motherboard standoffs I drilled holes into the drywall for. To my surprise just some standard superglue in the holes have held these far more securely than needed. Looks like a great piece of “90s retro art” and gets a lot comments from guest!
okgo_1996 8mo ago
Build one for Seattle's Link light rail system! There's a new extension opening March 28, 2026, and then after that, the next extension is presumed to open 2032. https://www.soundtransit.org/crosslake https://www.soundtransit.org/crosslake

100 points by recursion 9mo ago

I have the London board in my living room. It's one my favorite parts of the house. Can't recommend it enough.

Wow this is presented exactly the same as the flight data led display. It is odd that the advertising method and the comments are similar to the previous.

ionwake 8mo ago
which display is that? can you link it? sounds cool

KaiserPro 8mo ago

Train Trackr is great, and the weather one is also good too. If you are less into trains (heresy) but still want to look at unusual maps https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX is your place to go. its a live junction schematic of any train junction in the UK.

lozf 8mo ago
> unusual maps https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX https://raildar.co.uk/map/KGX Nice one, OpenRailTimes[0] is a similar style, but split in to smaller local sections by rail company and area. I also like SignalBox[1] maps for their more traditional geographic layout, and for "less map -- more data", with accurate times that trains pass through stations and junctions, then RealTimeTrains[2] is hard to beat. - [0]: https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps - [1]: https://www.map.signalbox.io/ https://www.map.signalbox.io/ - [2]: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/ https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/
- KaiserPro 8mo ago
  Open traintimes map is really nice. If/when work gets a video display wall, that's what I'm going to put on it, even though its not an industry we work in.
youngtaff 8mo ago
I prefer Tracksy — https://traksy.uk/live https://traksy.uk/live Works on a mobile phone too so I can check what’s happening when I’m at my local station and the train is late Raildar is a pretty abysmal experience on mobile… locks up on this iPad when I try to zoom in
- KaiserPro 8mo ago
  Traksy is much better on mobile, thanks for shout!

bongani123 8mo ago

Ohky

sschueller 8mo ago

Shameless self promotion. I make these: https://www.stationdisplay.com/ https://www.stationdisplay.com/

rooster212 8mo ago
Very cool looking product. I'd seen the original product linked before but I really like the look of these! The screen looks unusual too, I've seen single colour OLED screens of a similar size but not multi colour LED ones. I'm not in the market for one of these but I'd love to get one of the screens to play with!

wedog6 8mo ago

London underground looks awesome, but I can't imagine it having even the vaguest utility in terms of knowing when to leave the house.

tialaramex 8mo ago
Because it's a metro service (some peak periods have 36 tph throughput), in most cases the answer will be that you should leave when you want to travel and then a train turns up and you board the train, so you don't need this information. But, the services may be disrupted or unavailable and that might mean you make different choices e.g. Victoria's main line was shut due to a One Under when I was there at Xmas, so I took a bus to a station that wasn't shut and continued the rest of my journey.
- SahAssar 8mo ago
  > One Under > (rail transport, slang, British) A person under a train; a person hit by a train after jumping or falling in front of it. In case anyone else was confused.

jackfranklyn 8mo ago

[flagged]

arranf 8mo ago

Wish it included the overground!

iamflimflam1 8mo ago

The blog is a much more interesting read than the product site: https://blog.traintrackr.io https://blog.traintrackr.io

netsharc 8mo ago
The guy, Geoff Marshall (edit: the guy on the video on the main page, I've assumed for a while he's also the maker of this gadget, but it seems not) is also on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd18OhMfRmjMjzSHP7Zrzmw https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd18OhMfRmjMjzSHP7Zrzmw . I like experiencing London/the UK through the scenery of his videos... One time he and his girlfriend did a journey to visit every train station and stop in the UK (posted on a different channel): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4PdgT_AV_nXshM-I7xjYpXG-C_2tH1W9 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4PdgT_AV_nXshM-I7xjY... Sadly for the romantics, they've since broken up...
richardhawthorn 8mo ago
Thanks, we've documented how some of our products work, where we get the data, the manufacturing process, and how to write/upload your own code to your board. We should have a couple more technical posts released this year as we update the way our boards get their data.

CPLX 8mo ago

I put the NYC one in the office. It’s a good conversation starter and mildly mesmerizing.

enjrolas 8mo ago

ayyyyy great to see someone from my local hacking community on the front page!

deleted 8mo ago

[deleted]

richardhawthorn 8mo ago

Hi everyone, Richard here, the creator of these traintrackr boards. It's great to see this on the front page! I've been designing PCBs for years, and designed over 250 at last count. We have a couple of products in the pipeline to come out this year, but I'd love to hear what you think we should build next.

ionwake 8mo ago
fantastic work Ive been a fan for a few years! Maybe a general "train to newcastle / Birmingham" map like this? https://map-shop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ms00004-uk-rail-map-a0-cmyk.png https://map-shop.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/ms00004-uk... A wimbledon tram one could be good and might appeal to the richer demographic ( im not sure ). https://www.croydon-tramlink.co.uk/info/gen/images/RouteMap.gif https://www.croydon-tramlink.co.uk/info/gen/images/RouteMap.... Finally an overnight sleeper train only (europe) could be good: https://media.timeout.com/images/105981668/image.webp https://media.timeout.com/images/105981668/image.webp Just suggestions I have no idea if these are good ideas.
ljsocal 8mo ago
Build a BART- CalTrain version and make bank!!
- tuukkah 8mo ago
  Here's BART: https://www.traintrackr.co.uk/product/bart3 https://www.traintrackr.co.uk/product/bart3
afandian 8mo ago
Curious why you went with a matrix over WS2812 or similar. That PCB looks like it was painful to route!
- richardhawthorn 8mo ago
  We switched to a matrix partly for price, partly for improved reliability. Regular RGB LEDs are a lot cheaper than the WS2812, around 6x cheaper when we made the decision to switch, which adds up when you have 768 of them. WS2812 LEDs are much easier to route, but if one dies then every LED routed after that one stops lighting up.

tangotaylor 8mo ago

I have one of these for Boston. It's awesome. I want to find more art like this that updates in real-time, then I feel like I actually appreciate it in the long term. With regular static pictures on the wall I tune them out after they've been there a few months.

pimlottc 8mo ago

The Chicago one could use a bit do a rework. The shape of the Loop is a very very distinctive, even iconic, but here it’s off — it’s squashed and fat, wider than it is tall, rather than narrower. Obviously some compromises must be made for routing the traces but I’d consider the shape of the Loop to be the most essential element of the whole system. Definitely very cool though!

phil21 8mo ago

Love these! My wife gifted me a Chicago CTA map for a birthday gift a few years ago and it makes great wall art. I found an in-box rated USB-C hardwired power adapter, and ran an additional outlet above an existing one. Then used a couple screwed together brass motherboard standoffs I drilled holes into the drywall for. To my surprise just some standard superglue in the holes have held these far more securely than needed. Looks like a great piece of “90s retro art” and gets a lot comments from guest!

okgo_1996 8mo ago

Build one for Seattle's Link light rail system! There's a new extension opening March 28, 2026, and then after that, the next extension is presumed to open 2032. https://www.soundtransit.org/crosslake https://www.soundtransit.org/crosslake