There are many computer/railroad related items and I will get to them and how I use them as time goes on. First there are a couple of kwel ones that you need to know about. I have found these very good.

• Layout Design Special Interest Group (ldsig)
• Automated Train Control System (ATCS) Monitor
• Great Northern Historical Society (TheGoat)

LDSig has a Yahoo messaging interface ( you don't have to join to read ) where group members can post questions, or comments about posted questions. Or you can just browse through the members postings gathering/gleaming a ton of potential information on how other folks have created their railroad empire. There are small layouts, to huge ones. The Layout Design SIG also has the following web presence for you to gather yet more data.

There are also many links to other sites!

ATCS Monitor is a 'real railroad' application that shows the routes the DS has aligned for a specific section of track and movement. ATCS Monitor has a Yahoo messaging interface and you will need to join the ATCSmon group to read what members have done, what they are doing and what they have to say. You can also get the application files from here. If you chase trains as I do, having this application loaded on your laptop and with you sitting besides your scanner you will find that you know more about the approaching movements than you ever could have before. How many times have you waited track side, seen nothing and just after you leave you hear your scanner go off with a talking detector telling you about a specific train that was coming your way all along? Do you go back? Hmmmmm ... that depends! If you are sitting at home and away from track side, you can connect to a 'server' and receive data about whatever railroad and location you monitor. Or you can monitor one that is on the other side of the USofA! You can also setup your own server sharing your neck of the woods with other ATCSMon folks!

I have serveral servers runnings and you can watch what the dispatchers do to route movements in this area. There are a couple of things you need to do so go and check out the ATCSMon site and join if you wish. To my knowledge I have not received ANY spam or offerings from these folks. After you join and get the necessary application files, you then can grab the layouts and database for the areas I cover.

The files necessary for the Kootenai River Sub ( BNSF ) from Spokane to The Fish layout, .ini, and database. Note that this is a BIG sub and is split into two parts - From the Lakeside and/or Columbia Subs to Elmira, then from Elmira to Whitefish

I was raised in Eastern Washington with the GN, NP, MilW, SP&S and SI all around me. I have fond memories of the big steamers going by out of Parkwater and Yardley. The Great Northern Goat ( www.gnrhs.org ) is by far the best historical society of those railroads that I have found. Good managment, know how to put our a periodical and keep good people. Check out the website or just join as you will not be disappointed!