Traintrackr – Live LED Maps

[richardhawthorn]

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]

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...

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....

Finally an overnight sleeper train only (europe) could be good: https://media.timeout.com/images/105981668/image.webp

Just suggestions I have no idea if these are good ideas.

[ljsocal]

Build a BART- CalTrain version and make bank!!

[afandian]

Curious why you went with a matrix over WS2812 or similar. That PCB looks like it was painful to route!

[KaiserPro]

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 is your place to go. its a live junction schematic of any train junction in the UK.

[youngtaff]

I prefer Tracksy — 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

[lozf]

> unusual maps 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

- [1]: https://www.map.signalbox.io/

- [2]: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/

[sschueller]

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

[rooster212]

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!

[jackfranklyn]

The data behind these comes from the Darwin feed (National Rail's real-time data) which is surprisingly good once you get past the initial authentication setup. Network Rail also publishes movement data via their OpenData platform if you want to go deeper - actual track circuits and signalling block occupancy.

What I find interesting is how these physical displays handle the inevitable "ghost trains" in the feed - cancelled services that still show as running, or trains that briefly appear in the wrong location. The software problem is messier than the hardware.

[phil21]

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]

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

[pimlottc]

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!

[tangotaylor]

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.

[iamflimflam1]

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

[netsharc]

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 . 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-I7xjY...

Sadly for the romantics, they've since broken up...

[richardhawthorn]

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.

[codefeenix]

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]

which display is that? can you link it? sounds cool

[wedog6]

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]

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.

[tobinfekkes]

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

[CPLX]

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

[arranf]

Wish it included the overground!

[enjrolas]

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

[bongani123]

Ohky