I'm finishing up a farm survey (formerly a cement mill), an active RR (EW) cuts off the southerly field, a vacant branch ROW from the easterly side of that line touches the east side, and a different active RR (NS) is a few hundred feet from the west side. That westerly RR also owned the abutting parcel to the west line. There is a diagonal jog in the easterly where the RR crosses into 2 abbutting easterly parcels. Did not get any information from Norfolk Southern and kind of deadended on the national archives search. Have some additional leads to try if needed. Each of the 2 different mentioned lines had a predeccessor line acquire some of the ROW. On the east I have 2 maps attached to 1901+/- deeds and on the west 2 maps attached to similar old deeds. Some are handwritten (very neat script) and a few volumes latter they were typed. Also have some miscellaneous documents, 1 a RR to RR agreement with map for a RR crossing to the west and the other from the PQ to the westerly RR to build and maintain track within the 1900 mill, map and description with 7 curves and 4 sidings. I have a deed from the PQ to the EW RR for a small segment to build a bridge, but have not come across the PQ to RR mainline deed, possibly not recorded. That geometry was carried forward though in latter deeds. The cement mill was bankrupt then resurrected as a potash plant, deeds were passed in the names of banks and trustees and the original plant may have been part of a turn of the last century California ponzi scheme. Overall it slowed down the research.
In fitting in the parcels and RR deeds to the East I have a curved 60' ROW, 7° RR curve, CL station 426+45 to 429+43. No other data except distance ties from the nearest property corner to the CL stations. All is cool everything within a foot, so I can live with it.
The question that came to mind. Is there a simple utility where I can start that 7° curve at 426+45 and quickly get the arc curve length to station 429+43 without breaking the curve into 4 segments? Especially since I was alternating between my HP 48 and my new HP 35, which needs more to do to keep it happy.
Next question, my description begins with a long highway tangent, short highway curve, 1900' southerly, a short jog easterly, then westerly along the RR ROW on a 500' tangent to a RR curve. I want to use the previous deed described RR curve but add the curve length along the arc. How complicated or simple can that be?
Paul in PA
A Harris
I added the spriral curve to my favorites. From what I can tell no sprial curves anywhere near this survey.
Paul in PA
A Harris
Paul, many many years ago, Mr. Joe Glidden informed us that regardless of whether the spiral was designed, or not, the train actually created a spiral of the centerline, simple curve, then spiral out.
I thought "The old man has lost it", then I took the time to go back and review many older jobs with active centerlines in curves, and found, the old man hadn't lost it, the young man missed it.
In fact, there are spirals out there, you just haven't seen them yet. What it did for me, in retracement, was to basically ignore the beginning and ending of the curves, and focus, for retracement of the centerline, the middle portion of the curve to work PI's and degree of curve out, and then set the PC and PT, which should hit the centerline, but my curve wouldn't fit the beginning and end of the rails in the curve, but the middle would typically be spot on.
For what it's worth, that was a pearl of wisdom dropped by a great surveyor, and picked up by a lowly serf who has used it well over the years.
I Can See Spirals, Not Pertinent To Matching ROW Geometry
The question is regarding speeding up RR curve to normal curve geometry.
Paul in PA
I Can See Spirals, Not Pertinent To Matching ROW Geometry
> The question is regarding speeding up RR curve to normal curve geometry.
>
> Paul in PA
Quite often you will find that to be precisely the case. The ROW curve is a simple curve whose radius has no direct connection to the radii of either the central part of the track curve nor the spirals in and out. It is based on the total length of the curves and the deflection of the tangents.
I worked for a while in the 90's for a surveyor who got started and worked about 20 years for the A. T. & S. F. RR..
I Can See Spirals, Not Pertinent To Matching ROW Geometry
Except, when you have an unmonumented railroad, and the only thing is the rails, you better see the spirals, and where they end, because that curve between them IS what is going to dictate much of the geometry of the simple curve along the right-of-way. I thought that was a given. Otherwise, why in the hell would I even look at the rails?
