Google Earth - Trainspotting goes to Iraq

This week I zoomed over to Iraq to have a look what war, sabotage and neglect does to a nation's railway system. It is all a bit depressing you see empty stations, empty yards, overgrown areas all in the muted browns of the desert. Unlike Russian yards, Iraq yards are generally smaller and overgrown with fewer cars in them. In the whole of my research I only found one train running.

So here are some of the desolate sights of trains in Iraq.

This is a large Baghdad train station. The platforms are empty although they look like they are maintained. Note the bustle of the cars on the road around the station. The extensive yards to the north and west look overgrown and unused.



Iraq yards 8a, part of the Central station yards complex shows what is probably the passenger train yards. Although full of trains it does appear to be better maintained than other areas of the vast yards.




The one small train I found in Western Baghdad.






The missing link, a break in the track where a bridge has gone, was it war, sabotage or just a bridge being rebuilt?






Some kind of oil/chemical store with vast sidings, all empty but look at all the trucks at the plant. Road has taken over from rail.

Google Earth -Trainspotting goes to Russia

Well continuing visiting different countries I thought I would pop over to Moscow and see what I could find. What I found was absolutely marshalling yards, so here are some of the choice pictures (note the yard numbers are mine, not some Russian bureaucratic innovative naming system).

Moscow area yard 11. Not a goods yard but either an engine or passenger train shed. No trains visible but a nice track pattern into the large building. Interesting motorway junction pattern to the south-east too.





Moscow area yard 10. A huge Marshalling area and workshop area. Just look at all those wagons lined up.






Moscow area yard 7. A passenger train yard just outside one of the main railway stations.






Three of Moscow's main train stations.

More Google Earth - trainspotting

I thought I would bore you to death with more google earth trains. I also have a theory that you cant see trains at high speed as they are most common around stations.


A long US Goods train.







First Great Western HST Outside Bristol Temple Meads.







Three engines South of Milton Keynes.







Possibly a Freightliner Class 66 engine with a train load of vans near Southampton docks.

Google Earth -Trainspotting

OK I admit I am fascinated by trains and tracks. Before you all starting rolling around on the floor laughing its not an obsession and it is only the same as being a petrol head car lover.

Anyway I have been spending some time with google earth and rail lines are quite easy to follow, so I thought I would post up some links for fellow arm chair train spotters.

The only snag is not all of the UK has hi-res imagery.


Virgin Voyager just outside Bletchley, UK





Long Coal train waiting outside Didcot, UK







Three Car Turbo set bound for Reading.
(Also some interesting circles in the field top left)




Reading Turbo Depot