,

Cumbres and Toltec Railroad

View live map

Why we love it

Old steam trains rock! Maps of their routes take us back in time to imagine how things might have been a hundred years ago. We love this map of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad for bringing history to life. It began as a strip map, intended to be rolled into a scroll or folded accordion-style so passengers could pan the route while riding the train. Now the Story Map Journal includes pictures, videos and interesting notes so anyone can experience the journey.

Why it works

The narrow strip map provides focus on the railroad, allowing for larger scale and better detail in contrast to a rectangular, poster-sized print map. This map offers a similar benefit on the web using the Story Map Journal template with the original strip map over a background basemap. The map makes “stops” at various locations via journal entries. Its yellow-brown background hillshade evokes the dryness in this region of Colorado and New Mexico. Climb aboard at either end of the railroad and enjoy the ride between Antonito and Chama.

Important steps

  • Create strip map features

    Using the railroad route as a guide, create strip map features that contain the route. Use the USGS Topo Map service as a basemap and be sure the extent includes all important features.
    How to create strip map index features
    USGS Topo Map service

  • Use DEM for smooth hillshading

    Create a smooth Swiss-style hillshade via a digital elevation model (DEM) using the ArcGIS Hillshade toolbox. Use that same DEM to create smooth contours following.
    Read Creating Cool Contours article
    ArcGIS hillshade toolbox (blog)
    Terrain tools (blog)

  • Collect and digitize data about the railroad

    Collect transportation, boundary, and hydrography data. Digitize additional data that pertains to the railroad using aerial photos or scanned, geo-referenced maps.

  • Clarify your map

    Place annotation and representations to polish the look. Use variable depth masking on contour elevation annotation. Clip the data frame to the shape of all the strip map features, and then create a tiled map service showing the strip map at several scales.
    Variable depth masking (blog)
    Use Esri Story Map Journal template
previous
Next

Requirements

  • Data and software

    DEM created hillshade and contour lines. Transportation, boundary and hydrography served as background data—all from the USGS National Map. Area data for the railroad was digitized using scanned and geo-referenced paper maps and aerials. Software used: ArcGIS Desktop.
    USGS National Map

  • Analysis

    The DEM is processed with ArcGIS tools for creating hillshades and contour lines. Geo-referencing of various source maps allowed for on-screen digitizing. Tools allowing cartographic refinements, tint bands, and overpass parapets/masks helped create the final details.
    Create overpass

  • Time

    Data collection and processing took a few days. Digitizing additional information and refinements, such as annotation placement and representation editing, took a few more days. Compiling in the Map Journal template took a day.
previous
Next

Tips and tricks

  • Focus on the important details

    Emphasize the subject and mute the supporting elements to help the viewer focus on what you want them to see.

  • Symbolizing the data

    The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) is complex. Get started on symbolizing the data with available NHD Layer Symbology.
    NHD Layer Symbology
previous
Next

Map Author

Doug Cain

GIS Programmer/Analyst at City of Fort Collins, Colorado. Geographer-turned-Software-Developer-turned-Geographer. Collect data, analyze data, map data. Repeat.

Related maps

If you liked this map, check out these other Maps We Love that explore similar topics.

previous
Next

Learn more about making maps in ArcGIS Online

Learn more