# Station Status Boards - Wish List



## John Bobinyec (Sep 6, 2013)

Well, the first version of the Station Status Boards seems like a success. I've had a few suggestions for improvements and so it's time to start thinking about the next version. I'm soliciting any suggestions now, because I really don't want to do a third version.

Any changes that I'm able to make will probably be customizable by you. If you like a new feature versus the old, you'll probably be able to choose which one you get.

Here are the suggestions that I have so far, and their status:

1. *Add sound* - The author of the Solari board display code that I use is looking into doing that. I'll add it when he creates it.

2. *Add a local clock* - The author of the Solari board display code is also looking into doing that.

3. *Add columns* - the traditional "FROM" column is missing. The reason is that I'm limited to 60 columns. If I add anything, I'll have to take something away to make room for it. So the traditional Solari display won't have any additional columns. See the following item.

4. *Give just the information, without the Solari display.* Sadly, some folks have grown up without having seen or heard a real Solari board. (Sure, there's Youtube). This makes them impatient to get the information. So an alternative display would be just a simple, static page. It'll have the "FROM" column.

5. *Show the train's projected time.* I don't deal in Amtrak "guesstimates" because frankly, I don't trust them. However, given a train's scheduled time, and its actual lateness (recorded at the most recent station), the two can be combined to show the projected time in the Status column.

Anything else?

jb


----------



## FreeskierInVT (Sep 7, 2013)

I'd love to see the digital board with a font like one on a real Solari board. I've only seen the board in New Haven, and I believe it has a font similar to Gill Sans MT. It would certainly be a nice touch.


----------



## jebr (Sep 7, 2013)

There's a couple things that I can think of:

1. On the Solari board, could the first result be loaded immediately, instead of waiting a few seconds to load the first result? Sometimes I wonder if the page is loading at all if I don't see that first result right away...Millenial impatience, I know. 

2. Could a mobile-friendly version of the information be made (sans Solari board, of course)? I'm not sure if there's a way to nicely format it, though, without chopping off relevant information, so this is more of a "brainstorm of something cool" than anything else.


----------



## sportbiker (Sep 8, 2013)

A very minor thing, but change "PACIFIC S." to "PAC SURFLNR"


----------



## Acela150 (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm trying to be reasonable! 

1. I know the current version has "Boarding" listed for On-Time trains, but when a train is late it won't list as "Boarding". Is it possible to fix that?

2. Spell the whole word "Early" and "Late"??

TIA,

Steve


----------



## pianocat (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm sure it's right in front of my eyes, somewhere here on the AU Forum, but for us 'newbies' can you give a link that takes us directly to the Solari boards? Is this pinned somewhere I'm not seeing? I found it by typing in to the search window, but would love to see this given more 'show' and I know lots of us still learning to make our way around here would benefit from a quick link. Thank you for your time in putting this massive project together!!!!


----------



## PRR 60 (Sep 8, 2013)

pianocat said:


> I'm sure it's right in front of my eyes, somewhere here on the AU Forum, but for us 'newbies' can you give a link that takes us directly to the Solari boards? Is this pinned somewhere I'm not seeing? I found it by typing in to the search window, but would love to see this given more 'show' and I know lots of us still learning to make our way around here would benefit from a quick link. Thank you for your time in putting this massive project together!!!!


Here you go.

Station Status Boards


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 9, 2013)

sportbiker said:


> A very minor thing, but change "PACIFIC S." to "PAC SURFLNR"


Okay. Done.

jb

PS It'll take a couple of days for this to show up in the system.


----------



## TVRM610 (Sep 9, 2013)

Just my .02 but I wouldn't change much. The appeal for me is the actual Solari style. The local clock is really the only thing I would add. (and sound if you can just because it's fun.)


----------



## gmushial (Sep 9, 2013)

As much as the Solari type action is interesting the first couple of times... it get's old quickly waiting for the values to settle and the fact that they are displayed one line at a time. I would allow for the option of reducing the settling time (currently looks like 5 secs) maybe down to 1.5sec... or keep the 5 sec settling time but apply that to the entire board. ... though even then maybe reduce it to 3 secs?? The other request would be to fill the entire board in parallel and then apply the settling time ... but to sit and wait for all the lines to fill and settle: leaves it in the cute category vs useful... though as a software writer I can appreciate what it took to make what you have happen (and do respect that)... but would like a similar board, that I could use as a reference display.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 9, 2013)

gmushial said:


> As much as the Solari type action is interesting the first couple of times... it get's old quickly waiting for the values to settle and the fact that they are displayed one line at a time. I would allow for the option of reducing the settling time (currently looks like 5 secs) maybe down to 1.5sec... or keep the 5 sec settling time but apply that to the entire board. ... though even then maybe reduce it to 3 secs?? The other request would be to fill the entire board in parallel and then apply the settling time ... but to sit and wait for all the lines to fill and settle: leaves it in the cute category vs useful... though as a software writer I can appreciate what it took to make what you have happen (and do respect that)... but would like a similar board, that I could use as a reference display.


I borrowed (with permission) the solari display code. The rendering of the board takes place on the user's device, and is quite (expensive - programmer jargon for the fact that it takes a lot of machine effort). Each character slot simulates a drum. The time and train number columns have 12 characters - 0-9 , blank and "blur". "Blur" looks like a figure 8 and is inserted in between the display of each legitimate character. The other columns each have those plus the letters plus special characters. The user's computer has to simulate rolling the drums. That takes a lot of effort. If each line is started too soon after the prior line, the computer quickly becomes bogged down, trying to do too much at one time. The visual effect of the flaps flipping is quickly lost. Rendering the entire board at once looks pretty ugly, and seems to take forever.

So, the only alternative option will be to create a static page so that the information can be presented all at once. The user will be given a choice as to which type of board he will get to see.

jb


----------



## gmushial (Sep 9, 2013)

John Bobinyec said:


> gmushial said:
> 
> 
> > As much as the Solari type action is interesting the first couple of times... it get's old quickly waiting for the values to settle and the fact that they are displayed one line at a time. I would allow for the option of reducing the settling time (currently looks like 5 secs) maybe down to 1.5sec... or keep the 5 sec settling time but apply that to the entire board. ... though even then maybe reduce it to 3 secs?? The other request would be to fill the entire board in parallel and then apply the settling time ... but to sit and wait for all the lines to fill and settle: leaves it in the cute category vs useful... though as a software writer I can appreciate what it took to make what you have happen (and do respect that)... but would like a similar board, that I could use as a reference display.
> ...


John - thanks for the reply. As someone with something like 2m lines of code under his belt (wrote my first pgm in Oct'69 [FortranIV ;-( ]) I painfully understand the tradeoffs.

And I very much appreciate the look of the display as it is - obviously much effort has gone into it... a job well done.

But as I posted above - the "cuteness" of the simulation kind of wears a bit thin after a couple watchings... that combined with the human eye not recognizing things faster than 20ish frames/sec, I'm wondering if one couldn't shorten the virtual drum to build to the final display - I believe currently you're honestly walking through the sequence of characters... how about skipping every other, or two out of three - that would speedup the display, but still give the Solari type of effect. [having seen displays speed up as we've moved from js + others, to html5 canvas... wondering if that might not be a path forward? Yes, do painfully understand that most users don't have IE 10's or equiv so as to be able to display such... but over time they will (that's why we're moving our software forward now, and waiting for the users to catch up).]

W/re a non-Solari type of display - that would be hugely useful. [btw, since you hang onto old data, how about an option of displaying the last n days worth of displays - same time of day request, just different date.. such would be hugely useful for a potential rider to get a sense of the OTP/OTR for a train or set of trains... just a thought.]

BTW: I suspect Amtrak will pay good money for your display once you get it sorted out... and once integrated into their system, you should have better/faster access to the status data.

the best to you - greg


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 9, 2013)

gmushial said:


> But as I posted above - the "cuteness" of the simulation kind of wears a bit thin after a couple watchings... that combined with the human eye not recognizing things faster than 20ish frames/sec, I'm wondering if one couldn't shorten the virtual drum to build to the final display - I believe currently you're honestly walking through the sequence of characters... how about skipping every other, or two out of three - that would speedup the display, but still give the Solari type of effect. [having seen displays speed up as we've moved from js + others, to html5 canvas... wondering if that might not be a path forward? Yes, do painfully understand that most users don't have IE 10's or equiv so as to be able to display such... but over time they will (that's why we're moving our software forward now, and waiting for the users to catch up).]
> W/re a non-Solari type of display - that would be hugely useful. [btw, since you hang onto old data, how about an option of displaying the last n days worth of displays - same time of day request, just different date.. such would be hugely useful for a potential rider to get a sense of the OTP/OTR for a train or set of trains... just a thought.]


The presentation of each character is all part of the Solari display code that I borrowed. It's particularly complicated and strange to me, so I won't be "wading" in there if I can help it.

The non-Solari display is the way to solve this problem.

I originally thought about being able to scroll from day to day, but am not thinking that that would be so useful. It would be novel, of course, but overly complicated for the benefit it provides. The users are more interested in how a particular train has been doing, not about what might have been going on at a particular station at a past point in time. They can get that information now from the train archives.

Thanks for your suggestions.

jb


----------



## battalion51 (Sep 9, 2013)

This is more of a wish list thing, but I think it'd be great if you could query a Solari board for trains between two stations. For example, when I lived in Maryland I would go buff at Havre de Grace, so if I could query a board with all trains between BAL and WIL it could potentially give me an idea of what's in the block for what's en route to my location. The challenge I could see from a programming perspective is that if your range is too wide (say NYP-WAS) you could get too many results. Likewise if a train doesn't stop at a particular stop some things would get missed. For example if I put in a range of NRK-ABE it likely wouldn't pull any results because I don't think any Amtrak train stops at both. Could that be overcome?


----------



## I always rode the Southern (Sep 9, 2013)

I just want to say thank you John for whatever reasons you did this. I grew up with the Solari boards, as a child,spending many long layovers in Cincinnati Union Station. I was fascinated with the sound and visual rhythm of the boards. So I use your link, not for any practical purpose, but for pleasure, just to experience those moments again and trigger the memories. My only wish would be to hear the sound in addition to the visual.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 9, 2013)

battalion51 said:


> This is more of a wish list thing, but I think it'd be great if you could query a Solari board for trains between two stations. For example, when I lived in Maryland I would go buff at Havre de Grace, so if I could query a board with all trains between BAL and WIL it could potentially give me an idea of what's in the block for what's en route to my location. The challenge I could see from a programming perspective is that if your range is too wide (say NYP-WAS) you could get too many results. Likewise if a train doesn't stop at a particular stop some things would get missed. For example if I put in a range of NRK-ABE it likely wouldn't pull any results because I don't think any Amtrak train stops at both. Could that be overcome?


Probably, but I don't think I'll be tackling this one. The appeal is just too narrow.

I believe you can get what you need from the maps themselves, along with a little figuring.

Thanks,

jb

Amtrak Status Maps (statusmaps.net)

ASM Alerts (http://www.dixielandsoftware.com/Amtrak/alerts)

Station Status Boards (http://www.dixielandsoftware.com/Amtrak/solari)


----------



## battalion51 (Sep 9, 2013)

The maps have definitely made it a lot easier for sure. Its just a bit challenging when you're trying to figure out what's up next and when it should be going by you. Still love both products either way!


----------



## JoeRids (Sep 9, 2013)

I love the Solari boards, could spend hours watching them roll.

Quiz: What stations still have them?

-Boston South Sta

-New Haven

-Newark Penn

-Philadelphia 30th St.

-Atlantic City (I think?)

How about Wilmington, DE and Baltimore? Any others?


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Sep 9, 2013)

Wilmington - no


----------



## PRR 60 (Sep 9, 2013)

Trenton NJ


----------



## Acela150 (Sep 9, 2013)

JoeRids said:


> I love the Solari boards, could spend hours watching them roll.
> Quiz: What stations still have them?
> 
> -Boston South Sta
> ...


Every station on your list has had them, NHV, NWK, PHL, and ACY still have boards. This guy hopes the one at PHL never goes away. Also RTE has a Solari Board.


----------



## JoeRids (Sep 9, 2013)

I thought Trenton replaced theirs when they remodeled the station..


----------



## Acela150 (Sep 9, 2013)

I was in Trenton earlier in the year.. I don't remember if it was there or not.


----------



## sportbiker (Sep 10, 2013)

John Bobinyec said:


> sportbiker said:
> 
> 
> > A very minor thing, but change "PACIFIC S." to "PAC SURFLNR"
> ...


Thank you!


----------



## Aaron (Sep 10, 2013)

The URL is case sensitive, and a station code that's lowercase in the URL will produce a station not found message. For someone who might just be editing the URL directly instead of always going back to the start page to query different stations, it would be nice if your program would accept a lowercase station code there as well.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 10, 2013)

Aaron said:


> The URL is case sensitive, and a station code that's lowercase in the URL will produce a station not found message. For someone who might just be editing the URL directly instead of always going back to the start page to query different stations, it would be nice if your program would accept a lowercase station code there as well.


That's harder than it looks. Two servers have to work together in sequence. They bounce requests back and forth off of each other. When the user sees the final page come up, it's at the end of this sequence. If they bookmark the page at this point, and use a lowercase station code, it'll fail. The first page contains this instruction:

* To create a bookmark for a particular station, it should be in this form:*

*www.dixielandsoftware.com/cgi-bin/solari_relay.pl?data=xxx*

* where xxx is the three-letter code for the station.*

I'll look into fixing this so that no special bookmarking is necessary.

Thanks,

jb


----------



## TVRM610 (Sep 10, 2013)

It's not an Amtrak station (yet?) but seacaucus jct. has some really cool brand new solar boards for each line


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 10, 2013)

John Bobinyec said:


> Aaron said:
> 
> 
> > The URL is case sensitive, and a station code that's lowercase in the URL will produce a station not found message. For someone who might just be editing the URL directly instead of always going back to the start page to query different stations, it would be nice if your program would accept a lowercase station code there as well.
> ...


I don't think I'm going to be successful with this one. The reason is that the setup has to be done on my server, with the presentation done on the commercial (public) server. If the user bookmarks the page as it comes up (not following the special instruction that I have indicated), he is bypassing the setup part of the process. I can get around the lowercase issue, but not the fact that the preliminary processing hasn't been done. So until I have some sort of flash of brilliance, bookmarking will have to be done as I have indicated.

jb


----------



## Aaron (Sep 10, 2013)

John Bobinyec said:


> John Bobinyec said:
> 
> 
> > Aaron said:
> ...


Understandable. At least if I pass lowercase in a bookmark to the script on your server, everything works correctly, so there should never be an issue for those who are following instructions. I personally tend to break code more often because I don't bother to read the instructions. While it's nice to protect against people like me in all scenarios, sometimes you just have to put your foot down and demand that users RTFM.


----------



## daveyb99 (Sep 10, 2013)

1/ Does anyone think an ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE need to be spelled out somewhere ? The TO column is great, it can list a City ... but how do arrivals appear.

2/ automatic updating. is there any? if so, how often. (so I can leave it running and not hit 'refresh' . . . .

3/ a "current as of" time stamp somewhere, or the current time


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 10, 2013)

daveyb99 said:


> 1/ Does anyone think an ARRIVAL and DEPARTURE need to be spelled out somewhere ? The TO column is great, it can list a City ... but how do arrivals appear.
> 
> 2/ automatic updating. is there any? if so, how often. (so I can leave it running and not hit 'refresh' . . . .
> 
> 3/ a "current as of" time stamp somewhere, or the current time


1/ This is modeled after Amtrak's Solari boards which have a TO and a FROM column, so I won't be doing ARRIVALs and DEPARTUREs. The FROM column won't fit the current rendition but will be added when the static version is done.

When a train arrives at its final destination, its status will change to ARRIVED. It will be left on the board for a short time. When a train arrives at an intermediate station, its status will change to BOARDING. This is only shown for those trains which have a scheduled arrival and departure time which are different. If a train only has a departure time, like most of the station stops in the timetables, ARRIVED is only shown for the final station. Otherwise, DEPARTED is shown.

2/ Yes. The trains are updated individually about every 5 minutes or so, depending upon how busy the server is. The whole board is "flushed" and recreated every hour. So yes, you can leave it running and do not have to hit 'refresh'.

3/ A local clock has been requested of the solari board display code author. When he implements it, I'll add it. It'll show the current time *at that station*. It will not show an "as of" time for the last board refresh, since theoretically, the refreshes are continuous - _*almost*_.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 11, 2013)

jebr said:


> There's a couple things that I can think of:
> 
> 1. On the Solari board, could the first result be loaded immediately, instead of waiting a few seconds to load the first result? Sometimes I wonder if the page is loading at all if I don't see that first result right away...Millenial impatience, I know.
> 
> 2. Could a mobile-friendly version of the information be made (sans Solari board, of course)? I'm not sure if there's a way to nicely format it, though, without chopping off relevant information, so this is more of a "brainstorm of something cool" than anything else.


1. I delved deeply into the code and was able to remove the bulk of the delay in loading the first line. The rest follow at uniform intervals.

2. I had a friend of my display the Solari board on his iPhone. He turned it sideways so that the long axis was left-to-right and it looked and performed great. What shortcoming did you observe on a mobile-friendly device?

jb


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Sep 11, 2013)

Looks good on my iPod, though there are a bunch of service disruptions & late trains (I'm looking at WIL - affected by the downed wires).


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 11, 2013)

AmtrakBlue said:


> Looks good on my iPod, though there are a bunch of service disruptions & late trains (I'm looking at WIL - affected by the downed wires).


Yes - but the board itself is working perfectly, even if the trains are not!

jb


----------



## jebr (Sep 12, 2013)

John Bobinyec said:


> jebr said:
> 
> 
> > There's a couple things that I can think of:
> ...


You're right, though the "scanning" is a bit messier than on my computer. I'm thinking more from the non-Solari version...when you create that maybe have a mobile-friendly version of some sort with a bit larger text (I have a Nexus 4 and my eyes are decent, so the current size works, but it's a bit smaller than some "mobile-optimized" websites.)


----------



## Notelvis (Sep 12, 2013)

Cool!

I anticipate being in Philadelphia (coming off SEPTA from the airport, catching a Keystone train on to Harrisburg) one Saturday in October.

Perhaps I'll spend my dwell time just avoiding panhandlers and watching the solari board.

And what is it about 30th Street Station? I can honestly say that it is the only railroad station where I have been approached by a panhandler every single time I have been there.


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Sep 12, 2013)

Notelvis said:


> Cool!
> 
> I anticipate being in Philadelphia (coming off SEPTA from the airport, catching a Keystone train on to Harrisburg) one Saturday in October.
> 
> ...


That's not a panhandler, it's Acela150 looking to finance his next trip. :giggle:


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 12, 2013)

As of 6 p.m. EDT, the Station Status Boards are down. The web hosting company is having issues. I'm in the process of switching to the other web hosting company (I work with 2 just for these kinds of issues). The switch should be complete in an hour or so.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 12, 2013)

FreeskierInVT said:


> I'd love to see the digital board with a font like one on a real Solari board. I've only seen the board in New Haven, and I believe it has a font similar to Gill Sans MT. It would certainly be a nice touch.


I don't think I'll be doing that. Each character is "artwork" and would have to be redrawn. I'm not much of an artist.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 12, 2013)

Acela150 said:


> I'm trying to be reasonable!
> 
> 1. I know the current version has "Boarding" listed for On-Time trains, but when a train is late it won't list as "Boarding". Is it possible to fix that?
> 
> ...


1. I'm not understanding your dilemma. "BOARDING" shows up in either of two situations:

a) When a train becomes active (is put on the map) at its origin, until it departs.

b) When a train arrives at an intermediate station which has a scheduled arrival time.

2. There are 10 columns - so they won't fit. Four characters for the hour (e.g. 12H - don't forget

the space) and four for the minutes is 8 characters taken up already. The static version of the

board will have more information, and will have "early" and "late" spelled out.

jb


----------



## dlagrua (Oct 7, 2013)

Not working this morning. Tried NYP and PHL with no results.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Oct 7, 2013)

dlagrua said:


> Not working this morning. Tried NYP and PHL with no results.


Sometimes it needs a kick to get going. Hit F5 if you can. It's working for me.

jb


----------



## dlagrua (Oct 7, 2013)

Still not working even after a refresh (F5). I am using IE. Maybe that has something to do with it. I will try on my Windows 7 laptop and see what happens but I have all pop ups blocked. I will also try a slightly lower lever of security.


----------



## Ryan (Oct 7, 2013)

Working here.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Oct 7, 2013)

dlagrua said:


> Still not working even after a refresh (F5). I am using IE. Maybe that has something to do with it. I will try on my Windows 7 laptop and see what happens but I have all pop ups blocked. I will also try a slightly lower lever of security.


It doesn't work on IE. Sorry.

jb


----------



## CHamilton (May 9, 2014)

John,

We are planning to show off your Solari board site in SEA at NTD tomorrow, since King Street Station doesn't yet have train status boards of its own. I've been setting up the site on an iPad in kiosk mode, which I think will work well. Unfortunately, when I put Safari (or another browser) in full-screen mode, we lose a couple of columns, including the L for late, from the right side. Any suggestions on workarounds for this (short of getting the trains to run on time  )?

Thanks!


----------



## John Bobinyec (May 9, 2014)

CHamilton said:


> John,
> 
> We are planning to show off your Solari board site in SEA at NTD tomorrow, since King Street Station doesn't yet have train status boards of its own. I've been setting up the site on an iPad in kiosk mode, which I think will work well. Unfortunately, when I put Safari (or another browser) in full-screen mode, we lose a couple of columns, including the L for late, from the right side. Any suggestions on workarounds for this (short of getting the trains to run on time  )?
> 
> Thanks!


Charlie,

Thanks for doing that. On a mobile device you would "pinch" the screen to zoom in or out. On a regular computer you would use Ctrl + and Ctrl - to zoom in and out. Don't know if iPad has a way to zoom. Can you use an on-screen keyboard?

John


----------



## CHamilton (May 9, 2014)

The pinch to zoom function doesn't seem to work in full-screen mode, but I fiddled with it some more and it seems to be working now...not entirely sure what I did, but oh, well. Thanks!


----------



## CHamilton (May 9, 2014)

Can you set up the board to show VAC as VANCOUVER BC or VANCOUVER CA (BC would probably be better)? It looks like you have enough spaces.


----------



## John Bobinyec (May 9, 2014)

CHamilton said:


> Can you set up the board to show VAC as VANCOUVER BC or VANCOUVER CA (BC would probably be better)? It looks like you have enough spaces.


OK.

jb


----------



## ronkstevens (May 10, 2014)

Only request here is for the "flip flip" sound. I really enjoy it.


----------



## CHamilton (May 11, 2014)

All Aboard Washington can now claim the first-ever Solari board in King Street Station    Thanks, John and statusmaps.net!




Edit: updated to fix broken link.


----------



## John Bobinyec (May 11, 2014)

Thanks for the picture, Charlie. The status board looks good!

I was sweating it out Saturday afternoon - Amtrak's website was running slowly and was up and down like a yo-yo.

As of now, no official entity has approached me about putting this solari board simulation in a real station. I think it would be an inexpensive alternative to just about anything else. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

jb


----------



## CHamilton (May 11, 2014)

John, the folks at All Aboard Washington were excited by the response we got. They've been pushing to get something at King Street, and this was a good test run.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Jun 11, 2014)

Hey folks, I just added a local (to the station being requested) clock to the display. It doesn't "flip".

It should handle timezones and time changes correctly - and trust me - that wasn't so easy.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Aug 21, 2014)

I've added some options that you can select (on the main page).

New Options:

- 12 or 24 hour time

- long or short - the short display is what you're used to. The long display has two additional columns.

- faster or normal flipping speed - for those who are in a hurry

- do or do not show "boarding" at the initial station. Not many will use this. I thought it might come in handy later so I did it while I had things ripped apart.

Enjoy.

jb

PS If you're having trouble getting things to work at first, hit F5 (refresh). It's a problem with caching in your browser.


----------



## neroden (Aug 21, 2014)

Still requesting the "plain" (no solari) version. Would be very useful for display on phones, tablets, etc....

...I'd love to be able to just show my tablet to someone who's asking for status at one of the stations with poor information displays.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Aug 22, 2014)

neroden said:


> Still requesting the "plain" (no solari) version. Would be very useful for display on phones, tablets, etc....
> 
> ...I'd love to be able to just show my tablet to someone who's asking for status at one of the stations with poor information displays.


Respectfully, why do you feel the plain display is more useful on tablets, phones, etc...? Since you can scale the current board down to fit the screen, what would you gain?

jb


----------



## neroden (Aug 22, 2014)

John Bobinyec said:


> Respectfully, why do you feel the plain display is more useful on tablets, phones, etc...? Since you can scale the current board down to fit the screen, what would you gain?


The current board can be quite slow to load -- particularly on low-powered machines.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Aug 22, 2014)

neroden said:


> John Bobinyec said:
> 
> 
> > Respectfully, why do you feel the plain display is more useful on tablets, phones, etc...? Since you can scale the current board down to fit the screen, what would you gain?
> ...


Once someone requests a station status board, there's a lot going on behind the scenes. Signals are bounced around among various machines. The data for each station is only kept current on an as-needed basis. So if you've asked for a "current" station, then your wait will be relatively short. If however, no one has been looking at a particular station in a while, that data has to be updated first. That can take a little while - especially at the "big" stations.

I'd appreciate it if you could do an experiment for me, and report back. Try loading a page on one of these slower machines that you're referring to. Make sure you are using the new "Faster" option. Starting from the time the screen initially turns black, how long does it take to load the page? Up until the screen turns black, you'll be waiting for all of the aforementioned preliminary work to be done, so it doesn't count. Tell me if the time it takes to paint the screen, _*after it first turns black*_, is still too long. I'll try the same experiment at home with one of my old machines.

Thanks,

jb


----------



## neroden (Aug 22, 2014)

John Bobinyec said:


> I'd appreciate it if you could do an experiment for me, and report back. Try loading a page on one of these slower machines that you're referring to. Make sure you are using the new "Faster" option.


Oooh, that will probably help.



> Starting from the time the screen initially turns black, how long does it take to load the page? Up until the screen turns black, you'll be waiting for all of the aforementioned preliminary work to be done, so it doesn't count. Tell me if the time it takes to paint the screen, _*after it first turns black*_, is still too long.


Will do when I get a chance.


----------



## PRR 60 (Aug 23, 2014)

For me, it took exactly 61 seconds for the PHL board to fully display (MacBook Pro 2013, OSX 10.9.4, Safari 7.0.6). This was after first loading the PHL board (to ensure the data did not have to be fetched) then loading it again for the timing. It seems to me that at least some of that time is the result of the Solari animation. I would also like a non-animated version assuming that would shorten the display time. Maybe a version that is not tied to looking like a Solari board could also include the train origin, not just the destination, and maybe also the incoming arrival status of trains that are terminating at the selected station.

I'm also curious about the "faster option." I can't see any toggle or other control to engage that option.

Please take this simply as comments and suggestions, not criticism. I really appreciate the "labor of love" work you do for the status maps and archived train data. There are no other resources for Amtrak train status like yours (and that included Amtrak's own efforts). I use them all the time.

_Edit: I see the terminating trains are shown. I guess that shows how little I use the Solari Board feature while using the other Status Maps features frequently._


----------



## John Bobinyec (Aug 23, 2014)

PRR 60 said:


> For me, it took exactly 61 seconds for the PHL board to fully display (MacBook Pro 2013, OSX 10.9.4, Safari 7.0.6). This was after first loading the PHL board (to ensure the data did not have to be fetched) then loading it again for the timing. It seems to me that at least some of that time is the result of the Solari animation. I would also like a non-animated version assuming that would shorten the display time. Maybe a version that is not tied to looking like a Solari board could also include the train origin, not just the destination, and maybe also the incoming arrival status of trains that are terminating at the selected station.
> 
> I'm also curious about the "faster option." I can't see any toggle or other control to engage that option.
> 
> ...


I gather that you found the "Faster" option.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 5, 2014)

I finally got around to doing the "speed test" on one of my tired, old, retired machines. Even using the "faster" option, it took way too long.

So, I'm finally working on the static version for those who are either impatient or are too cheap to go out and buy the latest hardware. (My personal philosophy is if the machine is working, keep using it as long as possible  ).

jb


----------



## neroden (Sep 5, 2014)

Thanks in advance.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 6, 2014)

I have a design question. The static page will essentially be simple text arranged in a table, like the solari board display. However, when the individual elements are updated, they'll simply change - instantly. If you're not looking right at a particular item, you'll never see it happen. Is that acceptable or is there some other requirement for something elegant, but infinitely easy to program?

jb


----------



## gmushial (Sep 6, 2014)

John Bobinyec said:


> I finally got around to doing the "speed test" on one of my tired, old, retired machines. Even using the "faster" option, it took way too long.
> 
> So, I'm finally working on the static version for those who are either impatient or are too cheap to go out and buy the latest hardware. (My personal philosophy is if the machine is working, keep using it as long as possible  ).
> 
> jb


Although I have a Win7 and Win8 machine on my desk, there is an old, tried, true and trusty XP64 machine off to the left... though it hasn't been powered off in at least three years: afraid that if it is one of the hard drives won't spin up again, or some other mechanical aspect will decide that not working was so sweet, that it'll protest and refuse to come back from even the briefest rest. [though I will say that there is still a Win98 machine that has been a real trooper, and still on occasion it's powered up to see if new software will or won't run on it - customers always seem to want to know such, especially when one has customers in 70+ countries, not all first-world].


----------



## gmushial (Sep 6, 2014)

John Bobinyec said:


> I have a design question. The static page will essentially be simple text arranged in a table, like the solari board display. However, when the individual elements are updated, they'll simply change - instantly. If you're not looking right at a particular item, you'll never see it happen. Is that acceptable or is there some other requirement for something elegant, but infinitely easy to program?
> 
> jb


Sounds fine.... or, maybe flash/display the update in a different color for 100-150ms and then back to the nominal color??


----------



## neroden (Sep 6, 2014)

John Bobinyec said:


> I have a design question. The static page will essentially be simple text arranged in a table, like the solari board display. However, when the individual elements are updated, they'll simply change - instantly. If you're not looking right at a particular item, you'll never see it happen. Is that acceptable or is there some other requirement for something elegant, but infinitely easy to program?
> 
> jb


That is absolutely acceptable. However, an alternative is to blink the newly changed line for a short period and then return it to normal. (Or bold it for a short period and then return it to normal.)
Some actual airport & train station screens simply change instantaneously.

Others blink or flash-bold the line which changed when it changes.

Either is acceptable.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 11, 2014)

I am happy to announce the completion of the "static" version of the station status boards, It's selectable as an option.

The static version will "snap right in" once the browser gets all of its data.

jb


----------



## BCL (Sep 12, 2014)

ronkstevens said:


> Only request here is for the "flip flip" sound. I really enjoy it.


Any train stations still use that kind of board? Kayak uses them in their commercials. The San Francisco Ferry Building still has one to display status and gates. The place is full of tourists just standing and watching it work. It does sort of back up the main corridor, but it's a big attraction.


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Sep 12, 2014)

BCL said:


> ronkstevens said:
> 
> 
> > Only request here is for the "flip flip" sound. I really enjoy it.
> ...


30th Street Station in Philly has one.


----------



## PRR 60 (Sep 12, 2014)

BCL said:


> ronkstevens said:
> 
> 
> > Only request here is for the "flip flip" sound. I really enjoy it.
> ...


USA Installations (Wikipedia)

Amtrak:

- Newark NJ

- New Haven

- Philadelphia (30th Street)

- Providence

- Route 128 (Boston area)

- Trenton

Other USA

- Atlantic City (NJ Transit)

- Jacksonville International Airport

- San Francisco Ferry Building

- Secaucus Junction (NJ Transit)

Note that the San Francisco Ferry Building board is nearly brand new. It was installed in 2013.


----------



## PRR 60 (Sep 12, 2014)

John Bobinyec said:


> I am happy to announce the completion of the "static" version of the station status boards, It's selectable as an option.
> 
> The static version will "snap right in" once the browser gets all of its data.
> 
> jb


Thanks! Works great.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 21, 2014)

On the static station status boards, the train numbers are now links to pull up the train's file. Keep in mind that if you do that before the train's schedule starts, the file will not be found.

jb

ps I decided to not put up a link if the file doesn't yet exist, in order to prevent the "file not found" error.


----------



## neroden (Sep 21, 2014)

Sweet. Thanks for all your work on this.


----------



## Big Green Chauvanist (Sep 22, 2014)

I just discovered this thread. Brilliant project! As CHamilton mentioned, for all its restored glory, not only is there no Solari status display at King Street Station, there is no status display of ANY kind! How's that for a big city terminal? I guess I CAN say that I'm glad the cheap, tacky-looking felt board on a tripod, which was there before restoration, did not return. I like to hang out at the station and never knew exact arrival times. There is a TV monitor, but shows only taped Homeland Security information. For the life of me, I don't know why a TV monitor with train status information can't be installed. It might have more to do with the city of Seattle, which now owns the station, rather than Amtrak. In any event, now I have the Solari display website, which works beautifully on my cell phone. I'm so pleased.


----------



## CHamilton (Feb 14, 2015)

From Facebook:



> Historic Manassas installed Dixieland Product's virtual Amtrak Status (Solari) Board on one of its monitors in the Visitor Center. People waiting to ride trains, pick up passengers, or wanting to view trains can check the status of all trains stopping at the station in the next several hours. This exciting new feature in the Center will free up volunteer's time to help other customers. I am hopeful that a monitor can be added to the Waiting Room prior to the Early June Manassas Railroad Festival. See the video clip to see how the monitor updates the train status. Cool! Other smaller stations should consider installing similar monitors.


Congratulations, John!


----------



## Bus Nut (Feb 14, 2015)

There's a genuine Solari board in Universal in Orlando, Florida. It's in the fake King's Cross Station in the "London" area adjacent to Diagon Alley. The station is for the Hogwarts Express ride, which is neat, but gave me motion sickness, so never again!


----------



## Bus Nut (Feb 14, 2015)

CHamilton said:


> From Facebook:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That sounds awesome. Is that the Manassas, VA VRE station?


----------



## John Bobinyec (Feb 14, 2015)

CHamilton said:


> From Facebook:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Super! Now I'll have to go visit it. By the way, how do you find that entry in Facebook?

Thanks, Charlie.

jb


----------



## AmtrakBlue (Feb 14, 2015)

Congrats John. Soon we'll be seeing your Solari board at all small stations (I hope).


----------



## CHamilton (Feb 14, 2015)

John Bobinyec said:


> Super! Now I'll have to go visit it. By the way, how do you find that entry in Facebook?
> 
> Thanks, Charlie.
> 
> jb


John, I think you have to be a member of the America's Amtrak group to see it. But that group is run by Linda T who is also on AU, so I'm sure she will approve you if you put in a request. (RyanS runs a similar group called Amtrak Fans. AUers are taking over Facebook  )


----------



## Guest (Mar 31, 2015)

Not a big deal, but just want to note that I am having problems with the status boards recent only displaying the solari format even when I set it up to be the static format as I always had done in the past.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Mar 31, 2015)

Guest said:


> Not a big deal, but just want to note that I am having problems with the status boards recent only displaying the solari format even when I set it up to be the static format as I always had done in the past.


Recently I've had quite a bit of trouble with the networks. That forces me to switch between two commercial web hosting companies. When I do that, it's _*almost*_ invisible to you (I hope). However, you will notice:


A slightly different address in your browser's address bar (".net" vs ".com")
Any display options for both the maps and the station status boards may have been forgotten.
In the latter case, just reselect the options.

jb


----------



## Chaz (Mar 31, 2015)

I wish we could avoid Facebook login sites! Sigh.


----------



## John Bobinyec (May 31, 2015)

The Solari version of the station display boards now has sound. It's an approximation of what you would hear a real Solari board do.

jb


----------



## CCC1007 (May 31, 2015)

Could you please fix the time for 7 at wfh? It currently shows the time as 91:66 for departure.


----------



## John Bobinyec (May 31, 2015)

Thanks. I fixed it. It'll take a little while for the system to catch up.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Jun 7, 2015)

John Bobinyec said:


> The Solari version of the station display boards now has sound. It's an approximation of what you would hear a real Solari board do.
> 
> jb


I've tested the sound on Firefox and Chrome. Can someone please indicate whether they work on Apple I-products?

Thanks,

jb


----------



## Ryan (Jun 7, 2015)

Good on Safari and OS X 10.10.4.

No sound on iOS 8.4 (but it looks darn beautiful).


----------



## acelafan (Jun 7, 2015)

I really like the sound - great addition!


----------



## willem (Jun 7, 2015)

I have rarely used the Solari board, so I cannot compare it to a previous version on any platform. Just now, however, it seemed to work fine on an iPad.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Jun 26, 2015)

Ryan said:


> Good on Safari and OS X 10.10.4.
> 
> No sound on iOS 8.4 (but it looks darn beautiful).


What are these running on? Mac? Iphone? Ipad?

Thanks,

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Jul 11, 2015)

For the iPhone and the iPad, Apple disabled the automatic loading of a sound file in Safari. Speculation is that that was done to keep the data charges for downloads low. They will, however, play the sound file upon an interactive initiation by the user - in other words, a click. So for these two products, I've provided a "Start" button which when clicked, will start the solari display and initiate the sound. I also disabled the hourly "flush" of the screen for these products, since the user would have to hit the start button all over again.

I have an iPad and have tested the station status board (solari format) on it. I would appreciate it if someone could check it out on an iPhone and post the results.

Thanks,

jb


----------



## Just-Thinking-51 (Jul 12, 2015)

I-phone 3G software 6.1.6

Work find, short test only. Not much train active in NYC at 0025 hrs. Sound present with a button push.


----------



## Ryan (Jul 12, 2015)

There is a little bit of lag in the sound after the first two or three lines populate. The sound starts about 0.5 sec after the animation, then runs past the animation for a bit. Not a huge deal, and it may be something in the iOS 9 beta that's throwing it off.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Jul 12, 2015)

Ryan said:


> There is a little bit of lag in the sound after the first two or three lines populate. The sound starts about 0.5 sec after the animation, then runs past the animation for a bit. Not a huge deal, and it may be something in the iOS 9 beta that's throwing it off.


I noticed that on the iPad as well. I think it might have something to do with loading up the sound file each time it wants to play it.

Or perhaps the iOS is busy doing something in the background. I noticed at one point it notified me that an update to the OS is available.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 1, 2016)

Missed stations.

Of late, since the announced changes to the display boards in New York and Philadelphia, the Station Status Boards have been getting an up-tick in activity. There have also been an increase in people using the wrong station codes. The most common ones are:

NYC for NYP

CUS for CHI

PHI for PHL

HOU for HOS

GCT for NYP

Those are the ones that I can figure out. I decided to add a table to convert from the bad station codes to the good ones. At this point I'm not familiar enough to know what people intended when they put in the following over just the last two days:

NCE PIO GEG SMI DNV ISL ILS DLL PJT ABT EMV EMR MTL GSP DCU SQL TIC DCA SFD

RNK RMN ABB NAV ALA RAL NCF UNI PHX ANN OIL BRD WES ABD TTN IMS MIL

If anyone can interpret what people wanted when they input these station codes, I'd appreciate it.

jb


----------



## Ryan (Sep 1, 2016)

EMV and EMR for Emeryville?

DCA for WAS

PHX for Maricopa?

ABD for Aberdeen?


----------



## JayPea (Sep 1, 2016)

GEG is the airport code for Spokane International Airport. Some might have thought that was also Amtrak's code for Spokane.


----------



## AmtrakLKL (Sep 1, 2016)

John Bobinyec said:


> Missed stations.
> 
> Of late, since the announced changes to the display boards in New York and Philadelphia, the Station Status Boards have been getting an up-tick in activity. There have also been an increase in people using the wrong station codes. The most common ones are:
> 
> ...


My thoughts:

GEG is the airport code for Spokane - SPK

GSP is Greenville/Spartanburg, SC - GRV

DCA is Washington National - WAS or maybe ALX. :giggle:

MTL - Montreal? - MTR

RAL - Raleigh, NC - RGH

ANN - Ann Arbor, MI - ARB

PJT - Maybe Princton Junction - PJC

TIC - Ticonderoga, NY - FTC

BRD - Bridgeport (BDP) or Bradenton (BDT - OK - who is looking up buses)?

NCE is Nice, France. No clue domestically.

EMV and EMR could be Emeryville - EMY

DNV - Danville, VA or IL - DAN and DVI, respectively

ABD - Aberdeen, MD - ABE

MIL - Milwaukee - MKE

NCF - NC State Fair, NC - NSF (Seasonal)

Valid Amtrak codes that don't have trains:

ABB - Abbotsford-Colby - Bus Stop, WI

ABT - Abbotsford - Bus Station, BC

ALA - Alanson - Bus Stop, MI

RNK - Roanoke - Civic Center Bus Stop, VA

RMN - Rochester - Bus Stop, MN

SFD is the old code for Sanford, FL - Regular Trains.

SMI - Sainte Marie - Bus Stop, MI

WES - Los Angeles - Westwood (UCLA) - Bus Stop, CA


----------



## Thirdrail7 (Sep 1, 2016)

AmtrakLKL said:


> John Bobinyec said:
> 
> 
> > Missed stations.
> ...



I agree with almost everything you stated but I'm wondering if they meant Westerly, Rhode Island for WES. Additionally, PJT was the old city code for downtown Princeton, NJ which is a different stop than Princeton Junction, NJ when the Clockers operated.

Additionally, I'm wondering if DLL is Dillion, South Carolina, DCU is Washington DC-Union Station, RNM is Raton, New Mexico and is DNV actually Denver, Colorado?


----------



## John Bobinyec (Sep 2, 2016)

Thanks for the help.

jb


----------



## west point (Sep 2, 2016)

A brand new one WPR ---------- Winter Park Resort


----------



## trainman74 (Sep 2, 2016)

My guess for NCE would be New Carrollton (as a typo for the actual code, NCR).


----------



## John Bobinyec (Dec 8, 2017)

The Amtrak Station Status Boards had a link to Amtrak's stations list. Recently, when Amtrak changed their website, they removed that list. Of course, that broke the link. So I added a search function so that anyone can find a station and its station code.

jb


----------



## Skyline (Dec 9, 2017)

It's a Solari Board. It should look and function like one. What's with all these impatient people who can't wait a minute or two for all the lines to appear? How would they have ever coped with the 1950s?


----------



## John Bobinyec (Dec 9, 2017)

Skyline said:


> It's a Solari Board. It should look and function like one. What's with all these impatient people who can't wait a minute or two for all the lines to appear? How would they have ever coped with the 1950s?


It was more a situation that if you tried to run the solari simulation on an old computer, it did take an unacceptably long time - even for me. So I created the faster options.

jb


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Dec 9, 2017)

I want a holographic status board the looks like a Solari board, but transforms into a discotheque dancer when announcing a train.


----------



## trainman74 (Dec 9, 2017)

Green Maned Lion said:


> I want a holographic status board the looks like a Solari board, but transforms into a discotheque dancer when announcing a train.


What is this, a sci-fi movie from the early 1980s?


----------



## Green Maned Lion (Dec 9, 2017)

This is a mostly silly thread. I figured I'd add more silliness to the silliness to form a more complete silliness.


----------



## jis (Dec 9, 2017)

LOL!

Sent from my iPhone using Amtrak Forum


----------



## VAtrainfan (Dec 10, 2017)

My first time seeing this. Nice job! One question: Is there a time limit on how early a train shows up on the board? Meaning that if the local time is 10am, trains arriving at 8pm don't show up on the board even if there is space available.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Dec 10, 2017)

VAtrainfan said:


> My first time seeing this. Nice job! One question: Is there a time limit on how early a train shows up on the board? Meaning that if the local time is 10am, trains arriving at 8pm don't show up on the board even if there is space available.


The visibility limit is 8 hours. It keeps down the amount of processing that must be done.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Feb 22, 2020)

Someone has proposed a change that I'd like to have y'all consider.

See Amtrak Station Status Boards . The last column Is "Revised Time" (choose the 'long' format for the Solari type board). This is simply calculated as the scheduled time adjusted by how late or early the train is currently running. The suggestion is to use Amtrak's "estimated" time rather than do this simplistic calculation.

Amtrak's estimations have gotten better over the years to the point where I'm considering doing this. The question is: Can anyone see a reason not to?

jb

PS I'd really not want to do both and then have an option to allow the user to choose. It's A LOT more work.


----------



## PRR 60 (Feb 23, 2020)

I like using the estimated time instead of minutes late or early. One other comment: Acela is now called just "Acela" or "Acela Non-Stop" (2401 and 2402). The Acela Express name has been retired.


----------



## acelafan (Feb 23, 2020)

I think the estimated time is better, too. 

PRR60, I didn't know Acela dropped "Express". Thanks for that tidbit.


----------



## Qapla (Feb 23, 2020)

Either way is fine with me ... one thing I have run across is the 3 letter station codes. There have been time when I forgot to use CAPS and it returned the result that the station did not exist ...

I haven't used the board recently - maybe this has been addressed ... if it has, please disregard this comment.


----------



## John Bobinyec (Feb 23, 2020)

The CAPS issue has been fixed.

jb


----------



## Qapla (Feb 23, 2020)

Thank You


----------



## daybeers (Feb 24, 2020)

I see no reason not to change the way actual times are shown as you suggested. You're right, Amtrak no longer predicts trains will travel at hyperspeed to reach their next stop.  Thanks for all your great work, John! As a programmer myself, I can understand the complexity.


----------



## PRR 60 (Feb 24, 2020)

One new glitch. The Keystone service trains are showing as "KE STONE".


----------



## John Bobinyec (Feb 24, 2020)

I even saw "KERSTONE" a minute ago, but I fixed it.

jb


----------



## John Bobinyec (Apr 13, 2020)

I finally finished the change to the Solari boards so that Amtrak's estimated time is presented rather than my simple calculation of adding or subtracting time from the scheduled time, based on lateness or "earliness".

jb


----------



## Woodcut60 (Apr 28, 2020)

@John Bobinyec : What a feast your Solari Board webpage is. Wonderful. Must have been a lot of work. I appreciate it very much. Thanks!


----------



## John Bobinyec (Apr 5, 2021)

I'm considering making a change to the boards.

For both the 'static' and 'solari' formats, there is a 'boarding' option. What this does is to allow the user to display the word 'boarding' when a train is at a station, getting ready to depart. It's a simulation because I have no way to know whether or not the train is actually boarding. The default is to show that word. The option allows the user to not show it. This option is very rarely used, so I'm considering eliminating it.

The other feature applies only to the boards in the 'solari' format. If the computer that is being used to display the board is very slow, I originally provided an option called 'solaripaintspeed'. This allows the user to skip the flipping action of the characters on the simulated solari board. This is also rarely used, so I'm considering removing this option and instructing the users of it to move to the 'static' format instead.

Anybody have any objections to my removing these features?

jb


----------



## me_little_me (Apr 5, 2021)

So many times while waiting on the platform on the NEC at some stations when trains are late, the trackside boards show a train has arrived, is boarding, then is departing - but the train still hasn't gotten there. So your simulation, when wrong, would be just like Amtrak's reality!


----------



## John Bobinyec (Apr 5, 2021)

I've noticed the same thing here in Cary, NC. The automated voice that announces "boarding", etc..., trackside here is called Samantha. She has posted that a train has already departed even though it hasn't even arrived yet. That's what gave me the idea that it would be alright if the word "boarding" was posted even though the train might not be.

jb


----------



## daybeers (Apr 8, 2021)

me_little_me said:


> So many times while waiting on the platform on the NEC at some stations when trains are late, the trackside boards show a train has arrived, is boarding, then is departing - but the train still hasn't gotten there. So your simulation, when wrong, would be just like Amtrak's reality!


Yup, that's been my experience on the Hartford Line in Connecticut (Amtrak displays)


----------

