Spare Parts
For non-modeling topics and those without a home elsewhere.
Drone following transport train
11Bravo_C2
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Texas, United States
Member Since: May 12, 2015
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Posted: Friday, June 15, 2018 - 05:44 AM UTC
Pretty cool drone video following a transport train with US military vehicles.

timmyp
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Virginia, United States
Member Since: May 18, 2008
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Posted: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 03:37 PM UTC
Well, that was pretty cool!! I'm wondering where that was filmed - my first thought was maybe somewhere in northwest Texas, or maybe even Colorado - especially since the train is coming out of the hills, and is making that big switchback in the beginning of the video. But then later, I see some kind of palm trees alongside the railway, so that makes me think this might be more in Texas. From the number of vehicles on this train, it looks like a whole infantry division is moving out - too bad the drone didn't get between vehicles, so we could see any bumper markings to help identify what unit they all belong to.
Tojo72
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North Carolina, United States
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Posted: Wednesday, June 20, 2018 - 10:21 PM UTC
With really no knowledge of the subject,is this really a good thing,could actions like this be a problem during times of conflict,or does it really make no difference,just asking.

But yes,cool video.
Scarred
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Washington, United States
Member Since: March 11, 2016
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Posted: Thursday, June 21, 2018 - 02:09 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Well, that was pretty cool!! I'm wondering where that was filmed - my first thought was maybe somewhere in northwest Texas, or maybe even Colorado - especially since the train is coming out of the hills, and is making that big switchback in the beginning of the video. But then later, I see some kind of palm trees alongside the railway, so that makes me think this might be more in Texas. From the number of vehicles on this train, it looks like a whole infantry division is moving out - too bad the drone didn't get between vehicles, so we could see any bumper markings to help identify what unit they all belong to.



San Luis Obispo. You can see California Men's Colony off to the left side of the screen where the track loops back.
timmyp
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Virginia, United States
Member Since: May 18, 2008
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Posted: Friday, June 22, 2018 - 08:28 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Well, that was pretty cool!! I'm wondering where that was filmed - my first thought was maybe somewhere in northwest Texas, or maybe even Colorado - especially since the train is coming out of the hills, and is making that big switchback in the beginning of the video. But then later, I see some kind of palm trees alongside the railway, so that makes me think this might be more in Texas. From the number of vehicles on this train, it looks like a whole infantry division is moving out - too bad the drone didn't get between vehicles, so we could see any bumper markings to help identify what unit they all belong to.



San Luis Obispo. You can see California Men's Colony off to the left side of the screen where the track loops back.



Found it! Thanks. I looked on Google earth, and followed the train tracks back up into the hills...I see it goes through a tunnel (3000+ ft long) before it goes under the 101.
timmyp
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Virginia, United States
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Posted: Friday, June 22, 2018 - 08:51 AM UTC

Quoted Text

With really no knowledge of the subject,is this really a good thing,could actions like this be a problem during times of conflict,or does it really make no difference,just asking.

But yes,cool video.



Anthony, I had those same thoughts watching this video - could some enemy, foreign or domestic, try to sabotage a trainload of equipment? Or just glean some intelligence by recognizing the unit from the bumper markings?

On the other hand, I had questions about who was flying the drone. I'm not sure of the FAA rules, but last I knew, the drone operator had to maintain visual contact with the drone, while it's flying, and some of the video, to me, looks like the drone was pretty far away from where an operator might be located.

The video itself, given the way it looks on my PC, made me wonder if this wasn't just an elaborate train model. I guess it was recorded in HD, or maybe HD ultra, or even this new 4K HD, and the details are just unreal!
Scarred
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Washington, United States
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Posted: Friday, June 22, 2018 - 10:44 AM UTC
As it goes past the cattle ranch you can see little white things I assume are chickens running around and as it goes by the treatment facility you can clearly see people walking around. Some track layouts are pretty elaborate but that would be hard to replicate in H.O. scale.
russamotto
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Utah, United States
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Posted: Friday, June 22, 2018 - 10:50 AM UTC
FAA has regulations on drones but no enforcement tools to act on them. They haven't even acted to stop drones that are clearly engaged in illegal activity-they consider it more illegal to attack a drone in flight as it is an aircraft. I've seen these trains pass by from time to time but for one reason or another could never get close for photos. It wouldn't take much for anyone to get up and look at them, either from the ground or from the air. People here have so much freedom they take it for granted and forget the cost.
timmyp
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Virginia, United States
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Posted: Friday, June 22, 2018 - 02:49 PM UTC

Quoted Text

As it goes past the cattle ranch you can see little white things I assume are chickens running around and as it goes by the treatment facility you can clearly see people walking around. Some track layouts are pretty elaborate but that would be hard to replicate in H.O. scale.



Yeah, at one point, I saw a guy in a dirt parking lot, with a trailer hooked up to his pick-up truck, walking around the trailer. I figured at that point, it wasn't a model layout.
Scarred
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Posted: Saturday, June 23, 2018 - 03:38 AM UTC
A friend of mine designs, prints and builds his own drones and in the 4-5 years he's been doing it the tech has really evolved. He can program waypoints and the drone will follow them even in the winds we get up here. Camera tech has evolved too, 720p when he started to 4k now with vr headset. And I thought sticking bits of plastic together was expensive. He burned one into the ground when something failed on his controller and the video was great. Since he prints out parts and has spare motors, props, cpu's and cameras he took it apart, tho the crash had done a pretty good job at that, salvaged most of the hardware and assembled a new one and was back in the air about an hour later.