About Wisconsin Trackside & its data

Wisconsin Trackside is a community rail log run by the site owner, WITrackside, with contributions from members. It is not a railroad dispatch service. Contact the site staff for support, corrections or privacy concerns.

What you are looking at

• Community reports describe what a contributor observed. Public posts identify their contributor by username.
• Imported archive records preserve earlier logs from outside sources. Their source and historical identifiers remain part of the record; the importing account is not presented as the eyewitness.
• Reference information includes FRA crossing inventory and sourced notes about railroads, symbols, yards and viewing places. Inventory is not proof of current operations or permission to enter.

When was the train there?

The observation date and time describe when the train was seen. Submission time is when a record was added to the site, which can be much later. An import or a new comment does not make an old observation current. Last reported means last observed here, never a prediction of the train’s present position.

Wisconsin first, connected Midwest

Wisconsin is the default. The connected Midwest inventory also covers Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa and Minnesota. This is geographic scope, not a promise of complete or equally active reporting in every town.

How review works

Members verify their email to use their accounts. Staff handle reports, corrections and moderation; existing accounts do not need to reverify because the site changes. Display approval is not a guarantee of factual accuracy. Source notes, confidence and review dates explain the available evidence. Unknown details stay unknown.

Public locations, private device location

My location temporarily helps you navigate the map. A crossing or observation pin you deliberately select is separate and can appear publicly with your report. Never mark a home or private meeting place. A crossing is not necessarily suitable for watching trains.

Read how drafts, photos and videos are handled · Report an unsuitable crossing