[Tagging] [OSM-talk] Should we map things that do not exist?

[Paul Allen]

On Mon, 8 Jun 2020 at 14:08, Mateusz Konieczny via Tagging <
tagging at openstreetmap.org> wrote:


> I added explicit "even if rails are gone".
>

Thank you.

"the way will still be visible from the ballast that remains."
>
> Can you find a good photo of that on https://commons.wikimedia.org/ ?
> I would add it to examples.
>

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Restos_del_Balastro_de_la_linea_ferrea_Cuatro_Vientos_-_Leganes.JPG

There may be other indicators of older lines:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stone_sleepers_at_Bugsworth_basin_-_geograph.org.uk_-_450090.jpg

Also, it is common in my part of the world for older roads, bridleways,
railways, some farm tracks and even some footpaths to have tree-lined
hedges.  They're obvious from aerial imagery, although it may not always
be apparent what type of way they enclose.  Mapping the paths of
former railways indicates what those ways were (although it's possible
that some sections may have been repurposed as roads, cycleways or
footpaths).

I didn't add this former railway, but I've tweaked it.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/31982354#map=14/52.0675/-4.6421

In the area shown, from Cardigan to Cilgerran it is part of National Cycle
Route 82.  Part of that is also the access road from Cilgerran to the Welsh
Wildlife Centre.  These are well documented as following the route of the
former railway.  I've only mapped the hedges lining the route at
the Cardigan end, but they're apparent elsewhere along the route.

Erm, what about cases where a road or footpath or cycleway has been
>> constructed
>> along the old line and we know that because it is mentioned on current
>> websites?
>>
>
>
Describe it as part where different mappers have different opinions?
>

Sounds reasonable to me.

I guess that some people would want to map this, for me it is case of
> copying maps of historic data.
>

What, in principle, are the differences between historic maps, a website
documenting
that a route has been constructed over an old railway line and a sign at
the start of
the route saying that it follows the path of an old railway line?

>
> (the tricky part is that both of us have strong opinion here
>

Do we?  I'm not sure that I would map a razed railway line where no trace
of any
of it remains.  I'm not sure if I would map a short section of line that
has been
built over and no trace remains if there were clear traces of the rest of
it, but
I wouldn't remove it if somebody else had mapped it.

and it is tricky to distinguish case of "person is representing silent
>
mappers not participating in discussion" and "person has fringe opinion
>
not shared by anybody").
>

We don't have humming.  The best we can do is note that several people
have expressed differing opinions and that the matter is contentious.  We
can also note that certain edge cases have been highlighted.  I'm with
Volker
on this one: at this point in the conversation it is unhelpful for the wiki
to
be changed to state that these things should be removed whenever they
are discovered.

-- 
Paul
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