Talk:Sustrans Millennium Mileposts
More details here?
I've been tasked by Sustrans with making a paper-based inventory of mileposts locally. (I'm a volunteer, and will be making it available to them under an ODbL licence.) Based on what they'd find useful, I wonder if there's mileage in adding further details here. Clearly, the node reference is the most useful. However, as many volunteers who service the mileposts and many route-users are not techie, it may be useful to have
- A finer-grained narrative location - I suggest "posttown, district, road, landmark" so that it's alphabetically sortable.
- Which NCN route (if any) it's on
- Grid ref & lat/long (if there isn't a template that will do that for us)
Thoughts welcome. eteb3 (talk) 18:28, 27 October 2019 (UTC)
Since this is an OSM wiki, it seems reasonable to suggest that OSM itself should be the master source of information. To that end, we're slowly ensuring every Millennium Milepost in Scotland is correctly recorded as a node in OSM. Along the way, we're recording in a separate database:
- Checking coordinates: Sustrans versus survey versus OSM. Nodes added and moved to correct position.
- In OSM, ensuring node tags include: NCN route (where on a route), role: guidepost, correct sustrans_ref, correct milepost type.
- Taking a photo - adding to wiki.
- Recording, where visible, a Google Streetmap view of the milepost.
- Checking the Milepost type. Not all are recorded correctly in Sustrans records.
- Noting whether the Milepost has a disc or not.
Thanks for your reply karl60 - that's almost exactly what I had in mind for my district (Peterborough). I agree with you that OSM should be the master-source: I've recently added to OSM two mileposts in Peterborough that weren't on the Sustrans database, nor (hitherto) in OSM, and planned to add route indicators too: it's great to have the tags you've given here. Could I ask
- Who is 'we'? Are you Sustrans Scotland, or hobby mappers? Or maybe something else.
- Where do you keep your separate database and who has access?
- Was its structure developed in coordination with Sustrans and are you willing to share an extract?
- Why separate and not here? (That's a neutral question, not a challenge.)
I'm actually wondering if a chat on the phone would be possible, as you sound very much more advanced on the project than I am, and it would be good to hear your experience. I'm pinging @Tim W: as he's made edits recently and would be good to have his take, too. Thanks again, eteb3 (talk) 18:29, 28 October 2019 (UTC)
Not been actively hunting the mileposts, or an avid mapper. Have been using pathways and roads which happened to have them on. Discovered this wiki page when a friend asked me about the photos on my phone of signs I have seen while out. Also found a map which helped with post numbers.
Only recently found out about the discs and competition, a lot are missing or the posts look like they were never fitted.
On viewing the wiki I could see some mileposts listed as the incorrect type to what is actually in the field. Plus one that definitely exists but was missing.
Until researching about them to explain my photos, I hadn't realised the McColl type with a star on the top were a related milepost due to the lack of fingers. As a result I have no photos of this type. Also lack photos of unloved rusty mileposts as they hadn't looked interesting. Not yet got file upload permission, but will add photos when I do.
I have added some locations to OSM with type and number, then linked the node in the wiki page. However, I can't always tell which NCN route they are on. Looking up NCN route numbers by place or trail throws up numbers which I can't verify. Several of the mapped numbered routes I have been on this year were brand new tarmac dual use cycle-path/pavement beside a main road which previously had been a grass verge. In these cases any local mileposts are off up a country lane along the original longer route devised on 20 years ago topography so I'm unlikely to pass by them.
- Adding by "posttown, district, road, landmark" will not work in all cases. Many of the cycle routes in Kent are along the sea wall between towns and not along a road. Some are disused railway lines.
- A Google Streetmap view of a milepost may be useful to someone trying to find it, but the image quality is often too poor to make out anything more than milepost type.
The only extra information I consider missing is the places the fingers point towards and associated distances. Although adding this would create a jumbled mess in the tables with routes crossing each other. Tim W
Useful: http://opendata.sustrans.org.uk/data/kml/Mileposts.kml - Thanks to Tim W. karl60 (talk)
@Karl60: sorry, no idea how to send you an email. MP974 is listed further up the table (incorrectly I think) as a different milepost the other side of the river https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/160129663
Within the Sustrans Mileposts.kml there are four mileposts with strange locations - all in the sea.
- MP668 49.7444842508563,-7.53656333500545
- MP669 49.7445123380043,-7.5360110381351
- MP670 49.7445367783388,-7.53542077879613
- MP714 49.744555716633,-7.53480270756689
I cannot manipulate the coordinates in any meaningful way to place them on land.
Given that the coordinates are basically the same, I'd guess they are just dummy coordinates. Also, don't see the mileposts in OSM, ie, I couldn't find any node tag sustrans_ref=MP668 etc. A question for Sustrans.