Using the Railway Network as a Flatbed Scanner: A Real-World Tale

The Idea #

I was scrolling through r/sideproject and stumbled upon a thread about using the railway network as a flatbed scanner. The idea was to use the train’s scanning capabilities to digitize old documents. I thought, “Why not?” It sounded like a fun, albeit impractical, side project.

The Setup #

I decided to test this out with a local train that had a scanner. The train was a 2023 model, and the scanner was a Canon DR-C180. I had a stack of 100 pages to scan. The train’s scanner was set up in the luggage compartment, and I had to manually feed the documents through.

The Process #

Feeding the documents through the scanner was a tedious process. Each page took about 30 seconds to scan, and I had to make sure the document was perfectly aligned. The train was also moving, which added to the challenge. After 4 hours, I had 100 scans. The quality was decent, but not great. The train’s scanner was not designed for this kind of use.

The Results #

The scans were usable, but the process was incredibly slow. I compared the results to a high-end flatbed scanner I had at home. The home scanner took 2 hours to scan the same 100 pages, but the quality was much better. The train scanner also had a lot of noise and artifacts due to the movement.

The Cost #

The cost of using the train scanner was also a factor. The train company charged $50 for the use of the scanner, which was a one-time fee. However, the time spent feeding the documents through the scanner was not factored in. If you include the time, the cost per page was around $0.50, which is quite high compared to a home scanner.

The Verdict #

This is overkill for most people. If you need to scan a few documents, a home scanner or even a smartphone app will do the job much faster and cheaper. The train scanner is a fun idea, but it’s not practical for everyday use.

FAQ #

Q: Can I use this for commercial purposes? #

A: The train company would likely require a commercial license, which would be expensive. It’s not worth it for most commercial needs.

Q: Is there a better way to use the train’s scanner? #

A: You could try using the train’s scanner for bulk scanning of documents that are not time-sensitive. However, the quality and speed will be subpar compared to a dedicated scanner. This is a wild idea that didn’t quite work out. If you’re looking for a fun project, go for it, but don’t expect it to be practical.