I developed: Trainer.
Train Times with Weather Integration & Astronomical Events
Releases
Problem → Solution → Impact
Problem:
Regular travelers (e.g., consultants/trainers) often have messy or inconsistent travel logging.
Solution:
Trainer Travel Tracker provides a clean interface and backend for routing travel events, timestamps and offers weather to plan.
Impact:
Simplifies trip management and streamlines journey tracking. Also supports astronomy data for fun!
Rationale
I wanted a train scheduling app that let me look up times without the frustrating ads you see on sites like thetrainline.com.
Then I wanted to know if I needed an umbrella or coat ~ so I added weather support.
Finally, I tossed in astronomy visuals (moon phase, ISS tracking, etc.) for flair and personal interest ~ I have a degree in physics, after all.
Challenges Along the Way
- Curating every train stop and route (excluding Northern Ireland) was a massive task.
- Finding reliable astronomy sources was harder than expected.
- Weather APIs and moon phase integrations added UI complexity ~ but I pushed through until it felt right.
Overview
A modern PySide6 desktop app combining train, weather and astronomy info in a modular, performant and elegant interface.
It adheres to SOLID principles, modern design patterns and is plugin-friendly.
Key Features
| Train Information | Weather Integration |
|---|---|
| Real-time departures (16-hour window) | Live conditions and 7-day forecast |
| Platform data, delays, operator info | Automatic geolocation via Open-Meteo |
| Smart route filtering & interchanges | Weather warnings, auto-refresh |
| Service details with calling points | No API key required |
| Astronomy Features | User Interface |
|---|---|
| APOD & ISS real-time tracking | Clean, responsive layout |
| Moon phases & space event calendar | Light/Dark mode toggle (Ctrl+T) |
| Object visibility, educational links | Custom widgets and keyboard shortcuts |
Technical Highlights
| Code Quality | Performance |
|---|---|
| SOLID architecture | Lazy loading & intelligent caching |
| Factory, Strategy, Observer, Manager patterns | Optimised memory & widget pooling |
| Strong separation of concerns | Responsive layout with graceful fallback |
| Testing & Maintainability | Development Notes |
|---|---|
| Modular design with plugin support | Error recovery with graceful fallback |
| Unit/integration tests with docs | Dependency injection and clean layering |
API Integration
| Services | Features |
|---|---|
| Open-Meteo | Backoff + rate limiting |
| NASA APIs: APOD, ISS, NeoWs, EPIC | Multi-level caching |
| Request batching & secure key handling |
Simple. Efficient. Informative. Built to travel smart.
Screenshots
