diff --git a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
index 2d585d8dc..ce2c9e635 100644
--- a/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
+++ b/docs/CURRENT-STATE.md
@@ -1441,7 +1441,7 @@ Ordinary sliders share the native range component in `ui/slider.js` and the
 `gev-quantitative-slider` surface in `ui/styles/slider.css`. Display, shader
 parameters, volume, replay speed, weather settings/history, imagery opacity and
 Street View's date filter use the same rail, thumb, value styling, keyboard focus and disabled state.
-Generated controls use `createSlider`; static templates apply the same class.
+Generated controls use `createSlider`; static templates and components apply the same class.
 Feature owners retain bounds, steps, formatted values, input/change timing and
 listener cleanup. The radio tuning dial, imagery comparison divider and event
 comparison/progression controls keep their specialized presentation and behavior.
diff --git a/docs/VUE-MIGRATION.md b/docs/VUE-MIGRATION.md
index 1a7586052..529c0d697 100644
--- a/docs/VUE-MIGRATION.md
+++ b/docs/VUE-MIGRATION.md
@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ They contain no application state.
    `v-for`, because re-rendering it would bring back the English; component
    text uses `t()` instead. Shared builders become components first and
    keep their imperative entry points until their owners are components:
-   the rail cards and card blocks (`src/ui/rail/`) render through Vue's
-   synchronous `render()` behind `createRailCards()` and
-   `createRailCardBlocks()`. Order: Scenes (done: `SceneOptions` and
+   the rail cards, card blocks and timeline (`src/ui/rail/`) render through
+   Vue's synchronous `render()` behind `createRailCards()`,
+   `createRailCardBlocks()` and `createRailTimeline()`. Order: Scenes (done: `SceneOptions` and
    `SceneShotList` over the `gev-scenes` store), Weather, Recent imagery,
    Street level, CCTV, Layers, Display, Context and Radio, the command dock,
    the phone shell, then Cockpit. Layers that write into the right rail
diff --git a/scripts/package-boundaries.json b/scripts/package-boundaries.json
index 3ddef5cc7..73a3a95d6 100644
--- a/scripts/package-boundaries.json
+++ b/scripts/package-boundaries.json
@@ -573,6 +573,8 @@
       "src/ui/rail/RailCardBlocks.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/RailCard.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/RailCards.vue",
+      "src/ui/rail/utcClock.js",
+      "src/ui/rail/RailTimeline.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/rangeValue.js"
     ],
     "external": ["vue"]
@@ -938,6 +940,8 @@
       "src/ui/rail/RailCardBlocks.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/RailCard.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/RailCards.vue",
+      "src/ui/rail/utcClock.js",
+      "src/ui/rail/RailTimeline.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/rangeValue.js"
     ],
     "external": ["cesium", "vue", "pinia"]
@@ -2898,6 +2902,8 @@
       "src/ui/rail/RailCard.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/RailCards.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/RailCardBlocks.vue",
+      "src/ui/rail/utcClock.js",
+      "src/ui/rail/RailTimeline.vue",
       "src/ui/rail/rangeValue.js"
     ],
     "external": [
diff --git a/src/ui/rail/RailTimeline.vue b/src/ui/rail/RailTimeline.vue
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..604780394
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/rail/RailTimeline.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,170 @@
+<script setup>
+import { computed, onBeforeUnmount, shallowRef, watch } from 'vue';
+import { vRangeValue } from './rangeValue.js';
+import { formatUtcDayMonth, t } from '../../i18n/index.js';
+import { utcClock } from './utcClock.js';
+
+// Stable native transport with local preview and a coalesced 150 ms drag
+// commit. While the handle is dragged the slider keeps the ticks it was
+// dragged over; the owner's updates apply once the drag ends.
+const props = defineProps({
+  state: { type: Object, required: true },
+  sliderClassName: { type: String, default: '' },
+  heading: { type: Boolean, default: true },
+  onCommit: { type: Function, default: () => {} },
+  onPreview: { type: Function, default: () => {} },
+  onStep: { type: Function, default: () => {} },
+  onLatest: { type: Function, default: () => {} },
+  onPlay: { type: Function, default: () => {} },
+});
+
+const utc = (tick) =>
+  Number.isFinite(Date.parse(tick))
+    ? `${formatUtcDayMonth(tick)} ${utcClock(tick)}`
+    : '';
+
+// What the slider shows: the owner's ticks, index and readout, frozen while
+// dragging.
+const shown = shallowRef({ ticks: [], index: 0, readout: '' });
+let dragging = false;
+let timer = null;
+let pending = null;
+let live = true;
+
+const cancel = () => {
+  if (timer !== null) clearTimeout(timer);
+  timer = null;
+};
+const sync = () => {
+  if (dragging) return;
+  const ticks = [...props.state.ticks];
+  shown.value = {
+    ticks,
+    index: Math.max(0, Math.min(props.state.index, ticks.length - 1)),
+    readout: props.state.readout || '',
+  };
+};
+watch(
+  () => props.state,
+  (state) => {
+    if (state.disabled) {
+      cancel();
+      pending = null;
+      dragging = false;
+    }
+    sync();
+  },
+  { immediate: true, flush: 'sync' },
+);
+onBeforeUnmount(() => {
+  live = false;
+  cancel();
+});
+
+const disabled = computed(() => Boolean(props.state.disabled));
+const latestActive = computed(() => props.state.mode === 'latest');
+const playing = computed(() => Boolean(props.state.playing));
+
+function commit() {
+  cancel();
+  const value = pending;
+  pending = null;
+  if (live && value && !props.state.disabled)
+    props.onCommit(value.tick, value.index);
+}
+function preview(event) {
+  if (props.state.disabled) return;
+  dragging = true;
+  const index = Number(event.target.value);
+  const tick = shown.value.ticks[index];
+  if (!tick) return;
+  pending = { tick, index };
+  // Shown before the owner hears of it: an update from inside onPreview
+  // must not move the handle back.
+  shown.value = { ...shown.value, index };
+  const readout = props.onPreview(tick, index);
+  // The owner may have ended the drag (disabled) from inside onPreview.
+  if (!dragging) return;
+  if (typeof readout === 'string') shown.value = { ...shown.value, readout };
+  if (timer === null) timer = setTimeout(commit, 150);
+}
+function change(event) {
+  if (props.state.disabled) return;
+  const index = Number(event.target.value);
+  pending = { tick: shown.value.ticks[index], index };
+  dragging = false;
+  commit();
+  sync();
+}
+function reset() {
+  cancel();
+  pending = null;
+  dragging = false;
+  sync();
+}
+function blur(event) {
+  if (dragging) change(event);
+}
+const act = (fn) => {
+  reset();
+  if (live && !props.state.disabled) fn();
+};
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <section class="rail-timeline"
+    ><div v-if="heading" class="panel-title">{{ t('Observed history') }}</div
+    ><div class="rail-timeline-track"
+      ><button
+        type="button"
+        class="data-toggle-chip"
+        :title="t('Earlier observation')"
+        :disabled="disabled || state.index <= 0"
+        @click="act(() => onStep(-1))"
+        >‹</button
+      ><input
+        type="range"
+        :class="`gev-quantitative-slider${sliderClassName ? ` ${sliderClassName}` : ''}`"
+        min="0"
+        :max="String(Math.max(0, shown.ticks.length - 1))"
+        step="1"
+        v-range-value="String(shown.index)"
+        :disabled="disabled"
+        :aria-label="t('Observed history')"
+        :aria-valuetext="utc(shown.ticks[shown.index])"
+        @input="preview"
+        @change="change"
+        @pointercancel="reset"
+        @blur="blur"
+      /><button
+        type="button"
+        class="data-toggle-chip"
+        :title="t('Later observation')"
+        :disabled="disabled || state.index >= state.ticks.length - 1"
+        @click="act(() => onStep(1))"
+        >›</button
+      ><div class="rail-timeline-endpoints"
+        ><span>{{ utcClock(shown.ticks[0]) }}</span
+        ><span>{{ utcClock(shown.ticks.at(-1)) }}</span></div
+      ></div
+    ><div class="rail-timeline-controls"
+      ><button
+        type="button"
+        :class="`data-toggle-chip${latestActive ? ' active' : ''}`"
+        :title="t('Newest frame per product')"
+        :disabled="disabled"
+        :aria-pressed="String(latestActive)"
+        @click="act(onLatest)"
+        >{{ t('Latest') }}</button
+      ><button
+        type="button"
+        :class="`data-toggle-chip${playing ? ' active' : ''}`"
+        :title="t('Replay observed history')"
+        :disabled="disabled"
+        :aria-pressed="String(playing)"
+        @click="act(onPlay)"
+        >{{ playing ? t('Pause') : t('Play') }}</button
+      ><span class="rail-timeline-readout">{{ shown.readout }}</span></div
+    ></section
+  >
+</template>
diff --git a/src/ui/rail/utcClock.js b/src/ui/rail/utcClock.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..59796d010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/rail/utcClock.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+/**
+ * "HH:MM UTC" of a time, or '' when it is not one. Computed on its own rather
+ * than cut from the dated readout: the localized day and month vary in length
+ * ("3/9" in Spanish, "09-03" in English).
+ */
+export const utcClock = (tick) =>
+  Number.isFinite(Date.parse(tick))
+    ? `${new Date(tick).toISOString().slice(11, 16)} UTC`
+    : '';
diff --git a/src/ui/railTimeline.js b/src/ui/railTimeline.js
index 181f9a73f..b6dcd178e 100644
--- a/src/ui/railTimeline.js
+++ b/src/ui/railTimeline.js
@@ -1,23 +1,13 @@
-import { formatUtcDayMonth, t } from '../i18n/index.js';
-import { createSlider } from './slider.js';
-const set = (node, key, value) => {
-  if (node[key] !== value) node[key] = value;
-};
-/**
- * "HH:MM UTC" of a time, or '' when it is not one. Computed on its own rather
- * than cut from the dated readout: the localized day and month vary in length
- * ("3/9" in Spanish, "09-03" in English).
- */
-export const utcClock = (tick) =>
-  Number.isFinite(Date.parse(tick))
-    ? `${new Date(tick).toISOString().slice(11, 16)} UTC`
-    : '';
-const utc = (tick) =>
-  Number.isFinite(Date.parse(tick))
-    ? `${formatUtcDayMonth(tick)} ${utcClock(tick)}`
-    : '';
+import { h, render } from 'vue';
+import RailTimeline from './rail/RailTimeline.vue';
 
-/** Stable native transport with local preview and a coalesced 150 ms drag commit. */
+export { utcClock } from './rail/utcClock.js';
+
+/**
+ * Stable native transport with local preview and a coalesced 150 ms drag
+ * commit. Renders the RailTimeline component into `container` and patches it
+ * synchronously on every update.
+ */
 export function createRailTimeline({
   container,
   document = container?.ownerDocument,
@@ -30,187 +20,37 @@ export function createRailTimeline({
   onPlay = () => {},
 } = {}) {
   if (!document?.createElement || !container) return null;
-  const root = document.createElement('section');
-  root.className = 'rail-timeline';
-  const row = document.createElement('div');
-  row.className = 'rail-timeline-track';
-  const makeButton = (label, title, parent) => {
-    const node = document.createElement('button');
-    node.type = 'button';
-    node.className = 'data-toggle-chip';
-    node.textContent = label;
-    node.title = title;
-    parent.appendChild(node);
-    return node;
-  };
-  const previous = makeButton('‹', t('Earlier observation'), row);
-  const slider = createSlider({
-    documentRef: document,
-    className: sliderClassName,
-    min: '0',
-    max: '0',
-    step: '1',
-    value: '0',
-    ariaLabel: t('Observed history'),
-  });
-  row.appendChild(slider);
-  const next = makeButton('›', t('Later observation'), row);
-  const controls = document.createElement('div');
-  controls.className = 'rail-timeline-controls';
-  const latest = makeButton(
-    t('Latest'),
-    t('Newest frame per product'),
-    controls,
-  );
-  const play = makeButton(t('Play'), t('Replay observed history'), controls);
-  const readout = document.createElement('span');
-  readout.className = 'rail-timeline-readout';
-  controls.appendChild(readout);
-  const label = document.createElement('div');
-  label.className = 'panel-title';
-  label.textContent = t('Observed history');
-  const endpoints = document.createElement('div');
-  endpoints.className = 'rail-timeline-endpoints';
-  const oldest = document.createElement('span');
-  const newest = document.createElement('span');
-  endpoints.appendChild(oldest);
-  endpoints.appendChild(newest);
-  row.appendChild(endpoints);
-  if (heading) root.appendChild(label);
-  root.appendChild(row);
-  root.appendChild(controls);
-  container.appendChild(root);
-  let props = {
+  let destroyed = false;
+  const paint = (state) =>
+    render(
+      h(RailTimeline, {
+        state,
+        sliderClassName,
+        heading,
+        onCommit,
+        onPreview,
+        onStep,
+        onLatest,
+        onPlay,
+      }),
+      container,
+    );
+  paint({
     ticks: [],
     index: 0,
     mode: 'latest',
     playing: false,
     readout: '',
     disabled: true,
-  };
-  let ticks = [];
-  let dragging = false;
-  let timer = null;
-  let pending = null;
-  let destroyed = false;
-  const cancel = () => {
-    if (timer !== null) clearTimeout(timer);
-    timer = null;
-  };
-  const valueText = (tick) => {
-    const value = utc(tick);
-    if (slider.getAttribute('aria-valuetext') !== value)
-      slider.setAttribute('aria-valuetext', value);
-  };
-  const commit = () => {
-    cancel();
-    const value = pending;
-    pending = null;
-    if (!destroyed && value && !props.disabled)
-      onCommit(value.tick, value.index);
-  };
-  const update = (nextProps) => {
-    if (destroyed) return;
-    props = nextProps;
-    if (props.disabled) {
-      cancel();
-      pending = null;
-      dragging = false;
-    }
-    if (!dragging) {
-      ticks = [...props.ticks];
-      set(slider, 'max', String(Math.max(0, ticks.length - 1)));
-      set(
-        slider,
-        'value',
-        String(Math.max(0, Math.min(props.index, ticks.length - 1))),
-      );
-      valueText(ticks[Number(slider.value)]);
-      set(oldest, 'textContent', utcClock(ticks[0]));
-      set(newest, 'textContent', utcClock(ticks.at(-1)));
-      set(readout, 'textContent', props.readout || '');
-    }
-    for (const node of [slider, latest, play])
-      set(node, 'disabled', Boolean(props.disabled));
-    set(previous, 'disabled', Boolean(props.disabled || props.index <= 0));
-    set(
-      next,
-      'disabled',
-      Boolean(props.disabled || props.index >= props.ticks.length - 1),
-    );
-    set(
-      latest,
-      'className',
-      `data-toggle-chip${props.mode === 'latest' ? ' active' : ''}`,
-    );
-    set(play, 'className', `data-toggle-chip${props.playing ? ' active' : ''}`);
-    set(play, 'textContent', props.playing ? t('Pause') : t('Play'));
-    for (const [node, active] of [
-      [latest, props.mode === 'latest'],
-      [play, props.playing],
-    ]) {
-      if (node.getAttribute('aria-pressed') !== String(active))
-        node.setAttribute('aria-pressed', String(active));
-    }
-  };
-  const preview = () => {
-    if (props.disabled) return;
-    dragging = true;
-    const index = Number(slider.value);
-    const tick = ticks[index];
-    if (!tick) return;
-    pending = { tick, index };
-    valueText(tick);
-    const value = onPreview(tick, index);
-    if (typeof value === 'string') set(readout, 'textContent', value);
-    if (timer === null) timer = setTimeout(commit, 150);
-  };
-  const change = () => {
-    if (props.disabled) return;
-    pending = {
-      tick: ticks[Number(slider.value)],
-      index: Number(slider.value),
-    };
-    dragging = false;
-    commit();
-    update(props);
-  };
-  const reset = () => {
-    cancel();
-    pending = null;
-    dragging = false;
-    update(props);
-  };
-  const act = (fn) => () => {
-    reset();
-    if (!props.disabled) fn();
-  };
-  const bindings = [
-    [slider, 'input', preview],
-    [slider, 'change', change],
-    [slider, 'pointercancel', reset],
-    [
-      slider,
-      'blur',
-      () => {
-        if (dragging) change();
-      },
-    ],
-    [previous, 'click', act(() => onStep(-1))],
-    [next, 'click', act(() => onStep(1))],
-    [latest, 'click', act(onLatest)],
-    [play, 'click', act(onPlay)],
-  ];
-  for (const [node, event, handler] of bindings)
-    node.addEventListener(event, handler);
+  });
   return {
-    update,
+    update(state) {
+      if (!destroyed) paint(state);
+    },
     destroy() {
+      if (destroyed) return;
       destroyed = true;
-      cancel();
-      for (const [node, event, handler] of bindings)
-        node.removeEventListener(event, handler);
-      root.remove();
+      render(null, container);
     },
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/railTimeline.test.mjs b/src/ui/railTimeline.test.mjs
index b7d997d0d..fd9ced861 100644
--- a/src/ui/railTimeline.test.mjs
+++ b/src/ui/railTimeline.test.mjs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
+import '../testSupport/registerDom.mjs';
 import test from 'node:test';
 import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { nextTick } from 'vue';
 import { createRailTimeline } from './railTimeline.js';
-import { railFixture } from './railTestFixture.mjs';
+import { railDocumentFixture as railFixture } from './railTestFixture.mjs';
 const ticks = [
   '2026-09-22T01:00:00Z',
   '2026-09-22T01:05:00Z',
@@ -15,7 +17,7 @@ const props = {
   readout: 'Latest',
   disabled: false,
 };
-test('preview is immediate, commits are coalesced and the drag DOM and tick mapping stay stable', (t) => {
+test('preview is immediate, commits are coalesced and the drag DOM and tick mapping stay stable', async (t) => {
   t.mock.timers.enable({ apis: ['setTimeout'] });
   const f = railFixture();
   const previews = [];
@@ -30,12 +32,13 @@ test('preview is immediate, commits are coalesced and the drag DOM and tick mapp
   });
   view.update(props);
   const slider = f.find((n) => n.tagName === 'INPUT');
-  const row = slider.parent;
+  const row = slider.parentElement;
   assert.equal(slider.getAttribute('aria-label'), 'Observed history');
   slider.value = '0';
   slider.dispatchEvent(new Event('input'));
   assert.deepEqual(commits, []);
   assert.deepEqual(previews, [ticks[0]]);
+  await nextTick();
   assert.equal(slider.getAttribute('aria-valuetext'), '09-22 01:00 UTC');
   view.update({
     ...props,
@@ -43,7 +46,7 @@ test('preview is immediate, commits are coalesced and the drag DOM and tick mapp
     index: 1,
     readout: 'Refresh',
   });
-  assert.equal(slider.parent, row);
+  assert.equal(slider.parentElement, row);
   assert.equal(row.children[1], slider);
   assert.equal(slider.value, '0');
   assert.equal(slider.max, '2');
@@ -63,13 +66,13 @@ test('preview is immediate, commits are coalesced and the drag DOM and tick mapp
   assert.deepEqual(commits, [ticks[1], ticks[2]]);
   t.mock.timers.tick(150);
   assert.equal(commits.length, 2);
-  assert.equal(slider.max, '1');
+  await nextTick();
+  assert.equal(slider.max, '1', 'release applies the latest update');
   view.destroy();
 });
 test('identical updates write nothing; controls call actions and destruction cancels commits', (t) => {
   t.mock.timers.enable({ apis: ['setTimeout'] });
-  let writes = 0;
-  const f = railFixture(() => writes++);
+  const f = railFixture();
   const calls = [];
   const view = createRailTimeline({
     ...f,
@@ -79,9 +82,9 @@ test('identical updates write nothing; controls call actions and destruction can
     onPlay: () => calls.push('play'),
   });
   view.update({ ...props, index: 1 });
-  writes = 0;
+  f.writes();
   view.update({ ...props, index: 1 });
-  assert.equal(writes, 0);
+  assert.equal(f.writes(), 0);
   for (const label of ['‹', '›', 'Latest', 'Play'])
     f.find((n) => n.textContent === label).click();
   assert.deepEqual(calls, [-1, 1, 'latest', 'play']);
@@ -107,12 +110,42 @@ test('observed history label and endpoint times track the advertised tick range'
     'Observed history',
   );
   const endpoints = f.find((n) => n.className === 'rail-timeline-endpoints');
-  assert.equal(endpoints.parent.className, 'rail-timeline-track');
+  assert.equal(endpoints.parentElement.className, 'rail-timeline-track');
   assert.deepEqual(
-    endpoints.children.map((n) => n.textContent),
+    [...endpoints.children].map((n) => n.textContent),
     ['01:00 UTC', '01:10 UTC'],
   );
   view.update({ ...props, ticks: ticks.slice(1) });
   assert.equal(endpoints.children[0].textContent, '01:05 UTC');
   view.destroy();
 });
+
+test('an update from inside the preview neither moves the handle back nor survives a disable', async () => {
+  const f = railFixture();
+  let view;
+  let next = null;
+  const commits = [];
+  view = createRailTimeline({
+    ...f,
+    onPreview: () => {
+      if (next) view.update(next);
+      return 'preview';
+    },
+    onCommit: (tick, index) => commits.push(index),
+  });
+  view.update(props);
+  const slider = f.find((n) => n.tagName === 'INPUT');
+  next = { ...props, readout: 'Refresh' };
+  slider.value = '0';
+  slider.dispatchEvent(new Event('input'));
+  assert.equal(slider.value, '0');
+  slider.dispatchEvent(new Event('change'));
+  assert.deepEqual(commits, [0]);
+  next = { ...props, disabled: true };
+  slider.value = '1';
+  slider.dispatchEvent(new Event('input'));
+  await nextTick();
+  assert.equal(slider.value, '2', 'the disabled owner keeps its position');
+  assert.equal(slider.getAttribute('aria-valuetext'), '09-22 01:10 UTC');
+  view.destroy();
+});