Soft ware for layout planing

Winrail allows you to use Peco track, bit of a learning curve though Rob

Gray Try Winrail from

it has components from many manufacturers in OO and N scale

=>Hi all been lurking for a couple of weeks =>

=>Finally got my wife to agree to me building a layout in the loft (only took =>12 years) and she even brought me a starter kit The Hornby A4 Pullman set =>

=>But I need to plan it effectively can anyone point me to a FREE English =>track plan software site please most I've found are US HO stuff =>

=>looking at a 5m by 5m ring layout with at least 2 continuous tr

Well, er, Gray, you know that HO and OO tracks are the same, don't you? In fact peco "OO" track is sold to HO modellers over here, and most of them are very pleased witb it. :-)

In any case, I advise _strongly_ that you avoid sectional track as much as possible. Use flex-traxk instead. Advantages:

a) fewer rail joints --> fewer places for electrical contact to become iffy. b) automatic easements --> no sudden lurch as the track changes from dead straight to 18" radius (or whatever) c) any radius that suits your space and requirements is possible.

Disadvantage: it's a bit tricky to learn how to curve and lay flex track, but once mastered, it's a piece of cake.

So long as the turnouts (points) fit, there's no problem. Several programs (such as Winrail, mentioned by others) have libraries of track pieces including Peco.

However: (and it maybe should be written HOWEVER!) --> How are your drafting (draughting) skills? If you can't use pencil, straightedge and compass to make a half decent scale sketch of your layout space and the mainline location, you won't find the computer program any help at all - quite the contrary. All computer drafting programs assume that you know what you are doing (even the Piantshop-like bitmapping ones.) As someone else has said "Steep learning curve" - and I'd say --very--- steep if you in essence have to learn drafting in order to use the program.

Fact is, that if you can make a scale sketch with paper and pencil, you will probably be better off to just run a bunch of photocopies of said sketch, and draw your preliminary ideas about main line location on them. Lightly rule a grid at (working radius + 4") spacing - a quarter circle drawn in any square within 2-4" of the gridline will be at your working radiius, and you will see what will fit. A track outside or inside this curve will also fit. To locate a turnout, you need two measurememnts: the distance from the entry point of the turnout to the frog (crossing); and the distance from the frog to to the exit point. The entry point is 1" in front of the points; the exit point is

1" past the point where the frog rails are gauge distance apart. Buy an actual turnout, and measure it - that's more than good enough for drafting purposes. Curves, other turnots, etc should be located at or beyond these points, else you will have trouble - trust me!

Finally, don't think of a layout plan as a must-build program - it's a concept, a guide, an outline. When you actually build, you will certainly make changes. That means the drawing doesn't have to be absolutely accurate. It must only (and this _is_ important) demonstrate that the mainline will fit with sufficient clearance all round that you won't have any nasty surprises when you actually build it.

Of course, if you like messing about with computers, by all means explore the available programs -- but be warned that layout planning can turn into a hobby itself!

HTH

Wolf Kirchmeir ................................. If you didn't want to go to Chicago, why did you get on this train? (Garrison Keillor)

XTrkCad has Peco and Hornby track libraries. See

The free evaluation version limits you to 8' x 4' and 50 track elements, which may be enough to design a small layout. If you want anything larger you would need to register it.

Cheers David

Atlas offer a version of winrail with their own track in it for free, you cannot add track from other makes but you get to try out winrail and for a rough idea of what will and will not fit its not a bad toy.

I'd second that - non of the careful plans I have drawn up have ended up looking much like the resulting layout - Partly because I'm not a great modeller but partly because ideas come to me half way through the thing, like suddenly realising I could add a branch line to a docks that would provide lots of extra traffic or adding a wagon works so I could run some weird wagon on the layout

Ta Guys

I'm only aiming for an idea of how much track I need

AND the layout just grew another 2 metres LOL

-- Regards

Gray

It's neat package, a doddle to use. I have found it a couple of weeks ago and am dead chffed with it. Comes with a huge track library from most major manufacturers. Give it go :-))

John E

John.E wrote: > [XTrkCad] is neat package, a doddle to use. I have found it a couple of weeks ago > and am dead chffed with it. Comes with a huge track library from most major > manufacturers. Give it go :-))

There is also an XTrkCad mailing list.

Cheers David