Cadrail is easy enough for a cad beginner to learn. Selecting track for our first layout, were going to use atlas code 100 track. Railmodeller pro is a planning tool for designing model railroad and slot car layouts. Whether youre a beginner or an old pro, laying track accurately is the secret to troublefree operation of your model railroad. If you are aware of any other slot track designer programs please let us know so we can add it to slot track pro. I am planning an expansion project for my ho layout and wanted something to test out. A simple ho scale shelf layout with lots of operations. Features all three packages are draganddrop editors with adequate components libraries track, scenic elements, etc.
Accurate turnout templates are key to achieving optimal geometry and knowing you can build exactly what you design. Atlas model railroad company produces ho and n scale. Scarm simple computer aided railway modeller is definitely worth a look. A quick, super easy and free method to plan a layout with realistic constraints using layout design software called anyrail.
Sniffed around on the web and tried a few compeditors. None of these designers had prior background in cad software. The 3d view of the finished track plan is a especially. You can insert elevations and grades, which will allow you to check vertical clearances only a 2d display though. Personally if mac and win incompatibility was a big issue for me i would look for an old disposed of pc and run with it for win only software. Primarily a place for newcomers to ask questions and seek assistance from likeminded individuals, the hornby forum offers a user community for all those interested in railways. Top slot track designer software the best slot car track. I would highly recommend it if you are planning anything more than a very simple layout.
Xtrackcad is available for free on mac, windows and linux. Xtrackcad is a cad program for designing model railroad layouts. Model flextrack routes in an easy, intuitive and realistic way. If you want to modify the units to metric, you can adapt the parmeter in options preferences units. This list does not include railmodeller express and sketchup as we do not host those files here at slot track pro. Atlas track planning software is one of the easiest programs to use for your track planning for your model railroad. Anyrail model railroad track planning and layout design software for the pc with sectional track and flex track of many manufacturers. Most individuals are easily intimated by cad drawing software. Dec 16, 2016 atlas track planning software is one of the easiest programs to use for your track planning for your model railroad. It runs on windows, mac and linux, restore anchors for create curve. The three track staging caddie and the single track caddie allow the layout to operate prophetically. It is constantly developed and expanded by volunteers to make it possible most common windows programs and games to run smoothly in other operating system environments. Track planning tools are transparent, and give you the freedom of seeing what you are doing at all times. With the trax viewer you can embed your layout plan in your own website or in a post on your favorite model railway forum.
Software planners are available for all operating systems like mac railmodeller, windows winrail, wintrack, anyrail, pcrail or linux. Best free track planning software o gauge railroading on. The software allows you to enter your own track inventory and will calculate the different track sections needed to complete a layout. With xtrackcad, you can design your own geometry for turnouts and other special track. Designing a layout is as simple as dragging track from the catalog palette to the plan window. Does anyone know of any oo suitable track planning software that is happy. This is another type of model railroad software that you will almost certainly find useful for your train layout not so much for planning purposes, but more for creation of signs, decals, old classic advertisements for your buildings or billboards, simulation of brick or stone walls, stained glass, window treatments, wallpaper, etc. Streamline items isnt available peco streamline is listed under ho. Now, 3rd planit not only offers the desired planning tool, but the ability to lay out the production of the initial rightofway, track configuration and. It is a very good track planning program with extensive, maintained libraries for nearly every scale, gauge and track manufacturer. I have seen adverts for payware tracklayout planning software. Libraries for many brands, scales and gauges of track and turnoutspoints and model structures are included.
The only mac software i know about is railmodeller. Whether it is z, n, tt or h0, any scale is possible. A great reference on creating model railroad track plans can be found in john armstrongs book, track planning for realistic operation. Traincad is a freeware microsoft windows program for designing model railroad layouts using standard tracks.
Ok did briefly try a search of topics using design software and mac os as. Just peel off the clear plastic backing, and youre ready to start track planning. Prices vary from freeware xtrkcad, open source for linux, windows or mac or a certain charge for more extensive planners. Rotate switches in the direction you indicate and bend flexible track without cumbersome menu options and mouse clicks. If you need more parts,just keep doing it in 50 piece chunks. As to the atlas o right track freeware, it is no longer available.
Finish the basic configuration by clicking on the ok button. About 2 years ago i was looking for track planning software and the most important factor for me was user experience. Best track planning software model railroader magazine. Railmodeller pro allows you to create complex model railroad layouts in three dimensions. With scarm you can easily create the layout of your dreams. Learning xtrackcad is made easy with the extensive online help and demonstrations. Track planning software choices for model railroads.
Atlas model railroad company produces ho and n scale model trains, track, vehicles. Easily draw figures to create train stations, houses, industries, roads and infrastructure. The hornby forum is intended for discussion of all things model railways. While you are designing your dream layout, you will discover that it is a lot easier to game out track and accessory configurations using rrtrack and your pc than to discover, with 100 track sections.
Railmodeller express for mac free railmodeller pro. Track planning tools provide the sanity check, if everything will come together they way you envision it. The learning curve is not trivial as is true for most of the better packages. Model railroad layout design track drawing software cadrail. Find hundreds of model railway designs for a variety of board sizes in layout plans.
Arrange your layout on multiple levels with different heights and grades. Designing a track plan incorporating the seven design elements, it becomes almost mandatory to use some type of cad track planning software. Anyrail is probably the easiest to use imo with a smallish layout it is free it is limited to 50 pieces of track indeed ive heard good things about anyrail, but if you needwant more than 50 pieces. Anyrail the easiest model railroad design software. Create grades up to a specified target point or simply by setting the start and. Adding new components is easy with the builtin editor. Hi kids ok did briefly try a search of topics using design software and mac os as search clues but a lacked patience and b possibly more importantly, kept getting side tracked by other interesting looking posts. Track planning templates with standard sizes track pieces are also useful and available in every major scale. Model railroad track hundreds of track, roadbed, and bridge products from popular brands such as lionel, bachmann, and atlas, covering all scales g through z.
The optional grade profile view of track elements provides a quick overview taking the hassle out of designing complex layouts with. A fast, easy and free way to plan a layout with realistic. The layout planner has the ability to automatically place track borders and planning of track sections needed for creating 4, 6 and even 8 lane slot track layouts. They are sharing the precious intellectual property, and we thank them sincerely for their trust. Wine is a freeware project that allows windows software to run on nonwindows operating systems, such as linux and mac os x. Jun 06, 2016 a quick, super easy and free method to plan a layout with realistic constraints using layout design software called anyrail. Although the site obviously promotes their own application, which is free, the track plans are clearly visible and theres nothing to stop you using them as a base for making a railway without having to get the software. By using the grid provided, you can create scale drawings for larger projects or track. There are 400 designs ranging from branch line stations to cement terminals and even city termini, perfect for your hornby, bachmann and heljan trains to run on. Atlas track planning software atlas model railroad. Is there any freeware available for, say, hornby or peco settrack planning. They also help to visualize your ideas properly, especially with a 3d feature. Just download the setup package, install it and start editing your first track plan.
Model train layout design software for mac free downloads. Model railroad software building your model railroad. It runs on windows, mac and linux, simulation of trains. Track planning software for the mac model railroad. That you still have to do, either in the back of your head or a piece of paper. The link is still on the website, but it goes to a page that states atlas. Rr track for windows is an excellent program for sectional track users and is easy to use. Heres a few things i have learned since starting to plan my new layout. Model railroader is the worlds largest magazine on model trains and model railroad layouts. It has sort of become a defactostandard for model trains. Trax supports over a hundred track programs from various manufacturers, including marklin, fleischmann, peco and tillig. I love most the fact it has layers to allow u to design from the group up, including the beams for its structure, but can turn any level off as to not interfere with your final layout. Rrtrack turns any windows pc and macs running virtualpc or parallels workstation into a sheet of electronic graph paper, allowing for endless combinations and whatif scenarios. However, for the cost free, i dont think you can get a more powerful track planning tool.
Track pieces are automatically aligned to create accurate, kinkfree. Its also entirely independent, so you can build with almost any track. Simply print this page, then cut out and arrange the pieces as needed. Background buildings were used along the main wall. If you have a large inventory of ho scale slot car track sections on hand you can physically lay out your proposed track design ideas on your table and try them out. Model railroad track design drawing cad software application scale layout plan cadrail. Scarm the leading design software for model railroad layouts.
I have a superseded machine that would never survive in to days world on the net, if i let it be exposed to it, but i use it as my train pc and it serves my purpose. More than 250 libraries for model railroad track systems included featuring more than 6000 track elements and accessories, truscale libraries signals, accessories adapting automatically to all model scales. Plans on this site have been designed using anyrail track planning software, available from the files used to make the plans can be found on the download page, meaning you can view the required parts and adjust them for your own requirements. Scarm means simple computer aided railway modeller software for easy and precise design of model train layouts and railroad track plans. I just found myself immersed in the possibilities with layout splines, with special interest in the roadbed splines that included their production in hdu foam. Ballast spreader relieves you of a time consuming, messy chore. Select pieces from atlas 9 track lines and build your dream layout with ease. Cad based software will guarantee everything will fit and operate as designed.
The layout planner has the ability to automatically place track borders and planning of track sections needed. Discussion of nonhornby brands is allowed, however, active. For years i used the all gauges track planning template in the back of kalmbachs book 101 track plans for model railroaders by veteran model railroader linn westcott. Your plan can be as simple as an outline of the platform and track or done in layers to include benchwork design and scenic features. New track libraries may be created using a text editor. Use this handy template to plan code 83 track projects planning your next track improvement or layout rebuilding project is easy with this template. Here i will give a short tut on the basics of getting started with the software. These tools can help you to have a quieter, smoother rolling layout without annoying derailments. The easiest way to design a track though is to use slot car track design software. This way you can try out our macos model train track planning app right away for free. For years i used rrtrack to design several layouts in ho and o scale. Rr track v5 is the answer for all your toy or model train layout design headaches.
Quick tutorial atlas track planning software youtube. The 50 piece limitation can be worked around just save the first part, then start another part with a new name. No more templates to struggle with, no messy erasing and scribbling, no emergency table extensions propped on sawhorses, no last second hacking of the xmas tree, just pop up the menus off this fully graphical software in the gauge of your choice and plan away. Got to be very well versed in all of its features and options.
Easily draw figures to create train stations, houses, industries, roads and. Anyrail makes model railroad design so easy, its fun. If the software can do what the user want and it can do it as the user would instinctively expect it then that software is well designed. Model railroad layout design track drawing software. Enjoy designing your layout anyrail ensures everything fits. At any point you can print the design in a scale of your choice. Mar 11, 2018 traincad is a freeware microsoft windows program for designing model railroad layouts using standard tracks. Design software allows you to try numerous configurations until you have a track you really like. Track libraries are available for marklin metal, c and plastictracks in h0, z and spur 1, rocotrix h0, n track, atlas n, gargrave and others. Track planning software choices when i started in the hobby the only way to draw a track plan was to do it by hand with a pencil, eraser, ruler, and geometry set. Railmodeller is also maccentric and welldesigned, though, with nice youtube tutorials and a robust manual. Anyrail is probably the easiesttouse model railway design tool around. Trains can enter the layout from staging and exist the layout to staging.
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