24 x 4 or 17 x 3?? A good track layout design software program??

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I started drawing on a massive sheet of foldable cardboard my N-scale layout 1:1. A part of my design includes a “through way” track from one end to the other. Using a combination of left hand and right hand switches, and also double-slip “X” swtiches, I can make what I want. The thing I have to decide now is do I go 3 track wide, or 4 track wide. IF I go 3 track wide, then the measurements are approx 17" long x 3" wide. If I go 4 track wide, it will be 24 x 4…yikes that is gonna get long quick considering I want five of these sections laid out…that almost 125" long versus 85" long…but I was really liking the 4 track wide design. [:(]

Does anyone make a really good track layout design program…somethign where you can select your scale, and your manufacture, then you drag n drop your pieces untill your done…a sweet program would then calculate the measurements of your layout. Someone suggested auto-cad but I can’t see me trying to use an ‘intense’ program like that. Does anyone make such a track layout design program for Windows?? This would help me immensly!

2

Try XTrkCad. I use it and am satisified with the results. It should help you do everything you need to. Oh yeah…it’s free!

http://sillub.absoluteshells.com/xtc32314.exe

Register here:

http://www.sillub.com/freereg.html

3

There is also the Atlas RTS free software.

Dave H.

4

I’m current trying the demo version of WinRail, and it seems okay. Of course since its demo it doesn’t have all the libaries I need. Anyone else using this and if you are, what do you think of it?

Thanks in advance. [:)]

5

Does anyone have the URL’s for the Alas RTS and WinRail software?

6

Atlas RTS:
http://www.atlasrr.com/righttrack.htm

you’ll ned to register when you download it (kind of a pain the way they did it, actually), though the software works fairly well. I’m actually still learning it, so i don’t know the full capabilities of the program.