I saw an advertisement for Living-Layout.com. It is supposed to help create car orders. Does any know anything about this software? I am looking for a good, easy way to create traffic flow on my layout that I don’t spend more time on preparing than doing. This is a new area for me and I am not sure what I should be doing. Thanks for any insights or ideas.
[#ditto]
bump, push, whatever it is to keep this where someone may answer.
Seems pretty complex, you have to install a bunch of obscure open-source software to make it work – it doesn’t run native on Windoze or Mac.
There are much much simpler ways to start, like waybills.
http://www.gatewaynmra.org/operate.htm
http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=46614
I prefer Micro Mark’s system of cards, you can get them by internet order. Once you fill out a car card it’s set.
Any other help or suggestions here.
I have read many books and articles on this and would like to find a program to help set up schedules and car forewarding. I have started a schedule calculating speed and volume but it is so very involved.
I planned to use the micro mart system but would like to see all the possibilities a program may come up with. It may make the layout more lively than anticipated.
model railroading…IS…involving…thats what makes it cool. To sit back and push a few buttons aint making it so.
You can make a schedule using simple grid paper. Measure out your track in feet and stations.
Then think about a 6 to 1 fast clock and divide your “mile” into a “smile”… scale mile, making 1 real model mile into 6 scale model miles. 60.6 feet is an HO mile, so 10 feet makes a good…“smile”
Divide your gridding into “smiles” or half-smiles or whatever fits best.
Time is then marked by the minute on the other length of the grid.
with ruler and pencil you can mark when trains depart, arrive, meet. Once you get going you will find out how various things work…or don’t work.
This is axactly what I have been doing, but like everything else in our lives we all want an easier way to get to where we want to be. I would just rather do it on a computor and allow it to do the calculations for meets and a computor will come up with more possibilities than I may think of.
That takes the fun out of it. Everything about what model railroading intended to be is being killed. The person who invented DCC needs shot.
Why? DCC removes all the blocks, is fast to wire etc. etc.
Because I do not like the zombie feel. Ive ran some DCC I get bored running trains that way really fast. Opening and closing blocks is much more fun. Your playing many more roles and have a better feel.
As for the poster. Ive heard of software that directly ties into your layout when you run it via computer if that is the route you wish to take ( No pun intended) go all the way.
Here is a link to some software for the hard core DCC people. Enjoy http://www.trainpriority.com/Products/classicpaneldescription.aspx