I’ve been using the Freeware by Atlas, and although I am plodding through it, it is quirky at best. I’ve seen a couple other programs availible, but either they are CAD based or they want $80 or more for them. I’m at the point now where I am considering paying to play, but I know nothing about these programs.
3rd PlanIt and CADRail are the two most popular, and the good news is that you can go to their respective websites and download functional demo versions to try before you buy. Play with each, and see which best fits your needs and skill level.
I think your description of the Atlas freeware as “quirky” nails it perfectly. On the other hand, after I’d used it for a short while, I got used to the quirks and was able to get what I wanted out of it. I wasn’t interested in an engineering-quality drawing, just a simple 2-D sketch that I could imagine switching operations on. I turned off all the labels, and ignored all the Level and Grade stuff. Instead, I used color to indicate tracks at higher and lower elevations.
I probably won’t use this much after the track goes down, although I’ll probably make a nice “as-built” drawing by adding in scenery after it’s done. I found the Atlas product to be adequate for the basic task, and well worth the price. However, I think it’s only fair to warn people that I’m both a computer geek and a Scotsman.
As i posted before, I gave up on Atlas freeware, even after following the insructions i had great difficulties. It is not friendly to novice PC operators.
I have used CadRail but am going to switch to 3D Planet. The reason is the 3D has better graphics for illustrating scenery and their “run the train on the layout” feature is smoother.