Track planning

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oplholik

oplholik

Member
Ok, I guess it's time for me to ask. What do you all use to plan your layout. Do you use one of the layout softwares or do you just use paper, pencil, compass, and a ruler? I have downloaded RTS 8.0, from Atlas, but haven't gotten that figured out yet. Just laying down some track and moving it around just isn't working. I am wanting something more than just a simple oval and need to know what will work on my 46x80" board. I found that a figure 8 with 19" radius atlas track won't work out. If I want to go a little smaller radius, I guess I'll have to use flex track. At any rate I've got to do something other than put down track and move it around. Thanks.

Paul
 
I'm a hands-on operator of my layout, and I design it the same way....tools and my hands. I won't suggest for one second that what I do makes it a better product, it is just that I actually really enjoy designing it using a compass, ruler, graph paper, and a sharp pencil. Oddly, I don't much care for what comes afterward...purchasing, cutting, screwing, mixing.... :eek: I could really do without it, but I have to go through that for weeks in order to run trains the way I like to run 'em.

-Crandell
 
Rather than RTS, I would suggest trying the similar but much more capable XTrkCAD instead. XTrkCAD is also free. XTrkCAD includes libraries for most popular brands of track, quite a few structures, and enough engines and rolling stock to run some trains.

You can download the latest version of XTrkCAD here:
http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

After taking the first few lessons of the Beginner's Tutorial, I was off and running.

Below is a small N-scale layout I designed with XTrkCAD.

- Jeff
 
Last edited by a moderator:


jdetray said:
Rather than RTS, I would suggest trying the similar but much more capable XTrkCAD instead. XTrkCAD is also free. XTrkCAD includes libraries for most popular brands of track, quite a few structures, and enough engines and rolling stock to run some trains.

You can download the latest version of XTrkCAD here:
http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

After taking the first few lessons of the Beginner's Tutorial, I was off and running.

Below is a small N-scale layout I designed with XTrkCAD.

- Jeff
Click to expand...


Thanks Jeff. Decided to give this program a try and hit a snag right off. Maybe you have a clue what it is I'm not doing. Following the tutorial, I selected the layout size, scale, and gage. Then went to Files>Paramenter files, opened that up and there is nothing there. Even after trying N & HO scale, both are empty. After re-reading the tutorial, I can't come up with anything I missed doing. Hopefully you have an idea. Only other thing I can think of to do is delete the program, download it again and start over. Thanks.

Paul
 
Hi Paul -

No Parameter Files will be displayed until you load them. First, select File > Parameter Files....

In the Parameter Files dialog box, click the Browse ... button. If necessary, navigate to XTrkCAD's "params" folder. (On my computer, it's C:\Program Files\XTrkCAD4\params)

Now you will see the available Parameter Files. The file names are a bit cryptic, but if I figured them, I'm sure you can, too. Load the ones you want one at time into the Parameter Files dialog box. When you have loaded the ones you want, click OK.

- Jeff
 
jdetray said:
Hi Paul -

No Parameter Files will be displayed until you load them. First, select File > Parameter Files....

In the Parameter Files dialog box, click the Browse ... button. If necessary, navigate to XTrkCAD's "params" folder. (On my computer, it's C:\Program Files\XTrkCAD4\params)

Now you will see the available Parameter Files. The file names are a bit cryptic, but if I figured them, I'm sure you can, too. Load the ones you want one at time into the Parameter Files dialog box. When you have loaded the ones you want, click OK.

- Jeff
Click to expand...

Ok, I will do that, Thanks Jeff.

Paul
 
I could not open the "Layout Party" doc files at the link above. Microsoft Word does not recognize them as .doc files.

However, if you join the XTrkCAD Group on Yahoo, you can find these tutorials in the Files section. They are in a Zip archive named "Xtrkcad tutorials.zip" near the bottom of the Files page. When you unZip the archive, you'll notice that the tutorials were saved as HTML files. If you double-click on on them, they will open in your web browser.

These "Layout Party" tutorials refer to an older version of XTrkCAD. They contain instructions about where to download XTrkCAD and how to register XTrkCAD. Don't follow those instructions! They are out of date by about 3 years, and you'll end up with an old version of XTrkCAD.

Get the current version of the program (which does not require registration) at:
http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

The "Layout Party" tutorials may still be helpful in learning the program, even though they refer to an older version.

- Jeff
 
Last edited by a moderator:
jdetray said:
I could not open the "Layout Party" doc files at the link above. Microsoft Word does not recognize them as .doc files.

However, if you join the XTrkCAD Group on Yahoo, you can find these tutorials in the Files section. They are in a Zip archive named "Xtrkcad tutorials.zip" near the bottom of the Files page. When you unZip the archive, you'll notice that the tutorials were saved as HTML files. If you double-click on on them, they will open in your web browser.

These "Layout Party" tutorials refer to an older version of XTrkCAD. They contain instructions about where to download XTrkCAD and how to register XTrkCAD. Don't follow those instructions! They are out of date by about 3 years, and you'll end up with an old version of XTrkCAD.

Get the current version of the program (which does not require registration) at:
http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

The "Layout Party" tutorials may still be helpful in learning the program, even though they refer to an older version.

- Jeff
Click to expand...

I joined the Yahoo group to ask a couple questions, don't want to bog things down here, but couldn't post a message. The member section to the right of the screen isn't active for me and I am signed in. Any ideas?

Paul
 


I use masonite curve templates and photocopies of switches. I do sketches to plan generally what I want and then use the templates to lay it out full size.
 
oplholik said:
I joined the Yahoo group to ask a couple questions, don't want to bog things down here, but couldn't post a message. The member section to the right of the screen isn't active for me and I am signed in. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

You may be in pending status until a moderator approves your membership.
 
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