Model Railroading > What would you recommend?

Hello everybody,
I am looking for a software which I can use to design my new HO layout.
I would like to have features like turnouts, buildings, landscape in 3D, bench-work, asw...
As I live in Europe I only know Wintrack, Winrail, but as my layout will be built in American standards, I would like to know what you use.
What would you recommend?

Thanks a lot 

Fill 

I know some folks who use Cadrail and are satisfied. My layout was designed using it but a friend did it.

http://www.sandiasoftware.com/

Good luck.  Bruce


PS The other big model railroad CAD software here in the US is 3rd Planet FYI.  I have heard some good things about it also.

https://www.eldoradosoft.com/

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/21 15:58 by brfriedm.

There is always old school hardware!

 

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filldiesel76 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hello everybody,
> I am looking for a software which I can use to
> design my new HO layout.
> I would like to have features like turnouts,
> buildings, landscape in 3D, bench-work, asw...
> As I live in Europe I only know Wintrack, Winrail,
> but as my layout will be built in American
> standards, I would like to know what you use.
> What would you recommend? 

A pencil, a compass and graph paper. 

I have used 3rd Planit quite a few years and it exceeds my expectations. I have saved a number of trackplans and have drawn some plans of bridges in HO scale. There is also an online discussion group that was at yahoogroups but is now at I.O. Groups. I can print any scale including HO, for example, which is handy when you want to lay out track lines, etc. on the layout. That really helps with Spiral Easements and the software gives you a choice of small, medium and large easements. I can also see my track with the engineer's view in 3D with a couple of clicks and move around the layout. The library of structures is limited but there is large library of commercial track components like crossing frogs and turnouts.  There are so many things you can do with this software that I will never use all of its features. IMO, with the tutorial (in your software but also available as a booklet) you can be off and running in twenty minutes. The developer is cordial as I have corresponded with him.

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/15/21 20:17 by wabash2800.

Thanks a lot for your reply Gents!

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