Large Scale Central

Track Planning Software for Windows PC

I’m finally going to start on my outdoor layout and was wondering if any one has any suggestions on how to get started. I have a fairly large area to work with, about 80’ by 50’ (or maybe 60’). I plan to use a raised track system (ladder type) no more than 36" at the highest point, then it will be less to offset the slope of the yard.

I thought I would start with some Layout Planning Software. Does any one have any advice on which one to get? I don’t mind paying for software, as long as it’s easy to use and accurate for what I need to construct the layout. I have an IBM Lenovo laptop with Windows 10.

I’ll be using all Aristocraft stainless steel track with curve diameters of 15’, 12.5’, 11.5’, and a ton of 10’. I plan some switches (mostly the 10’ diameter wide ss switches but I also have one pair of #6 ss switches, and possibly a WYE switch or two. Also, any one have an opinion on the Aristocraft ss connectors versus ss split jaw clamps? I have a bunch of each, probably not enough of either one to do everything one way or another, but should I use the splits jaws on certain areas versus the others?

I appreciate the excellent advice! I hope to meet some of you at the ECLSTS this year. Thank you!

Bill Buescher

Bill, eventually the Aristo joiners will fail. But, I still have some in service on the one curve after 15 years. That curve is in a cut, I am not sure if that makes a difference or not. So I would suggest you use the split jaws on all of your switches for easy removal for maintenance, and anywhere else you can, quantity permitting.

I’ve found SCARM to be a premier track software. It lists some 160 track libraries, including Aristocraft, LGB, Peco G, and USATrains. In my opinion, it is far superior to other, pay for track laying software. Consistently updated, I’m sure that it will meet your needs.

Just remember, no plan survives first contact. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

I tried several, was not that happy with Scarm, but I might not have wrung it out completely. I did about 850’ with RR Track, the libraries were pretty good.

As Steve points out, the library support for sectional track is key.

Also remember that if you can reduce the number of joiners with flex, that is good. Aristo joiners are crap. if you are going track power, get SplitJaw…

Greg

RRTrack V.4 is pretty good. Big library of buildings and track.

Although it’s all sectional track, I’ve used it to design mine:

Ken, did you mean your layout all sectional track, or RR Track all sectional?

Greg

Steve Featherkile said:

I’ve found SCARM to be a premier track software. It lists some 160 track libraries, including Aristocraft, LGB, Peco G, and USATrains. In my opinion, it is far superior to other, pay for track laying software. Consistently updated, I’m sure that it will meet your needs.

Just remember, no plan survives first contact. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

Steve I downloaded that tonight and started playing with it. It seams to work pretty well. Although I didn’t like the answer I got. It showed me that what I was planning would not fit in the available space. But maybe if I…

That’s what the software is good at… “what if”… it helped me figure out improvements that were not really obvious from laying track down on the ground. In my case, it took a lot of work to maintain minimum curvature, and fit in #6 turnouts where I thought I could only get #4.

Greg

Greg Elmassian said:

Ken, did you mean your layout all sectional track, or RR Track all sectional?

Greg

RRTRack library is all sectional. My layout is all flex track

RRtrack is fun to play with, all I used it for was to see what size area I needed to build the modules.

I’ve also used it to design layouts for others.

I’ve used SCARM for a couple years now, it meets our needs. It’s fairly intuitive, meaning I haven’t had to go to the help screens too often. Curiously though it does not have a track library for USA Trains. We modeled our layout using the Aristocraft library and it worked out all right. I have NOT tried adding in scenery and buildings with SCARM. From the little bit of that area I’ve played with it didn’t seem that well designed.

Sophie B

Yea, but its free. I like that part. And if I play with it a bit more, I may just be able to come up with something close to what I want in the space I have.

I have used several packages and the ones that stand out of me are

RR-Track

SCRAM

Anyrail

RR-Track: is very good if all you are using is sectional track it does have a flex track feature if the track MFG has flex track you can buy. The flex track has very rudimentary features

SCARM: is good and has many features and libraries, but the learning curve is long.

Anyrail: Is a nice software package and works well with sectional and flex track. It dose not take long to learn.

I am designing a very large HO layout and looked at all available software packages and choose the Anyrail package as it was the fastest to learn using flex track.

I would recommend downloading the trail version of each package you are considering and try it for your self.

We all have different ways of learning and you have to find which one fits your style.

I use RR-Track and agree with what others have said. At one time I had the flex track capability figured out, but the last time I went to use it I couldn’t remember how to get it to work. My latest indoor build is all sectional track except for a few short custom cut/bent sections using Aristo track. I could not get what worked on paper to lay out in the real wold, and what I could do in the real world would not work on paper. I finally gave up on paper plans and just experimented with real track to get my final layout.

Technical Note: My original install of RR-Track was on Windows XP. My PC had both XP and Win 7 boot options. When I upgraded from 7 to 10 I left the XP partition in the dust, but still available as a data drive. I had to do a fresh install of RR-Track on W10 and it will open some, but not all of the designs I made with XP.

I use Anyrail. I have not used the others so can not compare. I started with Anyrail because they have a free trail version. Decent track library. Got the job done for me. The only difference between the free version and the paid version is the amount of pieces of track you can use and the free version will let you do only a modest layout. I paid the money for the full version and have no regrets in doing so.

Steve, is right, what you plan will not happen on the ground. I had to make some major adjustments. But with that said I am a huge advocate for using the software. You can build 1,10,100,1000 layouts for zero dollars and mistakes are a click a way from fixing. My track plan changed a 1000 times before it started going in. And when problems occurred after I started it made fixing them easier. So whatever one you get use it and play with all sorts of designs.

By the way, I have to comment on free vs. costs $100 … relate the cost of the software and the cost of mistakes vs. the cost of your track.

In my case, with 850 feet of stainless track and about 30 switches, worrying about $100 compared to the money I spent on track made no sense.

I’ve often said that the track is indeed the foundation of your railroad, screw it up, and you will never have fun, just chase derailments and poor operating.

Greg

Greg is right about trackwork being the foundation of the layout. Do it right the first time.

I was mistaken about SCARM having USATrains track library. What I thought was USAT is really Standard Gauge, 2 1/2 inch gauge, for the large tin plate toys.

Even though it primarily is for sectional track, there is a provision for flex track, you just have to tell the program what radius. Often, I don’t know the radius until I get on the ground. That is not SCARM’s fault, though. RR Track has the same feature.

I figured mine out just using graph paper. I put it into RRTrack many years later.

I remember when I was planning my second layout how important it seemed to get a good software planning tool. In retrospect, I found it only a little bit helpful. As a disclaimer, I used mostly flex track.

For my yard it was very difficult determining the exact size and location of my trees and bushes. Not only that, I thought my back yard was fairly level, but putting the track down in place quickly dissuaded me of that notion. Very uneven and not level at all. You need measurements that are very close if you’re going to go buy track based on the software.

My first outdoor layout I put the track down on the yard and used rubber bands to hold the pieces together - and then ran the train around to see how it would look. I ended up using bricks to level the track in spots.

For track planning, I would recommend going outside and laying a hose where you think it would look good. It’s much easier to move the hose around than redraw it on the computer. Alternatively, just sketch it out on some graph paper; it will be quicker. It doesn’t have to be totally accurate, you’re just trying to get an idea of how it will fit in your lot.

Once you get the basic “flow” of the track, then go ahead and put it into the software program. Consider getting some flex track for those sections where you need to fudge a curve or just add a very large radius piece of track.

Do you have a particular focus? Railfanning, operations, whatever? Having a focus can help you concentrate on ideas that are important to you.

Edit: put in some bigger paragraph breaks! Yikes!

I mostly use the software to get an idea of where to put the turnouts.

The software works well for the smaller gauges, but when it comes time to put it on the ground, there is always that damn cherry tree, right where the wye is supposed to go. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-frown.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)

Oh, the hose method. Forgot about that. Been there, done that…

Looked great, but when I went to actually build it a few years ago I discovered the grade was way to steep and ended up building only the left part as a industrial siding ending in a building. The part that crosses over may get built some day as a modified representation of the EBT Orbisonia coaling dock track.