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Model Railway Layout Planner and Database

Welcome to the blog of Kibo Railway. I have been a model railway enthusiast for many years. I designed my first layout in 1989 and have been designing more and more ever since. I have a website devoted to my hobby, and that also includes a history of model railways. I also have a blog where I post a little of what I am up to.

The railway townscape is one of the most impressive creations of any model train enthusiast. That’s the amazing feeling that comes from driving through a town with an entire train set in motion. However, sometimes you just don’t have the space for a full-scale layout. That’s where the kind of modelling I do comes in, especially when I build more compact scale models.

Do you enjoy playing around with model trains and layouts? Do you want to be able to plan a layout for your set? Then this blog post is for you. In this post you will learn tricks of the trade for creating layouts and designing your own modular model trains.

Though model railway layouts were originally designed for architects’ use, they have now extended out to a wide range of individuals of all ages in a variety of methods.

Railway modeling has become a popular hobby among many people nowadays. It entails shrinking the size of any railroad system.

The model layout’s size can change. It’s up to you whether you want a modest scale layout that fits the surface area of your working table, or whether you want to design one that covers your entire room, basement, or even building.

You can have track layouts, station layouts, or a combination of the two. Making a railway layout that looks just like your dream model has never been easier thanks to a plethora of excellent websites and applications.

Here are some of the most useful planners and resources for creating your own model railroad layout.


RailModeller Pro is a program that allows you to create rail models

RailModeller Pro is packed with useful features that will ensure you have a nice time using it.

At first, you’ll have access to over 250 libraries with over 6500 different pieces, including track layouts for many popular train models. Houses, trees, signals, stations, and other accessories with customizable scales are available at these libraries. You can arrange them in various layers. The use of specific colors to label the layers is optional.

You’ll have the option of using an assistant with advanced features. With a few clicks, you may add flex tracks, parallel tracks, or dozens of tracks with a helix. You may also use this program to create complicated 3D models. This function might make you feel as if you’re playing with genuine railway models.

There’s also a shopping list to keep track of the total prices for the layouts you want to include. You can use your printouts to create sketches for your model railway system in any scale you like. You will be given stock management and baseboards, as well as instructions on how to design the general plan.

This tool may instantly display commonly used shapes, such as L or U shapes and rectangles, as well as bespoke shapes. You can also use the user community to discuss and enhance your design by looking at different layouts.

The more you use it, the more you’ll appreciate how useful the tools are for quick tasks. With only a few clicks, you’ll be able to work with the convenient features immediately next to the tool button, as well as the auto-adapting canvas for the drawing.


FreeTrackPlans

Around 400 model railway layout system plans are available on FreeTrackPlans, including tiny branch line railway stations and cement terminals in large towns.

They have Layout Plans for various designs and sizes, Hornby Plans for top British manufacturers’ layouts, and Prototype Plans for real-life designs.

You’ll see that the majority of the designs are HO/OO gauge. Some are combined with flex-tracks, while others include curves starting at the first radius, making them unsuitable for all stock. On the plus side, you may customize the system by employing the various types of tracks available. AnyRail, a rail planning software, is used to create the layout plans. The used files can be found on the download page and customized to your needs.

This website seeks to assist anyone interested in building their own model train by providing simple and sophisticated railway models. The majority of the inspired concepts are based on prototype places that are meticulously replicated in every aspect. Although the accuracy may vary, you will recognize the precise location as soon as you see it.


SCARM (Simple Computer Aided Railway Modeller) is a simple computer-aided railway modeler.

SCARM is a piece of software that allows you to model railway track designs quickly and precisely.

Simply by installing this software on your computer, you may create the train layout of your dreams in no time. With only one click, you may select an infinite number of tracks and objects from over 200 libraries and create a 3D creation.

The site contains a lot of appealing elements that will certainly catch your eye. You will be able to design intricate 3D layouts using the complete area that is virtually provided. You can combine your tracks with others that are more adaptable. A fun feature is the ability to place tunnels or bridges.

With measured distances that are accurate to your layout scales, you can sketch your design and include various accessories such as trees, residences, or industries on the plot. To enhance your comfort, the core application works with a variety of plugins and simulators.


XTrackCAD

Model railway designs are inspired by XTrackCAD, a CAD (Computer Aided Design) application. You can use this tool to create railway layouts in a variety of scales. To make your job easier, you can use several types of gauges or prepackaged libraries that contain numerous well-known turnout brands.

XTrackCAD can be the appropriate tool for the job if you want to create your own unique railway layout and transform it into your favorite spot. You can utilize a real prototype and change it as you see fit. Extend or add parallel tracks, experiment with your imagination, and have fun with your keyboard or mouse. When your designs are on a 1:1 scale, you may print them out and utilize them as templates.

Have fun learning XTrackCAD and making your fantasy railway layout a reality.


Templot

Templot is a Windows program, although it may also be run on Apple Mac and Linux. It can be used to duplicate existing models and create templates for your own railroad tracks, crossovers, and turnouts, among other things.

On an endless number of radius and transition curves, you can use any gauge you wish. Templot guarantees that you will discover an accurate scale as the full-sized railway in practice among a wide choice of templates. Your prototypes can be built in narrow or standard gauge, with bullhead or flatbottom rails. You can click the print button for individual prints or link them together to print the entire railway layout after you’ve set which template you choose.

This allows you to experiment with different gauge formations and use your imagination. The best benefit of Templot is that you can plan your projects around multiple lengthy curves because you know the finished outcome will be in trackwork, all put together just how you want it. You can also be sure to acquire correct twists and curves of your tracks with perfectly proportioned lengths when building small layouts. You can minimize or amplify the overall scale of your final design as needed. You can also create or sketch your template and scan it to fix any errors.

These tasks are simple and quick with Templot.


No matter how advanced technology becomes, there will always be a space in our hearts for the old vintage times. Of course, in today’s world, we can opt for totally computerized layout planning.

Working with real-life models, on the other hand, can never be duplicated. Now, thanks to such fantastic software and websites, you can combine technology with your ideas to create your fantasy train layouts. Create your own model or a replica with just a few clicks and enjoy every moment of your imagination.

Model-Railway-Layout-Planner-and-Database

For as long as he can remember, Peter has been making model trains. This site is a creative avenue for him to go further into different sizes and areas of the model train community and hobby. He is an enthusiastic admirer of HO and O scale.

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Greetings! I’m Dave and I’m an enthusiastic hobbyist in the Model Railway Industry. My interests span everything from scratch-built to computer-based modelling (though I’m a ‘software’ guy, I find that the software used in the rail industry is getting more and more complicated and frustrating). This site is just a little something to keep me sane, a place to blog my thoughts and links to other people’s hobby blogs. Please feel free to leave a reply to my posts, I’m always happy to hear what other people think of my work. If you enjoy what you see on this blog, please feel free to share this site with your friends and family.. Read more about ho train layout plans 4×8 and let us know what you think.

This article broadly covered the following related topics:

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  • n gauge model railway track plans
  • model railway track plans
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  • train layout ideas
Greg Baskerville
Greg Baskerville
Gaming Blogger & Musician. Playing games since the Amiga days in the 1980's, and a handy guitarist.

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