Guys, please help Mike if you can!

Guys:

This is a simple request that Mike has, and if you would scan some different vendor turnouts and send them to Mike via email, that would help him greatly.

And in return, maybe we can convince Mike to post his scale diagrams for the benefit of the rest of us.

Do take this request seriously, and help if you can!

Turnouts

Mike,

My first thought was 3rdPlanIt. They have a lot of track-components in their library. With a full version this program it is possible to export to files which autocad should read. I don't think the demoversion can do that. These turnouts have the basic dimensions, but the tieplacement will probably not be right, if you need that.

My second thought was the templates from the FastTracks site. They should be close enought for at least turnouts from Shinohara/Walthers, when those are cut down.

It is possible I can help you with a file of the turnout you want. If you can say what make of turnout, I can try to make a drawing in DXF format if that is what you need. I am not an expert with 3rdPlanIt and do not know AutoCad, but I have converted drawings, at least one of the ways before.

Maybe I can send it via Joe, he knows my e-mail.

AutoCAD Continues

I got this from Model Railroader: Mike:

Rule D says to use commercial turnouts.

Flextrack is not prohibited, so I don’t see why it couldn’t be used with the commercial turnouts. This means you’re not limited to the snap track curves.

I don’t know of a source for all the dimensions you’re demanding. In some cases, I photocopy sample switches to work out the design problems in my trackplans.

To be fair to all of the readers, I shouldn’t be providing any additional hints that aren’t available to everyone.

Regards,

Jim Hediger, senior editor
Model Railroader magazine
21027 Crossroads Circle
Waukesha, WI 53187-1612
262-796-8776, Ext. 452
jhediger@mrmag.com

I have a web site artisans-estimating and I can create PDF documents with my AutoCAD to make available anything I am able to put together.

I also tried to load a .dxf from RTS 8.0 into my AutoCAD with no luck. My email address is my screen name at aol.com

I can also PDF MS Office docs too,

Take a look at my estimating package, it can well be adapted to model railroading

Thank You

Thank you Joe

3rdPlanIt demo

Mike,

I have sent you an e-mail with a test of exported files from 3rdPlanIt to files you hopefully can open in AutoCad.

You might find it useful to download the demoversion of 3rdPlanIt. Although you can not save or export files, you can "draw" a turnout from the library, rightclick on it and click on properties. Then you can find information on the different turnouts like length, angle or number and radius.

Remember, you can always trim commercial turnouts to fit. That must be possible even in this contest. I do this all the time both in my drawings or on my actual layout.

I was going to suggest 3rd PlanIT as well

3rd PlanIT has an inventory of commercial track available and organized by scale and then manufacturer in alpha-numeric order:

1. Gm Scale
   1. LGB
   2. Micro Engineering
   3. Aristo G Brass
   4. Aristo G Steel
2. HO Scale
   1. Atlas 100
   2. Atlas   83
   3. Bachmann EZ Track
   4. Bemo H0m Code 70
   5. Bemo H0m
   6. Bemo
   7. BK Enterprises
   8. Central Valley  70
   9. Central Valley  83
   10. Central Valley Imperial
   11. Central Valley Metric
   12. Fast Tracks HO complete
   13. Fast Tracks HO sectional
   14. Fleischmann Model track
   15. Fleischmann Profi track
   16. Kato Unitrack
   17. Märklin C
   18. Märklin K
   19. Märklin M
   20. Micro Engineering
   21. Peco 100
   22. Peco   75
   23. Peco 83
   24. Peco Setrack
   25. Piko A-track
   26. Pilz Elite
   27. Roco geoLINE
   28. RocoLine
   29. Shinohara 100
   30. Shinohara   70
   31. Shinohara HOn3
   32. Tillig H0m
   33. Trix Express H0
   34. Walthers   83
3. N Scale
   1. Atlas55
   2. Atlas
   3. Fleischmann Piccolo
   4. JHM DB standard gauge
   5. Kato Unitrack
   6. Micro Engineering
   7. Minitrix
   8. Peco 55
   9. Peco 80
   10. Shinohara
4. O Scale
   1. Atlas O
   2. GarGraves
   3. Lionel
   4. Old Pullman Code 100
   5. Old Pullman Code 125
   6. Old Pullman Code 148
5. OO Scale
   1. Hornby
6. S Scale
   1. Gilbert
   2. Shinohara Sn3
   3. Tomalco Sn3
7. Z Scale
   1. Märklin
   2. Micro-Trains
   3. Peco Streamline

One more note here: I will be featuring 3rd PlanIT tutorials within the MRH magazine starting with the basics in Part 1 in the Premier issue in January.

Not sure why, but the ordered list here does not render well on this post!

Hope this helps you!

Regards,

Ryan

We've got a CSS problem with lists in posts ...

I'll research the issue and get it fixed ...

Try XtrkCAD too.. they have a

Try XtrkCAD too.. they have a huge library of track available. I dont do HO, but they had my Peco code 55 N track as well as the Atlas stuff and a number of the sectional track offerings.

http://www.xtrkcad.org/Wikka/HomePage

I am not sure if they can be imported into Auto CAD or wether the base object file is particular to XtrkCAD.

There is also a Yahoo that has additional files available for download that individuals have made available.

Good luck!

Chris