CAD track files

PartTimer

PartTimer

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Does anyone know of a place to get templates of LGB track sections for CAD programs? I use TurboCAD, which can open and import a lot of different file types, but have not been able to find templates for LGB track. I can use CAD software for simple drawings, but am not artistic enough to make my own track section templates (I have tried).

Thanks,

Terry
 
Probably not accurate enough for CAD, I have used a Visio template to make a schematic track plan. Maybe you could do something with these, if you find nothing better? http://www.stanstrains.com/SoftwareVisioStencil.htm

In my case, I did not need strict accuracy as I use a lot of flexible track and can fiddle about to make it join up ;D
 
Thank you for the link. A quick check shows they are not readable in the Mac version of TurboCAD. It's possible one of the other folks involved in our layout has Visio on their computer.

Terry
 
PartTimer said:
Does anyone know of a place to get templates of LGB track sections for CAD programs? I use TurboCAD, which can open and import a lot of different file types, but have not been able to find templates for LGB track. I can use CAD software for simple drawings, but am not artistic enough to make my own track section templates (I have tried).

Thanks,

Terry
Click to expand...

I use Design CAD and it can export files in quite a few formats... But to draw track templates ( and I have done many when I hand laid my track) the command I used a lot was the one to draw parallel lines (=), So I would draw the inner radius of whatever I wanted then draw a parallel line 45 mm outside this.... It was easy to set up defaults so that when I gave the = command it would automatically do the measuring for me..... You dont have to worry about sleepers, the satanic energy within the cad program holds it all together..... Give it a try, you only need to draw one template for each as you can rotate, flip, mirror the bit to get it to align where ever you want. eg a left set of points is a flipped or mirrored right set....
 
A handy tip is that if you have a PDF drawing that is created from another CAD or vector drawing programme you can use Adobe Illustrator to convert to DWG CAD files. There is also software available that will allow you to use a scanner to convert to CAD.
 
These are all good tips, and I thank you for them.

Since my initial post on this topic, I have found and installed RailModeller on my Mac. It has its quirks, but will most likely be good enough for my needs. It has templates for all of the LGB pieces. One feature I like is the ability to create an inventory of what you have and link it to the layout you are creating, so you know how many pieces you have left. Or what you need to buy. ;D

Terry
 
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