AnyRail 6

[Chris M]

My experience says Anyrail is pretty much correct. The odd few millimetres don't matter because, when you come to actually putting the track down you always end up being slightly different to plan as you adjust things to make it look right when you see it in real life.

I do think the originator of this thread has somehow got it wrong. It is inconceivable that the dimensions in the track libraries change with the version. Have you seen how many track libraries there are? There is no way anyone would go through every point in every library re-jigging the geometry as that would take forever and wouldn't add anything. The libraries will just be carried over from version 5. New libraries are made when new track is released. I can't imagine a track library is re-visited unless the manufacturer changes that track or an error is found.

[brigo]

My experience says Anyrail is pretty much correct. The odd few millimetres don't matter because, when you come to actually putting the track down you always end up being slightly different to plan as you adjust things to make it look right when you see it in real life.

I do think the originator of this thread has somehow got it wrong. It is inconceivable that the dimensions in the track libraries change with the version. Have you seen how many track libraries there are? There is no way anyone would go through every point in every library re-jigging the geometry as that would take forever and wouldn't add anything. The libraries will just be carried over from version 5. New libraries are made when new track is released. I can't imagine a track library is re-visited unless the manufacturer changes that track or an error is found.

 

Version 6.3 has had somes changes to the libraries, to quote David Hoogvorst

 

"These libraries have been updated:

- N Peco, Fleischmann

- OO Peco, Hornby

- H0: Trix Pappe, Mein Gleis

 

Why did it take so long?

Well, we revised the internal representation of all track elements. During this process, we found a few items that were not defined properly. Most of the times, there were tiny gaps between segments.

These have all been fixed."

 

To clarify my position with the curved turnouts I have managed to make a few overlays

 

Code 100 overlaying code 75

 

Closeup of the righthand end

 

 

With the crossing overlayed

 

 

The difference may only be a few millimetres, but it does make a difference to the track centres.

 

Brian

[Mike Storey]

I am left to beg to wonder "so what"? This is, at worst, a very cheap and very easy to use layout planner, and at best a free one. The breadth of capability available is unquestionably good value for money.  Any such plans rarely survive contact with the enemy anyway, in this case the baseboard.

 

If you want total accuracy, to the nth mm, I suggest you use Templot instead, the Rolls Royce of layout planning software. Whether the many hours of learning and practice necessary to master this properly, is worth it for using RTL track, I leave open to question and personal choice.

[martin_wynne]

If you want total accuracy, to the nth mm, I suggest you use Templot instead, the Rolls Royce of layout planning software. Whether the many hours of learning and practice necessary to master this properly, is worth it for using RTL track, I leave open to question and personal choice.

 

Please note that Templot is not suitable for RTL track, it is intended for handbuilt track only. This is the note at the top of the Templot web site:

 

 

Templot can be used with RTL track if you absolutely insist, but you will find it hard work to define the pointwork templates. Templot is not a pick-and-place drawing program -- it does not include or have any use for track libraries.

 

regards,

 

Martin.

[teaky]

In order to clear this matter up I asked:  "... some small differences between the Code 100 and Code 75 curved turnouts that result in the Code 75 turnouts being slightly longer on the inside pair of rails which would result in track centres being different.  If I bought a Code 100 curved turnout and a Code 75 one and placed on on top of the other would I see any difference when looking from above or would all the sleepers, rails, rail ends etc. align one above the other?"

 

PECO Technical Advice Bureau replied:  "We can confirm that code 75 and code 100 curved turnouts have the same footprint."

 

So, it looks like the differences may be in the way the images are reproduced on the printable plans rather than in the real world which, thankfully, means AnyRail is fine.