Transfering cadrail drawing to benchwork

Ive read some articles and would like to know how some people transfer there layout ideas from a computer program / drawing onto the bench work. I have seen how some people use a simple striaght edge with a 90deg portion on it to draw certain radiuses and such. Most say start with the yards and go out from there. Also how do some of u draw in your easment since i have not done so on my curves.

Thanks.

Great topic!














It is a bit of a trick; especially w/easements.

looks like you drew out a grid first then located your track? can you elaborate on some of your methods i know some but whould like to know what and how u used some of that equipment? its been a long time for me and even though some is obvious.

did you locate your striaght tracks first? then drew in your radious? or did you make templates from card board?

i was planing on making all my curves from flex track

i would use this kinda method correct?

modeltrains.about.com/od/DRGW-Benchwork/ss/Laying-Out-The-Subroadbed-For-The-Project-Layout_3.htm

i was planing on setting up my yard first , it would use the edge and grids as a guide. then make the rest of the track and go out from there. i have only gone thru half of the cad railbook example i only needed to fit an idea onto a area i have to work and fit certain radii . i know u can put easements into your layout but i didnot yet. i was wondering if the curves i have made i can now add the easement into it or should i be doing this another way.or should i do it on cad?

also any article would be good too if its too lenghty to explain i can do my homework too obviously.

thanks

o btw how steep are your grades on that? thats tight to make that loop around and under? cool looking layout.

Thanks, being a table my wife and daughter bought I couldn’t make mods and the space is a bit limited.

The curves and switches are Marklin “sectional” ( www.guidetozscale.com/html/marklin_track.html ); the longer straight portions are Peco flex.

IIRC the grades are 3.5 & 3% -- the circle/helix @ 3.5 w/8510s. Parallel curves are 8520s & 8530s.

I did my Track Planning using several different methods/tools, and finally using Any Rail ( www.anyrail.com/index_en.html ). Also looked at lots of other pictures and plans.














After that I imported the Any Rail file into Train Player ( www.trainplayer.com/ ); which let me Run trains to make sure it was what I wanted.




!

With the scaled plan from Any Rail I then laid out the parallel corner leadig to the cross over switches & helix w/siding switch.

Tools that helped: T-Square, ruler (w/radii holes), track & other templates.


Here’s a thread for my Coffee Table Layout: www.zcentralstation.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=2&id=12928&Itemid=212#12950 .


Hope this helps a bit.