Hi Dave.
This is always a difficult one because people get used to the particular one they are using and swear it is the best thing since sliced bread. Any advice you receive will therefore be biased.
Having said that I have been using Winrail for several years now, during which time I have progressed from version 3 to version 7. Version 9 is the latest but I haven't got round to upgrading yet. I find it does everything I want and is very intuitive to use, particularly the flexitrack shaping tool which tells you what the minimum radius is on any given piece of track. You can then re-shape it to avoid having too tight curves. It comes with a library of all of the well known tracks (Peco, Kato, Bachman, Fleischman etc.) in all of the scales from Z to 0 and also has libraries of many of the well known manufacturers buildings so you can place them and get an accurate idea of the space they will take up.
One useful function it has is to check clearances between lines. You just input the length and wheelbase of your longest carriage and let it 'run' around your track design. It traces the outer extremities of your chosen carriage and shows where track spacing need to be increased, such as on curves, to avoid clashes.
It also has a 3D modelling feature so you can see how your trackwork blends in with the intended landscaping.
A 'cut down' trial version of Winrail is available for download FOC on line at http://www.winrail.com/ where you can also see many of its capabilities.
I'm sure others will be along extolling the virtues of their particular chosen package and at the end of the day it is very much a matter of personal preferences.
Hope this helps.
This is always a difficult one because people get used to the particular one they are using and swear it is the best thing since sliced bread. Any advice you receive will therefore be biased.
Having said that I have been using Winrail for several years now, during which time I have progressed from version 3 to version 7. Version 9 is the latest but I haven't got round to upgrading yet. I find it does everything I want and is very intuitive to use, particularly the flexitrack shaping tool which tells you what the minimum radius is on any given piece of track. You can then re-shape it to avoid having too tight curves. It comes with a library of all of the well known tracks (Peco, Kato, Bachman, Fleischman etc.) in all of the scales from Z to 0 and also has libraries of many of the well known manufacturers buildings so you can place them and get an accurate idea of the space they will take up.
One useful function it has is to check clearances between lines. You just input the length and wheelbase of your longest carriage and let it 'run' around your track design. It traces the outer extremities of your chosen carriage and shows where track spacing need to be increased, such as on curves, to avoid clashes.
It also has a 3D modelling feature so you can see how your trackwork blends in with the intended landscaping.
A 'cut down' trial version of Winrail is available for download FOC on line at http://www.winrail.com/ where you can also see many of its capabilities.
I'm sure others will be along extolling the virtues of their particular chosen package and at the end of the day it is very much a matter of personal preferences.
Hope this helps.