I also like that XTrackCAD allows you to display the track as a centerline, rails, or rails and ties, which is kind of nice. I found this feature to be super-helpful in screening designs for viability-e.g., is that runaround going to be long enough, does this arrangement of facing and trailing point switches lend itself to realistic operations, etc. XTrackCAD is probably the most comprehensive for me, one of its most useful features is the ability to conduct simulated operations on the layout you design. RailModeller is also Mac-centric and well-designed, though, with nice YouTube tutorials and a robust manual.Īll three packages are drag-and-drop editors with adequate components libraries (track, scenic elements, etc.) and all the essential functionalities (snapping components together, parts list generation, etc.). Empire Express doesn’t seem to have quite as many bells and whistles as Rail Modeller, but assuming it meets your needs, it may be a bit quicker to learn and get up and running.
Railmodeller express for mac#
I found Empire Express to be at the opposite end of the spectrum: it’s built specifically for Mac, and its features and tools are very intuitive, familiar, and easy for Mac users to learn. However, it also seems to have the most robust and technically-oriented user community, including a Yahoo group where you can turn for answers to any questions you encounter. It has some weird (to me) workflows about it that can necessitate a bit of Googling and practice to figure out and get used to. In my opinion, XTrackCAD has the steepest learning curve and the most quirks of the three products I tested. I do hope that the dedicated XTrackCAD team is able to eventually produce a package that Mac users can reliably implement, as the product has great potential.
Railmodeller express software#
I love open-source software in principle, but assuming your hobby is trains and not software development, I regret that I can’t recommend XTrackCAD in its current incarnation. I also found the program to have crashing and freezing problems, and over time it introduced random artifacts that I couldn’t get rid of…a very strange bug indeed. XTrackCAD takes some bizarre file management gyrations to get it to even start up on the Mac these really shouldn’t be necessary. While I haven’t used RailModeller much and can’t really comment on its stability, I’ve found Empire Express to be very stable with no reliability concerns.
I suspect that all three of them were developed by small enterprises, and I commend each vendor’s commitment to put a quality product on the market.īoth RailModeller and Empire Express were a breeze to install. And I have no interests, financial or otherwise, in any of the products I’m about to discuss.īefore getting into the critique, I want to express appreciation for the fact that all of these products reflect considerable investment and thought in their development.
Railmodeller express pro#
By the way, I use a stock, three-year-old MacBook Pro running Mavericks. …this summer, and I’m happy to share my impressions. Tried XTrackCAD, RailModeller, and Empire Express on for size.
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