3rd PlanIt breaks new ground in Model Railroading by allowing you to design your own rolling stock of any type and run it on you layout in 3D. A Group may be marked as Rolling Stock; two pivot points establish the centers of the trucks.

Rolling Stock may be marked as a Locomotive and given speed and acceleration characteristics. 3rd PlanIt automatically MU's multiple locomotives in a consist, and you can choose which loco you prefer to be in control.

You can also design a group as a Truck and include it in your Rolling Stock. 3rd PlanIt will automatically align the truck with the track as your rolling stock moves through curving tracks and turnouts.

Rolling Stock Design

Rolling stock is conveniently designed using components, just like you would in hands-on modeling. As shown above, the SD-40 is made of two trucks, a gas tank, a platform, several body parts, 5 fans, two dynamic brake extensions, and handrails. 3rd PlanIt offers a special line to create a Coupler that's drawn automatically and allows real-time switching in 3D.

The 3D view shows the components in their relative vertical positions. As you can see, many common components can easily be copied to create new locomotives or color schemes. There are really no limits to what you can design and automate on your railroad. If you can place two pivot points in a group, it can drive on the tracks. With couplers, it can be part of a train.

3rd PlanIt's simulation of Rolling Stock is quite detailed. In the example above left, you can see two boxcars that have been coupled on curved track. Their trucks are rotated in alignment to the track, the cars are properly spaced for their coupler lengths, and the couplers are aligned with each other. Similarly, in the example above right, two boxcars have been placed on an S-curve. 3rd PlanIt found that they could not be coupled and shows the result clearly, as seen in the space between the coupler ends. It's like a broken drawbar.

The Rolling Stock you plan is limited only by your imagination. Anything you design, you can couple up and run.

Voor vragen en opmerkingen over deze site, mail naar Frank Klein .
Copyright © 1999 El Dorado Software
Last modified: juni 30, 2002