Flat-bottom track for modern RTR?

[Martin Wynne]

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I know almost nothing about the current state of the RTR end of the hobby. I know Hornby haven't been doing too well recently with falling revenues and a legal copyright disaster. But I believe they are planning to open a chain of retail establishments called "Hornby World", possibly based on the Tamiya places in Japan with workshops and hands-on modelmaking content in addition to sales:

What is so obvious there is the much younger age profile than is usually associated with our hobby.

Templot can't go on forever -- it's well over 40 years old now and pretty much stuck in the bullhead era. We desperately need someone younger to come along and create a model track building program for the modern railway age. Much of the modern railway now looks like this -- and Templot has nothing to say about it:

I can only do so much on a boiled egg.

Martin.

 

[Martin Wynne]

@AndyB

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your posts.

In my never-ending forum housekeeping battle to keep the hands-on workshop stuff separate from topics about software I have moved some of your posts and others to new topics.

FDM printing of bullhead chairs and FB baseplates:

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/fdm-printed-chairs-and-baseplates.704/

Generator settings for DXF and CAD:

https://85a.uk/templot/club/index.php?threads/generator-settings-for-dxf.705/

Hope you don't mind.

In this topic I was having a gripe about the lack of software for modelling modern flat-bottom track. There are plenty of pick-and-place programs for layout design with Peco and similar toy track -- which looks nothing like my photo above -- but nothing for those who have noticed the difference and want to design and build such model track properly. Or at least, nothing that I know of.

If folks are waiting for my 40-year-old Templot program to cover modern flat-bottom, it just isn't going to happen. Or at least not from me. I don't have the prototype knowledge or enough lifetime left to do anything about it, and even if I did I'm fully occupied with the bullhead 3D stuff for the foreseeable future.

But looking at the enthusiasm of the youngsters in that Tamiya video, and thinking about all the computer developments since I was that age and started Templot on a calculator, there must surely be someone somewhere designing modern model railway track on a Raspberry Pi or some such system. But where are they?

cheers,

Martin.

 

[AndyB]

Hi Martin,

I don't mind at all. I'm sure keeping all of this in order takes a very significant effort. I'd only ask that, if possible, you include links to any relocated posts in the original topic.

Cheers!
Andy