Totally confused - HELP

[trainboy96]

Hi,

I am new to Train Sim. I am wanting to set up Thomas the Tank Engine characters and lines for my son. I have read and re-read the Beginners Guide to Downloading. I have downloaded a Henry the Green Engine file from the website and done everything I have been told on the instruction guide but the consist is not showing up in the MSTS program. I guess I am assuming the impossible that if someone has designed the train already, and I have downloaded it, that it should just work (sigh, I think I am dreaming). I have put the Henry file in the trainset file folder. When I go into the Editor and Tools and do everything to create a consist, I still don't get the train. How do I get the train I downloaded?

Thanks for your patience with this newbie. I am sure that when I can get an answer and get it figured out, the next downloads will be so much easier.

Regards

Karen

[douglee]

Hi Karen,
Welcome to UKTS and the joys of MSTS. We need more ladies to keep us in check.

I assume you only have the basic MSTS TrainSimulator.
I don't think the download is the problem.
You have the downloaded loco, in the TrainSimulator/Trainset/Trains folder. You made a Consist with Editors and Tools.
Have you tried Explore mode to run the loco?, because it will not show up in an activity unless you create one.
Start MSTS, select Explore mode, on the locomotive line, click the down arrow. Is your loco there? If it is select it and click start. Job Done. Although Points will need to be changed with the F8 display open to go the way you want.

If your loco is not in that list.

Go to the TrainSimulator/Trainset/Consists folder. There is a list of all consits available, if you remember the name you gave to your consist see if it is listed. If you can't find it then it did not load from the Editor.

Have a look and tell us what you have.

[trainboy96]

Thanks for the speedy reply.

I have gone in to the MSTS program and my consist (Henry) is not on the Route section. Next went into c:/programfiles/microsoftgames/trains/consist folder and Henry does show up in the there (as a file) where the rest are just "pages" with the .ace.eng.s.sd.wag extensions. Inside the Henry Folder I have the cabview and sound files as well as the other file extensions. But, within the MSTS sim, this file does not show up. Maybe I need to download a different file to see if it will work.

As an aside, I went to the UKTrainSim website to get the link for the upgrade to the software. I am able to download the software as a .zip file, but when I want to "unzip", I get the following error message (I have chosen the "browse" mode so I can specifically determine the file path) "Cannot create output file: c:/programfiles/microsoft games/train simulator/train.exe. Am I again, doing something wrong?

Thanks for your assistance.

Regards

Karen Davis

[trainboy96]

Just another quick note in regards to the unzipping of file. I was able to unzip to my desktop (weird) but not the the Train Simulator folder. So, now exactly where do I put these 25 files I unzipped?

Thanks again.

[emrhd01]

Hi Karen and welcome to the Forum,

Have you sorted this out yet?

If not, have you read this:-
http://www.uktrainsim.com/index2.php?fo ... r=beginner

This should explain what to do.

Come back if you're still having problems, we'll do our best to sort things out.

[douglee]

Hi Karen,
O.K.
First 'Henry' as a consist will not be in the Routes Folder.
It should be in Trains/Consists as ****.con.
Second 'Henry' as a locomotive should be in Trains/Trainset as a folder named Henry with Cabfile and Sound Folders and the .ace .eng .s .sd .wag files in it.
The path you quoted (c:/programfiles/microsoftgames/trains/consist) should on a standard install be c:/programfiles/microsoftgames/trainsimulator/trains/consist. Was this just an oversight?

When you Unzip do you have use folder names checked?

Look at that for now and come back.

[trainboy96]

Thanks for all the help.

Had a think about it overnight and re-installed Henry into the c:/Program Files/Microsoft Games/Train Simulator/TRAINS/TRAINSET. This time when I went into the Editor and Tools and did everthing that was on Beginners Guide to creating a Consisit, Henry was actually in there this time. Feeling a little excited, I did a consist of Henry and prayed that he would show up in the game. But, alas, he still does not.

Henry does show up in the Consist subfile as well as showing up in the Trainset subfile. I am so close I can feel it.

I have printed out the Beginners Guide to Downloading from the UKTrainSim website and refer to that all the time when I am trying to get this worked out.

I truly appreciate all your help and advice.

Karen

[douglee]

Hi Karen,
We're getting there.

Right. This repeats my earlier query.
How are you starting MSTS to run Henry?

Use Explore mode to run the loco. Because it will not show up as an activity unless you create one.
Start MSTS, select Explore mode, on the locomotive line, click the down arrow. Your loco should now be there. Select it and click start. Job Done. Although Points will need to be changed with the F8 display open to go the way you want.

Creating your own activities is possible and there is help for that here as well. But walk before you run.

[trainboy96]

Hi Doug,

Yes, I am entering into MSTS to try and run Henry. When I get to the start page of MSTS, I get two choices. The first (1) ROUTES and the second (2) Activities. Under activities there is an EXPLORE ROUTE along with Passenger Activity Tutorial, Quake-Damaged Track, Short Passenger Run, Isaburo, etc....

I assume when I choose EXPLORE ROUTE (which has the already chosen route of Hiatsu Line), that I should then be able to go down to where "LOCOMOTIVE" is and then in the drop down menu there should be Henry. I have just spent time going through all the Locos and WAHOOOOOOOOO, I FOUND HENRY THE GREEN ENGINE. Hope it works.....and it DOES!!!!! (sorry for ongoing commentary, I am working off of 2 computers here; the windows for the MSTS and my MAC for posting here).

You are all so helpful. I wanted to try a "free" download before I made a choice to buy a membership, and now that I know it works and that I can do it, I will spend time this afternoon to buy a membership for downloads.

Thanks for all your help. My son is going to be thrilled.

Regards

Karen

Hi Karen,
We're getting there.

Right. This repeats my earlier query.
How are you starting MSTS to run Henry?

Use Explore mode to run the loco. Because it will not show up as an activity unless you create one.
Start MSTS, select Explore mode, on the locomotive line, click the down arrow. Your loco should now be there. Select it and click start. Job Done. Although Points will need to be changed with the F8 display open to go the way you want.

Creating your own activities is possible and there is help for that here as well. But walk before you run.

[douglee]

Hi Karen,
I'm sure pleased we sorted that.

Under routes you should have six choices. Henry will be happist on the Settle & Carlisle.

One piece of advise. Back up MSTS before you install anything some strange things happen.

Don't forget come back any time.

[trainboy96]

Now to sound totally dumb, how do I back up MSTS....on to my external drive or create another file on the computer hard drive.(?). I guess I just drag and drop.

Also, on other thing in the Henry consist....when we are driving Henry, we can't get whistle to work.

Thanks again,

Karen

[scampispeedway]

Hi Karen, I was in the same position as you when I downloaded the Ashburton V1.0 in my computer, have a look at the page 4 of MSTS1 Help for Beginners forum which you are already in, then search for my posting well down the page and then scroll to the second page of that topic and read what Douglee says.
Douglee explains how I could copy and paste the necessary changes to the .eng file of my loco to add the sound and whistle while looking at the controls in the cab.
I backed the file up elsewhere, and then made the changes and saved it, then I re-ran the route and it had worked and I am happy it sounds as the train should be.
I would stick with exploring the route at present as unless you create your own Activity which includes "Henry" you cannot do a realistic run with him.
One further bit of advice as I found out in the Explore Route mode, you can change the forward route direction you take by using the "G" key and observing the difference in the Switch Arrow using the F8 key.

Regards Bob

[douglee]

Hi Karen,
Yep, just make a copy of the TrainSimulator folder from, in your case, c:/programfiles/microsoftgames and place it some where safe. In a folder created and named esspecially for backups is good. An external hard drive is great. Name the save folder (not the actual save) diferent to trainsim so the main prog. does not look at it.
To be really sure use a re-writeable CD/DVD. Then MSTS will even survive a Drive failure. When you see how much stuff you collect you'll see why thats important.
Some Readme's tell you where files are going so you can just save those folders.

Henry's whistle. I have Downloaded and installed Henry and he works fine whistle and all. How are you operating it, use the half loop at the top of the cab (cilck with mouse) or press the space bar.
Try backingup/coyping Henry and deleting him from Trainset. Then reinstall him from the download.

Bob's contribution should work. It will make Henery sound like a
A3 which I think he is based on any way. It seems a lot of work but you've seen those folders already.

Thanks to Bob for pointing back to that.

This is the instruction I gave to Bob.
I spent some time on the following.

I will assume you are familiar with opening folders and files and copying and pasting. You also need Word for Windows and be able to set it to open other files.
If not then you should not really try this.

Before you change any file Backup the Trainset

For **** read Henry and the .eng file may be diferent.

Open TrainSimulator
Open Trains then Trainset
Open ****(yourloco)
Open ****.eng
In the list find Sound ( “****eng.sms “ ) leave the doc open
Go back to Trainset
Open Scotsman
Open Scotsman.eng. In the list find Sound ( "FScoteng.sms" ) copy this line. Go to ****eng.eng . Paste the copy over Sound ( “****eng.sms “ )
Go back to Scotsman.eng. Find Sound ( “fscotcab.sms”) copy this line. Go to ****.eng. Paste the copy over Sound ( “****wag.sms” )
Save and close word docs
In the Scotsman folder Open Sound
Copy ALL the files there
Go back to Trainset open **** (your loco)
In the list open Sound and paste the copies into this, leave the others alone.

This should work. There maybe a better way, other people more informed that me, might know.

If you are stuck try me back. Let me know how you get on I will keep watching this thread.

Please try this. Got to the main UKTS Site, click on Downloads Search and in Keyword, type Thomas the Tank, and see what you get.

If I was a gambling man I'd put mony on you enjoying this as much as your boy.

[emrhd01]

Hi Doug,

You are the Man, well explained, nice to see the newcomers being helped by you and others like you. Let's hope another seed has been sown.

Well done mate.

[douglee]

HI Bob,
Thanks for that.

Trouble is I can't spell monie, monee, mon-- OH! cash.

Did not mean to Hi-jack the thread Karen.