TrainSim.Com Installation Guide For MSTS Add-Ons

INSTALLATION GUIDE FOR MSTS ADD-ONS

Created by OTTO WIPFEL and best viewed at 1024 x 768 Desktop Resolution

First of all you are going to need the Software for adding Routes or Rolling stock to your

Microsoft Train Simulator. It can be obtained as PAYWARE or FREEWARE on CDs, or downloaded

from Web sites like this one, being rated as one of the most popular Train Sim Web sites !

Free Registration is required to be able to use the File Libraries and for a small annual

fee of: $ 30.00 you can get Premium Membership, giving you unlimited access at all times.

Next enter details of what you are looking for or search for files in a number of ways.

Here we searched for and found a FREEWARE Download of the Port Ogden and Northern Route-8,

one of the most popular, created by Jim Ward, already having been downloaded 1050 times.

Clicking on [Download] brings up the left Screen. "Accepting" shows the one on the right.

Click one [Save] and in the next window point the Download to a Folder of your choice.

Here we use one called MSTS to store all MSTS Add-On Downloads in.

In the left window above showing next click one [Save] again and the Download starts.

Download finished and here it is in the

C:\MSTS Folder, ready to be unzipped.

Left-Double-Clicking on ponver8.zip will

bring up WINZIP, recommended to be used

in preference to any other un-zipper.

Select the folder for the downloaded zip file to be unzipped into, in this case C:\TEMP

where it will be unzipped into a folder of the same name as the zip file = ponver8.

This Route supplies a Self-Installer: PON8.exe which will do it's job as shown below

Left-Double-Click on PON8.exe Select the MSTS Drive/Folder unzipped - but next comes

THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ANY ADD-ON ROUTE INSTALLATION !

All ADD-ON Routes need Shapes and Textures Files from all the MSTS Default Routes, which

are copied from them using an Installme.bat or similar and unless you can see a screen

like the one below, scrolling text showing that Files are being copied, then the Route is

likely to have problems being run, complaining about missing files and crashing MSTS !!!

This is what the new Route's

Folders should look like and

contain all the files copied

to them by the Installme.bat

The new Route's name should now

appear in the MSTS ROUTES Menu.

ADD-ON Routes are occasionally supplied with vital components missing, such as Rolling

Stock for their Activities. Other Routes need XTRACKS, NEW ROADS and sometimes special

types of Tracks which need to be Downloaded by themselves and installed as instructed.

It is very important to READ ALL TEXT FILES supplied, listing essential Instructions !

There are other ways and

methods of supplying and

Installing Add-On Routes

Activities and assorted

Rolling Stock (i.e., cars and locomotives)

Click Options to view >>

UNZIP-ONLY Download Files

Multiple Spanned Zip Files

Combined UNZIP & Install

WINRAR Archive Files

Activities Download Zips

Rolling Stock Download Zips

UNZIP-ONLY Download Files

Return to Options Menu

Here we have Downloaded

the ALBULA - Version 2.1

which unzipping creates

the albula-21 Sub-Folder

in the C:\TEMP Folder,

containing a ROUTES

Folder and in it the

actual Folder for the

Albula Line 2

Now COPY / PASTE this

Folder into MSTS\ROUTES

making sure it does not

finish up anywhere else

as so often happens !

Again, it is essential

to run an Installme.bat

by Left-Double Clicking

on it, which will start

Copying files from the

MSTS Default Routes as

displayed by the black

screen image above.

Multiple Spanned Zip Files

Return to Options Menu

Some Routes are supplied Spanned over

several files as in the above picture.

Each one of them needs to be unzipped

into the C:\TEMP Folder, specifying it

without the name of the ZIP file shown

so that they all UNZIP into it and not

create their own Sub-Folders.

This is what the C:\TEMP Folder now

contains. If not, then the unzipped

files need to be assembled manually.

Left-Double-Click the LehighV2.zip

to start the unzipping of all z0?

files, creating the Route the same

way as in the UNZIP-ONLY example.

Combined UNZIP & Install

Return to Options Menu

I have deliberately chosen this Route because it

is a perfect example of what can go wrong if not

enough attention is being paid every step of the

INSTALL Procedure !!!

Downloaded to C:\MSTS and unzipped into C:\TEMP

as usual you will notice that this time it is an

EXE File, indicating that this is an "AUTOMATIC"

INSTALLER. Left-Double-Click on it brings up the

INSTALLER window which wants to Install it into:

C:\Programme, German for C:\Program Files, you

would have a problem trying to run the Route in

that Route destination folder !

The INSTALLME.BAT not running at the end, again

something that must not be overlooked, requiring

that it is RUN manually in it's Route Folder !

! SO PLEASE PAY ATTENTIION !

WINRAR Archive Files

Return to Options Menu

RAR Archive Files are said to be more efficient and popular

in Central Europe, in particular Germany. They need another

program to expand them with which can be obtained from:

www.rarlab.com

To return click on Back

There are also some FREEWARE Downloaders for RAR files, to

be found easily using a Search Engine like GOOGLE !

Activities Download Zips

Return to Options Menu

This ZIP File contains Activities for

the PORT OGDEN & NORTHERN-7 and after

unzipping into C:\TEMP, again making

it's own Sub-Folder, there are all of

the Folders to be added to the Route.

All it then needs is to COPY / PASTE

the ACTIVITIES, PATHS, SERVICES and

TRAFFIC Folders to the PORTOGDEN7

Route Folder, making sure that they

don't finish up somewhere else !!!

Rolling Stock for Activities are not

always supplied by their Creator, so

make sure you check any READMEs !

Rolling Stock Download Zips (i.e., cars and locomotives)

Return to Options Menu

This ZIP File contains Rolling Stock for

the above Activities, needed in addition

to Default Consists and Trainsets.

All that is required is to COPY / PASTE

the CONSISTS and TRAINSET Folders into

the MSTS TRAINS Folder.