Meridian Express Class 222 sounds

While running ConBuilder in the hope of solving a problem with the Activity Editor, a few problems were found in voyagercab.sms and voyagereng.sms, the two sound files for the Meridian Express Class 222 trainset.

In voyagereng.sms there is a folder path specified for the following WAV files but the path is not needed because MSTS knows to look in its own Sound folder for them.

Use WordPad or your favourite Unicode text editor to find the group of WAV files in the SL 3 section beginning with:

..\\..\\kiha31\\Sound\\x_couple_auto1.wav

Delete the folder path to the Kiha 31 sound folder for each WAV file so you only have:

x_couple_auto1.wav

Another problem is with x_voyagerhorn.wav - use Find (CTRL-F) to find it - it occurs a couple of times. The folder path is incorrectly used for this file as well so delete the path so you only have:

x_voyagerhorn.wav

There are a couple of similar instances in voyagercab.sms.

You'll see the first one about half-way down the screen when you open the file, on the Initial_Trigger line. Delete a few spaces to move the StartLoop ( 1 File ( part of the line to the left and then you'll see that there is an extra ..\\..\\kiha31\\Sound\\ in front of the WAV file - delete this extra folder path.

Then scroll down until you find the coupling/uncoupling sounds, similar to above:

..\\..\\kiha31\\Sound\\couple_auto1.wav

Delete the folder path from each of these WAV files since MSTS knows to look in its own Sound folder for them.

That's about it! Enjoy the Meridian Class 222!

Note: the Meridian Express Class 222 is installed by default into folder MeridianExpress.

First Great West Adelante Class 180 sounds

If you happen to check the FGW ENGine files in ConBuilder, you'll get a report that there are two errors in each ENGine file. Actually, that's a bit of a clue and the problem is not that serious to cause any hiccups for MSTS. It's just that ConBuilder likes to see quote marks enclose SMS file names in the Sound line for the eng sounds and the cab sounds. So for each ENG file, change these two lines:

• Sound ( d9eng.sms )
• Sound ( d9cab.sms )

to read as:

• Sound ( "d9eng.sms" )
• Sound ( "d9cab.sms" )

A more serious error occurs in d9cab.sms. As for the Meridian above, there's an unnecessary folder path in front of the couple/uncouple sounds. Find the first of the group by doing a search with CTRL-F.

There's one last job. Use Explorer to copy d9bell1.wav from the Dash 9 sound folder (\Dash9\Sound\ to the Class 180's sound folder, \FGW180\Sound\.

Note: the FGW Adelante is installed by default into folder FGW180.

c2c Class 357 sounds

ConBuilder will report a number of errors in the SMS files. To fix the problem, the UK coach sound set needs to be downloaded from the UK Trainsim file library. web•TrainSim will give the name of the archive when he's located it.

Update: The archive required is UK Modern Track - Modern Coach Sounds, UKMT_MCS_v1-0.zip (14-Nov-02, 1.7Mb). Read through the readme to see what is installed after running the included self-installer.

In brief, the sounds and SMS file installed replace the default genpasswagmodern.sms in the MSTS default Sound folder and place the UK modern coach sounds there as well (the original genpasswagmodern.smsis backed up). As detailed in the readme, other SMS files are included to provide features such as door-slam sounds when your train stops.

Despite all this, there still remain a couple of missing WAV files and ConBuilder will report these for 2000Wag.sms and 2000Eng.sms for the c2c Class 357.

Note: After installation, web•TrainSim thought the sounds were a bit too loud on his system in relation to other sounds (you hear them in the cab as well) so he reduced the volume by adjusting the value in the SMS file.

Start WordPad, or your favourite Unicode text editor, and navigate to the MSTS default Sound folder under the Train Simulator folder; load genpasswagmodern.sms and a few lines down you'll see these few lines:

    ScalabiltyGroup( 1
        Activation (
            ExternalCam  ()
            PassengerCam ()
            CabCam       ()
            Distance     (750)
            )
            Deactivation (
                Distance    (750)
            )
            Volume ( 1.0 )
            Streams ( 2

web•TrainSim adjusted the Volume parameter down to 0.5 but you may need to experiment to get the most suitable value for your sound setup.

Scroll further down the file until you come across the ScalabiltyGroup( 0 series of lines and here there's another Volume statement whose value you can adjust down to 0.5 as well.