Introductory note

This page provides some fixes for some of the errors which web•TrainSim came across when he had ConBuilder run a Test units on the locos and power cars installed in the web•TrainSim roundhouse.

Strangely MSTS has not complained - up to this point - about any of the problems which ConBuilder found. Sure as eggs, if they're not fixed, one day MSTS will hiccup.

Use the fixes on this page as a guide when you come across the same or similar errors that ConBuilder finds in your roundhouse.

Note that ConBuilder occasionally reports only the first of many possible errors that may exist. So after repairing this reported error, it's necessary to have ConBuilder run through it's checking procedure again in case there are further errors.

Shape definition (.sd) files

The Pilbara Dash 9 and Virgin Acela were two locos where the shape definition (.sd) file pointed to an incorrect shape (.s) file.

A loco or wagon shape defintion file can be loaded into WordPad or your favourite Unicode text editor. On the other hand, a shape file is a graphics file so you'll see garbage in WordPad.

A shape definiton file is only a few lines in length:

SIMISA@@@@@@@@@@JINX0t1t______
Shape ( Pilbara_CM44-9W.s
   ESD_Detail_Level ( 0 )
   ESD_Alternative_Texture ( 0 )
   ESD_Bounding_Box ( -1.716072 0.057005 -11.298248 1.716072 4.431 11.307684 )
)

The name of the above is Pilbara_CM44-9W.sd. You'll see the Shape line has been edited to point to the correct shape file; before editing, it didn't.

MSTS likes to have its shape definition file name the same as its shape file name and the majority of rolling stock designers are now familiar with this requirement.

BB12000 sound files

BB12000cab.sms has a Sound missing in all folder paths pointing to the sound set for the Series 2000 which the author has aliased for the BB12000 loco. That is, all folder paths should be:

..//..//series2000/sound/

instead of just:

..//..//series2000/

BB12000eng.sms has unnecessary folder path names preceding the default MSTS sounds:

• x_couple_auto1.wav
• x_couple_auto2.wav
• x_couple_auto3.wav
• x_uncouple_auto1.wav
• x_uncouple_auto2.wav
• x_uncouple_auto3.wav

From time to time you'll find other rolling stock SMS files where the author has incorrectly pasted a folder path name in front of these default sounds. Obviously ConBuilder will report that these WAV files can't be found. It's worth looking through MSTS' default sound file, ...\Train Simulator\SOUND\, to see what's there.

Another ENGine file with a similar problem is BB67eng.sms, installed in BB67000.

Missing quotes in an ENGine's Sound ( ) line

ConBuilder looks for quote marks to surround the name of the SMS file in an ENGine's Sound ( ) line so reports an error if they are not found. That is, this line would cause an error:

Sound ( BB67Eng.sms )

While ConBuilder prefers this line, MSTS doesn't seem to mind:

Sound ( "BB67Eng.sms" )

ConBuilder doesn't mind the Cabview line being:

Cabview ( gp38.cvf )

SD40-2 Qtronic cab missing files

If, like web•TrainSim, you install the SD40-2 cab with digital speedo readout, sd402ca1.zip (4.7Mb, 14-Jan-03), into its own sub-folder under Common.Cab instead of the default SD40-2 cabview sub-folder as suggested in the readme, you'll need to alias a number files.

Use Explorer to see which files you need to alias and prefix these files with a folder path to the default SD402 cabview sub-folder, namely,

..\\..\\SD402\\Cabview\\

Note the download file name is sd402caone.zip; Alex Hall's original much improved SD40-2 cab is in the archive sd402cab.zip (5.3Mb, 05-Nov-02).

SD70 cab missing files

The 3DTrainStuff (3DTS) SD70 cab is one of the best MSTS cabs available. You may have it by downloading 3DTS' SD70 loco while it was available from their site or you can obtain the cab by downloading sd70ali.zip (2.5Mb, 19-Jun-02) and sd70alia.zip (80kb, 23-Jun-02) from Train-sim.com library (by permission of 3DTS).

ConBuilder informed web•TrainSim that two files were missing, namely Alerterleft.ace and OverspeedDisplay.ace. web•TrainSim has taken a guess that the default Dash 9 files should be ok and has copied both from the Cabview sub-folder for the Dash 9, Dash9.

3-window SD60M cab missing file

ConBuilder reports that there's a file missing from the SD60M and F59PH cabviews, 3window.zip (5.7Mb, 29-Nov-02). The missing file is ThrottleNos-Comb.Ace. web•TrainSim copied it from the cabview folder for the default Dash 9 loco.