Get MSTS to load faster

Here is a method you may want to consider to decrease the time that MSTS takes to load. As a consequence, load times for the Activity Editor and ConBuilder are also decreased.

With this method, you can also place country-of-origin stock into their respective routes.

web•TrainSim has not tried the technique described below but its creator, a fellow Australian TrainSimmer, has been using it for a number of months and hasn't found any problems with running MSTS. However, the steps to set up MSTS as described below must be followed to the letter. If you're unfamiliar with where and how MSTS stores its files and unsure about working with files and folders in Explorer, you'd be advised to leave your system as-is.

Neither web•TrainSim nor Alan will take any responsibility or liability for any consequential damage to your files or computer if you go ahead with the method set out below.

Note 24-Feb-2003: The method described on this page is now superceded by Tony Formoso's freeware Train Store application. It's available from the Train-sim.com library in download archive trnstr11.zip (1.3Mb, 18-Feb-03). Installation of the program also makes available the manual which has a special section devoted to multi-installations of MSTS.

First part

It's assumed you have MSTS installed with extra routes, trainsets and consists.

• Change the name of your Train Simulator sub-folder under Microsoft Games, to, for instance, Train Simulator OLD.
• Install Train Simulator... place disc 1 into your PC - click on Customise Installation Options then - Custom - you can decide which routes you'd like to install.
• Click on ALL routes and remove the crosses.
• Click Yes to create a specific folder.
• Without the routes, disc 1 installs to 93%. Remove disc 1, put in disc 2, and continue.
• When install is finished, click on Play Now. Because you have NO routes installed, your only choice is Tutorials or Options.
• Click Options and set up MSTS as you wish, to suit your preferences, and Exit from the game.

Part two

• Open Windows Explorer, click on the Train Simultator folder, open the global sub-folder, and delete the startup MPEG video.
• Make a backup of the default routes.
• Make a backup of the default consists and trainsets.
• Delete evrything out of the Routes, Consists, and Trainset folders. Important: leave the Default trainset.
• You now have a second MSTS ready for your third party Routes and trainsets. In this state, MSTS only takes up 228 MB.

Part three

• For purposes of this exercise, copy and paste one of your third party routes from the Train Simulator OLD folder to the Routes folder of Train Simulator. If you have backups, you can cut and paste.
• Find as much of the rolling stock and consists for this route that you can remember, and copy and paste from Train Simultator OLD to the respective folders in Train Simulator. Again, if you have backups, you can cut and paste.
• Open ConBuilder, check all items, including activities, and copy (or cut) and paste whatever is missing.
• You may find that you need to replace some of the default trains and consists for your route to run.

Conclusion

From Alan's experience, you can have seperate Train Simulators installed for each Route you have, or you can bunch your routes into groups, i.e. Countries, High-Speed, Steam, etc., naming them accordingly.

Just be sure that before you run the game, only ONE of your Game Folders is called Train Simulator, otherwise MSTS may have to be re-installed.

This idea speeds up the loading of not only MSTS, but also Activity Editor and ConBuilder.

Alan has been running this system for two months now, with 18 versions of MSTS, and so far has had no problems.

Further to the above, Alan has found that deleting the following folders does NOT affect the running of MSTS: Help, Route Geography Creator, Samples, Template and Utilities.

And, last but not least, a time-saving suggestion from a simmer friend who lives nearby, who tested this whole idea for Alan. Once you have your various versions set-up as you want them, go into each version that you have, find train.exe, and place that onto your desktop as an icon. Then all you have to do is click on the icon, and that particular version will start.

Important: If you want to compress routes with Route Riter: From your back-up files, copy/paste the Utilities sub-folder into the version of MSTS that has the route you want to compress, as Route Riter needs the make.ace file. When finished, you can safely remove the Utilities sub-folder.

E&OE.........NO responsibilty taken, just use your common-sense. It Works For Alan!

However, Murphy's Law states "If Something Can Be Stuffed Up By Someone, It Will Be".