EuropeanBahn Locomotives & Activities Collection CD-ROM add-on for Microsoft Train Simulator Windows 7 and Windows 11 compatibility problem

Hi, I have a question. Can you tell me whether the EuropeanBahn Locomotives & Activities Collection CD-ROM add-on for Microsoft Train Simulator can work on Windows 7 and Windows 11? Because back in May 2016, I tried running certain activities like "The Peterborough Flyer" most likely for the EuropeanBahn East Coast Express Part 1 add-on for Microsoft Train Simulator and everytime I loaded the activities, the program automatically quit before starting each activity somehow and I really hope that doesn't happen again when I try running it again on either Windows 7 or Windows 11 next time as long as I have Microsoft Train Simulator installed. So do you know if there is anyway to prevent that problem from happening? Thank you so much for your help.
                                                                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                                                                               Sincerely,
                                                                                                                                                                                                     Connor Richey

There's a whole bunch of stuff that can make MSTS throw the blanket out of the pram, so to speak.
Route Riter is how I check activities, stock and consists for errors, as well as routes. Other tools are available too, of course. MSTS Check and Activity Manager, for example.

With Windows 7, MSTS is best installed as (Drive):/Microsoft Games... instead of the usual Program Files/Microsoft Games. Windows 11 though has its own issues with compatibility for MSTS. OpenRails might be a better option on a Windows 11 PC.

If you're still having issues, try using TrainStore which loads each activity and associated stock separately. It reduces the load on MSTS if you have a lot of routes and stock.
An alternative of course are mini-routes, which work as separate installations for a certain route and stock, which again reduces the work your main installation has to do every time it loads.

Can you tell me TrainStore's link?

Connor, years ago I downloaded and installed Trainstore and is still available if you put in a search
using Google but a look on the Trainsim.com site, shows it available where many of the UKTS files reside.
Do a search in the MSTS Utilities area and enter Trainstore and you can downloaded easily from the site.

Bob

Hi Connor,
If you're trying to run an activity, do you have the appropriate EuropeanBahn route installed?
The activities on the disk are for the Brighton to Portsmouth, East Coast Express Part1, East Coast Express Part2 and Pageants Field routes.
The Brighton to Portsmouth route is very old which, I believe, was replaced by the London South Coast route, but it's unlikely that the activities on the disk will run in that route.

You can use the stock in any route you like!

Cheers,
Ged

Hey! Have you ever heard of www.myabandonware.com where you can download old video games for free, like Microsoft Train Simulator? Because do you think it means Microsoft Train Simulator would work on Windows 11 if downloading it from www.myabandonware.com?

I wouldn't trust any website like that. Even if it doesn't infect your PC with a rootkit, it won't be any different compatibility-wise from a genuine copy. Best find a CD on ebay or maybe see if anyone you know has one they don't want any more.

clrichey wrote:Hey! Have you ever heard of www.myabandonware.com where you can download old video games for free, like Microsoft Train Simulator? Because do you think it means Microsoft Train Simulator would work on Windows 11 if downloading it from www.myabandonware.com?

I am thinking about using www.myabandonware.com to download all the old software I want on Windows 11, especially Microsoft Train Simulator as long as I also install OpenRails on it. How does that sound? Do you think that will harm my PC at all?

Connor, a search on the Website that you mention does not have a copy of Microsoft Train Simulator available
for download and why do you still need it after all this time, Open Rails needs the original Program on your
computer to run.
I have never bothered with Open Rails and when I had my new computer built in 2012, they installed my old
smaller Hard Drive inside it and this had all my original Win XP files which included my MSTS on it.
When I start my computer it opens up a Boot Menu which defaults to Win 7 but allows me to change it to Win XP,
when I want run MSTS.
This saves all the problems that other people get with the later Operating Systems and to get the benefit of better
Graphics from the original one, I got a Geforce 960 fitted and is compatable with Win 7 and XP and quite happy
with it's display.

Bob

Well, I saw that I can download it on the site.

Hi Bob,
MSTS is available from that site - https://www.myabandonware.com/search/q/Microsoft+Train+Simulator

I don't know which version (1.0 or 1.2) it is, but should point out to Connor that there are no legitimate downloads of MSTS ANYWHERE, so if you do download it, be aware of viruses and the like!

Cheers,
Ged

Hi Ged, thanks for link and using it I see that it is available but as the original Simulator can be got through Amazon,
if I wanted to get a copy I would buy from them, rather than some unknown site.

Bob

Well, are discs still required to download OpenRails?

Hi Connor,
Open Rails is only a download so doesn't come on any disks!!

Many of the older routes and stock created for use with MSTS use default files. To run those in OR, you will need to have MSTS installed and those routes/stock added into that installation.

Cheers,
Ged

Well, are Microsoft Train Simulator discs still required to download OpenRails on Microsoft Train Simulator, though?

Hi Connor

clrichey wrote:  Well, are Microsoft Train Simulator discs still required to download OpenRails on Microsoft Train Simulator, though?

The short answer is no you don't. You can download Open Rails here

https://www.openrails.org/download/program/

This will install Open Rails for you. This does not include content ie Routes. This has to be downloaded separately. Open Rails has some routes on its site that are ready to run. You can find them at

https://www.openrails.org/download/explore-content/

These routes include everything you need.

If you have some routes already that you wish to run, and it seems that you have, then you can install these and expect them to run, but with this caveat:

Some routes use files (particularly for scenery) that come from the MSTS disks. If you don't have the MSTS disks then the content taken from the MSTS installation will be missing from your route, but it might or might not be possible to run your route. I suggest that if you have any routes already that you try them out - what do you have to lose?

There seem to be MSTS disks available at places like eBay and Amazon.

Tony

PS You can see from your route installation files whether it depends on MSTS or not. If it is there will be a batch file, probably called install.bat, that copies all the files needed from MSTS. The inside of the batch file would look something like this (first few lines only)
@Echo Off
call xcopy "..\japan1\shapes\apartment.s" .\Shapes\ /Y
call xcopy "..\japan1\shapes\apartment.sd" .\Shapes\ /Y
call xcopy "..\europe1\shapes\Artengill.s" .\Shapes\ /Y
call xcopy "..\europe1\shapes\Artengill.sd" .\Shapes\ /Y
call xcopy "..\europe1\shapes\BarFence50m.s" .\Shapes\ /Y
call xcopy "..\europe1\shapes\BarFence50m.sd" .\Shapes\ /Y
call xcopy "..\europe1\shapes\barn1.s" .\Shapes\ /Y

Great. I will try downloading Microsoft Train Simulator from www.myabandonware.com and install OpenRails with it in at least two years away.

Just on the subject of EB stock, I bought a copy of West Coast Express recently and it appears there were a couple of patches made for the Pendolino. I have the second one from trainsim.com but the first patch is missing. The UKTS FileID was 17554. I'm just wondering if anyone still has it and could share it.

Hello Tony, I was thinking of trying the Portugal 79 route, but at 11.2GB's d/l I chickened out  Neanderthal

Hi Welwyn22,
I have two patches and a bonus downloaded directly from EuropeanBahn :

wcml1_1.exe
wcml1_2.exe
wcmlbonus.exe
NOTE : wcml1_2.exe includes the patches included in wcml1_1.exe.
I haven't (recently) installed any of the above files but, checking the details shown by the installers, none contain any reference to the Pendolino.

The files I have from UKTS are :
UKTS_23642_390_Pendolino.zip (Class 390 Virgin Trains Pendolino [Unofficial Upgrade])
UKTS_23723_WCE_LM_Upgrade.zip (West Coast Express Modernisation Pack [Unofficial Upgrade])

Please let me know if you'd like any, or all, or these. Any two, or more, would be too big for an email attachment so I'd upload them to Google Drive and send you the link.

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT : Apologies - I've just found UKTS_17554_eb_vt_pendo.zip where I didn't expect it to be!! So much for my sophisticated filing system!! If you'd only like this file, it should be OK as an email attachment - please send me your address in a PM.

I will get those later.

clrichey wrote:I will get those later.

Whatever you say, Connor !! ???

Ged

I also really want EuropeanBahn’s Cross City by 2026.

Hi Connor,
The only way you're going to legally obtain the EuropeanBahn Cross City route is if somebody decides to dispose of their copy.  You could always try Ebay.

... but what is the significance of 2026 ??

Cheers,
Ged

EDIT : I'll take that back! Amazon.co.uk have one copy left (as of 19:45 today)

I think we're all wondering that !

Well, at least I need to finish college first because I need to take budgeting classes to understand money and I need to earn enough money to pay for expensive computer experts to fix my computer when I run old software on it and I am afraid it will be completely unavailable by 2026, won’t it?

Hi Connor,
Well, I hadn't thought of that!!

By 2026, we may be on a new version of Windows!  That version may not even run MSTS!!
If you've got a computer now which can run MSTS, I suggest to get over to Amazon.co.uk as soon as you can because, you're right, Cross City almost certainly won't be available by then.
It's not very easy to find so this is the link : https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cross-City-WCE-Add-PC/dp/B000VJ6P7C

"Budgeting classes to understand money"?  I appreciate that most of us here are knocking on a bit, but I'm sure we never needed such classes, so I wonder how we managed?

Good luck, mate!
Cheers,
Ged

What about on eBay, on the Digital Rails website, on the US Amazon site and on the clearance sale on the Excalibur Publishing site’s clearance page? Will it be available on those as of 2026, like will it ever be available on eBay and Amazon ever again? Because that’s what I’m so worried about.

Definitely install the 1.2 patch before installing Cross City. I made the mistake of doing it afterwards and ended up with missing platform errors in Activity Editor. Luckily I had a backup on a flash drive so I didn't have to install it all over again.

Ok.

Hello Tony . Have you ever d/l directly a Route from the open rails site, ? Neanderthal.

Hi Roger,
I know you didn't address the post to me, but I have!

I assume you may have a problem - would you like to share it?

Cheers,
Ged

Well, I had a problem with some activities from EuropeanBahn’s Locomotives and Activities Collection on Windows 7 on VMWare, you know.

Hi Connor,
Sorry, mate, but, although we may have many skills between us, being mind readers or clairvoyants are not included!  If you have a problem that you need some help with you really need to tell us what it is.

I know what VMWare is but I've never found a use for it because MSTS runs without any problems on Windows 10 (and previous versions). I don't have first hand experience, but understand that it also works OK under Win 11.

Cheers,
Ged

Hello Ged, yes and no would be the best answer. I was looking to down load Portugal 79, but my PC keeps telling me its unsafe, so I chickened out. Because as I had not used this site before I wondered if Tony had (being as it was on his Post), but as you have used it I will give it a go when I get back home (I've gotta take the Missus shopping first LOL)...Roger.

Hi Roger,
It's probably your anti-virus being extra cautious! I use the Windows Defender AV and the only time it throws up a warning is if it's not an https site.
The address of the Portugal route is https://github.com/cpvirtual/OR_CPV - I'm just downloading it, but it's a big route : 2.8GB !!

Cheers,
Ged

Well, every time I tried to go onto some activities, the whole game quit while loading.

Hi Connor,
What are you talking about? Open Rails or a route or .... ?

Cheers,
Ged

The activities from EuropeanBahn’s Locomotives & Activities Collection for Microsoft Train Simulator, of course.

Hi Connor,
Thanks

Do you have any of the specified EuropeanBahn routes installed?
1. Brighton to Portsmouth (5 activities)
2. East Coast Express Part 1 (5 activities)
3. East Coast Express Part 2 (5 activities)
4. East Coast Express Parts 1 + 2 (2 activities)
5. Pageants Field (5 activities)
It's doubtful that you'd have 1 and 5 because they are very old routes (but you MIGHT!).
Obviously, if you've got both Parts 1 and 2 of the East Coast Express route, you'd be able to run 12 activities.

I know this is an MSTS Forum, but are you running MSTS or Open Rails?

Cheers,
Ged

Not right now nor am I running MSTS or OpenRails right now. But I did have East Coast Express parts 1 and 2 and Pageants Field at the time, but I have never had Brighton-Portsmouth.

Hi Connor,
You posted :

Well, every time I tried to go onto some activities, the whole game quit while loading.

In answer to my question as to whether you had the required routes and were you running MSTS or Open Rails, you replied :

Not right now nor am I running MSTS or OpenRails right now.

You originally said that the activities were those from the EB Locomotives & Activities Collection.  These can only be run if you're using MSTS or Open Rails, so which "game quit while loading"?

Please forgive me if I have misunderstood what you've posted, but it doesn't make much sense to me!

Cheers,
Ged

Well, in some EuropeanBahn Locomotives and Activities Collection activities, the whole Microsoft Train Simulator game quit automatically while loading every time.

Hi Connor,
So you ARE running MSTS! So why did you say you weren't?

The installer won't allow you to install activities if you don't have the appropriate route installed which poses another question!
Have you installed the addon from a CD (or an image of it) or have you obtained the file from a website? If it's the latter then I'm not able to help any further.

Assuming you've been able to install some activities, which of them are causing MSTS to quit? At which point does it quit - when you select the route or when you select the activity?

Please give full details of the problem you're having - you can't tell us too much but at present you're telling us next to nothing!

Cheers,
Ged

I did run it but I am not running it right now, got it? But I installed it from a CD. But “The Peterborough Flyer” and other activities with the Class 89 in them were some of the ones that quit the game automatically while loading the activities. However, I will try running EuropeanBahn Locomotives & Activities Collection on MSTS again someday in the future to see how the activities are working.

Hi Connor,
When you are asked if you're running MSTS or Open Rails, it means "when you had the problem" NOT right at this instant. Got it?

"The Peterborough Flyer" requires the East Coast Express Part 1 to be installed. I have just successfully installed ECE Part1 and the EB Locomotives & Activities Collection.
The activity starts without any problem, in MSTS and Open Rails, so I suggest that you go very carefully through your procedures to ensure you've done everything correctly.
Did you install ECE Part1 from its CD or an image of your CD? If not, was it from a downloaded file?

Cheers,
Ged

I had this problem eight years ago and I used the CD for ECE part 1.

Hi Connor,
...and you're still having the same problem now??
In that case, I respectfully suggest that you are doing something wrong!

Do the other activities in ECE Part1 run OK?

Do you run Open Rails? If so, it might be useful attempting to run "The Peterborough Flyer". It will probably run OK but, more importantly, the log file might point to the problem which is causing MSTS to crash.

Cheers,
Ged

No, I am not having the problem right now. But the other activities in ECE Part 1 probably did run ok. Also, I don't run Open Rails right now, you know.

Do the other activities in ECE Part1 run OK?

Do you run Open Rails? If so, it might be useful attempting to run "The Peterborough Flyer". It will probably run OK but, more importantly, the log file might point to the problem which is causing MSTS to crash.

Hi Connor,
OK, but I can't see any point in continuing with this exchange!
You are obviously not having the 'problem' now so why bring it up?

On second thoughts, please don't bother to answer!!

Cheers,
Ged