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.