[timothyskinner]

As a new member here returning to MSTS after 7 years away can anyone give me a heads up on OpR?
If I download and install 0.9 and the Tallah Sub is it suitable for someone like me?
I know about RW, but still prefer MSTS....

[R H Steele]

TimothySkinner ... I'm much newer to this, discovered an old set of orignal MSTS CD I got around 2001 or 2002 this past Jan2013. Used MSTS until about April or May and then switched to ORTS - - OR in some use also. Use MSTS now for the toolset/editor and to check if something that doesn't appear quite right in OR works in MSTS. I would say ... go ahead and download it following the instructions. I love it. Use the stable versions until you get the idea of it. OR is fantastic and getting better all the time. The team is a group of VERY talented and generous people. Elvas is the place to be to learn most anything about train simming, especially OR related. Here's a list of only some of the things I like about OR
1. Loads much faster than MSTS
2. If it does "crash" there is no completely frozen aspect, easy to escape and start over. Really though crashes are more like stalls, and don't happen that frequently.
3. Cameras much easier to use and set.
4. Train ops.... coupling, switching, etc. can be done with keyboard or using mouse (this method is really nice)
5. Wide aspect (screen) view is just plain better
I can't comment on the Tallah Sub ... just downloaded it myself and have not got around to installing it.
that's just for starters .... lot's of other features too numerous to mention. AND IT'S FREE .. Yahoo!!!!

I'd say 98% of routes (91 routes and counting) and activities I have tried work well in OR. I'm an OR fan and still consider myself inexperienced in these matters, so maybe someone else has a more measured opinion than mine.
Just make sure you follow the OR install procedure and make sure you have Microsoft XNA 3.1 Redistributable installed. Download the latest stable version from the OR website .... this is V09 also called V1648. Install a complete MSTS bin in the default location. Open Rails does not use the MSTS executable files but you'll need the file structure for OR and the executables for the editor and to run MSTS if you so desire .... it does come in handy. Eventually, in the future, OR will have it's own set of editors, activity and route builders, but for now it's the MSTS toolset. Also get Route Riter and if you can invest in ConBuilder and some other very nice utility programs. Have fun, ask questions at Elvas, fine group, and welcome. Cordially, rhs (aka gerry)

[R H Steele]

Timothy... re-readin' your post I think I like your "name" for Open Rails ---- OpR. Most use OR --- which looks like shouting "or" in the post; some ORTS (which sounds like something small from the Oort Cloud); but OpR .... well it looks like OpR .... Open Rails or "Operation R" and I don't know what the heck that is. Cheers, rhs (aka gerry)

[Falcus]

Hello Timothy and welcome to the board.

I too like your abbreviation for OpR, lol. I wonder if its too late to make it stick though, lol.

As far as OR goes, Id suggest DLing the latest Beta version. V.9 has some serious adhesion issues IIRC straight outta the box. An OR Dev will be able to answer this better then me though (Theres plenty around here).

As far as the Tallah Sub, I don't actually have it, so I can't recommend it or not. I WOULD suggest however Andrew(?) Yoder's N&W Pocahontas Division or his Horseshoe Curve route (The latter of which is incredibly detailed. and was only released a few years ago IIRC). I could also suggest the PRR Eastern Region (The first, and to my mind, ONLY, SUPER ROUTE, with over 4000 Miles of Trackage), but to get the PRR ER to run correctly you're going to need some working knowledge of MSTS, Its tools both in-built and some third party ones, and OR to make it work correctly.

Lastly, be sure to upgrade your MSTS to V1.4, install MSTS Bin, and then go perusing for some of the more pertinent MSTS tool like Route Control, Route Riter, Convoi/Conbuilder, etc etc.

HF and GL!
Falcus

[R H Steele]

Timothy here's another route to try OpR (I love it!) get the London & Port Stanley Railway v3.01 ( "lps-v301.zip" on TrainSim.com). It is one of the easiest route install around. Comes complete with rolling stock, activities. Great Route and runs well with OpR. Right here at Elvas is Paul Charland's FJ&G, excellent New York route, you'll have to download rolling stock and acts. Cheers, rhs (aka gerry)

[timothyskinner]

Hi Gerry,

Thanks for your advice. I am finding my return to MSTS like meeting relatives one hasn't seen for 20 years.... I am familiar with the L&PS and remember its author being an authority...

It is particularly nice (and distinctly different from "the other place") to receive a good welcome.. Thank You !

[timothyskinner]

Gerry - I forgot to say something.... have you tried any of the Italian routes? I have no idea what has happened to their sites, but some of the electric locomotives, ground texs and station/building objects are breathtaking and the routes well worth exploring. I still have a CD with some routes on it if the Italian guys have all gone RW.. Timothy

[timothyskinner]

Hi Falcus,

Thank you for the welcome and thank you for your helpful comments. My old computer is having problems as it is so I might leave PRR and the GN Hiline for a while!! I don't remember the "1.4" at all... and as for the correct sequence of loading MSTS then Bin then mprofile then Microsoft updates I just guessed. I have got the Full Bucket Line v3.03 up and running and found zipped Tgatools, GMax and others such as Activity Master by Steve Davies (definitely not the snooker player) of Skyline.

Route Control means nothing to me I'm afraid, but I have unzipped Route Riter and Conbuilder. I spent many months working on a route, but will leave that in the history book for today.

Timothy

[timothyskinner]

Hi again Falcus,

As a GN fan I was wondering why you didn't mention a GN route...

You made me think of routes on my CDs that I just ran once or twice. I used to like long hills and hardworking big steamers hauling heavy trains like Austin (?) Yoder's Pokey. However, the route I worked on for 2 years was a very flat one!! It was delightfully quirky and a much loved "child". Transatlantic telephone calls to ascertain route details from retired staff were never deferred on cost grounds.

Timothy

[Falcus]

Hello,

I only mentioned the Pokey and Horseshoe Curve because you mentioned the Tallahassee sub, I *guessed* (Probably incorrectly at this point), that you might be more interested in more eastern routes.

"1.4" refers to the fact that you have installed both of the MSTS Freeware Updates from Microsoft (Class 50 Locomotive and the SD-40 for Marias Pass), as well as MSTS Bin, and I forget what the other update was for....

Route Control is a very simple, low resource, program that checks all of your Activities and Consists against what Consists and Rolling Stock you have available, then makes a very simple, easy to read/access list of whats missing or whats in the wrong path locations. Route Riter can do this too, but Route Riter is in my mind a very large, and though capable, clunky tool. I've never found it particularly easy to use (not that I haven't learned how to be proficient enough with it in the areas I've really needed it for), and I think many casual MSTS players would agree, but this is pure speculation on my part.

The GN Hi-line is a wonderful route, but a bit dated. As of the last Update, there are still big areas that had no scenery what-so-ever, though the hi-line itself was pretty solidly complete. And compared to newer routes the shapes used just aren't as polished. Its still a GREAT route, particularly for beginners or if you're trying to set up your MSTS Install though.

If the detail in the GN Hi-line causes your computer to stumble though, I might suggest investing in a better video card or a new computer. Austin (You were right) Yoder's Horseshoe Curve sends my computer into BSOD within 30 seconds of getting into Johnstown, and I run GN Hi-Line almost flawlessly (In MSTS).

Also, OpR will eat alot more resources then MSTS Ever did. It has better graphical coding (Which is more resource intensive), and it doesn't have a resource Limiter like MSTS. Though, OpR, being more forgiving then MSTS ever was, probably won't BSOD your comp, it'll probably crash straight back to desktop.

I too like seeing steamers fighting through tree lined routes. I tend to prefer speedier Express locomotives, but Drag locos have a special place for me too (Have you heard about the plans to return Big Boy #4014 to the rails? quite the news! Speed and Drag all at the same time! lol). I would love to see a Steam Era Stevens Pass done, or a Stampede Pass(old NP Mainline through the Cascades, and considered one of the most scenic passes anywhere in the U.S. according to alot of the engineers that I've ever spoken to that have run through it). In theory, Snoqualamie Pass should be a part of the RMD Pacific Division if the RMD West route is ever completed (Last I knew being worked on by the guys that did the RMD East Route).

Speaking of RMD East, its a beautiful route. Highly recommend it, though if you do, you should look around for some of the old electrics that Tim Muir in particular but a few others built. The Bi-polars were beautiful locomotives, and the quills are fun to drive. The Box Cabs are less glamorous but boy can they pull a train! lol. After that there are a number of MILW Diesel repaints floating around now, some of which are repaints of SLI Diesels that are rumored to be very well done. LOADS of very nice rolling stock available too now from the T-S FLibrary, but be warned, the newer models tend to use alot of polys and making a drag freight with over 100 of these newer models might choke an older computer.

If you want a change of pace for something that might not BSOD you computer, but is still new and absolutely very well done, you could try Jeff Farquar's Surfliner 2.0. I never thought I'd like a Commuter route, but its actually really fun to drive, particularly to build an old Daylight Consist with the freeware 4449 from Brandon Smith and the cars that they got made for it. There are also some free ware P42 Amtrak Genesis locos and Superliner cars available if you want to try to recreate some of the Amtrak runs (Though if you get the P42s, do a search for the latest P42 sound files, these files REALLY make these locomotives sound INCREDIBLE, though the HEP sounds are a little loud and can get a little annoying if you like to drive with the #2 Camera). There are a variety of Payware sets available that will work better then any of the freeware rolling stock, most notably from SLI, but the freeware stuff is still pretty good. *Note* Also keep an eye on the "WP GS-2/4" Thread here on this forum, since those will be freeware, were also used on portions of the Daylight System, and are definitely going to be INCREDIBLE models.

If you're willing to spend some money on some Payware Routes, first and foremost Id recommend the Western Pacific White River Route. Can't remember who made it, and its one of the oldest Payware routes IIRC, but its absolutely stunning from every picture I've ever seen of it (Which theres been alot of, loads of people love that route).

Lastly I would recommend looking up a Serial "Blog-Cast" done by Nick Ozorak (A.k.a Train-a-Mania) called "At the Railyard". Most of the vids are available on youtube, but not all (He does have a site up with all of his reviews). These reviews are an AWESOME place to start for checking out routes and *some* available payware rolling stock. He hasn't covered as much as I could wish for (He makes really good videos that are generally fun to watch regardless), but lets face it theres 12 years worth of content and he only releases about 1 vid every 1-2 months or so, not to mention hes recently branched out to reviewing other simulators as well.

Which route did you work on that you were trying to inquire about?

Falcus