Helpful Ideas on Newly Installed Routes?

[AnalogOldguy]

Hello,
I'd like to say hello to you all. I'm a 64 year old guy who has had Trainz 2006 (original Auran) for a year, and like to play with the routes and fool around in the Surveyor once in a while.

I have tended to download through the FTP service, and put the stuff into a folder on another partition .. select them, commit them with the Content Manager Plus. Things have worked pretty darned well, except for losing the sounds of the trains and horns fairly often!

Recently (October 2008) purchased 'Trainz The Complete Collection' (in the US) Installed the DVD Trainz Routes 1-4 into my 2006, 2.5(2761) Not SP1 .....Roughly 20 routes show up and are workable either in Driver or Surveyor (some only in Surveyor right now, but my saves are showing up in Driver so I'm happy.(Days later,I installed the Trainz 2004(2370). Looks and sounds better to me, except for the headlights!

The only thing is that there are about ten more routes that are showing, and sessions for some of them .. But I get the 'No Map selected' error when I click anything. I'm thinking that maybe these are SP1 Maps.

So I focused on one of the maps,(M-Line PE Ready) and Googled it. Found that it is an SP1 map. So I went online and found an M-Line 2006 Version, unzipped it and selected the stuff with CMP and commited it (this I have never done before with a route, so maybe I did this wrong).

The Route shows up with I think four sessions ..Daily Run, Fast Clock Run and so on.. And this also gives the 'no map selected' error on anything I click. So maybe I don't know how to install a route.

There is a Trainz 2006 version in this collection, and I'm hoping it is SP1 (cause I never could have downloaded that with my dial-up) but so far, I'm putting off installing it because it is such a major thing to me.Maybe it would solve the problem,no?

Any ideas from you would be helpful. Thanks.. Bob P.

 

[lewisner]

I used to be on Dial-Up and I found a simple solution to the SP1 installation problem.I have a USB powered 40Gb mini hard drive (pocket sized) so I went to the local library which has loads of free-to-use PCs on Broadband.I downloaded SP1 and saved it to the mini hard drive (took about 7 minutes) then plugged it into my PC and moved it to C drive and installed it in the normal way.Any Flash Drive is capable of holding SP1.I was sent an SP1 route a couple of years ago on a CD ROM and tried to play it on my non SP1 TRS2006 and it opened but the graphics went totally haywire.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Hi Lewisner,
Using the library has occurred to me (I go there often) . But my idea was based on wi-fi which they have, and me possibly getting an old laptop.

Your idea is something new to me, I didn't know that there are pocket-sized USB drives! However, I'm pretty sure that the library doesn't allow downloading to their own hard drives. Plugging one in ... I wonder if that would go easily? I'll look into it!

Anyway, I'm fairly hopeful that the Trainz 2006 on the Install DVD I have, has the SP1 version, but I'm stressed out about trying to do it. I just spent a couple of weeks reinstalling Windows,and programs, and my Trainz 2006. And the LOCAL folder I had backed up, and the content folders I had backed up.

I imagine it might be as easy as me installing this new Trainz 2006 DVD over my current one and all the content and routes will stay there? That would be great. I consider Trainz one of the great computer programs.

It's all the copying folders and reinstalling that wears me out! Thanks Much! Bob.

 

[Bill69]

Hi Bob,

I see you are in the USA and you say you have the original Auran version of TRS2006. To check your version load the launcher then click on start, At the very bottom right hand side of the next screen you should see your version and build number. If it is SP1 updated it should be "Trainz 2.6 (Build 3092) If is not SP1 updated it will have a different build number, I can't remember what the previous build number was.

Hope this helps,
Bill69

 

[stagecoach]

2.5 is the earlier one. Did you delete the assets.tdx file and let trainz rebuild the asset list?

 

[lewisner]

Hi again AnalogOldguy, I bought my mini hard drive about 2 years ago and it cost me £70 for 40Gb but they have gone down in price since then.In UK libraries they won't let you burn CDs or DVDs so its ideal.You can pick up a 4Gb Flash Drive for about $20 I think and like the mini hard drive they are USB powered , so no transformer.When you go to the Library you simply plug it into the PC and it shows up as a "Mass Storage Device" then when you are asked to Open or Save the SP1 Patch you Save it to the device instead of the PC.Another bit of gear I bought is a 3mobile mini modem - you pay £10 for 10 days Internet access , plug it into your PC or laptop and you can get Broadband anywhere anytime without a landline connection.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Hi Bill69,

My Trainz 2006 is from the original Auran CD set. The version is 2.5 and the build is 2761. So it is not very up-to-date!

Now, this 'Trainz Complete Collection' I recently purchased, is probably distributed by a company called Paradox International but looks very professional and all the menus and installers are very 'Auran' to me. And never mention the distributer name.

It was from one of these DVD's that I installed the Trainz Routes 1-4.

On these forums I just read a post (I think) by the gentleman who created the WeddinNSW V1,1 route. That is one which I see in Surveyor,(not Driver), but cannot open (get an error- No map selected).

In the Content Manager it says this Route is built-in; original; not a clone; not faulty!

I'm going to look that up and see if it's SP1 only !! See you later. Bob P.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Hi Stagecoach,
(I hope I am doing this 'replying' correctly, I'm not used to forums) ...

Yes, I have seen that hint before, about deleting the 'assets.tdx'. Then it rebuilds, correctly. I'll write that down and try it.

I visited your creations page and will download a few into the Trainz 2004 I also now have. They will work in 2006 also,no? Catch you later and thanks! Robert.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Hi Lewisner Again,
That Flash drive is even a better idea! And more in line with my budget. I live on a pretty tight budget!

I wonder though, You can plug a USB Flash drive into a computer while it is turned on? I suppose so!

That's the hint I might try. When a USB is on sale they practically give them away! The Mini-modem route sounds like it would be more expensive!

By the way, I'm pretty sure that Trainz 2006 SP1 is on the DVD set I have. but it's a complete new installation, which I am not sure about how to do. I'll get there slowly (hopefully) Thanks again. Bob.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Continuing on ....

2.5 is the earlier one. Did you delete the assets.tdx file and let trainz rebuild the asset list?

Hi Stagecoach, Yes I deleted the assets.tdx this morning. When I restarted Trainz 2006 it took maybe three minutes to rebuild (I guess) and start up.

The situation with about 9 new routes not coming up stayed the same. I am happy for now I do still have 20 extra routes which are available.

I wish to thank you fellows for some very good information. Stagecoach, I will be downloading some of your stuff later today!

I'll probably build up the nerve to uninstall the old 2006 and install the new and see what happens. I'm also going to study to see if I can transfer some of those routes into 2004, see if they work there!

Also will be looking into Flash drive for the library for downloading some of the bigger Trainz stuff there! Thanks Again! Robert.

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Think I found the answer ....

I think I've obtained an answer to my problem ...

I contacted one of the Trainz route authors, and he said that my 'error, no map selected' was a give-away that the maps that wouldn't load were created by authors who used Trainz 2006 SP1 to create the map (as he did).

These will not work on the plain old version 2761

And that these maps will work when I upgrade my 2761 version to SP1 !

I will upgrade soon, but go slowly to do it properly!
Thanks to all for your help! Robert.

 

[john259]

I wonder though, You can plug a USB Flash drive into a computer while it is turned on?

Yes, it's totally safe to plug in any USB device with the power on.

Before unplugging a USB device to which data has been saved (such as an external hard disk or flash drive) with the power on, click the Safely Remove Hardware icon in the System Tray (bottom right, near the clock).

As a simple rule of thumb never, ever, plug in or unplug any other type of computer signal cable with the power on. It's only safe to do this with USB.

John

 

[AnalogOldguy]

Hello to all again, and thanks to all. And to Lewisner and John259 and whoever else mentioned the USB drive idea...

You guys got me to actually ask the librarian if they allowed USB drives and the answer was absolutely YES! And burning Cd's also .. (I know, it must be much slower).

Over 10 years of going to that library and I never asked! Great advice I got here! I'll look up where SP1 can be found for download. Then carefully follow the directions. And all will be fine ! Thanks, Roberto.