Train store and loose consists

I installed Train Store and it works as it should. However I noticed today that after unstoring everything and going into MS Consist Editor that when I try to place a loose consist on the route, my loose consists are no longer listed (right click, place consist) The only consists which show up are drivable ones. Prior to using Train Store both drivable consists and loose consists (no locomotive) appeared in the "place consist" box. Looking at MSTS with explorer, all my wagons etc are there and located where they always have been under trainset. They never did appear under consists, in my consists folder are the drivable consists which show up okay on "place consist" I suspect something is incorrect here in my folders or somewhere. I did go to MS Editor and create a loose consist and it, and it alone does, appear in the "place consist" box. Does this mean I have to remake all my loose consists again? As my old loose consists are present still in the "Trainset" folder perhaps I can just copy them over to the "Consists" folder?Any ideas appreciated!!Dave

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RE: Train store and loose consists, prr4ever, Sep-13-04, 02:20 PM, (1) RE: Train store and loose consists, robertreedy, Sep-13-04, 02:31 PM, (2) RE: Train store and loose consists, TFormoso, Sep-13-04, 04:56 PM, (3) RE: Train store and loose consists, prr4ever, Sep-14-04, 10:53 AM, (4) RE: Train store and loose consists, prr4ever, Sep-14-04, 01:18 PM, (6) RE: Train store and loose consists, prr4ever, Sep-14-04, 01:40 PM, (7) RE: Train store and loose consists, TFormoso, Sep-14-04, 03:07 PM, (8) RE: Train store and loose consists, prr4ever, Sep-14-04, 03:30 PM, (9) RE: Train store and loose consists, prr4ever, Sep-18-04, 01:15 PM, (10) RE: Train store and loose consists, lunionpacific2, Sep-14-04, 12:17 PM, (5) RE: Train store and loose consists, jorge, Sep-18-04, 01:31 PM, (11)

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I think I solved my own problem here. Went to my MSTS back up and I see all the loose consist .con files are there under "consists". All I have to do is copy them into the working MSTS. I can only guess that Train Store "ate" them for some reason as I have not changed anything else in my working MSTS folders.Dave

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Dave, I think what is missing is you need to use the maintenance mode for this, otherwise as you say you only get consists that are drive-able for 'explore' mode.Select the maintenance tab on the upper right hand side, then click on maintenance consists on the upper left hand side, go down on right hand side and select "Edit Global Settings", this will then take you to the screen where you can add all the loose consists you wish.At least it works this way on mine RobertR .. ADF-M&RM at http://www.adfrr.com

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Robert is correct.You need to use Maintenance Mode, and add the Consists you want to use to the Maintenance Mode consist list for the Route in question. When you prepare the Route, Train Store will unstore those Consists.The reason for this is because MSTS does not store Loose Consists as Consists. It stores them as a list of individual stock items. The Consist name and its other details are lost. The consists themselves are then stored when Train Store unstores a Route, because the 'Consists' as such are not needed by MSTS. Hence the use of Maintenance Mode Consist lists in Maintenance Mode.There is no need to restore any files from your backup. The Consist files are still in your system (in storage) and you will be able to select them from the Maintenance Mode consist list editor (much more easily than you can select them in MSTS Consist List). Train Store does not delete or change the contents of any MSTS file.I should also point out that the 'Unstore Everything!' process is not the same as unstoring every Route. (See the manual P66) If 'Unstore Everything!' had been used then the Consists would have been visible, as you would have completely removed the effects of Train Store on your installation. You can be sure of this because the 'Unstore Everything!' process is self checking and will report to you if there are any files not unstored.
Tony

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Hi Tony,I was aware of the "Maint Mode" but did not use it as I simply "unstored everything" (I thought!!)and then went to MS Editor. In reading the manual I had understood it to mean that, if I "unstored everything", my MSTS folder would then be as it always had been (before train store) If this was so I was thinking, why then did my loose consists dissapear from MS Editor? However I "think" (as you mention) that I had really just unstored every route and not "everything." Looks like I have to read some more!!! I very recently started to use "Train Store" and am maybe a little confused in using it. Thanks for the clarification and I will dig in the manual again keeping in mind what you and Robert have told me.I like this Train Store, sure speeds up MSTS!!!Dave

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Tony,I stored my routes, keeping one open (unstored). It ran okay. I then unstored abour 4 more and all worked okay. I then went to TS Maint and prepared one for maint, having TS open MS Editor when done. I tried to add some loose consists to the sidings on the route, none showed up in the "add consist" box. All that shows up are the powered consists. I then "unstored everything", went to my back up files and copied my "consist" files to MSTS. Started MS Editor and all the loose consists are there and can be spotted on the route. Went back to train store and stored all routes, except one. Noticed that TS was deleting all the loose consists in the "consists" folder as it stored the routes. Unstored the route I wanted to edit using the TS Maint function, allowing TS to start the editor. Back to square one, only the drivable consists show up in the editor.So what is wrong here? Am I incorrectly building my loose consists? I do so by opening activity editor, selecting a route and "new", name the "activity" something like "4 boxcars" edit consist, select 4 boxcars from the freight car list, select okay, add a path and close, getting a message that the activity is not drivable. Select okay and save, add the name to the activity list. This saves the consist as an .act file. When I then open an activity in a route to add the 4 box cars they appear in the "add consist" box. They do not appear as an activity available as they are not drivable. However after selecting an activity and expanding the route I can add them as a consist. In fact they will appear in any activity on any route in the "add consist" box. This has always worked until I used TS to store, unstore and prepare for maint my routes. Dave

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To add a little.....Maybe I am not fully understanding the Global settings, Edit Maint mode stock and consists. I do see my consists there. They appear in the center window and at the bottom is a "filter" menu with blank spaces to add or filter consists. But, from this point I do not understand how to "import" those consists into MSTS editor so they show up in the "add consist" box. I use these consists globally in all routes when I create activities or add standing railcars (wagons) on sidings. I suppose this is all in the manual but I have yet to find it clearly enough for my wooden brain to understand.Dave

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Dave,You are not building your Consists incorrectly. You are just allowing them to be stored because they have not been added to a Maintenance Mode Consist list.Train Store always operates by unstoring only the items that MSTS needs to run. The Loose Consists, as explained, are not needed by MSTS, because MSTS stores the information about them in the Activity as a series of Stock Items, and loses the information about the Consist, as it doesn't need to reference the Consist (as a Consist) after the Activity is created.If you want Train Store to unstore things that MSTS doesn't need (such as these loose consists - because you want to use them to add to another Activity), then you have three possible ways of doing it.1. Add the item to a Maintenance Mode list.2. Use Immediate Unstore to unstore the Consist you want3. Use 'Unstore Everything!'Any of these methods will allow you to use the Consists in MSTS.All of these topics are covered in the manual. The manual is fully text searchable, and has a Table of Contents with hot-links to the actual articles, so you can easily find the entries.Information on Maintenance Mode Consists is in the section 'Maintenance Mode Consists' (P81). You can get there by clicking on the 'Maintenance Mode Consists' entry in the Table of Contents. On two pages it takes you step by step (with pictures) through the procedure.Information on Immediate Unstore is in the section 'Immediate Unstore on P58. Immediate Unstore is available by right-clicking the Consist item in the Maintenance Mode Consist list editor.Information about 'Unstore Everything!' can be found in the section headed 'Unstore Everything!' on P66. 'Unstore Everything!' can be found on the Tools menu - Tools/'Unstore Everything!' Please note, it is not the same as unstoring every Route. (See the manual P66 for the explanation). Maintenance Mode and 'Unstore Everything!' are described and compared in the section 'Maintenance Mode, Unstore Everything! and Uninstall' P65I must repeat again, Train Store does not delete anything from MSTS. It stores items. There is no need to restore anything from your backups. The items are always available. If you use 'Unstore Everything!' they will be returned to the MSTS folders.
Tony

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Thanks Tony,
I downloaded and printed the manual so will spend some time with it.Sorry to be a little dense but then MSTS is not the simplest game in town!!It is really a big help that you folks that create these add-on's are available to ask questions of. My hat's off to all of you!!Dave

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Tony,
Between hurricanes here in Florida I got time to read the manual. (as we always said in avionics maintenance "If all else fails, read the instructions!") I realized I was not using maint mode correctly and did figure out how to add all my consists to the "Maint Mode Consists" file. Now it all works fine! Thanks gain for a great utility!Dave

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hi DaveDo you use train store or Train Eat Store?
Regards
Lucio

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Hmmm... I take it Lucio doesnt' use TrainStore? I have to admire that this exchange was one of the most pleasant pleas (and responses) for help that I have ever seen. Thanks for adding that extra bit of "sauce piquant" there at the end Lucio! Train Store is easy to use... sort of. Once you get all your ducks in a row it is easy to use, but I do HIGHLY recommend a full reading of the manual if you're going to do more than simply run routes, or are just starting out with it.

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