Using Your MSTS Content in Open Rails

Almost everything discussed in the Train-Sim.Com forums and FAQ was built for Microsoft Train Simulator (MSTS). MSTS itself has not been sold or patched by Microsoft for many years, but the content lives on: Open Rails is a free, open-source simulator that reads MSTS routes, rolling stock, consists, activities and sound files directly. If you have an old Train Simulator folder full of downloads, this is the most practical way to drive it again.

What Open Rails runs

• Routes: MSTS route folders (ROUTES\<name>) with their terrain, world tiles, track database and scenery.
• Rolling stock: TRAINS\TRAINSET engines and wagons, including .eng/.wag physics, cabs and .sms sound files.
• Consists and activities: .con consists, .act activities and their AI traffic, as authored with the MSTS activity editor (see our How To tutorials and the Activity FAQ).
• Explore mode: pick a route, a consist and a start point and just drive.

Open Rails also adds things MSTS never had, notably a timetable mode for running a whole day's traffic, multiplayer, and considerably more detailed train and steam physics. The steam operations FAQ on this site, written for MSTS, is still a good primer on firing technique; Open Rails simply models more of it.

Setting it up

1. Download Open Rails from the official site (openrails.org) and install it. It runs on Windows.
2. Gather your content in one place. You do not need a working MSTS installation: a folder containing ROUTES, TRAINS and GLOBAL sub-folders is enough. Copy the folders from an old MSTS install, or unpack add-ons into a fresh folder with that structure.
3. In the Open Rails menu, open Options → Content and add that folder as an installation profile. You can add several profiles (for example one per era or region) and switch between them.
4. Back in the main menu, pick the profile, a route and either an activity or Explore mode.

Common problems with old downloads

Missing shapes or textures. Many 2001–2006 add-ons relied on files from other packages: a route might reference rolling stock or scenery from a separate download. The original readme usually lists the dependencies; check the archived file library listings, which often name them.

Activities that fail to start. An activity references specific consists, paths and rolling stock by name. If anything is missing, Open Rails reports it in its log file. Install the missing stock or edit the consist.

Sound and cab differences. Open Rails reads MSTS sound and cab definitions, but a few old tricks that depended on MSTS quirks behave differently. Most stock works as-is.

Performance. MSTS was designed for 2001 hardware with tight viewing distances. Open Rails lets you raise the view distance much further; if dense routes stutter, lower it again.

Where the old knowledge still applies

Because the file formats are the same, most of the creation advice preserved here still works: route building, skinning and cab work from the forums for MSTS route design, engine and livery skinning, cabs and sound, and the step-by-step How To guides. Read them with Open Rails in mind and you will find little has changed in the underlying content.

Open Rails is developed independently; check its own documentation for current version details.