PC-RAIL FOR WINDOWS

This document contains further details about PC-Rail and information that became available too late to include in the main Help documentation.

To print this Readme.txt file, open it in Notepad or another word processor, then use the Print command on the File menu.

PC-RAIL DOCUMENTATION

The PC-Rail documentation provides all the information  you need to operate the simulation. Just press F1 or choose Help from the menu while running the simulation.

The Working Timetable(s), Local Information and other documentation for the simulation you are using can be displayed on screen at any time, using the options on the Window menu.

All the PC-Rail documentation can be printed as you require. 

INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

* Microsoft Windows 95, 98, ME, or XP; 
  alternatively with Microsoft Windows NT or 2000
* Pentium or higher processor recommended 
* 16 MB RAM 
* 10 MB of available disk space 
* VGA or higher-resolution screen supported by Microsoft Windows 
* A mouse or other suitable pointing device 

TO INSTALL PC-RAIL FOR WINDOWS

(a) From the PC-Rail distribution CD-Rom:

Run the file Setup.exe which is on the CD and you will be guided through the simple installation procedure. To run the Setup program:-

1.	Insert the PC-Rail CD-Rom into your CD drive.
2.	From the Start menu, choose Run.
3.	Type x:\setup, where x is the letter representing your CD drive, and press ENTER.
4.	Follow the instructions on the screen.

Additional simulations can be added later by running the PC-Rail Resources Manager from the Windows Start menu.

(b) By downloading from the PC-Rail website:

Go to http://www.pcrail.co.uk, follow the links and click on the "Download" button for the item you wish to download. Note that you also need to download the required system files, once only. 

Each file you download is an .exe file, which you should run as for any other program file. This starts the Setup program which will install the software to your computer.

RUNNING PC-RAIL FOR WINDOWS

The PC-Rail simulations are run just like any other Windows program, e.g.:

1.	Click the Start button, and then point to Programs
2.	Point to PC-Rail Simulations on the list displayed
3.	Click on the simulation you wish to run

TROUBLE SHOOTING

The setup program used when you install PC-RAIL will normally configure the system to run correctly on your computer. Notes on a few reported problems (and solutions) follow:

* Problem: part of the display is missing or shows only the signals and no track.

This seems to affect some systems using the ATI Graphics adaptors, particularly the Range Pro chip set. To obtain the full track layout you need to change the display properties of your computer. 

Temporary solution:
Open the Windows Control Panel - from the Start Menu, select Settings/Control Panel.
a) Windows 98: Select Display/Settings/Advanced/Performance
b) Windows 95: Select System/Performance/Graphics
Then reduce the Hardware acceleration setting from Full to a lower setting. There are 4 settings ranging from None to Full. The default setting is Full. Click to the left of the current position marker until the marker has moved two positions to the left and ends up one position to the right of None. Press return to accept your new settings. After restarting your computer the problem will be resolved for the PC-RAIL software. However, other programs which use DirectX (eg Microsoft Flight Simulator FS98) may run slower.

Permanent solution:
This applies to ATI graphics cards using the ATI Range Pro chip. Download and install the latest driver from the ATI web site, http://support.ati.com/products/pc/graphics/index.html. (this is really quite straightforward).

* Performance: 

The smoothness of running and responsiveness to operator commands will be limited by the speed of your processor and the amount of memory available.

* Should you find what appears to be a program bug:

Make a careful note of what happened, its context and other relevant details, including your hardware set-up and operating environment. 

Run the Diagnostic program which is supplied. This can be started through the Windows Start menu - go to Programs/PC-Rail Simulations/Resources/Diagnostics. After selecting the simulation which is affected by the problem from the list shown, you are recommended to click on the 'Help' button for further guidance.

We welcome your comments and suggestions for future extension and improvement of the PC-RAIL range. 

TO UNINSTALL PC-RAIL FOR WINDOWS

To remove PC-Rail for Windows from your system:

Using the Windows Start menu, go to Programs/PC-Rail Simulations/Resources/Uninstall.

Should this not remove all the files, you can simply delete the entire directory to which the simulation was installed.

NOTES ON HOW PC-RAIL IS INSTALLED

The current version of all the PC-Rail software is contained on the PC-Rail CD-ROM and on the PC-Rail web site. The registration code data needed to cause the software to function as a full unrestricted version is not contained in these files. A new installation will by default run in "Evaluation" mode until such time as the registration code is entered by the user.

If a simulation is installed to a directory already containing a registered copy of the same simulation, the previous registration details will if possible be preserved and there should be no need for the code to be entered again. However, in the case of earlier version, this may not be so and you should request the registration code from us. 

The main PC-Rail directory (Installation Directory) is selected by the user when the main Setup.exe program is run, as is the Shortcut Folder. The names of the Installation Directory and Shortcut Folder are written to the Windows Registry.

When the setup for individual simulations is run, the Registry entries are read and the simulation is installed to a specific subdirectory of the Installation Directory, and the appropriate shortcut is added to the Shortcut Folder.

It is possible to install multiple copies of the software (e.g. a current version and a test version). To force the simulation setup programs to address the correct Installation Directory and Shortcut Folder, run the main Setup program again, selecting the appropriate folder names.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due to the willing volunteers who assisted with testing the Windows version of PC-Rail. Also to Shahbaz Ahmer (shahbaz@cyber.net.pk) of Karachi, Pakistan, for his excellent design and programming work and for his invaluable advice throughout the development of the Windows version. 

Thanks also for permission to include the image files used in the startup screens of each simulation. 

Ross Aitken - 56133.bmp, 86234.bmp, 91024.bmp, crewe90.bmp
Mike Arm - limest.bmp (from the Rail Info web site, http://www.railinfo.home.ml.org)
David Lecombe - didcot47.bmp
Anthony Rispoli - bton.bmp, york2.bmp
Anthony Rispoli - barnham1.bmp (class 159 unit has just passed the signal box at Barnham forming a Down train)
Adrian Turner - cl902.bmp
Rob Ruutel - westbr4.bmp, leicr02.bmp
Anthony Rispoli/S. Parascandolo - 3516_guildford.bmp 
S. Parascandolo - lew1.jpg
Bruce Meyer - champgn.bmp (The "City of New Orleans" prepares to leave Champaign on Sept 17 1955) 
Philip Lee - Mvc-12g.bmp (a 6DD"C" set on it's way to Olympic Park).
Martyn Fordham - trent2.jpg (MGR coal train and Castle Donnington power station)

Kettering Junction (kettgjn3.bmp) - from a photo of Kettering South, January 1955, by Helga Tye.

Thanks to John Hinson and Chris French for providing the bell sound files used in the Super Heritage series.


John Dennis
PC-Rail Software, P.O. Box 27, Cromer, NR27 9RL, U.K.
Email: john@pcrail.co.uk
Web site: www.pcrail.co.uk
