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Following item dated September 2020

Simpler simulations available for Windows

All of the simulations in the Shedmaster and FreightManager series are now available for Windows, all still priced at £10. If you haven't tried them, do have a go. Even customers hooked on the big ones like Perth seem to like running one of these for light relief, and they can generally be completed in an evening, or in some cases even less.

Following item dated September 2019

Price rise

We were shocked to find recently that we hadn't raised our prices since 2001, more than 17 years ago! I can't think of anything else that still costs what it did then, and I'm afraid we need to correct the situation. So we're applying an increase of just over 10% to most of our prices with immediate effect, except that we will honour the old prices for orders processed before the end of September 2019 and quoting the code 1909. This does NOT apply to the two new ones; they are £50 each from the start.

There is one exception to the general rise: those products that were previously £12 are reduced to £10. This means that all our current products will be priced at a multiple of £10.

Following item dated September 2015

Android Tablets

To our surprise, it seems that a version of DOSBox for Android is available from the Google Play Store, and that using this our non-Windows simulations do run on Android Tablets, though the absence of keyboard or mouse does make it a little fiddly. We’ll post more on this as we learn!

Following item dated February 2011

Email attachments discontinued

We have experienced many problems with various email services rejecting executable attachments, including zip files. After some experiments we have discontinued sending orders as attachments. Instead, they will be uploaded to a secure area on our web site, and when payment is received you will be sent a link to your file. This appears to solve all the problems, and downloading the file is a very simple process.

Following three items dated 25 May 2010

Change of phone number

We have discontinued the use of our Skype-In number 020-8133-2004, and instead now have a voice number 07020-971132. This number is only available for recorded messages; because of other commitments, we regret that we can not undertake to receive “live” voice calls.

Floppy disks discontinued

We are now receiving very few requests for orders on floppy disks, and there are rumours that they may no longer be obtainable. They are also prone to damage in the post. With immediate effect, therefore, we will no longer offer as standard the option of receiving an order on a floppy disk. For as long as it is possible with the equipment available to us, we will continue to produce floppy disks, but only by special request.

Printed Instructions

The majority of orders are now emailed directly to customers, with instructions supplied as PDF files. This method has been well received by customers, and offers advantages over printed instructions, in that the file may be searched, and the contents viewed online while the simulation is running. There is plenty of space available on a CDROM, so there seems no good reason not to do the same with orders shipped by that method, and we are now doing so.

Following item dated December 2009

Use of DOSBox

Our Support page now includes a link to a page of information about how to use DOSBox with our simulations on Windows XP or Vista. DOSBox can also be used to run our simulations with Linux!

Following item dated 23 July 2009

DOSBox for Windows XP and Vista

We have recently discovered a piece of software that appears to solve all the problems of running our Driver and Signal Box simulations with Windows XP and Vista. If you have trouble with any of our other simulations with newer versions of Windows, particularly with mouse or sound, it will probably solve those too. Full details are on our Support page.

If you have trouble changing the window size when running with XP or Vista, please note that this is done by changing the font size, not by dragging the edge of the window as in earlier versions of Windows. That’s nothing to do with us; blame Bill Gates!

Following item dated 5 October 2008

Windows versions of simulations

Please click on the Windows item in the menu on the left to see more information about a prototype Windows simulation, which can be downloaded from this site, and a request for feedback.

Following item dated 17 July 2008

Credit card changes

We have now switched to accepting credit and debit card payments only through a third party, PayPal.

This has three main consequences:

1. We are now able to accept credit or debit card payments only for orders placed online, or where an email address is provided;
2. You will provide your card details only to PayPal, and not to us. This will happen after we have accepted the order and notified you by email of the amount due. It is possible that at a later stage we shall be able to introduce a shopping cart facility, but the “4 for the price of 3” offer complicates this.
3. If you already have a PayPal account, the payment process will be simplified.

The new system is now in effect, and the online order form no longer allows input of credit card details. We no longer have the ability to handle credit card orders by post.

Following item dated March 2008

Corrections to EX55, OX54 and OX59

Corrections have been uploaded today to Exeter 1955 to make Saturday time-keeping more realistic, and to remove some unintended penalties when trains are held up leaving the area. Fixes to Oxford 1954 and 1959 correct an error affecting nonstop passenger trains routed from the centre roads to the hold positions HU1 or ND1/2.

Following items dated June 2007

Four for the price of three

In the past we have generally run this offer for a couple of months around Christmas. With immediate effect, this offer is permanent. Any order for four or more simulations may claim the cheapest one free.

Exeter 1955 now ready!

We’re delighted to announce that Exeter 1955 is now available.

Message Board replacement

We’re pleased to announce that we now have a Yahoo Group available for the sort of discussions that previously took place on our own message board. We hope this will be useful. You can find Yahoo Groups at http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/; there are many groups there connected with railways, as well as our own, which is called SIAMulations. All applications for membership will have to be approved, to prevent the sort of abuse that occurred on the message board; you will need to have a Yahoo username and password.

Choice of media when ordering

Our online order form now offers you the choice of floppy disk, CD or delivery by zip file attached to an email. Email delivery is now the default for orders placed online, and we expect it will be preferred by overseas customers, or anyone in a hurry. Delivery will consist of a single zip file attached to an email, containing for each simulation the executable file and a PDF file containing the instructions.

Since the number of CD orders has increased, we have streamlined the way these are produced, and one consequence is that each CD now includes our current general instructions sheet and an installation routine.

Corrections

Please check the Support page for the latest fixes. Even with a lot of testing, it seems to be inevitable that some errors creep through. The menu bar on the Support page shows the date of the latest change to each simulation. To avoid clutter, fixes will normally be removed from the Support area after about a year.