diff --git a/include/trick/MonteVar.hh b/include/trick/MonteVar.hh
index 9604a950..00ea56bb 100644
--- a/include/trick/MonteVar.hh
+++ b/include/trick/MonteVar.hh
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ namespace Trick {
 
         /** Destructor. */
         virtual ~MonteVar() {};
+        /**
+         * Sets the unit
+         *
+         * @param in_unit this variable's units
+         */
+        void set_unit(std::string in_unit) { this->unit = in_unit; }
 
         /** Class MonteCarlo is a friend so it can use the get_next_value method.
          *  The get_next_value method needs to be protected so users cannot use it in the input file
diff --git a/include/trick/MonteVarFile.hh b/include/trick/MonteVarFile.hh
index 444b1ff8..6c01aefa 100644
--- a/include/trick/MonteVarFile.hh
+++ b/include/trick/MonteVarFile.hh
@@ -87,6 +87,22 @@ namespace Trick {
          */
         MonteVarFile(std::string name, std::string file_name, unsigned int column, std::string unit = "");
 
+        /** Destructor. */
+        virtual ~MonteVarFile();
+        /**
+         * Sets the file name 
+         *
+         * @param in_file_name the name of the file containing this variable's values
+         */
+        void set_file_name(std::string in_file_name);
+
+        /**
+         * Sets the column
+         *
+         * @param in_column the column (starting at 1)  within the file corresponding to this variable
+         */
+        void set_column(unsigned int in_column);
+
         protected:
         virtual std::string get_next_value();
 
diff --git a/include/trick/MonteVarFixed.hh b/include/trick/MonteVarFixed.hh
index a8857adb..5329ab3e 100644
--- a/include/trick/MonteVarFixed.hh
+++ b/include/trick/MonteVarFixed.hh
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ namespace Trick {
          */
         MonteVarFixed(std::string name, double value, std::string unit = "");
 
+        void set_value(double in_value);
+
         protected:
         virtual std::string get_next_value();
 
diff --git a/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFile.cpp b/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFile.cpp
index 7944b11e..29467254 100644
--- a/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFile.cpp
+++ b/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFile.cpp
@@ -7,19 +7,21 @@
 #include "trick/message_proto.h"
 #include "trick/exec_proto.h"
 
-Trick::MonteVarFile::MonteVarFile(std::string in_name, std::string in_file_name, unsigned int in_column, std::string in_unit) {
+Trick::MonteVarFile::MonteVarFile(std::string in_name, std::string in_file_name, unsigned int in_column, std::string in_unit) :
+    input_file_stream(NULL)
+{
     this->name = in_name;
-    this->file_name = in_file_name;
     this->column = in_column;
     this->unit = in_unit;
-
-    input_file_stream = new std::ifstream(file_name.c_str(), std::ifstream::in);
-    if (input_file_stream->fail()) { 
-        char string[100];
-        sprintf(string, "Trick:MonteVarFile the input file \"%s\" failed to open", file_name.c_str());
-        exec_terminate_with_return(-1, __FILE__, __LINE__, string);
-   }
+  
+    set_file_name(in_file_name);
     buffer = new char[4096];
+
+}
+
+Trick::MonteVarFile::~MonteVarFile() {
+    delete input_file_stream;
+    delete buffer;
 }
 
 std::string Trick::MonteVarFile::get_next_value() {
@@ -79,3 +81,20 @@ std::string Trick::MonteVarFile::get_next_value() {
 
     return NULL;
 }
+
+void Trick::MonteVarFile::set_file_name(std::string in_file_name) {
+    delete input_file_stream;
+
+    input_file_stream = new std::ifstream(in_file_name.c_str(), std::ifstream::in);
+    if (input_file_stream->fail()) {
+        std::stringstream string_stream;
+        string_stream << "Trick:MonteVarFile the input file \"" << in_file_name <<  "\" failed to open";
+        exec_terminate_with_return(-1, __FILE__, __LINE__, string_stream.str().c_str());
+    }
+    this->file_name = in_file_name;
+}
+
+void Trick::MonteVarFile::set_column(unsigned int in_column) {
+    this->column = in_column;
+}
+
diff --git a/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFixed.cpp b/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFixed.cpp
index fdc98a48..49bd1923 100644
--- a/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFixed.cpp
+++ b/trick_source/sim_services/MonteCarlo/MonteVarFixed.cpp
@@ -5,12 +5,17 @@
 
 Trick::MonteVarFixed::MonteVarFixed(std::string in_name, double in_value, std::string in_unit) {
     this->name = in_name;
+    set_value(in_value);
+    this->unit = in_unit;
+}
+
+void Trick::MonteVarFixed::set_value(double in_value) {
     std::ostringstream string_stream;
     string_stream << std::setprecision(15) << in_value ;
     this->value = string_stream.str();
-    this->unit = in_unit;
 }
 
+
 std::string Trick::MonteVarFixed::get_next_value() {
     std::ostringstream string_stream;
     if (unit.empty()) {