[Rails] problems with apache

[Dylan]

Hi all

I'm currently running rails on apache/windows and it seems like rails 
has trouble getting started the first few times I start apache and 
request a page.

I created a blank controller called 'test', and it has an index method 
and associated index.rhtml file. (All it contains is <p>hello world</p>)

I keep getting '500 server error'. I have to try to load the page 
several times and eventually the page does load, (with no modification 
to the code or apache setup!). The only thing I have to do to get the 
page to load is hit refresh a dozen times or so.

here's the error I get in the apache log with every failed request:

[Tue Mar 01 16:05:06 2005] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] FastCGI: comm with 
(dynamic) server "C:/XXXXXXXXXX/public/dispatch.fcgi" aborted: (first 
read) idle timeout (30 sec)

[Tue Mar 01 16:05:06 2005] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] FastCGI: 
incomplete headers (0 bytes) received from server 
"C:/XXXXXXXXXX/public/dispatch.fcgi"

it runs perfectly in webrick, but I seem to have a ghost in the apache 
machine.

does anyone have any idea what could be wrong?
thanks
dylan