You want to reskin a diesel engine from Norfolk Southern to Union Pacific. Instead of re-packaging the entire asset, you can extract the CDP, edit the .tga files in Photoshop/GIMP, and replace the original textures.
Over the years, the Trainz community has developed lightweight, specialized software to read these archives. 1. TrainzUtil (Command Line Extractor) trainz cdp extractor
Hardcore Trainz users often manage thousands of custom assets. Extracting and organizing them into external directories helps keep backup drives clean without bloating the game database. You want to reskin a diesel engine from
The "brain" of the asset. It defines the name, KUID, description, and how the game should handle the 3D model. mesh_body: Contains the .trainzmesh files (the 3D geometry). Usually in format. Note that newer versions may use The "brain" of the asset
A .cdp file created for Trainz 2019 might not work in Trainz 2012. Always check that the content is compatible with your version of the game. Best Practices for Managing Custom Content
: Recent versions (e.g., v2.1) feature an improved extraction algorithm that is faster and requires fewer disk reads. It is a "portable" application, meaning no formal installation is required to run the binary.