Remove a Trainz mod safely with Content Manager, check dependants, choose delete, disable or revert, and fix assets that remain listed.
To uninstall a mod in Trainz Simulator, use Content Manager rather than deleting folders from the Trainz user-data directory. Find every asset supplied by the mod, check its dependants, then delete custom assets, revert modified built-in assets, or uninstall packaged DLC through Content Store where available.
How do I remove a Trainz mod in Content Manager?
Content Manager is the safe place to remove Trainz assets because it tracks their KUIDs, dependencies, installation state and local edits.
- Open Content Manager. In many Trainz editions this is opened through the launcher using the content-management option.
- Find the exact asset. Search by title, creator, asset type or KUID. Use the KUID whenever possible because unrelated assets can share similar names.
- Identify everything installed with the mod. A locomotive, route or scenery pack may contain many separate assets rather than one removable item.
- Check its dependants. Use the view that lists assets which depend on the selected item. Do not confuse this with the dependency list, which shows what the selected asset itself requires.
- Close any open edit. Submit the edit if you intend to keep it, or revert it if you do not. Trainz may refuse to remove an asset while it remains open for edit.
- Choose the appropriate removal action. Delete an ordinary local asset, revert a modified built-in asset, or use the package controls for DLC and other managed content.
- Wait for database tasks to finish. Trainz normally updates the content database automatically after the change.
- Test affected content. Load any route, session or vehicle that used the mod and check Content Manager for missing dependencies.
Back up any route, session or locally created asset before removing content on which it may rely. Our Train Simulator troubleshooting answers cover related content and installation problems.
Should I delete, disable or revert the asset?
The correct command depends on whether the Trainz asset is local, built-in, modified or part of a managed package.
| Asset state | Action to use | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Custom asset imported from a CDP or another local source | Delete or remove the local asset | Removes the installed content from the local database |
| Built-in asset with local modifications | Revert to original | Discards your changes and restores the supplied version |
| Unmodified built-in asset | Leave installed | Base content normally cannot or should not be removed individually |
| Packaged DLC or managed add-on | Uninstall through Content Store or the equivalent package control | Removes the package as a managed unit rather than deleting its assets separately |
| Asset open for edit | Submit or revert the edit first | Closes the editable copy so another action can be taken |
| Asset needed only for a temporary test | Disable, if that command is available | Keeps the asset installed but prevents Trainz from using it |
Disable is not the same as uninstall. It is useful for diagnosing a conflict because it is easily reversed, but dependant routes and vehicles will treat the disabled asset as unavailable.
How do I remove every asset included with a mod?
A Trainz mod is often a collection of KUID assets, so deleting its top-level locomotive, route or session may leave much of the package installed.
Use the original package description, included documentation and Content Manager details to identify the supplied assets. Creator information and installation records can help, but neither is conclusive: the same creator may have made unrelated content, while some dependencies may have been installed previously.
Do not select the entire dependency tree and delete it. Bogeys, couplers, horn sounds, textures, script libraries and scenery objects are frequently shared with other add-ons. Remove only assets known to belong exclusively to the unwanted mod.
Likewise, deleting a route does not automatically remove all of its scenery. Trainz keeps dependencies as separate assets because another route or session may still use them.
What if another route or locomotive depends on the mod?
Keep the asset or replace it first if content you still use appears in its dependant list.
- A route may load with missing scenery, track or interactive objects.
- A session may report missing dependencies or fail because a required rule or script is absent.
- A locomotive can lose its bogeys, cab, sounds, couplers or scripted functions.
- A shared script library can affect several apparently unrelated assets.
A common mistake is removing a small supporting asset because it does not look significant. Its title may say little about its purpose, so rely on the KUID and dependant list rather than the thumbnail or name.
If the unwanted object is placed in a route, replace or remove its instances in Surveyor and save the route before uninstalling it. For a packaged locomotive or scripted asset, replacing an internal dependency may require editing the asset itself; leaving the dependency installed is usually safer.
Why does Trainz still show the mod after deletion?
An asset can remain visible in Content Manager even when its local files are no longer installed because the database retains catalogue information.
- Only the installation state changed. Content from Trainz's managed download catalogue may remain listed as available for download. That does not mean it is still installed.
- You reverted a local modification. The original built-in or packaged asset remains after the edited layer is removed.
- Another KUID version exists. A newer revision may supersede the one you deleted, or two similarly named assets may be unrelated. Compare their complete KUIDs.
- The package remains installed. Managed DLC may restore or retain assets until the containing package is uninstalled through its package control.
- The asset is still open for edit. Submit or revert the edit before trying again.
- The database has not completed its update. Allow background tasks to finish and restart Trainz before assuming the entry is stuck.
Check the asset's status rather than expecting its row to disappear completely. If statuses remain plainly wrong after a restart, run the normal database repair supplied with Trainz. An extended repair is a last resort for persistent database faults, not a routine uninstallation step.
Can I delete a Trainz mod directly from its folder?
Do not manually delete assets from the Trainz user-data folders unless you are recovering from a documented, non-standard installation and know the exact files involved.
Assets imported from a CDP, dragged into Content Manager or installed through Trainz are ingested into the content database. They are no longer managed as an ordinary folder that can safely be removed in File Explorer. Deleting database files by hand can produce stale entries, missing assets or wider database damage.
If a separate installer placed files outside the content database and provided its own uninstaller, use that uninstaller. For an old installation with no removal tool, back up the complete user-data directory before changing anything and remove only files that can be identified with certainty.
How do I restore a mod removed by mistake?
Re-import the original package or restore the asset from a known-good backup. If the add-on came from us, download a clean copy from our aircraft, scenery and simulator add-on library and import it again through Trainz.
Restore the exact KUID where possible, particularly for scripted content. A database repair can correct the catalogue and indexing, but it cannot recreate deleted custom assets whose source files are no longer available.