If you acquired the CSX SD80MAC after it was released in 2014, then this guide can be interesting for you, if you wish to fix the couplings for this nice locomotive. This is the DLC I am referring to:

https://steamhost.cn/app/277733/

There are currently several CSX SD80MAC mods, of which I have installed two and that can be found in Railworks America. The first is an audio mod that installs a new horn, fixing the original looping problem and also improving dynamic brakes sounds.

Another one makes changes to traction parameters and will improve the dynamics brakes resistance curve. This particular mod requires making changes in the Engine .BIN files, the very same that I have required to make changes to the couplings values.

Once these mods are installed, there are still two serious problems left. First there are the train brakes. When you apply them, they will suddenly jump to an emergency position after reaching about 30% of application making difficult to drive the diesel. For this one there is no cure so far.

And finally the reason for this guide, the couplings, which were left with a short pivot value, producing an unwanted visible effect of intersection between coupled locomotives models of the same DLC.
In some consists I have also observed couplers vertical position glitches, but it is hard to determine if they are due to the loco or wagons and this process will not fix it.

If you modify the couplings values you will be going from this:




To that:




I have tested multiple consists combining the two available locomotive versions (driver and non-driver [ND]) in different combinations of front and rear couplings, until getting satisfactory values.

To be able to do this mod you will need to own and know how to use the following installed tools:

• RW_Tools or other similar editor to edit .BIN files:
  
• The 7Z application required to decompress and compress .AP files. You also can do this using RW_Tools. This guide assumes you have 7Z.

To fix the couplings you will need to edit these two .BIN files, one for the locomotive with drivers and the other without them (ND):

SD80MAC_CSX.bin
SD80MAC_CSX_nd.bin

First of all you have to be sure your files are backed up. If you normally save and keep updated a full copy of your Railworks Assets, then you already have your backup. If not, keep reading.

First of all, you have to find the above two files that will be edited. With the Windows File Explorer look for this path:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\RailWorks\Assets\DTG\SD80MACPack01
The hard disk can be different from C: in your case.

With this DLC, you will probably be in one of these three possible situations:

1. You don´t have any mod installed for this DLC
   
2. You have a mod for the Engine folder of this DLC and it was installed in the .AP compressed file (SD80MACPack01Assets.ap)
   
3. You have a mod for the Engine folder of this DLC and it was installed in the same folder where SD80MACPack01Assets.ap is located. This case requires some care (see the final part of this guide).

I will explain the process to modify the files under the situation #1, which probably is the most frequent.

1. Right click the SD80MACPack01Assets.ap file in the folder mentioned above
   
2. Choose 7Z-->Open Archive-->The .AP will decompress
   
3. While in 7Z open this chain of sub-folders (under 7Z): RailVehicles-->Diesel-->SD80MAC-->CSX-->Engine
   
4. Identify and drag with your mouse these two files in Engine sub-folder to your desktop:
   
   • SD80MAC_CSX.bin
     
   • SD80MAC_CSX_nd.bin
5. If you have not yet saved these files it is time to save a copy elsewhere out of the Desktop.
   
6. Do not close 7Z
   
7. Open the Desktop SD80MAC_CSX.bin with RW_Tools (or other .BIN editor):
   
   • Find section (in 1st part of text): </RearCouplingReceivingPoint>
     
   • Edit FrontPivotX line to a value of 12.45</FrontPivotX>
     
   • Edit BackPivotX line to a value of -12.43</BackPivotX>
     
   • Save SD80MAC_CSX.bin
8. Open the Desktop SD80MAC_CSX_nd.bin with RW_Tools (or other .BIN editor):
   
   • Find section (1st part of text): </RearCouplingReceivingPoint>
     
   • Edit FrontPivotX to a value of 12.45</FrontPivotX>
     
   • Edit BackPivotX to a value of -12.42</BackPivotX>
     
   • Save SD80MAC_CSX_nd.bin
9. Close RW_Tools (or your .BIN editor).
   
10. With your mouse, drag SD80MAC_CSX.bin and SD80MAC_CSX_nd.bin files back to the Engine folder in the the 7z opened instance of SD80MACPack01Assets.ap. If you have closed the .AP accidentally, repeat the process in 2 and 3 above.
    
11. Confirm file copy and then close 7Z.
    
12. Process finished. You are all set. Build your CSX SD80MAC consists and enjoy TS2015.

As a matter of fact, the process is much easier to carry out than what it seems in this Spanglish guide :-)


If you have installed mods related with these two edited files, then you should manage the same process above in the already modified files. I particularly have installed the .BIN files with the two mods mentioned at the beginning plus these couplings fixes.

However, a word of caution: I have recently found that if you have two instances of .BIN files for the same locomotive, i.e. the original (in the .AP) and the modified files (in another Engine folder outside of the .AP compressed file), your consist editor and your scenario consist builder will mess up and you could be mixing non-modified with modified locos in your consists, without knowing it. More detailed information about this issue can be read in this Steam DTG discussion:

https://steamhost.cn/steamcommunity_com/app/24010/discussions/7/528398719789704908/