That information is transmitted in a series of data codes at each stop in the schedules. Freight has a default activity code of setting down and picking up wagons at any stop, and if the codes are not entered right the default can crop up again downstream.Can you please explain what this train (6A59) is about? Gaining and loosing "coaches" at Piccadilly and Stalybridge and running round there rather than say Guide Bridge East/Hyde Junction loop?
Surely they haven't left "coaches" at Picc?
The gaining/losing vehicles is an unfortunate quirk with the train planning softwareCan you please explain what this train (6A59) is about? Gaining and loosing "coaches" at Piccadilly and Stalybridge and running round there rather than say Guide Bridge East/Hyde Junction loop?
Surely they haven't left "coaches" at Picc?
I assume that description is a general catch-all and in this case it is more likely to be for pathing or staff change purposes. In fact it only appears to have spent a quarter of a minute there anyway! It does seem a bit strange though that they have seemingly lugged empty wagons about 300 miles from Kent to North Wales then about 250 miles from Manchester back to Kent, for a loaded journey of barely 100 miles - doesn’t appear to make sense either economically or environmentally.Can you please explain what this train (6A59) is about? Gaining and loosing "coaches" at Piccadilly and Stalybridge and running round there rather than say Guide Bridge East/Hyde Junction loop?
Surely they haven't left "coaches" at Picc?
Economically I have to agree, but environmentally, even with the massive amount of empty running, the train has still not emitted as much CO2 as HGVs carrying the same load, assuming the HGVs ran one way empty to collect the load.I assume that description is a general catch-all and in this case it is more likely to be for pathing or staff change purposes. In fact it only appears to have spent a quarter of a minute there anyway! It does seem a bit strange though that they have seemingly lugged empty wagons about 300 miles from Kent to North Wales then about 250 miles from Manchester back to Kent, for a loaded journey of barely 100 miles - doesn’t appear to make sense either economically or environmentally.
As mentioned above, 'Stops to detach and attach vehicles' is the default activity for freight trains (in the same way 'Stops to set down and take up passengers' is the default activity for passenger trains). RTT renders this as 'service gains/loses coaches'. Some codes override the default activity, but others (such as 'stops or shunts to let other trains pass', also known as stopping for pathing reasons) do not and the planners who input the schedule in the system need to enter an dummy activity in the first position and then put the actual activity in second place.I assume that description is a general catch-all and in this case it is more likely to be for pathing or staff change purposes. In fact it only appears to have spent a quarter of a minute there anyway! It does seem a bit strange though that they have seemingly lugged empty wagons about 300 miles from Kent to North Wales then about 250 miles from Manchester back to Kent, for a loaded journey of barely 100 miles - doesn’t appear to make sense either economically or environmentally.
It is avoidable if people put the star first when it's needed! However once the schedule has acquired the -T/OP they tend to be left in because people tend to think they're intended rather than data errors.The gaining/losing vehicles is an unfortunate quirk with the train planning software