Freightmaster (the book or online) does not provide real-time progress so you will not know if its running late, early or cancelled. Also it doesn't include 'one-offs' within the timetables for obvious reasons so you'll not know when the next STP engineering train, test train, charter or charter ECS, light engine or tamper is going to show up.
Many people would see that as an advantage!!
The whole 'point' of Freightmaster is to provide highly accurate timetables
of
regular, timetabled freight trains at over 100 hand picked locations - the
timetables are regularly checked and updated to remove over 90% of the
non runners which can cause confusion on RTT and other sites.
By not listing 'Mickey Mouse' workings such as tampers, light engines,
weedkilling MPVs, etc, the FMonline timetables are much more concise
and easy to use, and the inclusion of headcodes, usual motive power,
etc, train types, etc. is the icing on the cake.
Although sometimes you can use common sense and work it out from the destination.
The reason over 900 people subscribe to FMonline is because they
don't
want to waste time trying to "work out" headcodes, train types,
usual motive power, etc. - they would rather pay someone else (me!)
to do all the working out for them...
I have spent most of the 19 years trying to 'justify' why people should
pay to subscribe to Freightmaster, and I suppose it's a bit like decorating;
some people prefer to save money by wallpapering a room themselves,
while others would rather pay a decorator to do it for them.
In a similar way, some masochistic people clearly prefer the 'DIY' approach
to freight timetables - it all depends on the accuracy of info you require.
MARK
