I realized that I had installed the UPDATES but not the UPGRADE to 1.3
There's no such thing as an 1.3 upgrade. The only GSX installer is the full 1.3 installer. The only update it's the Stand-Alone Addon Manager, and the end result would be exactly the same: updating you to the most current version.
I had downloaded the wrong file.
You can't download the wrong file. You can, instead, *ignore* the prompt to download the Stand-Alone Addon Manager that is suggested by the Live Update program.
Wish they had just put the link in this support forum as others do, but...
When there's a major update, which was the case with the 1.3 update, when you select the option to update, the Live Update will launch the browser for you, already pointed to the Stand-Alone Addon Manager download page so, it's even easier than having you to look for the same link on the forum.
Point is I now have completely uninstalled and reinstalled using the correct upgrade installer
Since an upgrade installer for 1.3 doesn't exists, I wonder what you installed. Or, do you mean the Stand-Alone Addon Manager ?
and not only does the -900 not complete the baggage handling but now I have the same problem on the -800 that I never had before
Both the -800 and -900 are working.
He also claims that the trains vary the number of carts they haul depending on the load
That's what they do.
In the original, the baggage handling always completed within a minute or so and that was announced: "baggage loading/unloading completed" and the wait was for the passengers.
This is only dependent on the GSX time settings, that can be changed by users. The *passengers* are controlled by that, but the baggage train aren't.
Why Umberto is not able to replicate it is beyond my understanding
The issue is, several people that posted here said the problem was fixed after applying the current Live Update.
It seems it was one of the update fixes that introduced the problem
The large 1.3 update introduced the problem. But the small Live Update that we posted the day after it, fixed it. I can replicate this situation.
It was not present (to my knowlege) with the original RTM release. Of course we would no longer have the double loaders or the bulk loaders.
That's why they aren't comparable at all, the differences due to double loaders are simply too many, to be able to point out a specific thing.
But the whole point is, I've made something like 50-60 different test in all kind of strange situations, changing airplane, airport, gate, station load, number of passengers, timings, and I'm still unable to replicate the issue.