Again... more of a question than a bug report at this stage. Is it normal to have the neutral zones doing precisely nothing on this route? They work on WCML over Shap, so I assumed they would in this.
The only working neutral zones are on WCML Shap and I believe WCML Trent. The Class 86 does not recognise neutral zones and will sail through them. You have to power down in neutral zones in the 87.
As others have said... apparently not on WCML North. Here's a video if me ploughing straight through one outside Motherwell in a class 87 in run up. WCML Shap.. class 86 in run up. WCML Shap, class 87 in run up. I just assumed class 86s were pretty much the same as 87s mechanically. The fact that the zones don't work in WCML North is rubbish, seeing as class 87s were as common as dirt on the whole of the WCML.
WCMLN is an old 2011 route, maybe that function wasn't doable at the time. So it is not really a bug.