Okay so most of us have all been at that point, eying what the system switches do and getting confused when the train screams at you for something like not acknowledging a signal. How did you do it? I'm curious. Me personally, I had to search for a Russian and german PZB tutorial as I couldn't exactly get a hang of it in english. Now, I drive just fine, it is like second nature.
I started off with the old manuals for RSN and MSB back in the day for the basics. Drove a whole lot just with that background until I was comfortable with the very basics. Later on, the GPAs on HRR vexed me (didn’t even know they exist), so I started looking into other online resources. Eventually, I ended up looking at official DB manuals and other high quality materials such as the Zusi manual. For anyone who’s yet to try PZB/LZB, my one advice is this: Don’t overthink it - they look complicated but are actually really simple once you understand their logic. Get the basics from a tutorial/manual of your choice and just get driving. Don’t worry if you get a penalty brake - figure out why you got it and move on. You’ll get the hang of it.
I watched the tutorial video linked a couple of posts above. That was the most help. Then I just played with it switched on and made lots of mistakes and tried to work out what I’d done wrong. I don’t use it much, but the PZB helper in TSW3 is also pretty useful.
Unlike the other I didn't watch videos but I readed a lot the manual from MSB. Tried it first with 442 on SKA and I had like 3 emergency braking in 10 minutes. After time now I fully understand PZB even if sometime I hear "zwangsbremsung". For LZB it's very simple there is a tutorial on the Kassel-Wurzburg route. It's very simple to use and basically does all the job for you. AWS and TPWS is more simple than PZB and LZB. The SEHS manual is also a good ressource for this. AWS is just basically "A signal other than green or a low speed limit is approaching please confirm it) and TPWS is monitoring your speed before a red signal or a slow zone. TWM is like LZB but with way less monitoring and way less flexibility. KVB is sadly ultra-complex and the manual don't help a lot.
I too watched the video above, I did put off learning it for about a year after TSW2 released and I think I learned it around the time of Hamburg release, it’s quite easy once you know, you pretty much only need to know about 4-5 things about it, and it will work. I’ve never not used it since. I did originally my first PZB run on an ICE3 to Aachen as in video, that’s quite a simple PZB run and other locos and routes have varying degrees of how often you need to do much with PZB.
(PTGRail video) i used this smaller 30 minute guide which does a good job at telling you what you need to know even though it was recorded on tsc it still works for tsw (but the keybinds are different)
I watched Matt's tutorial on the official TSW YouTube channel. It pretty much nailed the core basic information. Then I just threw myself in. I'm not completely an expert on PZB/LZB and I've still got a lot to learn but I certainly understand more than I did. There's an in game option to enable safety system helpers - I recommend starting with that because in most cases it tells you when you need to acknowledge and what speed you must drop to. There is also a yellow bar which counts down how long you have to acknowledge and react accordingly
Same for me I watched Matt's tutorials as well, then just went for it. I haven't looked since and enjoy driving with PZB/LZB on.
Years ago I was playing the german freeware "Loksim3D". Pretty accurate safety systems there. Has a good manual.
Started with the lord and saviour PTGRail (now a real life signaller in the UK). He has also made a UK signalling tutorial which i also used when learning. Then basically I searched for the signs and signals I came across to polish off my knowledge using this page: https://www.sh1.org/eisenbahn/ Here's the UK signs and signals page i used aswell: https://www.railsigns.uk/
Yes - best to start learning one mode first, for example O (Passenger mode) Then learn the speeds this is supervising, below 85 at 1000Hz, for a yellow Vr0 signal aspect just remember your brake curve to go 1000 Hz (yellow indicator) >>> go below 85 km/h within 23 seconds >>> 500 Hz >>> pass this below 65 km/h and reduce to below 45 km/h within 153 metres. If only a speed reduction (yellow/green) is displayed all the PZB does is check you're below 85 km/h, irrespective of the actual speed limit (which PZB does not know about, all the magnet does is trigger a program on your loco, when it's off. It is a passive and very safe system. To actually disable a PZB magnet is must be powered. If it's not powered (due to sabotage or a warning signal), it will trigger the 2000, 1000 or 500 Hz program in the loco. If you have this "in your blood", look at how the restricted mode after a halt under influence works. Then learn the numbers for M and U mode. You'll then have your set of numbers in mind O 85 65 45 (23 seconds to reach <85 after 1000Hz) M 70 55 35 (29 seconds after 1000Hz) U 55 45 25 (38 seconds) Restricted 1000Hz mode (alternate flashing of 70/85 indicators) ALWAYS needs you to stay below 45 km/h. Now comes the tricky part. If you're in restriction in M mode for example, and there is a red signal ahead, you might think you can reach the 500 Hz magnet with a speed of 40 km/h (as 55 is the max) - but as you are in restricted mode, PZB expects you to be below 35 km/h at the 500 Hz magnet and you'll get a "Zwangsbremsung". So if restricted, the lowest speeds are supervised at the 500 Hz magnet (45/35/25). This is tough to understand for new players - but it's all due to serious fatal accidents that happened, and PZB is there to prevent a SPAD under all circumstances. The restricted mode was introduced to prevent accelerating against a red signal (I think it was the horrible Brühl accident) Edit: no it wasn't this one Also it is best to stay 5 km/h below the supervised speeds (a sudden downhill grade and you'll get a penalty braking application). If in O, I aim for 80, 60, and 40 km/h speed.
Perhaps you could drive it with minimal emergency brake applications after what could only be an agonisingly frustrating period of trial and error. But if you are to actually learn PZB you would require a guide due to the systems complexity.
What I did was Matt's video and a forum post about it on Main Spessart Bahn followed by PTG Rail video on Cruise control
PZB is quite simple to be honest, and I don’t think that’s post learning bias tbh. I watched matts video but once I understood the speed slows, that was pretty much all I needed. Didn’t take me as long as I thought it would, I knew about the odd other thing before that but about 30mins + in to the video I could use PZB fine. -Restricted mode (flashing 70-85) limit at 40kmph -85 for passenger or loco only, others are freight, I don’t use the real differences for 70 & 55, if it’s over 10 cars including loco I think I should use 55 -acknowledge any light what isn’t a perfect green, disregard white aswell. -to get past red lights when allowed hold down override -can’t be bothered with restricted mode press release -acknowledge any reductions under or same as the number displayed (85 70 55) -don’t take long in doing so, don’t take long in braking. -1000hz do less 5kmph than the number displayed (85 70 55) -500hz do half that - getting close to red light continue slowing down to stop, once under 25kmph it won’t trip PZB before you trip the red light so stop where I want to. under LZB - Forget PZB ENDE alert - Release PZB button, throttle idle, AFB isolated ENDE alert over, out of LZB - back under PZB, carry on not much else to that.
