I’ve been doing some DRA freight runs and I’m unsure whether M or Ü is appropriate for the cargo being pulled, some trains will have one or the other enabled automatically and would like to know whether those settings are correct?
Check out this thread: https://forums.dovetailgames.com/threads/nahverkehr-dresden-freight-timetable-explained.48953/ It has some very good info on which PZB mode to use and how to set up brakes for DRA freight.
I don't know where this "1600T rule" comes from, I've seen it before but it's rarely useful in my opinion. One should instead look at the brake levers and geography of the map, for an example, all freight trains on PZB U on MSB and HRO regardless of weight due to the steep ramps and G brakes. Both also feature a Vr 2 down the steep ramp in the very end of the run if i remember correctly, a disaster with a PZB M train.
If you want to know how it is done realistically I would like to direct you to an old thread that came about with the introduction of DRA. It’s quite long and explains all aspects of how fright operations work irl in Germany. Lamplight did a great summary, in my eyes, which you can find here: Riesa-dresden: Tips On Driving Freight Trains Realistically.
In real life, all of this information will be in the driver's Buchfahrplan; he doesn't have to calculate it all himself in 90 seconds! (Note that only with Riesa-Dresden and later German routes is it possible to set brakes to R/P/G; on older routes freight cars are all locked to G mode)
