This is the handle to choose the brake mode, seen at the cab car of RE 10057 to
Bielefeld in Aachen Hbf on 19 October 2001. In vertical position brake mode P
(from Personenzug - passenger train, nowadays more often used on fast freight
trains) is active, the brake weight (Bremsgewicht, an abstract measure of the
braking ability) is 69 tons then. At the moment the handle is set to R (Rapid -
fast train, nowadays used on most passenger trains). For an (at least to me)
unknown reason two brake weights are given. In mode Mg (Magnet) the magnetic
rail brakes would be active. This would allow the train to operate with 160
km/h if it has a loco that is fast enough (actually it was a class 145 at this
train). But the mode Mg cannot be used, it is blocked by a bolt (just left of
the M). I once heard that there are technical problems with the magnetic rail
brakes.
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Digital photo by
<a href="http://www-users.rwth-aachen.de/christoph.schmitz2/index.html">Christoph Schmitz</a>