Disc brakes

It's really close with one big difference. There is a toaster style resistor grids up top on a Dynamic Brake equipped Locomotive, When descending, the engineer causes the traction motors in the axles to begin to resist and send power generated to the resistor grids up top with the cooling fans turned up way high.

Here is a Amtrack engine set in full dynamic braking with fans up high and just enough engine for Head End Power (Hotel load imposed by the electric demands of teh kitchen car etc.) this is on the sandpatch grade

 

Once there was a time...
In the year 2000 I got my first truck and trailer equipped with disc brakes, it was in Germany, the truck was a Mercedes Actros.
When I picked up the truck in the Mercedes factory, I was warned about the brakes and I should be very careful braking the first time. Without seat belt, I think I would have gone thru the windshield, it was impressive.

For many years I was driving trucks thru Europe with disc brakes and I was used to it. When I moved to Canada 2009 and drove the first North American truck, I thought I was back in the year 1980 when I started truck driving.
Now I'm again used to the drum brakes, but in my opinion, disc brakes are worth every cent and save life.

Here two older videos, unfortunately they are in German, but it's easy to explain:
Truck vs Van, it doesn't matter if the truck is empty or loaded, they need about the same distance to come to a stop. At the end of the videos, they simulate highway driving and the truck brakes without warning, in both videos the vans would have rear ended the truck.

 

Disc brakes have certainly come a very long way. I wouldn't of wanted them 15 years ago. They cost to much and had multiple problems. But today now that the price has dropped drastically and the bugs have been worked out? Absolutely. The next truck i order will have them on all axles.

 

One thing I noticed is it seems the disks take more apply pressure then I remember the drums taking.

 

Sarcasm is a habit of mine, my wife doesn't enjoy it nearly as much.

 

I didn't think it took nearly as much pressure, then again we could be experiencing different makes. If you only had a single piston applying the pads then more force would be necessary and you could have a taper effect happening.

 

my wife doesn't either last time she had a sense of humor was when we got married

 

I drove a 2013 Paccar MX Peterbilt 388 with them. DOT can't really inspect adjustment without taking them apart apparently, and they get more power the hotter they get. I'd say they would be a fantastic investment if you have the money.

The best part, no frozen brakes.

 

Even in the extreme mountains we run, they last over a million kms, over twice what we get out of drums, and find the first time the pads wear out they generally don't need anything else besides new pads. Takes 20 minutes to do the first set of pads, then knowing how to, its maybe 6 to 8 minutes each to do the rest.
The braking power is great as well!!!
And talk about easy to see how much pad is left, the black pin sticking out on the back side, shows how much is left. When its gone in far enough to be at the last line on it, you need new pads. The additional price on a tractor or trailer is minimal to say the least. Three fuel ups is the same cost as adding disc brakes to the tractor.

 

Sounds like it takes more time to take the wheels off and put them back on than to actually change the brake pads.