Arfa Daily wrote:


"spamtrap1888" wrote in message
...
On Jun 24, 10:15 am, "Arfa Daily" wrote:
OK. So I was watching an episode of the U.S. documentary series
"Undercover
Stings" a couple of nights ago, and the camera focused briefly on a post
by
the side of the road. It had two square signs on it. The upper green one
said "Starke City Limit" which I understood, but the one below it -
white
background, black lettering, black line all around the edge, said "Engine
Braking Prohibited". What does this mean ? I understand what engine
braking
is - here in the UK at least - but does it mean something different your
side of the pond, and why would it be prohibited anywhere ?


http://www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com/...elease-brakes/

Hearing the jake brake's rowr rowr rowr (or blaaa aa aa aa aa) as big
trucks go downhill will keep you from sleeping.

Jacobs also makes exhaust brakes.


Ah-ha ! I thought that it might be something to do with trucks because with
most cars in the U.S. (at least the ones that I've driven) being auto
transmission, I couldn't imagine that there would be any way that engine
braking could easily be produced. I have heard of a Jake Brake on Ice Road
Truckers and IRT Deadliest Roads, but never really understood how it worked.
I don't recall them ever having commented about engine noise from using it,
but I guess that might not be too much of an issue in the wilds of Alaska or
Canada. In saying that though, I would have thought that it would have been
picked up on the soundtracks of those programmes if it was that loud ?

I have no idea whether there is a similar system fitted to UK trucks, but I
can't say that I've ever heard anything that sounded out of the ordinary
with a truck engine, so maybe not. I have seen signs here though at the

I wonder if vehicle size difference is part of the reason jake brakes
would seem to be less common outside the US.

a large truck in europe is small here in the US.

I think only Australia outdoes the US with their road trains.

It's the same with railways, a large european freight train would be
crushed to bits in a crash with a commuter passenger train from the US.
Laws here don't permit passenger trains to be made of paper cups and used
tissue like in germany. Everything is large and heavy.

Canada does run longer heavier trains than in the US though.