Mountain Driving with 1995 42', 42,000 lb. Blue Bird

[Stephen Birtles]

up to 1200 amps at 480 volts but don't do that on a curve or you get
to see the wrong side of the tree line
we are limited to 500 amps on heavy curves
you have to use a combination of train brake and dynamic on 2%or more
grades

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson
wrote:
>
> The Jake Brake or Jacob Brake is a particular brand of engine brake
> manufactured and sold by Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Inc. While the term
> Jake Brake technically only describes Jake Brake brand engine brakes,
> it has become a genericized trademark and is often used to refer to
> engine brakes or compression release engine brakes in general,
> especially on large vehicles or heavy equipment. See Wikipedia for a
> full entry at:
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_brake>
>
> The magnetic retarder used on some earlier BBs is similar to the
> technology used for "dynamic braking" on diesel-electric railroad
> locomotives. The diesel-electric locomotive is actually a diesel
> generator (up to 5000 HP) that powers electric motors to drive the
> engine. On down grades, the motors are electrically switched to
> become generators, and the power produced is directed to very heavy
> duty grids and discarded as heat. Realize that these things produce
> 600 amps at 600 volts and that's a _lot_ of heat! (Great for toasting
> marshmallows.)
>
> Pete Masterson
> aeonix1@...
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42'
> El Sobrante, CA
>
>
>
>
> On Jun 25, 2007, at 4:28 PM, Ron Thompson wrote:
>
> > My BB has an engine retarder. I have no idea what that is
> > exactly. I assume it is using the compression of the engine to
> > hold back the transmission which will hold back the BB
> >
> > What is a Jake Brake?
> >
> <snip>
>