Whispering Death

Viewing Overlander's old photos with so many COE Kenworths reminded me of one or more
on the Hume about 1980. Referred to as Whispering Death.
Flew past northbound into Yass, pulled up in no distance and wheeled into the Shell servo.
Smooth and silent!
Was told they ran a 3406 Cat with hydraulic retarder.
Read up on them at the time, flywheel torque converter in stall under braking. Used engine oil
so larger sump and oil cooler. Claimed 113% of engine power in braking, compared to 76% for
Jakes. Extra weight, higher loads on cooling system and driveline.
Anyone have more info on these - which companies tried them?
Just interested, Paul.

Paul. Something in the befuddled old hard drive of a brain seems to have rang a bell. IDSTBC, but Barry Cullen Transport from Harden MAY have ran one of them late 70’s, early 80’s. Think he also had a KW with the 3408, right up on its weight over the front axle at the time. Can’t confirm whether it also had a Hydratarder though. Also recall either seeing or reading about a 3406 KW Cab over being trialled with either a 8 or 9 speed “Powershift” preselect or semi auto box (Not an Allison) so maybe the same one?? Too heavy on fuel?? From memory it was a plain white sleeper cab with an air foil on the roof with a yellow and black “CAT” emblem on it. If it is the same one I’m thinking of, may have been carting Cat spares for Wacka Jacks (Waugh & Joesephsons of Alexandria). Don’t know whatever happened to it, but recall seeing a white COE with an air foil parked up in that machinery dealers yard just south of Byron Bay. Looked like it may have been over on its side, but this would have been late eighties I reckon. As I said, may not even have been the same truck. Maybe some of the coast runners may know more. Dave_64

C@ Brake Saver


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Think n they were OK .... till the oil got tooo F hot n U had to switch m off

WotSezU?

cya

Minor correction to my previous posting. Barry Cullen from Harden (NSW) I'm pretty confident ran under the name of B.C.H. (Barry Cullen Haulage), trucks were, again I think, black or at least dark, with the "BCH" in red on the door, over "Harden".

The white cabover up the NSW coast (Wauchope?) that I had seen, may have been another truck altogether, or even possibly have been a re-cab job. I no longer "bet the farm" on anything based on my memory, have the ass out of my strides too often!

That poster Swishy put up, just thinking, the bloke in the ad states that he runs "mountainous" terrain and judging by his spiel, runs some reasonable sized loads. If they (Hydratarders) had an overheating problem, certainly be tested in his application.
Very simple idea really, going by the cut-away drawing, simply re-directing the flow of oil against the direction of the flywheel.

I think that they possibly may have had a weight penalty in some ways, I remember the old Cat 631B scrapers had a massive gearbox (powershift) but as in rear dumpers, wouldn't be an issue. Suppose that in that blokes application in heavy haulage, you wouldn't be worried too much either.

Just thinking about retarders, without getting too far off the track, Allison was also available with a hydraulic retarder, Euclid, Wabco come to mind, don't ever recall seeing too many, if at all on highway work.

Other one was the TELMA electric retarders used on many interstate coaches a few years ago. Talking to a Duluxe coach driver over a coffee one night up at the old Total at Guyra, told me they had a few problems with them, batteries really had to be in excellent condition as when used in long downhill runs, Bolivia and Black Mountain on the New England for example, they'd drag so much current, the lights would go dim. Or at least that's what he said.

Only ever saw one fitted to a highway truck, I.B.C. built up an R model Mack 320 with a 5 speed main and air change 4 speed spicer with a Telma retarder, was going to be used for float work, but that was back in the seventies, early eighties.

gr8 info cogz
can remember way back wen
C@ produced a 16 speed power shift transmission for hwy trucks
but B 4 it hit the market the U.S. army claimed them all
Telma electric retarders were Just tooo F heavy for a hwy truck
truble with most hyd retarders they get too hot wen put to work and then U would need to turn m off
hopefully U B @ the bottom of the hill by then
cya