Not as I recall, the deadman brake was just another name for the handbrake/ park brake etc.
Never understood why, because a true deadman brake (as found in railway trains etc) requires continuous input to keep the brakes off.
Harry Monk:
Not as I recall, the deadman brake was just another name for the handbrake/ park brake etc.Never understood why, because a true deadman brake (as found in railway trains etc) requires continuous input to keep the brakes off.
Thanks Harry - I stand corrected 
ROG:
Harry Monk:
In ye olden days, tractor units used to have a second lever in the cab which only operated the trailer brakes, so you could wear out the freight forwarders brakes instead of your own when on traction work.
If I remember correctly that was called the DEADMAN brake - am I right Harry ■■
I always knew it, and only ever heard it referred to, as a trailer brake and when I owned a Scania with one I made great use of it to save my brakes. In fact I probably called it the Allport brake in those days.
although I have in the past left the brake off and had a runaway.( I will admit to making most if not all of the mistakes drivers can make) I witnessed one that took it a step further.
Driver doing a trailer swap reverses up a slope and drops trailer… pulls forward and tears red line off… unit stops owing to lack of air.
Fitter is called and arrives 2 hours later fits new red line and starts up to check for airleak…pressure builds up… unit rolls down slope and runs into diesel pump.
Poor driver in tears as he is agency on first ever shift. Fitter with very red face.
Coffeeholic:
In fact I probably called it the Allport brake in those days.
Yep, we used to call it the “Estron Brake”.
Incidentally, has anyone ever noticed that “Estron” is an anagram of “No Rest”? 
It was me who made that comment mentioned at the beggining, fot hose who don’t know.
I did not claim I have never forgotten to pull handbrake then but I can do it now
That does not of course mean that it cannot happen to me in future…
(I managed to leave without air in tanks, if you want to know something about me, that was one of very first lorry driving instances, at driving school, so half of the blame onto instructor)
Pulling the parking brake before you leave the cab should be habit as automatic as pressing the clutch before gearchange.
And there is plenty of good examples why, even in this thread, interesting reading. We can all learn the easy way - from others’ mishaps and near misses, or the hard way - from our own mishaps - but there’s a risk of not having a chance to use the new knowledge.
I forgot to put the handbrake on one day, very scary, as I didn’t find out until shortly after I had connected the red airline and was still stood on the catwalk…
I’ve done it, which scared the ■■■■ out of me, but it didn’t scare me as much as when a handbrake once released itself, something I’d heard of before but never really believed it could actually happen, because I simply assumed the drivers in involved had forgotten to apply it in the first place but swore blind they had done so.
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=43593
ROG:
Harry Monk:
Not as I recall, the deadman brake was just another name for the handbrake/ park brake etc.Never understood why, because a true deadman brake (as found in railway trains etc) requires continuous input to keep the brakes off.
Thanks Harry - I stand corrected
Actually you’re right ROG, the trailer brake was commonly known as the deadman, maybe wrongly as it turns out, but that’s what we called it, most modern lorries still have it, but now it works the unit brakes too, it’s the hand/park brake lever, until it’s locked in position it can be used as an emergency brake in case of, say, footvalve failure, or even something as silly as something getting caught under the brake pedal
newmercman:
ROG:
Harry Monk:
Not as I recall, the deadman brake was just another name for the handbrake/ park brake etc.Never understood why, because a true deadman brake (as found in railway trains etc) requires continuous input to keep the brakes off.
Thanks Harry - I stand corrected
Actually you’re right ROG, the trailer brake was commonly known as the deadman, maybe wrongly as it turns out, but that’s what we called it, most modern lorries still have it, but now it works the unit brakes too, it’s the hand/park brake lever, until it’s locked in position it can be used as an emergency brake in case of, say, footvalve failure, or even something as silly as something getting caught under the brake pedal
When I had a unit with the separate trailer brake it also had the ‘deadman’ part of the park brake. That I have always heard called the deadman and the other one either the trailer brake or the who ever’s trailer you were pulling brake.
garnerlives:
And the reason was, you broke your renault I think an airline?? and we had to give you one of our spare motors to go back in!!!
Or it was our own unit being serviced by Rochester so I had one their units…
Harry Monk:
I forgot to put the handbrake on one day, very scary, as I didn’t find out until shortly after I had connected the red airline and was still stood on the catwalk…
that was one of mine as well mate nearly broke me ankle jumping off and i run round the front of it while it was moving to put the brake on bit like a big surf board the wagon had one of them auto locking jobs that dropped the clip over it was giving bother not locking got out to check it had dropped over just forgot about the handbrake got the back and put the red and was untangling the leccy leads didnt notice it was going till a shunter honked his horn at me felt a right dillon 
dreva:
beattun:
have read many stories on this forum about people putting the redline on and off she goesbegs the question, when you stop a vehicle do you not always put it in neutral and pull on the truck hand brake?
if you dont, youre a [zb] ■■■■, simple as that.
thats a surprise an ozzie thats always right
irish actually
but thanks for seeing that im always right
Coffeeholic:
newmercman:
ROG:
Harry Monk:
Not as I recall, the deadman brake was just another name for the handbrake/ park brake etc.Never understood why, because a true deadman brake (as found in railway trains etc) requires continuous input to keep the brakes off.
Thanks Harry - I stand corrected
Actually you’re right ROG, the trailer brake was commonly known as the deadman, maybe wrongly as it turns out, but that’s what we called it, most modern lorries still have it, but now it works the unit brakes too, it’s the hand/park brake lever, until it’s locked in position it can be used as an emergency brake in case of, say, footvalve failure, or even something as silly as something getting caught under the brake pedal
When I had a unit with the separate trailer brake it also had the ‘deadman’ part of the park brake. That I have always heard called the deadman and the other one either the trailer brake or the who ever’s trailer you were pulling brake.
another great eu idea to do away with them the idiots 
beattun:
dreva:
beattun:
have read many stories on this forum about people putting the redline on and off she goesbegs the question, when you stop a vehicle do you not always put it in neutral and pull on the truck hand brake?
if you dont, youre a [zb] ■■■■, simple as that.
thats a surprise an ozzie thats always right
irish actually
but thanks for seeing that im always right
im sorry mate irish they never use any sort of brakes 
HomoFaber:
Pulling the parking brake before you leave the cab should be habit as automatic as pressing the clutch before gear change.
thats something else i’ve been struggling with all week. why exactly do scanias need a clutch pedal? after 5 days i’m still forgetting to press it when stopping at lights etc
Yep, can join the club, but I was very lucky.
Reversed under trailer, hooked up, checks done, back in truck, started engine, put in gear, went to take handbrake off and thought “■■■■■■■ hell, that was lucky”.
Just shows, these pot holed, ■■■■■■ up yards have their uses
Yup, an almost level very well surfaced yard, connected red line noticed no movement and connected rest of suzies before we were quietly under way forward, luckily the steering was still turned a little to the right cos as said above that red line just doesn’t want to come off when you’re flapping, (seemed like it took minutes after thinking about why the concrete looks like it’s moving, choice of get in the cab somehow, get trailer brake on or…red line off that didn’t want to play), and stopped short of the tall curb and just to the side of the ANPR gate operating post assembly. Very lucky to learn the lesson without damage. I also always thought it was a ‘■■■■’ * who got out without applying park brake ( or checking the park is on at the trailer)
*What is a ■■■■? 
woodlands:
*What is a ■■■■?
It is short for Mongoloid, originally a description of a race of people from eastern Asia, of whom Genghis Khan is probably the most well-known member, the term has been more latterly used as a derogatory term for someone with Downs Syndrome, because of the supposed similarity of sufferers’ facial features to those of Mongols.
Happened to a mate of mine. Wagon rolled away after tipping tarmac and hit a van.
Quarry banned him for SIX MONTHS! 
I’ve done it once, frightened the ■■■■ out of me.