Re: Track Car Brakes?

I have no idea what the owner of this car is planning, but I can say something about Model T brakes having restored, and owned one, plus driven others. The basic Model T brake supplied by Ford is an additional band in the transmission, that tigtens around a drum on the transmission output shaft. This band is lined with a soft woven fabric lining running in oil. It works ok unless you ride it too long and burn up the band lining, or make a "serious emergency application" like my cousin did one time when he and I were on a tour in his T. We had a blow out of the right front tire, big time as in the tire came off the rim and ended up 100 yards or so ahead of us. We were traveling at a speed something above what I thought comfortable to begin with. He jammed on the brake pedal with all of the force an adrenelin rush could muster and the band lining material was torn right off the steel part of the band. Fortunately on a T you can use the reverse pedal as a brake in the event you burn up the regular brake band. I think if I were planning a rail car, I would plan on some brakes on the wheels.