Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Dangerous Journeys: China

Dangerous Journeys was a series of TV documentaries about dangerous roads and other forms of travel. This particular episode is my favorite because about 14 minutes in is a dump truck powered by the same kind of Changfa-type single-cylinder diesel engine that powers my backup generator, featured in some of my videos. It doesn't just show it in passing, either: it shows the thing hauling a heavy load of rocks up a steep mountain road. That engine certainly doesn't make more than 25 horsepower, and it might be only half that. Gearing is where it's at. Think about it: a first-generation John Deere model B only made about 12-14 horsepower, but it would pull a farm trailer with a load like that.

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