1986 DP Racing - Double rear brakes!!

Tandem riding is a bit different in that you use the back brake a lot as a "drag" brake on long downhills to avoid picking up lots of speed which may be difficult to stop. I've seen canti brakes coupled with a drum brake operated by the stoker. Even if you fit modern discs there is a possibility of over heating so any way in which the braking force can be spread around would be welcome!
 
The big deal with double brakes on the front of a tandem is that it's almost impossible to lift the rear wheel, and with the extra weight you can brake harder on the front too. A single brake can overheat on the front, hance going double, plus you can apply more power before you lock up.

But as said, spreading it about is important, hence the drag brake.
 
Racing trikes often had a double front brake too:

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I don't see the point of a double rear brake, it's generally easy enough to lock the rear wheel with one brake and once the wheel is locked, any more braking power is pointless.

Look at modern motorcycles, two whopping great big floating disks and four pot callipers up front and a single small disk and twin pot callipers at the rear. Anyone that's had to a do an emergency stop on a motorcycle can tell you that when braking hard the rear brake is for decoration, or at best a weight help to keep the back end down, as the rear wheel will likely be in the air.

Loris_Capirossi_MotoGP_China_2007_590.jpg
 
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