Air Brake Invention at the Heart of Westinghouse Safety Legacy
Categories: Our People & History
In the 19th century, most trains had cars with individuals braking systems. The brakeman was responsible for getting to each car – sometimes by walking atop the moving train – to apply the brakes manually. Tracks weren’t level. Cold and wet weather posed slip-and-fall hazards. Common injuries ranged from frostbite and hypothermia to lost fingers or, even worse, death beneath the train’s wheels.
