The first air brakes were developed during the 1860's by George Westinghouse, a young engineer who got the idea after reading about a compressed-air drill. The same principle produced railroad brakes so safe that the system is still in use.

To set the brakes, an engineer pulls a lever which reduces the air presure in a hose connecting all the cars. This reduction releases the valve of a pressurized air reservoir under each car (above), allowing air to flow into a brake cylinder between the wheels (below).

Here the pressurized air forces down a piston, which sets a pair of brake shoes against the wheels. Any accident which breaks the air hose will thus stop the train automatically.

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C.C. Furnas and Joe McCarthy. The Engineer. New York:Time Incorporated, 1966.

George Westinghouse

THE ROBINSON LIBRARY
Technology.--Railroad Engineering and Operation.--Railway Equipment and Supplies.

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