Life Before Air Brakes
Riding on trains before the 1870's was very dangerous. There were many deaths of passengers and employees. Prior to air brakes, railroad employees had to manually apply the brakes by means of a brake wheel that tightened the amount of pressure the brake pad put on the wheel.
“It was taken as a matter of course that railroad men of necessity be maimed or killed.” Lorenzo Coffin, first railroad commissioner of Iowa.
Freight and passengers were not moving as quickly or as efficiently as they could have because of slower speeds on mainlines and poor performance with braking.
The need of a continuous train-brake, operated from the locomotive and under the immediate control of the engine-driver, had been emphasized through years by the almost regular recurrence of accidents of the most appalling character." Charles Francis Adams. Note on Railroad Accidents.
“It was taken as a matter of course that railroad men of necessity be maimed or killed.” Lorenzo Coffin, first railroad commissioner of Iowa.
Freight and passengers were not moving as quickly or as efficiently as they could have because of slower speeds on mainlines and poor performance with braking.
The need of a continuous train-brake, operated from the locomotive and under the immediate control of the engine-driver, had been emphasized through years by the almost regular recurrence of accidents of the most appalling character." Charles Francis Adams. Note on Railroad Accidents.
This is the PDF version of the patent that the US Government gave to Nehemiah Hodge for the Vacuum Brake. It did not work because air pressure was needed to power the brake; If there was no pressure, like when parked or broken, there was no braking. The vacuum brakes spurred the air brake development.
Click here to download this PDF.