It was a very dangerous occupation that resulted in many injuries and deaths.ДЄs Mr. The worker would run from car to car doing this until he had set all of the required brakes. In the meantime, and for many years following, railroads relied upon an army of brakeman who, once signaled by the engineer, would climb on a car's roof and manually apply the brake-wheel.

Unfortunately, this would not come until the late 1860s. Back then simple cars were equipped with simple apparatuses to physically slow them.ДЄs Jim Boyd's book, ' The American Freight Train,' notes very early gravity cars utilized levers with brake shoes that would squeeze against the wheel treads to slow its movement.ДЄt this time locomotives also carried only rudimentary means of stopping, sometimes also requiring a brakeman to climb atop the contraption to apply its brakes.ДЄs trains became larger and heavier a more advanced means of slowing them was obviously needed. The history of braking systems within the industry date back to its infancy of the 1820s and 1830s. He should be firm in his decisions, following closely his instructions and looking to the best interests of the company, and should always be civil and polite.' To make a good brakeman, a young man should be possessed of the average amount of good common sense, should have a good memory and a quick ear, should incline toward being shrewd and business-like, should be active, possessed of a sound body and a steady nerve. ' As a rule, young men who decide to engage in the railroad service as brakemen do so because there is a certain fascination connected with the business, due to the fact that they are privileged to ride through various sections of the country, with advantages similar to those for which others have to pay, affording them an opportunity to visit different villages and cities, which serve to satisfy the natural longing for travel and desire for change of scene felt by young men, especially between the ages of seventeen and twenty-five. Other Railroad CareersД«rakemen Freight Train Conductor Railroad Engineers Signal Maintainer Roadmaster Tie Gang Laborer Train Dispatcher Trainmaster YardmasterДЄccording to an excerpt from Calvin Swingle's 1908 book, 'Standard Rules For Movement Of Trains' presented in Brian Solomon's, 'Working On The Railroad': He was given a few tools such as a flag, club (to turn the brake wheel), lantern, switch key (to unlock and throw switches), timetable, and rule book and off he went. With the advent of the Westinghouse's design (where the train's brakes were controlled by the engineer and could be applied to all cars nearly instantaneously) the brakeman's role was reduced but not necessarily eliminated.Дuring the industry's formative era and long before safety became paramount the job was available to virtually any able-bodied man who could pass a basic physical.ДЄs amazing as it seems in today's world, back then one learned his job after he was hired, not before. Once upon a time when there was no such thing as an automatic air brake a man was physically responsible for setting a freight car's brakes, while the train was at speed, using the available brake wheel.ДЄs you may have guessed this was very dangerous work and what's worse, it had to be done in all types of weather rain, snow, wind, you name it! If you are interested in a job position as a railroad brakeman, peruse the major job search websites or browse the career web pages of railroads in your area. The information presented here offers a brief overview of the brakeman's responsibilities and history within the industry. You can also find similar positions on tourist railroads/excursion trains although, of course, it usually offers little in the way of steady pay. His/her entry-level salary typically starts out in the high $30,000's.Дepending upon the railroad it is available on short lines (Class IIIs), regionals (Class IIs), and occasionally even Class I's. The brakeman in today's industry is almost always the lowest on the seniority list (following the elimination of firemen and flagmen), behind conductors and engineers. Thankfully, newer technologies such as Westinghouse's have allowed for far greater safety although the importance of the position, itself, has also dwindled. Later, George Westinghouse patented the automatic air brake system during the mid-19th century which eventually did away with this perilous task. Historically, the brakeman held one of the most danger occupations on the freight train, or anywhere on the railroad, being required to walk atop moving cars and manually apply brakes.

The railway switchman