The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-08-29
LIFE OF A BRAKEMAN.
1t Is Much Pleasanter Now Than
in Former Days.
Air Brakes and Automatic Couplers Have
Lightened His TaslS-The Pay Nearly
Double What 1t Was
Few Years Ago,

Double What 1t Was
Few Years Ago,
In few branches of manual labor has
modern invention done so much to
Tighten the burden that falls on the
human muscles as in the applica-
ton of the air-bralSe system to railroad
cars 1t is only some twenty years
since the air brake was first introduced,
and in that period all the hard, disa-
greeable labor that fell to the lot of the
passenger brakeman has been done
away with, while the task of the freight
brakeman has been greatly lightened.
In the olden times, before the Miller
coupler and buffer and the air brake
were introduced, the lot of brakeman
on passenger train was anything but
happy one.
His duties required that he remain on
the platform for the greater portion of
the time, and this was in many case
equivalent to death warrant, for with
the old-fashioned platforms and coup
ling apparatus in case of collision
telescoping was certain to occur, and
the poor brake twister was invariably
ground into fragments between the
ends of the cars as they crushed to-
gether
1t was necessary, too, for him to
''know the road" thoroughly. That is,
he must know all the grades and
bridges and each point where it was
necessary to slacl1en the speed OF the
train, and he must put on his brake
and letit off again exactly at the proper
moment without waiting for the signal
from the locomotive.
The slightest inattention to duty was
bound to insure very bad 6ve-min-
utes' interview with the engineer at the
end of the run, and if repeated too often,
with the superintendent, or ''old man.
as he is called in railroad parlance.
Approaching each station there were
landmarks which must be learned, and
before passing which the brakes must
not be touched. The thorough brake
man scorned to make a slow stop, but
delighted in manipulating the wheel so
that the train came to a quick halt eX-
actly in the same spot every time.
1t took muscle to do this, and many
a crew had trained themselves to act in
such concert that they could invariably
bring their train to halt in very little
more space than is now required with
the air brakes
When air brakes were first introduced
they were, of course, not so perfect as
they are now. An attempt was made
to induce the old broad gauge Erie rail
road (this was during jim Fisk's life) to
adopt the system. A train was equipped,
and with it was sent a crew which ran
on one of the express trains.
Signal flags were set up, and the
promoters of this air brake plan were
allowed several trials to show just
how quickly they could stop train
going at full speed. After they had
done their best the new brakes were
disconnected, and the crew of brake
men were given a chance to display
their skill.
The result was that they stopped the
train in every instance in less distance
than was used by the air brakes. AS 6
consequence the old system was re
tained for years and until after many
improvements had been made in the
air brakes,
The old passenger brakemen was {
man OF muscle, the continual twisting
of brakes producing development o.
the biceps that might have been en-
We'd by many modern pug" Armed
with no other weapon but lantern, HI
thought nothing of standing off" hal:
dozen tramps or engaging gang o
roughs that sought to run things"
The writer was braking on trair
once upon time when adispute aros'
in which rough made an effor
to draw revolver. Grasping the man.
hand with the pistol in it just as he wa
drawing it from his pocket, with thu
other hand the heavy lantern was raiset
and with a swing dashed full into hi
face.
The pistol-drawer fell as if shot, ant
one or two blows in addition stretched
llim senseless on the floor. His com
panions came to the rescue, anothe
brakeman happened in, and for few
minutes there was a lively row. Blu
the lanterns got the best of it and
wholesome lesson was taught.
The brakeman of to-day, however,
so only in name. Rarely does he toucl
the brake wheel, but his duties are con
fined to building fires, calling out tn
names of stations, helping people o.
and off the train, and flirting with tn
pretty girl passengers
His nerves are not kept at the lighes
tension, on the qui vive for the short
sharp whistle which commands him t
jump to the brake and exert himself +
the utmost
He looks after the valve that operate
the brake, but beyond that his dutie
do not resemble in the least those o
the old-fashioEed brakeman. He get
better pay, too, than the old-time bral1
twisters. Forty dollars to fifty dollar