The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-28
LIFE OF A BRAKEMAN.
1t Is Much Pleasanter Now Than
in Former Days.
Air Brakes and Automatic Couplers Have
Lightened His Task-The Pay Nearly
Double What 1t Was
Few Years Ago.

modern invention done SO much to
tighten the burden that falls on the
human muscles as in the applica-
ton of the air-brake 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 li'rhtcncd.
In the oldcn times, before the Miller
coupler and buffer and the air brake
were introduced, the lot of a brakeman
on passenger train was anything but
Il happy one.
His duties required that he remain on
the platform for the greater portion of
the time, and this was in many a case
equivalent to a death warrant, for with
the old-fashioned platforms and coup
Ling apparatus i'll case of a collision
tclescoping 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
EEknow the road" thoroughly. That is,
he must know all the grades and
bridges and each point where it was
necessary to slacken the speed OF the
train, and he must put on his brake
and let it off again exactly at the proper
moment without waiting for the signal
from the locomotive.
The slightest inattcntion to duty was
bound to insure very bad tvemin-
ntes interview with the engineer at the
end of the run, and if repeated too often,
with the superintendent, or ''old man"
sls 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 slow stop, but
delighted in manipulating the wheel so
that the train came to quick halt cx-
actly in the same spot every time.
IL took muscle to do this, and many
crew had trained themselves to act in
.snch concert that they could invariably
bring their train to a halt in very little
more space than is now required with
the air brakes
When air brakes were first introduced
Ghey We're, of course, not 50 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 crew which ran
on one of the express trains.
Signal flags were set up, and the
promoters of this air brake plan We're
allowed several trials to show Just
how quickly they could stop a 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
consequence the old system was re-
bained for years and until after many
Improvements had been made in the
air brakes.
The old passenger brallemcn was a
man of muscle, the continual twisting
Of brakes producing a development of
the biceps that might have been en-
WED by many a modern pug" Armed
with no other weapon but lantern, he
Thought nothing of standing off, half
a dozen tramps or engaging gang of
roughs that sought to run things
The writer was braking on a train
once upon a time when adispute arose
IN which q rough made an effort
to draw revolver. Grasping the mans
hand with the pistol in it just as he was
drawing it from his pocket, with the
other hand the heavy lantern was raised
and with Il swing dashed full into his
face.
The pistol-drawer fell as if shot, and
one or two blows in addition stretched
him scnseless on the floor. His COM
panions came to the rescue, another
brakeman happened in, and for few
minutes there was a lively row. But
the lanterns got the best of it and
wholesome lesson was taught.
The brakeman of to-day, however, is
so only in name. Rarely does he touch
the brake wheel but his duties are con-
fined to building fires, calling out the
names of stations, helping people on
and off the train, and flirting with the
pretty girl passengers.
Ills nerves are not kept at the highest
tension, on the qui vivc for the short,
sharp whistle which commands him to
jump to the brake and exert himself to
the utmost
Gle looks after the valve that operates
the brake, but beyond that his duties
do not resemble in the least those of
tho old-fashioned brakeman. lie gets
better pay, too, than the old-time brake
twisters. Forty dollars to fifty dollars
month used to be the stipend for
which men took their lives in their
hands daily on many of the large
eastern roads, but in California the pay
is nearly twice this, and the risk and
labor are lcssened to a minimum.
1t is the freight brakeman, however,
who appreciates to the fullest the ben
efts which follow the gradual intro
duction of the air brake. The brake
men on California railroads, however,
haze far less to contend with than
those in the east, where wind and rain
and snow combine to make outdoor
life miserable for so large portion of
the year.