George Westinghouse

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George Westinghouse

George Westinghouse 1846-1914, American inventor and manufacturer, b. Central Bridge, N.Y. In the Civil War he served in the Union army and navy. Among his inventions in the railroad field were a reversible frog, the air brake (1868), and automatic signal devices. The Westinghouse Air Brake Company was organized in 1869 and the Union Switch and Signal Company in 1882. Westinghouse was a pioneer in introducing into the United States the high-voltage alternating current system for transmission of electricity. In 1866 the Westinghouse Electric Company was incorporated. The inventor also patented devices for the transmission of natural gas. Over 400 patents were credited to him in his lifetime.

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Westinghouse, George

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

Westinghouse, George (1846–1914) US engineer and inventor. The best known of his hundreds of inventions was the air brake, which made high-speed rail travel safe. He formed the Westinghouse Electric Company in 1886.

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	Forgotten Role Model George Westinghouse on Screen for First Time. Business Wire; 3/31/2008
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	Stop, in the name of progress: ECP--the most significant development in freight train braking since George Westinghouse invented air brakes in the 19th Century--is ready for broad deployment.(SAFETY) Magazine article from: Railway Age; 4/1/2008

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