Biographic Highlights of George Westinghouse

Biographic Highlights of George Westinghouse

Introduction

The inspiring, committed, innovator and entrepreneur, Mr. George Westinghouse came to our world on 6th of October, 1846 (Prout, 2005). His father owned a machine shop which served as his first engineering school (Crane, 2003, pp 7). He used to works with his father and help him make machines for farming. Since childhood, George Westinghouse was very passionate about working on machines and was so determined that his father's machine shop attracted him more than the school. He was so determined that despite his father's instructions to go to school he would prefer to work on machines. He lacked discipline but the world war inspired him to join the army. He father gave him permission to join the army in the second attempt. He worked in the army for one year then joined the Navy, where he later served as Third Assistant Engineer in the world war. He joined the Union College after returning from army but soon lost interest and dropped out. His mind was very much occupied in developing and perfecting his ideas which lead to invent numerous creations. He invented numerous inventions among which the inventions in rail road and electricity are the most prominent. He died on March 12 in 1914 at the age of 67. We will be discussing his inventions related to railroad, his role in the current wars and in the prosperity of Pittsburgh.

Discussion

The Railroad Inventions

George Westinghouse had an eye for solving problem. He observed the inefficiency of the rail road system as the trains had to stop with the use of manually operated brakes. He invented a braking system for trains which were operated with the use of compressed air. He, in 1969, established Westinghouse Air Brake Company, for producing airbrakes for the trains. The brakes were a success and the government made the use of the airbrakes mandatory for all the trains. The success of his brakes soon reached Europe and Westinghouse directed the implementation of airbrakes which then were standardized.

The rail traffic increased, and Westinghouse noted the problem in the signaling devises as well as interlocking switches. Westinghouse purchased other inventions and combined them with his own inventions to develop a comprehensive compressed-air and electrical signaling system. He later formed a company for the development of the same in 1881.

The companies he founded improved the work of railway. The trains which we required the employment of brakemen to go car by car for applying brakes adopted the airbrake invention. The modified version of his brake design is still in use. The signaling and switching system increased the efficiency of the railroad system. The companies established by George Westinghouse generated good revenue and made him a millionaire in few years time.

Current wars

George Westinghouse gave immense success in the business of airbrakes, signaling systems, gas extraction innovations and machines manufacturing. Not blinded by his past success, Westinghouse was evaluating the problems in the electricity business. The problems which were presented by ...