Strip District in Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Westinghouse Railroad Air Brake

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, September 11, 2011

1. Westinghouse Railroad Air Brake Marker

Inscription. Invented by George Westinghouse in 1869, the air brake revolutionized railroad transportation. It made possible longer, heavier, and faster trains while improving safety. Modified versions are still in use today. Westinghouse Air Brake Co. was located in this building.

Erected 2011 by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1869.

Location. 40° 27.201′ N, 79° 58.755′ W. Marker is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in Allegheny County. It is in the Strip District. It is at the intersection of Liberty Avenue and 25th Street, on the right when traveling west on Liberty Avenue. Located at the Pittsburgh Opera Company in the Strip District. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pittsburgh PA 15222, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Northeast,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in the Ohio River Valley,

in Appalachia,

and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Seige at the 26th Street Roundhouse (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Honor Roll (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Menace of the Iron Horse (approx. 0.2 miles away); State Violence Incites Rioting

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(approx. ¼ mile away); Saint Stanislaus Kostka Roman Catholic Church (approx. ¼ mile away); The Desperate and the Decadent (approx. ¼ mile away); Railroad Strike of 1877 (approx. 0.3 miles away); GNC (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pittsburgh.

Also see . . . George Westinghouse at FindAGrave.com. (Submitted on September 11, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, September 11, 2011

2. Westinghouse Railroad Air Brake Marker

George Westinghouse image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Joseph G. Gessford, circa 1900

3. George Westinghouse

Library of Congress [LC-USZ62-93492}

<i>Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Near Pittsburgh, Pa.</i> image. Click for full size.

Postcard by I. Robbins & Son, circa 1915

4. Westinghouse Air Brake Co., Near Pittsburgh, Pa.

The back of the card reads:"The Home of the Air Break." The largest brake plant building in the world.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 11, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 1,553 times since then and 34 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 11, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 4. submitted on February 14, 2015.