Westinghouse Air Brake Co. - 1930's-50's dated Pennsylvania Railway Stock Certificate

Railroad Stock. Historic company founded by George Westinghouse in 1882. Great train vignette. Available in Blue, Green or Orange. Please specify color.

The Westinghouse Air Brake Company, sometimes known as WABCO (although this was also used for spin-offs), was founded on September 28, 1869, by George Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Earlier that year, he had invented the railway air brake in New York State. After manufacturing equipment in Pittsburgh for several years, Westinghouse began constructing facilities and plants east of the city, including homes for his employees. In 1889, the air brake manufacturing facility relocated to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania, and the company’s general office building was constructed there in 1890.

WABCO’s direct successors include WABCO Vehicle Control Systems, a commercial vehicle air brake manufacturer, and Wabtec, a railway equipment manufacturer. These companies have been independently owned and operated since the mid-20th century. In 1889, the air brake manufacturing facility relocated to Wilmerding, Pennsylvania. Wilmerding, a small farming town with a population of around 5,000 at the time, was chosen as the new location due to its proximity to the Pennsylvania Railroad and its predominantly blue-collar workforce. In the 1890s, the Air Brake Company employed approximately 3,000 citizens from the surrounding Pittsburgh area, but the majority of its workforce consisted of employees who lived in the vicinity of Wilmerding.