Westinghouse Works

Timeline

1846

George Westinghouse born.

1865

George Westinghouse obtains first patent for rotary steam engine.

1869

George Westinghouse receives patent for the air brake. Westinghouse Air Brake Company organized with George Westinghouse as president. 9-hour workday and 55-hour workweek instituted.

1871

Company institutes Saturday half-holiday.

1872

Automatic air brake invented.

1878

First foreign air brake company started at Sevran, France.

1881

Westinghouse Machine Company formed. The Westinghouse Brake Company, Ltd., in London, England, founded.

1882

Union Switch and Signal Company organized.

1884

The Westinghouse Brake Company, Ltd., in Hanover, Germany, founded.

1886

Westinghouse Electric Company, later known as the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, formed.

1889

Ground broken for air brake factory at Wilmerding, PA.

1890

Westinghouse began manufacture of electric railway motors.

1893

Westinghouse Electric company lights Columbian Exposition in Chicago.

1895

Main works for Electric and Manufacturing Company built in East Pittsburgh.

1896

Generators built by Westinghouse turn the waters of Niagara Falls into electric power.

1898

Westinghouse Company, Ltd., in St Petersburg, Russia organized.

1899

The British Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, Ltd., formed in London, England, with another plant in Manchester.

1901

Societe Anonyme Westinghouse organized with offices in Paris, and works in Le Havre and Freinville. The Westinghouse Electricitats-Actiengesellschaft organized in Berlin.

1903

Canadian Westinghouse Company, Ltd., founded. Relief Department (disability benefits, medical and surgical services) founded.

1904

The American Mutoscope & Biograph Co. films motion pictures of the Westinghouse Works. Louisiana Purchase Exposition held in St. Louis--Westinghouse Co. displays several large exhibits, holds screenings of the AM&B films, and supplies power generators and equipment for the exposition's service plant.

1905

Electrification of the Manhattan Elevated Railways and the New York subway system.

1907

George Westinghouse loses control of his companies.

1911

George Westinghouse severs all ties with his companies.

1914

George Westinghouse dies.

1918

George Westinghouse receives his last patent, 4 years after his death.

(Portions of this time-line appeared in 75th Anniversary of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, 1944. Additional entries have been included for the purposes of this project.)