Early Brake Systems

Originally, the only way to stop a train was by applying a brake to the wheels
of the locomotive.  A wooden block was applied to the wheel tread.  A lever
operated by the driver actuated the brake.  If more brake power was required,
the driver reversed the engine as well.  Soon however, it became apparent the
this was not enough to bring the train to a stand in a reasonable distance and
anyway, the reversing of the wheels damaged the wheel treads, so various
vehicles in the train had brakes added.   The brake was hand operated by a lever
or screw arrangement, so a man was appointed to ride on each of these
"brake vans" [[brake_van]]s as they were called.  As trains became
heavier and faster, more brake power was required and more brake vans were
added.
The principal disadvantages of the manual braking system were that it required 
additional staff along the train and there was little co-ordination during 
braking.   The driver used the engine to whistle for brakes and to signal for 
release.