Walter Victor Turner

Background

Walter Victor Turner was the son of George and Beatrice (Brandon) Turner, was born in Epping Forest, Essex, England.

Education

He completed his education in the Textile Technical School at Wakefield, Yorkshire.

Career

He engaged in the woolen textile business in Yorkshire. In 1888 he was sent by his employer to the United States to investigate wool growing.

In 1893 he became secretary and manager of the Lake Ranch Cattle Company, Raton, N. Mex. , and a year or two later, with a partner, started a similar business of his own, which, however, was not successful. One day he happened to pick up parts of an air-brake triple valve from a wrecked freight train, which so fascinated him that he spent days studying it until he had mastered its intricacies.

Ideas for improvements came to him and in 1897, to gain mechanical experience, he obtained a job as a car repairer for the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway.

During the succeeding six years he rose to be mechanical instructor for the entire system and gained a wide reputation as a mechanical genius, particularly in the air-brake field. Meanwhile, he devised and patented several air-brake improvements.

In 1903 he entered the employ of the Westinghouse Air Brake Company at Wilmerding, Pa. , as mechanical expert and applied himself to the betterment of the existing braking equipment. His advancement was rapid; in 1910 he was made chief engineer and in 1916, manager of engineering, which position he held at the time of his death.

During his career Turner acquired over 400 patents and gained the reputation of being the foremost pneumatic engineer in the world.

One of his greatest inventions was the "K" triple valve, first patented Oct. 25, 1904, of which at the time of his death there were more than 2, 000, 000 in use. This valve solved many difficulties connected with the operation of long freight trains, making it possible to handle a train of 100 or more cars, whereas previously the maximum had been fifty; this gain led in its turn to the building of heavier locomotives and larger capacity cars. By the use of this valve, also, passenger trains could be brought to a stop in half the distance formerly required.

Another invention, the electro-pneumatic brake, permitted a vast increase in traffic in subways and elevated railways without any increase in rolling stock.

One of his last achievements was the system for automatically increasing or decreasing the braking power of a car as the number of passengers increased or decreased.

Turner was a frequent contributor to technical publications and often lectured before engineering societies of which he was a member.

He was also the author of books regarded as classics in their field. Among these are Development in Air Brakes for Railroads (1909) and Collection of Air Brake Papers (n. d. ).

He died at Wilkinsburg, Pa.

Achievements

• His greatest inventions were the "K" triple valve and the electro-pneumatic brake. In 1911, for his paper "The Air Brake as Related to Progress in Locomotion" (Journal of the Franklin Institute, December 1910, January 1911), he was awarded the Edward Longstreth medal of merit by the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, which organization likewise awarded him the Elliott Cresson gold medal in 1912 for his air-brake inventions and developments.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Air Brake As Related To Progress In Locomotion: Being A Paper Presented Before The Franklin Institute. Philadelphia, Penna., November 17th, 1910

    (This work has been selected by scholars as being cultural...)

  • The Air Brake As Related to Progress in Locomotion and Other Papers.
  • Development in Air Brakes for Railroads,

Membership

He was a member of numerous engineering societies.

Connections

On December 9, 1887, he married Beatrice Woolford at Wakefield, England.

They had three children.

Father:

George Turner

Mother:

Beatrice (Brandon) Turner

Spouse:

Beatrice Woolford