George Westinghouse is born, October 6,
1846
Jessica MacNeil - October 06, 2016
While the War of Currents is usually seen as a battle between
Edison and Tesla, much of the fight against Edison was
orchestrated by George Westinghouse.
Born in Central Bridge, NY, Westinghouse grew up working in his
father's machinery shop, where he would test his own inventions.
At 15, he built his own small rotary engine.
Westinghouse's inventions took a back seat when he served in the
Civil War in the Army and later in the Navy as an assistant
engineer. Returning to his father's business after the war, he
would take business trips by train, which inspired him to work on
railroad improvements.
In 1869, he invented a compressed-air brake system to improve railroad safety that became
compulsory on American trains in 1893. Westinghouse would receive over 300 railroad patents and
was a part of over 60 companies related to them. He realized the importance of standardization
working in the railroad industry and brought it to many of his later businesses.
He became interested in electrical distribution and sought to improve Thomas Edison's direct
current (DC) system. In 1885, Westinghouse bought Gaulard-Gibbs transformers from Europe and
alternating current (AC) generators to test the efficiency of AC networks. In 1886, he established the
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company in Pittsburgh to compete with Edison.
With the help of physicist William Stanley, Westinghouse developed and installed a multiple-voltage
AC power system driven by a hydroelectric generator in Massachusetts in 1886. It produced 500 V
AC, which was stepped up to 3,000 V for transmission, and then stepped down to 100 V to drive
electric lights.
Working with engineer Oliver B Shallenberger,
Westinghouse developed an induction meter for
measuring alternating current using a rotating
magnetic field. He then licensed Nikola Tesla's patents
for an AC induction motor, based on the same
technology, and transformers, and hired him to
improve the AC motor to use in the company's power
system.
The competition between DC and AC systems became
known as the "War of Currents" with both sides trying
to discredit the other method. Westinghouse claimed
the DC system was inefficient and Edison believed the
high-voltage AC system was dangerous.
Westinghouse had success on projects like the Ames
Hydroelectric Generating Plant and General Electric
decided to produce AC equipment in 1892.
The victory for AC was sealed when Westinghouse lit
the Columbia Exposition in Chicago in 1893, which brought substantial positive publicity to the
company.
Westinghouse's company lit the Columbia Exposition in 1893. Source: IEEE Global History
Network
That exposure won Westinghouse the contract for the Edward Dean Adams Station at Niagara Falls,
where the first large system for supplying electricity for multiple uses from one circuit using AC
generators was created in 1895.
Nine of the 13 patents listed on the Niagara Falls generators belonged to Tesla.
Despite his rivalry with it's namesake, Westinghouse received the Edison Medal in 1911 "for
meritorious achievement in invention and development of alternating current systems and
apparatus."
Westinghouse Electric got involved in electrical production as Westinghouse worked on steam
engine technology to be used where falling water wasn't available. The Westinghouse Electric
Company has worked on transportation, appliances, defense, broadcasting, and now operates in the
nuclear industry.
Westinghouse lost control of his company after a financial panic in 1907 and died seven years later
at the age of 67. His legacy as a successful businessman may have outshone his life of invention, but
many of his innovations are still important today.
Also see:
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War of currents: Tesla vs Edison
Has Edison ultimately won the DC vs AC power transmission controversy against Tesla?
DC Power Transmission: War of Currents compromise
More on Nikola Tesla
For more moments in tech history, see this blog. EDN strives to be historically accurate with these
postings. Should you see an error, please notify us.
Editor's note: This article was originally posted on October 6, 2014 and edited on October 6, 2016.