Molly Ayala
Granville T. Woods (1856-1910) is often credited with inventing the third rail for electric trains in 1901. Woods was an American inventor with over 60 patents, and he is known for his work on improving the electric railroad industry of the late 19th century. However, some sources dispute that Woods was the original inventor of the third rail, citing earlier examples of third-rail technology demonstrated by Werner Siemens in 1879 and English-born Leo Daft, who used a third rail in what may have been the first standard-gauge electric railway in the United States. Despite the debate, Woods' contributions to the development of electric railways are significant, and he is recognised as a pioneering mechanical and electrical engineer.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the inventor | Granville T. Woods |
| Year of invention | 1901 |
| Other inventors with similar inventions | Werner Siemens, Leo Daft, Thomas Edison |
| Year of birth | 1856 |
| Year of death | 1910 |
| Nationality | American |
| Known as | "The Black Edison" |
| Number of patents held in the US | More than 60 |
| First patent | Steam boiler furnace |
| Other inventions | Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, Tunnel Construction for the electric railroad system, electrical rollercoasters |
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What You'll Learn
Granville T. Woods: The Black Edison
Granville T. Woods, also known as "Black Edison", was an African-American inventor and the first African-American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War. He was born on April 23, 1856, in Columbus, Ohio, to free African-American parents. Woods's mother was part Native American, and his father was African American.
Woods received little formal education as a child and left school at the age of 10 due to his family's poverty. Despite this, he was determined to learn and took up various jobs in his early teens, including working in railroad machine shops and steel mills. He moved to New York City in 1876 and began taking courses in engineering and electricity, which he believed held the key to the future. In 1878, he took a job as an engineer on a British ship and became chief engineer within two years.
After facing discrimination in his early jobs, Woods opened his own machine shop, Woods Electrical Company, in 1880. His first patent was for an improved steam boiler furnace, but he soon turned his attention to electrical devices. One of his most notable inventions was the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed for communication between train stations and moving trains. This invention was so successful that Woods started the Woods Electric Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to market and sell his patents.
Woods's most important invention, however, was the "third-rail" system for electric railways, which he invented in 1901. This system continues to be used by electric-power transit systems such as the New York City Subway. Throughout his lifetime, Woods registered nearly 60 patents, many of which were sold to major manufacturers of electrical equipment. He died on January 30, 1910, in New York City and was laid to rest in an unmarked grave. In 1975, a headstone was finally erected at his gravesite, thanks to the efforts of historian M.A. Harris, who raised funds from corporations that used Woods's inventions.
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Woods Electric Company
Granville T. Woods, born on April 23, 1856, in Columbus, Ohio, is credited with inventing the "third-rail" system for electric railways in 1901. After facing discrimination in his early jobs, Woods opened his own machine shop, the Woods Electric Company, in 1880.
Woods was the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War. He was self-taught, educating himself by working in railroad machine shops and steel mills, and by reading about electricity. He also took courses in engineering and electricity in New York City from 1876 to 1878. Woods held numerous jobs in the railroad industry, eventually becoming an engineer with the Dayton and Southwestern Railroad in southwestern Ohio.
In 1884, Woods received his first patent for a steam boiler furnace. In 1885, he patented an apparatus that combined the telephone and the telegraph, allowing a telegraph station to send voice and telegraph messages through Morse code over a single wire. He sold the rights to this invention to the American Bell Telephone Company. In 1887, Woods patented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed communication between train stations and moving trains by creating a magnetic field around a coiled wire under the train. This invention was so successful that Woods started the Woods Electric Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to market and sell his patents.
Woods continued to invent and patent numerous electrical devices, including electrical roller coasters, Tunnel Construction for the electric railroad system, and a safety dimmer for controlling electrical lights in theatres. He also improved on existing inventions, such as the air brake for trains. Woods received nearly 60 patents throughout his life, vastly improving devices and communications for the electric railway system in the United States.
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The third rail system
The presence of an electrified rail creates a hazardous situation for anyone on the tracks. To mitigate this risk, platform screen doors can be installed, or the conductor rail can be placed on the side of the track away from the platform. Additionally, the conductor rail can be covered with a coverboard, a plank supported by brackets, to enhance safety.
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Electric railways in 1901
The year 1901 was an eventful one for rail transport, with several notable developments taking place around the world. In June, the first section of the Gold Coast Railway opened, connecting Sekondi on the Gulf of Guinea to the gold mining district of Tarkwa. The Hull Electric Railway also began regular service over the Interprovincial Bridge between Ottawa and Aylmer, Quebec in July.
The year also saw the formation of new railway companies through mergers and acquisitions. The American Locomotive Company (ALCO) was established through the merger of eight smaller American steam locomotive manufacturers. The Lake Shore Electric Railway was formed through the merger of the Lorain and Cleveland Railway, Sandusky and Interurban Railway, and Toledo, Fremont, and Norwalk Railway.
In the realm of electric railways, 1901 witnessed a significant milestone with the invention of the "third-rail" system by Granville T. Woods. This innovation revolutionized electric-power transit systems and is still used today, such as in the New York City Subway system. Woods, an American inventor, and the first African American mechanical and electrical engineer after the Civil War, dedicated his life to improving the burgeoning electric railroad industry of the late 19th century. He held over 60 patents in the United States and was known as "The Black Edison."
The year 1901 also saw experimental advancements in electric traction. In October, the Royal Prussian Military Railway conducted the first experimental high-speed test of electric traction using three-phase power at 10 kV/50 Hz frequency. Additionally, the London and South Western Railway in England completed an experimental installation of automatic semaphore signals controlled by track circuits and pneumatics, a first in the United Kingdom.
While the electric locomotive had been introduced earlier, with the first electric passenger train presented by Werner von Siemens in Berlin in 1879, the year 1901 marked important progress in the field of electric railways, including the adoption of new technologies and the expansion of electric rail networks globally.
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Thomas Edison's patent dispute
Granville T. Woods invented the third-rail system for electric railways in 1901. Woods was an American inventor with over 50 registered inventions to his credit during his lifetime. He is often known as "The Black Edison", a nod to his groundbreaking work in the field of electricity.
Thomas Edison, the renowned inventor, twice sued Woods over patent disputes. The first dispute was over the invention of the induction telegraph, which allowed moving trains to communicate with train stations. Woods won the lawsuit and was able to sell the patent to Alexander Graham Bell.
The second dispute was over the invention of the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed communication between train stations and moving trains by creating a magnetic field around a coiled wire under the train. Woods also won this lawsuit, successfully demonstrating that his invention was distinct from Edison's.
Granville T. Woods' work in the field of electricity and his successful patent disputes with Thomas Edison earned him the title of "Black Edison". Despite facing racial discrimination and prejudice, Woods persevered and made significant contributions to the electric railroad industry.
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Frequently asked questions
It is often claimed that Granville T. Woods invented the third rail in 1901, but this is not necessarily accurate. Woods was a prolific inventor and did receive a patent related to the third rail, but the technology was already a couple of decades old by the time he received this patent.
No, Woods was not the first person to work on third-rail technology. English-born Leo Daft demonstrated what was perhaps the first standard-gauge electric railway in the United States, which used a third rail. In 1879, Werner Siemens also demonstrated a small electric railway at the Berlin Industrial Exhibition, which used a third rail to power the locomotive.
Yes, Woods held over 60 patents in the United States. He invented the Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph, which allowed for communication between train stations and moving trains. He also invented Tunnel Construction for the electric railroad system and electrical rollercoasters.
Yes, Woods faced discrimination in his jobs due to his race. He was also unable to access libraries due to racism, so he had friends check out books for him. Despite these challenges, Woods was able to establish his own business, Woods Electrical Company, in 1880.
Woods sold several of his devices and patents to companies such as Westinghouse, General Electric, and American Engineering. In 2004, the New York City Transit Authority celebrated Woods' contributions to the development of the electric railway by issuing four million commemorative MetroCards. Woods was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006.
