They wanted “the real McCoy” – and thus, Elijah McCoy can also be credited as the inspiration for the now well-known phrase. McCoy’s device became so popular with the railroads that other inventors tried to copy it, but both the railroads and their employees wouldn’t have it. As McCoy walked alongside the train, he wondered: Couldn’t there be a way to automate this process? That’s when he put his skills as a mechanical engineer to work, inventing a lubricating cup that would do just that - and made operating the railroad safer and more efficient as a result. It was McCoy’s job to apply oil to the axles and bearings - and it could be a dangerous one. During that time, trains would stop every few miles to have their moving parts oiled. Eventually he found a position as a fireman and oilman for the Michigan Central Railroad. But when we returned to the United States, he struggled to find a position in his field due to racial barriers. Elijah McCoy (– October 10, 1929)ĭuring the Civil War, Elijah McCoy attended college in Scotland and became a master mechanic and engineer. In honor of Black History Month, we’re shining a light on four Black inventors who have made an important impact on the railroad industry. It is also a harsh reminder that we must do better until equity is achieved at all levels.” “Our past is an inspiration to do great things as we learn about the heroes that came before us. “All through railroad history, we can point to Black inventors and leaders who pushed the industry forward,” Schrampfer said. Our current diverse workforce provides the platform for innovation and new perspectives that will successfully propel us into the future.”įollowing the driving of the golden spike, which signified the completion of the transcontinental railroad, many inventions have helped to continually improve railroad operations, not the least of which are those of Black inventors. Collectively, their toil and tenacity connected our nation, and the route they built still moves the goods American families depend on today. And the Pawnee Tribe provided protection. In the Midwest, it was the civil war veterans, including African Americans, as well as Irish immigrants. In the West, it was the Chinese track gangs. “Almost 160 years ago, our transcontinental railroad was built with the ingenuity and hard work of diverse laborers. “Diversity has been woven into the fabric of our company from the beginning,” said Debra Schrampfer, Chief Diversity Officer and AVP Workforce Resources for Union Pacific Railroad. Without the contributions of Americans from all walks of life, the railroad would never be where it is today. Since the signing of the Pacific Railway Act in 1862, which launched the building of America’s transcontinental railroad, the railroad has been built and improved on by a diverse workforce.
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