A brakeman is a railroad worker who rides on trains to help control their speed and ensure safe operation. Before modern automatic braking systems, brakemen would walk along the tops of moving freight cars, turning large wheels by hand to apply brakes on individual cars. This was dangerous work that required excellent balance, strength, and courage, especially in bad weather or darkness.

On freight trains, brakemen also coupled and uncoupled cars, threw switches to direct trains onto different tracks, and inspected equipment. On passenger trains, they collected tickets and helped passengers, working alongside the conductor.

The job was most important during the 1800s and early 1900s, when trains were the primary way to move goods and people across America. Many brakemen died or were injured in accidents, leading to important safety reforms and the invention of air brakes, which could stop all the cars at once from the locomotive. While automatic braking systems made the position less dangerous and less necessary, some freight trains still carry brakemen today, though their duties have changed significantly.