 Engineers at New York Air Brake contributed to the development of what came to be known as the "AB" brake.During the mid-1930s, at the same time the "AB" brake was being widely implemented, the pneumatic and electro-pneumatic braking equipment for modern, high-speed locomotives and passenger trains were engineered and produced at the Watertown facilities.A dramatic drop in sales following the end of World War I led New York Air Brake to seek new markets.