(1856–1910). American inventor Granville T. Woods was known for devising a number of new electrical devices for the railroads. His inventions helped make rail travel safer and faster.
Woods was born on April 23, 1856, in either Australia or Columbus, Ohio. He was apparently largely of Australian Aboriginal ancestry (though American society widely regarded him as African American). Woods grew up in Columbus. When he was only 10 years old he began working in a machine shop, though he continued to attend school in the evening for a time. At age 16 Woods went to work on the railroads. Meanwhile, he studied engineering at night school and became a steam locomotive engineer. Woods earned his first patent in 1884 for an improved steam boiler furnace.
Woods started an electric company in Cincinnati, Ohio, to research, manufacture, and sell his electrical inventions. He patented many electrical systems for railways. One invention allowed people to send voice and Morse Code messages over the same wires. Another invention allowed people on moving trains to communicate with people on other trains or in stations. This invention could help prevent accidents, as each train could be made aware of the locations of the trains right behind it and right in front of it. Woods also invented a way for trains to run on electricity instead of steam and a way for train brakes to be improved by using electricity.
In 1890 Woods moved to New York City. There he patented many changes to the equipment used in the electric street car system. Woods designed a grooved wheel called a troller that allowed the car to receive electric current while reducing friction. The term trolley car came from that invention. Woods died on January 30, 1910, in New York City.