Everyone knows it's hard to stop a train, but that doesn't discourage new york air brake. the company makes brakes and related train-control equipment; it also provides repair services and replacement parts. new york air brake is a unit of germany's knorr-bremse, a major manufacturer of braking systems for both trucks and trains. with the acquisition of illinois-based klasing hand brake in 2008, new york air brake added freight car brakes to its portfolio of train products. once part of general signal, new york air brake was acquired by knorr-bremse in 1991.