Rocky Mountain brake

Rocky Mountain brake

Before brakes were available on wagons, a little sled was often carried along in the wagon and placed under a wheel to increase drag when going downhill. The sled was attached to the wagon with a short piece of chain in such a manner that, when properly positioned, the sled was always dragged along under the wheel. This approach was continued after conventional wagon brakes became available, and in the U.S., was often referred to as Rocky Mountain brakes.