3 8 0 ▁" ra il road ▁bra ke , ▁signal , ▁and ▁switch ▁operators " ▁jobs ▁were ▁staff ed ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁with ▁ 9 3 % ▁of ▁them ▁employed ▁in ▁the ▁rail ▁transport ▁industry ▁with ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁remainder ▁employed ▁by ▁supporting ▁companies . ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁had ▁dropped ▁to ▁ 1 4 , 2 7 0 , ▁with ▁the ▁highest ▁employ ment ▁rates ▁in ▁Texas , ▁Illinois , ▁Georgia , ▁Missouri , ▁and ▁New ▁York . ▁ ▁UK ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁UK , ▁the ▁bra k eman ▁was ▁more ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁guard , ▁originally ▁task ed ▁with ▁stopping ▁the ▁train ▁if ▁a ▁cou pler ▁broke . ▁As ▁rail ▁lines ▁extended , ▁the ▁guard ▁would ▁apply ▁bra kes ▁on ▁down hill ▁grad ients . ▁With ▁longer ▁trains , ▁the ▁job ▁included ▁not ifying ▁the ▁driver ▁( by ▁w aving ▁a ▁lamp ) ▁that ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁train ▁had ▁started ▁moving ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁train , ▁or ▁stopped ▁with ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁train . ▁As ▁trains ▁were ▁sometimes ▁required ▁to ▁run ▁in ▁reverse , ▁the ▁guard ▁was ▁further ▁task ed ▁with ▁ens uring ▁the ▁tail ▁lamp ▁sh one ▁white ▁instead ▁of ▁red ▁in ▁these ▁cases . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁with ▁the ▁pre val ence ▁of ▁dies el ▁and ▁electric ▁trains , ▁the ▁legal ▁requirement ▁for ▁bra ke ▁v ans ▁was ▁elimin ated , ▁and ▁guard ▁positions ▁went ▁into ▁decl