Might have helped some but not much. The wreck in Ohio was caused by a failed bearing, which locked up and then caused one end of the axle to burn off. Once both sides of the wheel set were no longer captured in the truck they were mounted in, the wheel swung around and cause everything to come off the track. Then the weight of the train remaining on the track, even with the brakes on all the cars in emergency, started to pile into the wrecked cars like an accordion. So really, locking up the wheels a split second sooner would not have done much to change what actually happened.
“even with the brakes on all the cars in emergency”
Would better brakes have been a good thing here?