Elevator braking system

An elevator system comprising:

• one or more rails fixed in a hoistway;
• an elevator car configured to move through the hoistway along the one or more rails;
• one or more braking systems including:
• a first braking surface secured to the elevator car and frictionally engageable with a first side of a rail of the elevator system;
• a second braking surface secured to the elevator car and frictionally engageable with a second side of the rail, opposite the first side;
• a braking actuator operably connected to the first braking surface configured to urge engagement or disengagement of the first braking surface with the rail to stop and/or hold the elevator car during operation of the elevator system, wherein the braking actuator is a solenoid;
• and
• a safety of the elevator operably connected to the second braking surface;
• wherein the second braking surface is operably connected to and translatable along a braking device slot via a pin disposed in the braking device slot and operably connected to the safety, the braking device slot is positioned nonparallel to the rail;
• wherein the second braking surface is movable along the braking system parallel to the slot via a safety actuator and via frictional interaction with the rail, the second braking surface urging movement of one or more surfaces of the safety into engagement with the rail;
• and
• wherein the braking system is asymmetric about a longitudinal axis disposed at a centerline of the rail.