UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549


                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                                 (Rule 13d-102)

             Information Statement Pursuant to Rules 13d-1 and 13d-2
                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                             (Amendment No. _____)*


                         Westinghouse Air Brake Company
                   -------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)



                                  Common Stock
                   -------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)



                                    960386100
                            ------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)


*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).



                                Page 1 of 4 Pages




- -------------------------                           ---------------------------
|CUSIP NO. 960386100    |           13G            |   Page  2  of   4  Pages |
|          ---------    |                          |        ---     ---       |
- -------------------------                           ---------------------------

|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   1    |  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON                                           |
|        |  S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON                  |
|        |                                                                     |
|        |  Harvard Private Capital Holdings, Inc.                             |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   2    |  CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*         (a) [ ]  |
|        |                                                            (b) [ ]  |
|        |                                                                     |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   3    |  SEC USE ONLY                                                       |
|        |                                                                     |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   4    |  CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION                               |
|        |                                                                     |
|        |  Massachusetts                                                      |
|-----------------|--------|---------------------------------------------------|
|                 |   5    |  SOLE VOTING POWER                                |
|                 |        |  2,400,000 shares                                 |
|     NUMBER OF   |--------|---------------------------------------------------|
|      SHARES     |   6    |  SHARED VOTING POWER                              |
|   BENEFICIALLY  |        |  --                                               |
|     OWNED BY    |--------|---------------------------------------------------|
|       EACH      |   7    |  SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER                           |
|    REPORTING    |        |  2,400,000 shares                                 |
|      PERSON     |--------|---------------------------------------------------|
|       WITH      |   8    |  SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER                         |
|                 |        |  --                                               |
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   9    |  AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON       |
|        |                                                                     |
|        |  2,400,000 shares                                                   |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  10    |  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN  [ ] |
|        |  SHARES*                                                            |
|        |                                                                     |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  11    |  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)                  |
|        |  9.6%                                                               |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  12    |  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*                                          |
|        |  CO                                                                 |
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                      *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT!


                                Page 2 of 4 Pages






                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                                  ------------

Item 1(a)      Name of Issuer:
                       Westinghouse Air Brake Company

        1(b)   Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:
                       1001 Air Brake Avenue
                       Wilmerding, PA 15148

Item 2(a)      Name of Person Filing:
                       Harvard Private Capital Holdings, Inc.

        2(b)   Address of Principal Business Office or, if none, Residence:
                       (i) c/o Harvard Management Company, Inc.
                                600 Atlantic Avenue
                                Boston, MA  02210

        2(c)   Citizenship:
                        Massachusetts

        2(d)   Title of Class of Securities:
                       Common Stock

        2(e)   CUSIP Number:
                       960386100

Item 3         If this statement is filed pursuant to Rules 13d-1(b), or 
               13d-2(b):
                       The entity filing is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the
                       endowment fund of Harvard University.

Item 4         Ownership:

        4(a)   Amount beneficially owned:
                       2,400,000 shares

        4(b)   Percent of Class:
                       9.6%

        4(c)   Number of shares as to which such person has:

               (i)  sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                       2,400,000 shares



                                Page 3 of 4 Pages




               (ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote:

                                ---------

              (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

                                2,400,000 shares

               (iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of:

                                --------

Item 5         Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:
                       Not Applicable.

Item 6         Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person:
                       Not Applicable.

Item 7         Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary which
               Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
               Company:
                       Not Applicable.

Item 8         Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:
                       Not Applicable.

Item 9         Notice of Dissolution of Group:
                       Not Applicable.

Item 10        Certification:

                    By signing below the undersigned certifies that, to the best
                    of its knowledge and belief, the securities referred to
                    above were acquired in the ordinary course of business and
                    were not acquired for the purpose of and do not have the
                    effect of changing or influencing the control of the issuer
                    of such securities and were not acquired in connection with
                    or as a participant in any transaction having such purpose
                    or effect.


After reasonable inquiry and to the best of its knowledge and belief, the
undersigned certifies that the information set forth in this statement is true,
complete and correct.

                                       HARVARD PRIVATE CAPITAL HOLDINGS, INC.


                                       By: /s/ Tami E. Nason
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           Name:  Tami E. Nason
                                           Title: Authorized Signatory


February 12, 1998

                                Page 4 of 4 Pages