A debris eradicating brake head for use in a side frame mounted braking system in a railway vehicle. The brake head being mounted on an end of a brake beam and including a brake shoe carrier associated with the brake head, a brake shoe secured to a face portion of the brake shoe carrier, and a brake head extension extending from a side portion of the brake shoe carrier for associating the brake head within a unit guide in a side frame of the railway vehicle. The brake head extension including at least one of a first and a second tapered surface configured for breaking up and pushing debris out of the unit guide in the side frame. Eradication of debris within the side frame increases the braking efficiency of the railway vehicle as it reduces the amount of force necessary for applying the brake shoes to the wheels.