In a friction brake arrangement with emergency braking functions for use with a carriage supported on a guide track, with a friction clamping structure including a friction shoe supported in a housing so as to be disposed adjacent the guide track, a spring element is provided biasing the friction shoe toward the guide track for frictional engagement therewith and also a power operated drive for disengaging the friction shoe from the guide track against the force of the spring element and, furthermore, a blocking member is disposed between the drive means and the spring element and held electromagnetically in the blocking position so that the spring is released and the carriage is locked to the guide track for example upon occurrence of a power outage.