Locomotive Engineers

There were many professions that ran high risks of being exposed to asbestos in the late 1800s and most of the way through the 1900s. Up until the late 1970s, though, the damage that could be caused to the human body wasn't really known. Once it was discovered how dangerous this material is, the use of asbestos was banned in most countries. But, asbestos can still be found in many different locations, and, since the damage that asbestos causes can take so long to manifest, many people still suffer from asbestos related diseases. The folks who worked for the railroad companies in the country were no exception.

Asbestos Exposure

Most often asbestos was used as an insulator. It was wrapped around pipes and looks like thick white tape. There were also several other products it was commonly added to like wallboard, roofing shingles and tar, cement blocks and mortar and ceiling and floor tiles. It's important to know that asbestos isn't dangerous until the fibers become airborne. We'll cover some of the risks that airborne asbestos fibers pose to human a bit further down.

Many railroad companies used steam engines even into the 1960s. Asbestos was all over the place in steam engine locomotives. It could be found both inside and outside the boiler, inside the walls of the metal outer shelf and in the cab. It was common that the vibrations caused by the wheels running over the tracks would shake the asbestos lose and it would float through the air. The engineers running the machine spent all day breathing the in the dust coming from the asbestos.

Often the trains were also used to transport asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). Again the asbestos fibers would be shaken loose by the movement of the train and add to the general dustiness. The train engineer and other railroad workers would occasionally have to walk up and down the train to check on loads and different components of the train. They would all be exposed to asbestos dust.

Locomotive Asbestos Uses

As mentioned above, there were ACMs found extensively in the engines of steam locomotives. Asbestos has several properties that made it very appealing. First and foremost, it was cheap, the mineral can be found all over the world in naturally occurring deposits. It's resistant to heat and flame, electricity and many chemicals. It has the added benefit of increasing the strength of products it's used in. It shows up as long, thin fibers which are very easy to work with, it can even be woven into fabrics.

There were many different places that asbestos could be found in steam engines. It was used to insulate the boiler and the pipes in the steam engine. It could also be found around the fire box below the boiler. Asbestos was often used to help protect the wood and even metal around the fire box from getting too hot and possibly being damaged. There were many different wearable components that can be found in trains that had asbestos added to them. The break shoes were created with asbestos. And it wasn't like the shoes were only replaced occasionally, they were replaced hundreds, if not thousands of times and, in most cases, the engineer replacing the shoes wore no safety gear. Even the outside of steam locomotives were covered with asbestos insulation called lagging.

Asbestos was also commonly found in the caboose of the train. Most cabooses had a stove for heating and asbestos was used for insulation in the ceiling and walls. Again, the movement of the train would shake the asbestos loose and the conductors would sit in it and swallow and inhale it. Asbestos could even be found in the newer diesel engines. Gaskets used in the engine contained asbestos as did the break shoes and pads. Even the roundhouses and railroad stops contained a great deal of asbestos. The mechanics that made repairs to the engines were constantly exposed to asbestos.

What Locomotive Engineers Should Know

The deadliest result of asbestos exposure is known as mesothelioma. The fibers are a carcinogen that affects the lining inside the abdomen and a few other places in the body. In general, it's called the mesothelium. In the chest it's called the pleura, in the stomach it's known as the peritoneum and the sac that covers the heart is called the pericardium. All of these can be affected by asbestos. Once tumors form, they can seriously inhibit the operation of the heart, lungs and any other organ they are near. Mesothelioma will quickly metastasize and cancer spreads quickly. The average lifespan of someone who has been diagnosed with mesothelioma is eighteen months.

Mesothelioma is fatal, but fairly rare. The more common reaction to asbestos exposure is called asbestosis. The fibers that are inhaled end up in the lungs. Once in the lungs they have no where else to go and they sit there. As the victim breathes and the lungs expand and contract, the fibers scratch the delicate tissues. Ass the lungs heal, scar tissues develop that can no longer take oxygen from the air. Once the scarring has reached a certain level, the patient can't catch their breath. Unlike mesothelioma, asbestosis is treatable if caught early enough. However, the risk of contracting mesothelioma and lung cancer are much higher for these people.

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